Spréacha Fingal’s International Arts Festival for Children, 2009

It’s the sixth annual Spréacha Festival at Draíocht in Blanchardstown this June. The magical seven day Festival line up includes theatre performances, dance, storytelling and puppetry for children aged between 2 and 12 years & their families. With a top ticket price of just €5, you’d be mad to miss out on the ‘sparkling’ Spréacha Festival 2009!

This year’s festival welcomes companies from Canada, Scotland, Denmark, Spain
and Ireland, all bringing their magical touch to Fingal. Four of these companies will be presenting the Irish premiere of their show in Dublin 15.

- Meet little Pretzel who comes to the rescue of a star who falls from the sky as evening draws in. Together they set off having a series of fantastical adventures while trying to return the star to its rightful place (The Star Keeper (IRISH PREMIERE), presented by Theatre de L’Oeil, Canada, for 5+ year olds);
- Enjoy a love story with Siobhan McCluskey who is 13 years old and fancies Shaun Holmes… only problem is Shaun is passionate about just one thing … his shoes. He has over 60 pairs; Nike, Air Jordan, Air Max … this is a funny, heart warming tale of new found love … and a lot of shoes! (Shopping for Shoes, presented by Visible Fictions, Scotland, for 10+ year olds);
- Join George who’s simple life is turned upside down one day when we comes across some boxes … that start to come alive … and grow legs … a beautifully presented puppet performance about finding friendship and companionship in the oddest of places! (Boxy George (IRISH PREMIERE), presented by Teater Refleksion, Denmark, for 5-10 year olds);
- Enter a world of spinning dresses, twirling ties, waltzing suits and run away shoes, where washing lines skip and dance and mischievous hats fly up into the sky, in this magical show about the art of dressing up. (Visto lo Visto (IRISH PREMIERE), presented by Aracaladanza Dance Company, Spain, for 5+ year olds & family groups);
- Shrink yourself down and discover what it means to be tiny in a perfectly remarkable world. This totally entrancing performance from one of Denmark’s most highly acclaimed performers, Mette Rosleff, is a tour-de-force of dramatic storytelling, where she introduces some very special little characters in a magical story world. (Songs from Above (IRISH PREMIERE), presented by Teater Refleksion and Teater My, Denmark, for 2-4 year olds);
- Immerse yourself in the vibrant world of colour and play, dancers and musicians, tumbling gigantic toy blocks and human architecture – its Block Party, a colourful outdoor spectacle with the dancers constructing and restructuring the giant-sized Toy Blocks before your very eyes. Full of zest, colour, mystery, imagination and fun. (Block Party, presented by Dance Theatre of Ireland, for family groups).

The festival’s magic extends to schools with dance and puppet workshops galore. Draíocht ag Damhsa celebrates the arrival of Spain’s Aracalandanza Dance Company, giving four lucky local school groups a 1 hour dance workshop ahead of the performance to try contemporary dance for themselves; Puppets Play will give two local school groups the chance to make puppets of their own, to coincide with the arrival of award winning puppet shows ‘The Star Keeper’ and ‘Boxy George’; Spréacha ends with 2 Free Family Days on Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 June, where artists will be on hand to assist children create their own simple hand puppets to impress family and friends.

Presented by Draíocht in partnership with Fingal County Council, Cllr. Michael O’Donovan, Mayor, Fingal County Council expressed his delight at Fingal’s continued involvement;

"This is a unique event in the cultural life of Fingal, a festival that has been specifically designed for children. Spreácha, is the Irish word for ‘Spark’ or ‘Sparkles’. The Festival brings the best of international performance companies to Draíocht for seven days in June. National population statistics reveal that Fingal has one of the largest youth populations of any county in Ireland. This important cultural event takes account of that fact, in addressing their cultural needs. I am delighted to report that over the last six years ‘Spreácha’ has risen to become one of the premier children’s theatre festivals in the Country." - Cllr. Michael O’Donovan, Mayor, Fingal County Council

Festival Director Emer McGowan expressed her excitement as Spréacha 2009 approaches;

"Spréacha is a very special time at Draíocht where we present the very best of International Children’s Theatre companies to the children, schools and families of Dublin 15, Fingal and beyond. The Festival alongside our Children’s/Youth Arts programme represents Draíocht’s commitment to bringing high quality arts experiences to children at affordable prices and within their own area. Each show is carefully chosen and each of them has those magical moments which can entertain, enrich and educate us all." - Emer McGowan, Director, Spréacha & Draíocht

Download the Spréacha 2009 Brochure

Project Images

The Star Keeper
for ages 5+ [Québec]
The Star Keeper tells the story of a little star which falls from the sky as evening draws in. Luckily, little Pretzel comes to the rescue and picks the star up. Together they set off having a series of fantastical
adventures while trying to return the star to its rightful place. An award winning puppet show sure to charm all who see it.

Shopping for Shoes
for ages 10+ [Scotland]
Siobhan McCluskey is 13 years old and passionately politically aware. She spends her nights online, chatting to Native American teenagers in Idaho, signing online petitions against US conglomerates and protesting against climate change. She also fancies Shaun Holmes... Shaun is also 13 but passionate about just one thing... shoes. He has over 60 pairs: Nike, Air Jordan, Air Max Aggressor... his collection seems endless. The shoes express who he is and his philosophy is echoed in the Nike logo – ‘JUST DO IT’. A piece of Siobhan’s heart belongs to Shaun but he’d have trouble even recognising her. However, our girl’s determined to prove to Shaun that there’s more to life than shoes and with a little bit of planning and some nifty footwork, Siobhan soon helps him discover that a pair of shoes can do so much more than just help a person express themselves. A funny, heart warming tale of new found love... and a lot of shoes!!

Boxy George
for ages 5-10 [Denmark]
George is alone. His life is simple, he is in control and he likes it like that. One day on his walk, he comes across a box. Then another, then another... watch out George, the boxes are coming alive. They grow legs... and walk! George’s world is turned upside down. A beautifully presented puppet performance about finding friendship and companionship in the oddest of places!!! — **Boxy George**
for ages 5-10 [Denmark]
George is alone. His life is simple, he is in control and he likes it like that. One day on his walk, he comes across a box. Then another, then another... watch out George, the boxes are coming alive. They grow legs... and walk! George’s world is turned upside down. A beautifully presented puppet performance about finding friendship and companionship in the oddest of places!!!

Visto lo Visto
for ages 5+ [Spain]
Bursting onto the stage with delightful imagination and fun, Aracaladanza, Spain’s favourite dance company for children, present their magical show about the art of dressing up.
Enter a fantastical world of spinning dresses, twirling ties, waltzing suits and run away shoes, where washing lines skip and dance and mischievous hats fly up into the sky. Watch as a myriad of colourful clothes of all shapes and sizes magically and wonderfully spring to life. Brimming with vibrant ideas, humour and creative energy, this enchanting show set to an original, upbeat musical score, offers enormous fun. — **Visto lo Visto**
for ages 5+ [Spain]
Bursting onto the stage with delightful imagination and fun, Aracaladanza, Spain’s favourite dance company for children, present their magical show about the art of dressing up.
Enter a fantastical world of spinning dresses, twirling ties, waltzing suits and run away shoes, where washing lines skip and dance and mischievous hats fly up into the sky. Watch as a myriad of colourful clothes of all shapes and sizes magically and wonderfully spring to life. Brimming with vibrant ideas, humour and creative energy, this enchanting show set to an original, upbeat musical score, offers enormous fun.

Songs from Above
for ages 2-4 [Denmark]
A magical theatre performance performed in a beautifully created setting where we discover what it means to be little in a perfectly remarkable world. Come with us and see what’s under the stars... — **Songs from Above**
for ages 2-4 [Denmark]
A magical theatre performance performed in a beautifully created setting where we discover what it means to be little in a perfectly remarkable world. Come with us and see what’s under the stars...

Block Party
for all ages [Ireland]
Giant toy blocks, 6 dancers and 3 musicians are the ingredients that make this colourful and energetic dance piece, a show for all the Family. Watch the dancers as they move giant play pieces to create different shapes, different places. Look out for the Playground, the Castle... even your front room!! A vibrant show – in colour, sound and movement. — **Block Party**
for all ages [Ireland]
Giant toy blocks, 6 dancers and 3 musicians are the ingredients that make this colourful and energetic dance piece, a show for all the Family. Watch the dancers as they move giant play pieces to create different shapes, different places. Look out for the Playground, the Castle... even your front room!! A vibrant show – in colour, sound and movement.

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Spréacha Fingal’s International Arts Festival for Children, 2009

8-14 June 2009

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