RSNO launches its new early years project The Adventures of Yoyo Posted Thu 30 October 2025
The Royal Scottish National Orchestra (RSNO) launches The Adventures of Yoyo, the latest instalment in its innovative early years project which includes free live concerts for nursery and primary school children across Scotland, a set of short animated films and a suite of educational resources.
Created in partnership with Visible Fictions, The Adventures of Yoyo features four brand-new, short animated films which will be released online and later brought together at Yoyo & The Big Sleepover, a free, live concert experience performed in venues across the nation in 2026. Yoyo & The Big Sleepover will then be released online as a digital experience so that every child in every community in Scotland can enjoy Yoyo’s adventure.
Brought to life with original music written by Euan Stevenson and performed by the RSNO, this project introduces nursery and early primary children to the world of classical music through storytelling, exploring themes of community, kindness and multiculturalism along the way.
The Adventures of Yoyo follows on from the success of the RSNO and Visible Fictions’ 2022 animated film, Yoyo & The Little Auk. Written by Stewart Ennis and animated by Gavin C Robinson, The Adventures of Yoyo welcomes back the characters of Yoyo and her four grandparents – Flo, Zigzag, Yousef, and Zaina – who live in the fictional Scottish town of Inverkithkin but come from all over the world; from Kraków and Vatersay to Tehran and Bombay. Exploring different aspects of each grandparent’s cultural identity, Yoyo sets out in each animated film to help her grandparents in preparation for the town’s bedtime concert.
Accompanying the animated films and live shows, a suite of educational resources will be released in early 2026, available to nurseries and primary schools to access for free online. These resources and films will be available 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.
Artistic Director of Visible Fictions Dougie Irvine said: ‘It’s an honour to be collaborating with the RSNO again to bring together some of the best storytellers, music-makers and animators in Scotland. It has been an absolute pleasure to create The Adventures of Yoyo with Euan Stevenson and his dynamically playful score, with Stewart Ennis and his delightful stories and characters, and the wonderful Gavin C Robinson, his skilful team and their gorgeous animations. This project has been an absolute joy from start to finish and we are so excited share Yoyo’s adventures with Scotland’s youngest audiences.’
RSNO Director of Engagement Andy Stevenson said: ‘We are so pleased to be working with Visible Fictions again and bringing back the world of Yoyo. At the RSNO, we believe that every child in every community should have the opportunity to experience orchestral music and creating such an accessible route into that, through themes of intergenerational connection, multiculturalism and community, is such a privilege and joy to be involved in. I am very much looking forward to welcoming back Yoyo and her family to young people across the country!’
Free digital educational resources including animated films, digital experience, livestream and content with BSL and Gaelic provision will be released in early 2026. For more information on how to access the content and to sign up to the live concerts, visit rsno.org.uk/adventures-of-yoyo/
The Adventures of Yoyo is supported by Castansa Charitable Trust; Educational Institute of Scotland (EiS); 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; Miss Jean R Stirrat’s Charitable Trust; Northwood Charitable Trust; Q Charitable Trust; R J Larg Family Trust; Scott Davidson Charitable Trust; Souter 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.
Live Concerts: Yoyo & The Big Sleepover
- Glasgow: Tuesday 3 March 2026, 11am
- Glasgow: Tuesday 3 March 2026, 1pm
- Perth: Wednesday 4 March 2026, 11am
- Edinburgh: Monday 9 March 2026, 10am
- Dundee: Wednesday 11 March 2026, 11am