We're building a 25ft Chinese dragon .. no strings attached

COMING face to face with a giant, 25ft-long dragon may be the stuff of nightmares for most people.

But for dozens of children who helped bring the creature to life, seeing him take pride of place in the refurbished National Museum of Scotland will be a dream come true.

Puppeteer and designer Kim Bergsagel has spent months creating the Chinese dragon, enlisting the help of youngsters from Leith, where she lives.

Children from the Edinburgh Chinese School, Leith Primary, Stanwell Nursery and McDonald Road Library's multicultural family learning group will be admiring their handiwork when the Chambers Street museum fully reopens to the public in the summer.

The puppet will be on permanent display in the Imagine Room, which has been specially designed for children and families and is one of 16 new galleries to be created as part of the 46 million revamp.

Ms Bergsagel, who is most famous for her Big Man Walking puppet, helped children learn about the history of the Chinese dragon, as well as teaching youngsters how to make smaller versions.

The children also added their own artistic flair to the museum exhibit by decorating the scales on the dragon's back.

Ms Bergsagel, who has been working on the giant puppet since last June, said: "You're going to see the eight-metre dragon facing you from the ceiling as soon as you walk into the Imagine Room.

"The dragon is similar in size to Big Man Walking but that had to be made to work, whereas the dragon will be hanging from the ceiling.

"This is the first time I have made a Chinese dragon so I was really looking forward to doing it. I'm very excited about seeing it hanging in the museum.

"I make so many puppets that I can't get attached to them because otherwise I'd be an emotional wreck."

She added: "The children have really enjoyed it."

Laura Bennison, the museum's community engagement officer, said: "It has been a great experience for us to work with these groups and Kim Bergsagel. The Chinese dragon will have a big impact on everyone that enters the Imagine gallery when it opens this summer.

"It's very important to us that this sculpture had input from local families and young people as they are the people who will be using and enjoying the gallery.

"By involving families in creating content for the redeveloped museum, we hope that they feel part of our new galleries for a long time to come."

To celebrate Chinese New Year, which starts today, the museum is hosting free drop-in art workshops for families this weekend to make dragon puppets and a mural.

They will take place on Saturday and Sunday from 12pm to 4pm at Hawthornden Court.

The National Museum of Scotland will fully reopen to the public this summer following a three-year redevelopment of the Victorian building formerly known as the Royal Museum.