Children take over at the Garter Lane Arts Centre in Waterford this week, but an exhibition opening this evening will ensure adults are not left out.
This is the second year of sprOg, a pre-Spraoi festival presented by Garter Lane and Waterford Corporation with the emphasis on lively entertainment for four to eight-year-olds.
The shows, which last for a maximum of 15 minutes, open today with the Blank Page Theatre production of Mr Abraham and Obram Omnibus' Allandeverything Shop, in which the audience is invited to help catch the thief who turns the shop upside down.
Other shows this week include Turbo Prop Theatre's The Muckies; a Cuala Verbal Arts production, Wonder Tales of Magic; and About Time, jointly presented by Waterford Youth Drama and Spraoi.
Children aged five and over who wish to finger a flute, honk a horn or bang a drum are invited to meet members of the National Youth Orchestra of Ireland and the World Wind Quintet tomorrow for a session entitled "Meet the Band!"
While waiting for their children, adults will have a chance to view the work of photographers from The Irish Times in the "Exposure 2000" exhibition, which will be officially opened by the Mayor of Waterford, Mr Hilary Quinlan, at Garter Lane this evening.
The exhibition is a unique look at last year's defining moments as seen through the eyes of this newspaper's award-winning photographs, capturing the moods and memories of the year from tribunal personalities to the new faces of multicultural Ireland.
It covers entertainment, sport, daily life, business, arts and entertainment, the environment, news and politics and follows last year's successful millennium exhibition.
Tickets for the children's shows cost £1 each. Pre-booking is advised, at 051-855038. "Exposure 2000", which runs for the month of August, is free. Next month it moves to the Vision Centre in Cork.
