ARTY PARTY The National Craft Gallery in Kilkenny is becoming child-friendly from Wednesday and making its exhibition space more like a toyshop - although nothing is for sale.
Musical rocking chairs, giant dress-up dolls and throwable felt balls are among the exhibits, commissioned specially so that children between the ages of three and 12 can touch, feel and play with them. All "works" - if such a word is appropriate - are hung at child's-eye level. Even the catalogue is a colouring book. Photographed are three-year-old Katie McKenna and six-year-old Odhran O'Shea, with Angela O'Kelly. Playthings, National Craft Gallery, Kilkenny, Sept 21Oct 21. Mon-Sat 10am-6pm, Sun 11am-6pm.
POP YOUR POPCORN Beyond the bog-standard blockbuster, rural areas often don't get to enjoy much in the way of cinema. Access Cinema is fixing that, however, when it goes on tour with a stash of arthouse films on board. Launching today, the initiative, called "Zoom", is a programme of films aimed at teenagers, and it kicks off with its first film, The Edukators, at the Roscommon Arts Centre next Wednesday. Other films in the series are Rebel Without a Cause; Kontroll, a Hungarian thriller; Machuca, set in the time of the Chilean military coup; and Yasmin, which is about what it means to be Asian, Muslim and British. The Edukators and Kontroll are preceded by an Irish short film. Apart from "Zoom", Access Cinema tours the regions of the country with a wide range of diverse films to give film junkies a regular fix. See www.accesscinema.ie for a full schedule. Nicoline Greer
NOW BOOKING Brian Roberts was on holidays in Wales one summer when he spotted a road sign that said "Town of Books". Intrigued, he followed the sign and arrived in Hay-on-Wye, where he found the streets lined with bookshops of every kind. Roberts noticed many parallels between the small, picturesque town and his hometown of Graiguenamanagh in Co Kilkenny. According to Roberts, Graiguenamanagh had been "bypassed by the Celtic Tiger", and it struck him that it could be regenerated by filling the empty shop units with booksellers. His idea came to fruition with the Town of Books festival, which, now in its third year, is taking place next weekend, from Friday to Sunday. With booksellers from all over Ireland taking over the town, it's a great opportunity to pick up bargains and it's worth a visit for anyone interested in first editions, signed copies, or out-of-print books. The festival is not only for the serious book collector though; there will also be magicians, storytelling, and food and craft markets. According to Roberts, the ultimate aim is to make Graiguenamanagh into a permanent book town. For more information log on to www.booktownireland.com. Eimear McKeith
LES LANGUAGE LESSONS If you'd like to improve your French but don't fancy the idea of classes that focus on grammar and vocabulary, then you might be interested in a series of cultural workshops at the Alliance Française, Kildare Street, Dublin 2. Each 16-week course focuses on a different aspect of French culture such as music, literature, film or art history, so it's a great way to learn more about France while also improving your language skills. They even offer a course about wine and cheese that includes tasting sessions. The cultural workshops are recommended for people with an intermediate to advanced level of French, but there are plenty of other courses on offer as well. If you'd like to sign up for a class, the Alliance is having an open day today (10am-1pm), and the new term begins on Monday. Contact Christine Weld at 01-6381441 for more details. Eimear McKeith
JEWELLERY WITHOUT BORDERS Danish jewellery designers Pilgrim have brought out a colourful key chain to benefit Médecins sans Frontières (MSF). Pilgrim's colourful, girly jewellery had its beginnings when two young Danes travelled the world bringing back jewellery to sell on market stalls. Every year the label brings out a piece of jewellery - last season's was a floral necklace and earring set - and passes on the proceeds to MSF, which sends medical volunteers to emergency situations in about 80 countries. The collaboration has so far raised €400,000. The key chain costs €44 and is worn here by French actress Emmanuelle Béart, who models the MSF range for free. Pilgrim's new shop has just opened at Dundrum Town Centre, and the range is also available in shops nationwide. See www.pilgrim.dk for stockists, or call 01-2964221 for the Dundrum store. Nicoline Greer
LOOP THE LOOP The wind will be in the hair of the people competing in the Irish Wavesailing Championship at Keel Beach, Achill Island this weekend. Today and tomorrow you can catch them carving up the waves on their windsurfers. The event is being hosted by Windwise, which teaches windsurfing on the island, and organiser Ruth Allen says that the competitors' tricks and manoeuvres - such as forward and back loops in the air - usually elicit "loads of oohs and ahhs out of the crowd". They are hoping for about 45 people riding the waves, including the top professionals in the country, a women's fleet and an amateur fleet. The competition begins at 10am today and tomorrow. www.windwise.ie. Nicoline Greer
STUDYING THE STUDIO Have you ever wondered what an artist's studio is like, or how an artwork is actually made? Well, now you have a chance to find out. Temple Bar Gallery and Studios is having an open day today from 2-6pm, and you'll be able to catch a behind-the-scenes glimpse of some 20 artists' studios. It's a great opportunity to meet the artists, and in some cases you'll be able to buy directly from them. Ronan McCrea and Isabel Nolan - two of the artists representing Ireland at this year's Venice Biennale - are throwing open their doors, along with other well-known artists such as Fergus Feehily, Sean Fingleton, Katrina Maguire and Makiko Nakamura. The event is free; everyone is welcome and refreshments will be served throughout the afternoon. For more details, call 01-6710073 or e-mail info@templebargallery.com.
If, by 6pm, you still haven't had your fill of art, you could head across the Liffey to Dublin's Hugh Lane Gallery, where a late-night music, audiovisual and live-art event will be kicking off. Called Offside Live II, it will feature a mix of bands, DJs, dancers and performance artists. Admission €8 before 8pm and €10 after, and it runs until midnight. Information: 01-2225577. Eimear McKeith
WHAT'S ON THE LABEL? Figuring out what food labels really mean can be a mind-boggling task for anyone trying to eat a healthy diet. How many of us actually know what additives, stabilisers and E numbers are? Many processed foods are full of hidden fats, salts and sugars, but this can often be hard to discern from the label. If you'd like to find out how to navigate the minefield of food labelling, help is at hand from nutritionist Aveen Bannon, who will be giving a free class on "Food labelling and weight management: nutritional advice for children, adolescents and adults" on Tuesday at the Hilton Hotel in Dublin, from 6.30-8.30pm. It's the second in a series of food-labelling talks sponsored by Kelkin. To reserve a place, log on to www.kelkin.ie or e-mail labellingclasses@kelkin.ie. Eimear McKeith
BENDABLE CHILDREN There's an introduction to yoga for children next Friday and Saturday at the East Clare Yoga Centre, Tuamgraney (www.eastclareyoga.com). The classes, designed for children aged seven to 14, will be given by Iyengar yoga teacher Korinna Pilafidis-Williams, who teaches in the UK and has appeared on Blue Peter and other TV programmes. There is a choice of four classes over the two days. Each one-hour class will cost €7. Booking: 061-640923. Situated in the Shannonside region of Lough Derg and Killaloe, Co Clare, the East Clare Yoga Centre is a family-run rural retreat centre. See www.eastclareyoga.com.