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Scottish children start learning about Robert Burns from an early age. Often they’re taught his poems in school, or learn them for the recitals and performances that take place on Burns day. But what do young kids really think or understand about Burn’s poetry? The language he used is often difficult for a modern audience to comprehend, so what would a six year old make of it? Can the vibrancy of his style, and the subject matter, transcend the old fashioned Scots dialect he wrote in and resonate with a young and modern audience?

STV Creative, sponsored by the Sunday Post, will be producing one minute programmes to celebrate Burns Day 2012. They will air weeknights at 6.30pm and 10.30pm. The programmes will be filmed at Glasgow Academy, with a group of primary two school children. Bill Torrance, will recite and explain the poem Tae a Moose to the children. He is a well known TV personality and raconteur with a wonderful ability to engage with children and make a story come alive, not least because of his years of experience presenting children’s TV programmes like Hopscotch, Nickety Nackety and Listen with Mother – programmes that most adult audience members will remember fondly. After he has read the poem, he’ll speak to the children and explain the poem, to make sure they grasp the broader meaning of what the poem is about. As a great lover of Robert Burns himself, often reciting at suppers and on the radio, so he is perfectly placed to explain the meaning and emotions of the poems to a younger audience.

These programmes will be lighthearted, upbeat and sweet, with funny, unusual and even poignant sound bites and opinions from the children. By viewing Burns’ poetry through the eyes of a child, the audience can connect with him in new a different way, and remember what they learnt and loved about Burns when they were young.

Kelly Bredin, Head of Sponsorship at STV said: “We are delighted to welcome the Sunday Post as the sponsor of Burns, Bairns an’ a Mouse Tae one minute programmes to celebrate Burns Day 2012. 

The partnership between such a high profile publisher with a unique insight into Scottish life and a programme featuring Bill Torrance reciting Robert Burns poetry is a terrific fit.

STV Creative worked with The Sunday Post on the sponsorship bumpers to bring the special comic character Oor Willie to life on the big screen.”

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