A look at what is happening this summer
MAY
Sticky Fingers Festival
May 17-24
Narrow Water Castle, Warrenpoint, and the Sean Hollywood Arts Centre, Newry, Co Down, 048-30257885
www.stickyfingersarts.co.uk
Billed as the first festival for under-eights on these islands, Sticky Fingers has a very impressive international programme of theatre and workshops. Worth checking out are Clay Play from Belgian company Théâtre de la Guimbarde, The Colours of Water from Italy's La Baracca, and The Flea Pit from Cahoots in Northern Ireland.
Féile na Tuaithe
May 26-27
National Museum of Country Life, Turlough Park, Castlebar, Co Mayo, 094-9031773
www.museum.ie
Now in its third year, this family festival celebrates country life, past and present, with traditional children's outdoor games, craft demonstrations and a tented craft and organic food market. The Fanzini Brothers will perform circus tricks and Pied Piper Mary Curran invites children to join her on a walkabout in the park's gardens.
Belfast Children's Festival
May 25-June 3
Belfast City, 048-90312264
www.belfastchildrensfestival.com
Now in its 10th year, this is Northern Ireland's largest children's arts festival. Highlights include a Baby Rave at the Waterfront Hall, workshops and an exhibition on the theme of "the things children love". Also, lots of high-quality theatre shows (check out Jackie's Day from Graffiti Theatre Company), contemporary storytelling, and a workshop programme.
Farmleigh Summer Programme
May-Aug
Farmleigh, Phoenix Park, 01-8155900
www.farmleigh.ie
While the main summer programme for July/August is not yet available and there are no Proms this year, there are free visual-arts workshops for various age groups on Saturdays at 1.30pm throughout May and on the last two Saturdays in June. Activities aside, the magnificent house and gardens provide a welcome retreat for families in summer.
JUNE
Éigse Carlow Arts Festival
June 8-17
Carlow town, 059-9140491
www.eigsecarlow.ie
Oogly Boogly, a dance and movement performance involving up to eight babies (aged 12-18 months) and four adult performers is one of the most unusual events on this year's programme. Banyan Theatre Company bring their version of The Emperor's New Clothes to Éigse this year and visitors to Carlow town will be entertained by street performers. There are also dance and art/illustration workshops.
Spréacha International Arts Festival for Children
June 11-16
Draíocht Arts Centre, Blanchardstown, Dublin 15, 01-8852610
www.draiocht.ie
One of Ireland's leading arts festivals for children, Spréacha mixes critically acclaimed international theatre shows with a dynamic visual-arts programme. Unmissables this year include HaHaHa, a tale of circus tricksters from Belgian company Okidok (age seven-plus) and A Cloud's Journey from Germany company Schnawwl Kinder und Jugendtheater am NationalTheater (for three- to six-year-olds). Other highlights include Utopias, an exhibition using mixed-media objects and Building Castles In the Air, a sculpture made from hundreds of cardboard boxes.
Cork Midsummer Festival
June 19-30
Cork City, 021-4215131
www.corkfestival.com
The annual Lord Mayor's Picnic in Fitzgerald Park on June 24 (1pm-5pm) is the main family event, with workshops, performances and boat rides. This year, the over-fives are encouraged to take their dads to The Spaceman, the Irish premiere of UK company Blind Summit's show about astronauts, at the Firkin Crane theatre. Check out family events in the Spiegeltent on Emmet Place, and the late-night shows in the docklands on June 22 and 23 for older children and their families.
National Gallery Children's Workshops
June/July
National Gallery, Merrion St, Dublin, 01-6615133
www.nationalgallery.ie
Children's art workshops are split into two age groups: the Little Masters classes for three- to six-year olds (€15 per week, Tues-Thurs, 11am-noon in July) and the Children's Art Club for seven- to 12-year-olds (€24 per week, Tues-Thurs, 2.15-3.30pm in July). Also, every Sunday at 3pm in June, July and August, children can participate in an art workshop focusing on a different painting in the gallery each week. Admission is free.
The Wiggles
June/July
www.thewiggles.com.au
One of Australia's biggest commercial successes for young children, these all-dancing, all-singing fun-lovin' guys are on tour again. Waterfront Hall, Belfast, June 1, 11am & 2pm, £14, 048-90334455; The Helix, Dublin City University, Glasnevin, Dublin on June 2 & 3, 11am & 2pm, €21, children under one are free if seated on an adult's lap, 01-7007000
Music workshops
June-Aug
National Concert Hall, Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin, 01-4170000
www.nch.ie
New this year is a series of workshops in the Iveagh Gardens and a week-long summer camp for seven- to nine-year-olds (July 9-July 13, 10am-2.30pm, €150). In the summer camp, participants will compose a group piece for performance. The camp will be led by composer and animateur, Elaine Agnew. There are also workshops in Brazilian dance, African drumming and storytelling with music.
JULY
Children's Workshops
July 4-Aug 18
The Ark, Eustace St, Temple Bar, Dublin, 01-6707788
www.ark.ie
A series of workshops will run alongside the exhibition, A Century of Toys. Designed to suit various age groups, the workshops will give children opportunities to design jigsaws, create moving figures and flying machines. The workshop programme runs from July 4 to August 18 with family workshops on Sundays.
Earagail Arts Festival
July 7-22
Co Donegal, 074-9120777
www.eaf.ie
Aquatic themes dominate the children's programme at this arts festival in venues throughout Co Donegal. Highlights include award-winning puppet shows, theatre inside an inflatable sperm whale, sand sculpting, a drawing day and outdoor walkabout storytelling.
Chester Beatty Summer Club
July 9-13
Chester Beatty Library,
Dublin Castle, 01-4070750
www.cbl.ie
A series of workshops (for six- to 11-year-olds) exploring science and engineering will be held as part of the Leonardo's Codex Leicester exhibition. The free workshops, which run July 9-13, will be led by the Centre for Advancement of Learning of Maths, Science and Technology and the Waterford Institute of Technology. Booking opens on July 2.
CentreStage Summer School
July
University Concert Hall, University Limerick and LIT Millennium Theatre, Limerick city, 061-213307
www.centrestageireland.com
Musical theatre camps, youth singing master classes and youth theatre camps for those aged six to 18.
Diversions
July/August
Temple Bar, Dublin, 01-6772255
www.templebar.ie
This free season of entertainment includes a week of international circus performances, July 15-22 and Sun shows at 2pm in Meeting House Square from July 1-Aug 12. Part of a wider programme which includes live music performances and outdoor movies, Diversions offers free fantastic cultural treats.
National Museum Summer Workshops
July/Aug
National Museum, Kildare St, Dublin, 01-6486332
www.museum.ie
New this year are the Intrepid Explorers tours for children aged seven and over. Running every Thurs, July 12- Aug 16 at the Natural History Museum, they will include art work, quizzes as well as lots of exploring. Other highlights include two four-day summer schools for seven- to 12-year-olds, 10.30am- 12.30pm, Aug 7-10 and Aug 14-17 at the National Museum of Ireland. There are also weekly family tours at 11.30am on Tues at the National Museum throughout July and August. Booking for all events is essential.
Dublin City Gallery workshops
July/Aug
Dublin City Gallery, Parnell Sq North, Dublin 1, 01-2225553
www.hughlane.ie
Week-long art camps for seven- to 10-year-olds (July 10-13/July 17-20 10.30am-noon, €45) and a two-week drawing and mixed media course for 13- to 17-year-olds (July 10-13 & July 17-20, 2.30pm-4pm, €60) are followed by once-off Thurs morning (11am-noon) artist-led workshops for various age groups in August (€5 per workshop). Meanwhile, free sketching workshops (for aged seven and over) on Sundays at 3pm in May and June.
Ballet Ireland Summer Workshops
July/Aug
Various venues
www.ballet-ireland.com
Cinderella will be the storyline for these week-long workshops which offer children experience in dance, mime, music and drama. This year's venues are Dunamaise Arts Centre, Portlaoise, Co Laois (July 2-6, 057-8663355), Glór Irish Music Centre, Ennis, Co Clare (July 9-13, 065-6843103), Mermaid Arts Centre, Bray, Co Wicklow (July 16-20, 01-2724030), Civic Theatre, Tallaght, Dublin (July 23-27, 01-4627477), An Grianán, Letterkenny, Co Donegal (July 30- Aug 3, 0191-20777), Burnavon Arts and Cultural Centre, Cookstown, Co Tyrone (Aug 6-10, 048-86769949), Moat Theatre, Naas, Co Kildare (Aug 13-17, 045-883030), Solstice Arts
Centre, Navan, Co Meath (Aug 14-18, 046-9092300) and the Simon Ryan Theatre, Tipperary town (Aug 20-24, 062-80520).
Drama and Movie-Making workshops
July/Aug
Gaiety School of Acting,
Sycamore St, Temple Bar, Dublin 2, 01-6799277
www.gaietyschool.com
The school of acting's extensive programme includes drama, acting, movie-making courses in venues in Dublin, Meath, Monaghan, Wexford, Tipperary, Laois and Cork, for eight- to 19-year-olds.
AUGUST
Kilkenny Arts Festival
Aug 10-19
Kilkenny City, 056-7752175
www.kilkennyarts.ie
Highlights include a family gig by Dervish on Aug 18, readings and workshops by children's authors, and storywriting workshops facilitated by the Ark.
Festival of World Cultures
Aug 24-26
Dún Laoghaire, Co Dublin, 01-2047271
www.festivalofworldcultures.com
The children's programme centres around the People's Park where performances, workshops, circus acts and storytelling are aimed at young audiences. New this year is a series of ethnic workshops.
Compiled by Sylvia Thompson
