Almost 5,000 primary pupils experience Scotland’s National Orchestra live in concert Posted Tue 10 March 2026
Pictured L-R: Kamdi, Erick, Kalia, Luna and Hollie from Big Noise Raploch in Perth Concert Hall
4,940 primary pupils joined Scotland’s National Orchestra over the last week as it took its brand-new concert experience, Yoyo & The Big Sleepover, on the road with five sold-out concerts in Dundee, Perth, Glasgow and Edinburgh.
The Royal Scottish National Orchestra (RSNO) partnered with Visible Fictions on this interactive concert experience for Nursery to Primary 3 pupils which forms part of the RSNO’s flagship early years project. Yoyo & The Big Sleepover weaves animated short films into a live concert experience performed by the RSNO, conducted by RSNO Assistant Conductor Celia Llácer, and presented by Scottish actor and singer Frances Thorburn.
Returning to the beloved characters featured in the 2022 animated film Yoyo & The Little Auk, the story explores themes of community, kindness and multiculturalism. Set in the fictional town of Inverkithkin, Yoyo & The Big Sleepover follows the characters of Yoyo and her four grandparents as they prepare for the town’s big sleepover. Written by Stewart Ennis and animated by Gavin C Robinson, Yoyo & The Big Sleepover was brought to life by an original score by composer Euan Stevenson and included a special lullaby that the schoolchildren learned ahead of time with the help of bespoke learning resources created by the RSNO.
RSNO Director of Engagement Andy Stevenson said: ‘We’re so pleased to be working with Visible Fictions once again on this exciting project. At the RSNO, we are passionate about ensuring every child in every community has access to their National Orchestra and this is one of the brilliant ways in which we do this. Reaching this many children in just over a week is fantastic and we’ll reach even more with our free-to-access online resources throughout the year.’
Visible Fictions Artistic Director Dougie Irvine said: ‘It’s an honour to be collaborating with the RSNO again and to bring together some of the best performers, storytellers, music-makers and animators in Scotland. We are thrilled to have presented Yoyo & The Big Sleepover in concert halls across Scotland and loved sharing the spectacular orchestral performance, four fantastic animations, and captivating storytelling in this live performance. This project has been an absolute joy from start to finish and we are so excited to share it with Scotland’s youngest audiences.’
Yoyo & The Big Sleepover sits within the RSNO’s wider Schools Programme which ensures that every child in every community in Scotland has the opportunity to engage with their National Orchestra. The Adventures of Yoyo which encompasses four animated short films and a suite of educational resources are available to nurseries and primary schools to access for free online. These resources and films will be later released in English with British Sign Language (BSL) and in Gaelic, and the RSNO will host an interactive live experience, streamed directly to classrooms, reaching the widest possible audience across Scotland. For more information on how to access the content, visit rsno.org.uk/adventures-of-yoyo/
The Adventures of Yoyo is supported by Alexander Moncur Trust; Castansa Charitable Trust; Cookie Matheson Charitable Trust; Educational Institute of Scotland (EiS); Ettrick Charitable Trust; Evelyn Drysdale Charitable Trust; Gaelic Language Promotion Trust; Gannochy Trust; Glasgow City Council; Hugh Fraser Foundation; Leach Family Trust; Leisure and Culture Dundee; Leng Charitable Trust; Lethendy Charitable Trust; McGlashan Charitable Trust; MEB Charitable Trust; Miss Jean R Stirrat’s Charitable Trust; Nancie Massey Charitable Trust; Northwood Charitable Trust; P F Charitable Trust; Q Charitable Trust; R J Larg Family Trust; Radcliffe Trust; Scott Davidson Charitable Trust; Souter Charitable Trust; Stevenston Charitable Trust; Tay Charitable Trust; Tillyloss Trust; W M Sword Charitable Trust; Walter Craig Charitable Trust; Walter Scott Giving Group; Weir Charitable Trust.
The RSNO is grateful for the continued support of its Learning and Engagement Partrons: Maurice & Nicola Taylor Charitable Trust; Members of the Glasgow RSNO Circle; Neil and Nicola Gordon; Nicholas and Alison Muntz; Professor Gillian Mead, FRSE; The Dundee RSNO Circle Committee; William Brown, W.S.