Cruinniú na nÓg is taking place all over Ireland on Saturday June 23rd next. As the national day of creativity for children and young people, the programme in Kerry looks set to enthuse young people of all ages and families throughout the day. Organised by Creative Ireland Kerry, all events are free and the full county programme is available on www.creative.ireland.ie/cruinniu but if you are planning on staying in Listowel here is the listing to help you plan your Cruinniú!
The programme for the day takes place in the Square and opens at the Seanchaí-Kerry Writers Museum for a Fighting Words Creative Writing Workshop for 8-11 year olds. The workshop starts at 10am until 12noon and helps participants discover the power of their own imagination by creating a story and writing their own book. Cruinniú coincides with Listowel Visual Arts Week who has scheduled a special event from 11.30 to 1.30pm in the Square with kids and teens being encouraged to pick up a brush and work with artists as they create four sections of a secret design. Visitors can also visit a 6 foot Balloon Art Sculpture by Kenny the Clown who will be running Balloon Art Workshops for ages 7 and upwards at the Seanchaí Centre at 11.30am, 1.00pm and 2.30pm. Kenny will also present special balloons for young visitors throughout the day. At St. John’s Theatre and Arts Centre a Sing Together performance presented by Creative Ireland Kerry and Voiceworks will take place at 12.30pm. Young songsters will offer up a showcase of what they have learnt from a week of immersion in the art of contemporary singing. They promise a unique set of message songs composed after 1970 and will lead the audience in a sing-along to open and close the show. Following this there is a series of workshops in theatre, music and film at St. John’s Theatre & Arts Centre running from 2-6pm. Participants will get to act, make music, create film and take part in a performance at the end of the day.
All events are free and run from 11am to 5pm. Brochures and posters are being distributed across the county this week and the events are listed on www.creative.ireland.ie/cruinniu with updates provided on Facebook and Twitter through @KerryCoArts and via @creativeirl #mycruinniu
Co-ordinated by the Arts Office at Kerry County Council with support from Creative Ireland, the day is set as an annual celebration nationally from this year onwards. “It is a great opportunity for our young people to get creative and meet new people.
Communities and organisations across the county are set to take part and it is also a chance to connect and celebrate our individual creativity”, stated Kate Kennelly, the Creative Ireland Kerry Co-ordinator and Arts Officer at Kerry County Council.
Photo by Domnick Walsh Eye Focus 0872672033
