Spréacha, Fingal’s International Arts Festival for Children, 2005

It’s Spréacha time again and Draíocht is delighted to announce the line-up for this year’s six-day festival, guaranteed to capture the minds and hearts of children everywhere, with live theatre performances, puppetry, storytelling and visual art exhibitions for children aged between 3 and 12 years. With a top ticket price of just €5, and many events free, you’d be mad to miss out on the ‘sparkling’ Spréacha Festival 2005!

This year’s festival welcomes companies from Denmark, Scotland, England, Belgium and Canada to Fingal to spark all our imaginations! Enjoy stories about a 100 year old oak tree complete with creeping caterpillars, a lost frog and two spiders (Memories of a Tree, presented by Compagnie Sac A Dos, Belgium, for 3-7 yrs), runaway chickens, cats, cows and even a mouse-disco (Run Chicken Run, presented by Gruppe 38, Denmark, for 8+ yrs), minotaurs, Greek Gods & magical balls of twine (Labyrinth, presented by Wee Stories, Scotland, for 7+ yrs), an adventurous goldfish set free from his bowl by a cat (The Fish’s Wishes, presented by Lyngo Theatre, England, for 3+ yrs) and a tightrope-walking clown’s hilarious escapades and amazing feats of silliness (TYPO, presented by Theatre T. & Co, Canada, for 6+ yrs & families) … and that’s just to start.

Add to that a visual arts programme especially for children. Playthings, commissioned by Draíocht and the Crafts Council of Ireland, presents work by four fine art and four craft aftists who have come together to create a tactile, playful, interactive and fun exhibition where children can definitely touch the work … in fact it’s a must! And artist Tim Durham presents his exhibition Soap Opera, a study of Bubbles! Bubbles up close … bubbles under a magnifying glass … lots of beautifully photographed bubbles captured just before they are created. Why not come to the Family Day on Saturday 18 June to learn more about these exhibitions, or call in any time during the festival.

The festival’s sparkle also extends to Blanchardstown Library, which will be host to a series of wonderful events and workshops by top writers and artists, including Susie Minto, Oisín McGann, Roddy Doyle, Marita Conlon-McKenna, Malachy Doyle, Deirdre Madden, Mary Murphy and Colin Hawkins, especially for 5-12 year olds (Library events run from 16-24 June).

Presented by Draíocht in partnership with Fingal County Council, County Manager John Tierney expressed his delight at Fingal’s involvement,

"This is a unique event in the cultural life of Fingal, an arts festival that has been specifically designed for children. Spreácha, which means ‘Spark’ or ‘Sparkles’, is an international festival with theatre groups and performers from countries throughout Europe, performing here in our arts centre. When you consider that Fingal has one of the largest youth populations of any county in Ireland, I think that it is very appropriate that we have an annual international children’s festival of this quality. It is my hope that over the next number of years that with all our support, ‘Spreácha’ will become one of the premier children’s festivals in the Country." - John Tierney, Manager, Fingal County Council

Spréacha would like to give special thanks to additional sponsors. These include the Arts Council, Pierse Contracting, Glanbia, Danish Arts Agency, Aarhus Local Authority, AMC Coaches, Dept of Foreign Affairs Canada and The Twelfth Lock.

Download the Spréacha Brochure 2005

Project Images

Labyrinth
for ages 7+ [Scotland]
This award winning Scottish Theatre Company present Labyrinth, a tale of Ancient Greece, the theatre, the Gods, a horrible monster and a magical ball of twine. This is the story of Theseus and the Minotuar, a classic tale from Greek mythology adapted by Wee Stories with original music and their own unique blend of storytelling, live original music, drama, comedy and participation. Greek mythology like you have never seen before. — **Labyrinth**
for ages 7+ [Scotland]
This award winning Scottish Theatre Company present Labyrinth, a tale of Ancient Greece, the theatre, the Gods, a horrible monster and a magical ball of twine. This is the story of Theseus and the Minotuar, a classic tale from Greek mythology adapted by Wee Stories with original music and their own unique blend of storytelling, live original music, drama, comedy and participation. Greek mythology like you have never seen before.

Run Chicken Run
for ages 8+ [Denmark]
Based on songs from a well known Danish children’s songbook, Run Chicken Run invites its audience to use the power of their imagination to expand on the story that they are watching. An inventive set provides the background for some madcap storytelling. We meet a farmer. As we join him on a routine day down on his farm, he begins to tell us short, absurd and sometimes hilarious stories of life and death on his farm. Under the doors, hidden from our eyes, we meet his animals, the cow, the chicken and the cat ….we hear but never see them. This is children’s theatre at its best,. magical, fun, inventive and full of surprises. From Gruppe 38, Denmark. — **Run Chicken Run**
for ages 8+ [Denmark]
Based on songs from a well known Danish children’s songbook, Run Chicken Run invites its audience to use the power of their imagination to expand on the story that they are watching. An inventive set provides the background for some madcap storytelling. We meet a farmer. As we join him on a routine day down on his farm, he begins to tell us short, absurd and sometimes hilarious stories of life and death on his farm. Under the doors, hidden from our eyes, we meet his animals, the cow, the chicken and the cat ….we hear but never see them. This is children’s theatre at its best,. magical, fun, inventive and full of surprises. From Gruppe 38, Denmark.

Memories Of A Tree
for ages 3-7 [Belgium]
A 100 year old oak tree shares it memories… delicate tales of the wind blowing, creeping caterpillars, a lost frog, two spiders, birds nesting, a dancing flower, a little boy playing on it’s branches … the passing of time. A gentle show told through puppetry, storytelling and music. — **Memories Of A Tree**
for ages 3-7 [Belgium]
A 100 year old oak tree shares it memories… delicate tales of the wind blowing, creeping caterpillars, a lost frog, two spiders, birds nesting, a dancing flower, a little boy playing on it’s branches … the passing of time. A gentle show told through puppetry, storytelling and music.

T-Y-P-O
for all ages [Canada]
Jamie Adkins has a great idea for a play - - he just can’t quite get it down on paper. Every crumpled – up sheet makes this rubber –faced clown more determined to get it right. Then…one of the balls of paper bounces right back at him !! Be enthralled as this chaplinesque character is finally coaxed away from his typewriter to embark on a non-stop barrage of hilarious escapades and amazing feats of silliness. Egged on by the melodies of a roving musician/comedian, our playwright holds on to dear life at the top of a splitting ladder, wrestles with his own bulbous red nose, flips and somersaults across a slack wire. Thrills and spills like you have never seen before!! — **T-Y-P-O**
for all ages [Canada]
Jamie Adkins has a great idea for a play - - he just can’t quite get it down on paper. Every crumpled – up sheet makes this rubber –faced clown more determined to get it right. Then…one of the balls of paper bounces right back at him !! Be enthralled as this chaplinesque character is finally coaxed away from his typewriter to embark on a non-stop barrage of hilarious escapades and amazing feats of silliness. Egged on by the melodies of a roving musician/comedian, our playwright holds on to dear life at the top of a splitting ladder, wrestles with his own bulbous red nose, flips and somersaults across a slack wire. Thrills and spills like you have never seen before!!

Playthings
for all ages [Ireland]
Four fine art and four craft artists have come together to create Playthings, an exhibition for children aged between 3 and 12 years. Artists from both Ireland and England have created 8 pieces which will in turn be tactile, playful, interactive, attractive and fun. A sense of discovery runs through the exhibition facilitating children interacting with the pieces in surprising ways. This is one exhibition where they can definitely touch the work ..in fact it’s a must !! — **Playthings**
for all ages [Ireland]
Four fine art and four craft artists have come together to create Playthings, an exhibition for children aged between 3 and 12 years. Artists from both Ireland and England have created 8 pieces which will in turn be tactile, playful, interactive, attractive and fun. A sense of discovery runs through the exhibition facilitating children interacting with the pieces in surprising ways. This is one exhibition where they can definitely touch the work ..in fact it’s a must !!

Family Day
for all ages [Ireland]
Learn more about the works on display and try your hand at creating your own works of art during Draíocht’s Family Day on Saturday 18 June 12 noon – 4pm. Families are invited to visit the galleries on a drop in basis to work with an artist who will be on hand. This event is free of charge with no booking required. All materials are provided by Draíocht. — **Family Day**
for all ages [Ireland]
Learn more about the works on display and try your hand at creating your own works of art during Draíocht’s Family Day on Saturday 18 June 12 noon – 4pm. Families are invited to visit the galleries on a drop in basis to work with an artist who will be on hand. This event is free of charge with no booking required. All materials are provided by Draíocht.

Tim Durham - Soap Opera
for all ages [Ireland]
Bubbles are the subject of Tim Durham’s exhibition ‘Soap Opera’. Bubbles up close..bubbles under a magnifying glass. Have you ever looked so closely at bubbles before ? These photograph capture the light, colours and patterns that make up the thin film that form what we know as bubbles. What are your favourite colours ? What can you see in the patterns ? Are they moving ? — **Tim Durham - Soap Opera**
for all ages [Ireland]
Bubbles are the subject of Tim Durham’s exhibition ‘Soap Opera’. Bubbles up close..bubbles under a magnifying glass. Have you ever looked so closely at bubbles before ? These photograph capture the light, colours and patterns that make up the thin film that form what we know as bubbles. What are your favourite colours ? What can you see in the patterns ? Are they moving ?

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Spréacha, Fingal’s International Arts Festival for Children, 2005

13-18 June 2005

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