Culture Night Family Fun

Culture Night is inviting families across the island of Ireland to come together and enjoy workshops, circus, storytelling, and song on Culture Night / Oíche Chultúir 2021 on Friday, 17th September.

With a wide ranging programme of artistic classes, performances, there is something for every member of the family, whether they be a child or a parent…

This national ‘moment’ connects everyone to cultural activities locally and nationally and is brought to you by the Arts Council in partnership with local authorities and cultural organisations throughout Ireland.

Some family highlights include;

James Joyce Centre – Ulysses For Kids, Dublin; You’re never too young to be introduced to one of the greatest books ever written – and that’s exactly what the James Joyce Centre will do with Ulysses for Kids!

Through performance, song, and storytelling, we bring the child characters in Joyce’s Ulysses to life and explain the elements at the heart of the book – the importance of curiosity and learning to respect others; the trickiness of family relationships and love; and why everyone needs a place to call home.

King House – Children’s Treasure Hunt Roscommon; Artists Naomi Draper and Kate Wilson were commissioned to enhance the experience of King House, Boyle for the younger visitor.

This commission has seen the Cat and Mouse Treasure Hunt come to fruition.

This is an enjoyable way for young people to explore the house and discover its hidden gems. King House opening hours will be extended to 8pm on Culture Night.

Me + The Moon – This Is Me, Tralee; Celebrating the creativity and culture of new communities in Kerry, this workshop facilitated by David Fortune of Me + The Moon features painting and mixed media, photography and video from the international This Is Me project in Tralee and Killarney.

All ages welcome, registration necessary by email to david@meandthemoon.ie

Meet The Leaflings with Niamh Sharkey and Owen Churcher, MoLI; Among the branches and roots of some of our planet’s most important inhabitants live the leaflings, the secret guardians of the trees.

They live in trees all over the world, from giant redwoods in California to cherry blossoms in Japan.

They can teach us a lot about the trees they protect and how special they are.

Get a sneaky behind the scenes look at how Niamh and Owen made their upcoming book, A Field Guide to Leaflings – find out where they get their ideas, peek inside Niamh’s sketch books, then participate in a fun drawing workshop!

Mother Tongues, Interactive Museum of Languages for Children, Tallaght; Drop into Rua Red, a contemporary art space, which will temporarily host the touring Interactive Museum of Languages for Young Audiences.

Since 2017, Mother Languages has promoted multilingualism in Ireland. Children can join the Mother Tongues team to play games and learn about the many cultures of Tallaght!

Through artwork, sculptures, and spaces, the exhibit creatively encourages children to interact with different letters and alphabets across languages.

This fun, immersive experience promotes both creativity and linguistic/cultural diversity.

Planet Science Kidz, online; Join Planet Science Kidz for some real time Science Sessions and exciting experiments.

When you sign up, a list of materials required for the sessions will be sent to you, all of which can be purchased from the local grocery store.

To access the live content on Culture Night, a secure link will be sent out to those who book online.

Kids can look forward to Fruit Canoes, Colourful Chemistry (exploring pH), Exploding chemical reactions. Spaces are limited so pre-booking is essential.

Zoom Acting Workshops, online; Rayla Tadjimatova will be teaching zoom acting classes for children.

Practice main elements of online acting techniques related to self-framing, positioning, entrances and exits, use of space, sets and props, movements, close up, middle/far shots.

Explore the role of the face, hands and fingers in Close-up position and perform short dialogues.

Rebecca Lyons Origami, online; Take yourself and your children back in time to when you made your own paper crafts.

From fortune tellers to paper airplanes and everything in between, come and join Rebecca Lyons online as she brings you back to your childhood by creating these nostalgic crafts.

Closing date for registration 14th September.

The Ark – Animal as Messengers, Guides, and Fairies: Visual Art Video Workshop, online; Let’s connect with the animal world in this online mini-sculpture video workshop with Duffy Mooney-Sheppard!

In Irish folklore, animals often live between worlds, carrying meaning and messages.

Is there an animal that you have been noticing recently? In the park, at your window, or maybe in your dreams?

In this video workshop, we discover stories and wisdom associated with native animals and create a miniature sculpture of the one which carries a special meaning to you.

The Ark is proud to create opportunities for children to engage with their creativity.

Guido Fanzini’s Impossible Circus, Killarney House & Garden, Killarney House; A circus tale of sibling rivalry, brotherly love and pogo sticks.

The Fanzini Brothers, Guido and Ronaldo have returned from Covid lockdown in Italy to their spiritual homeland of Kerry.

Join them on Culture Night, as they share the joy of live performance in this triumphant homecoming celebration.

Guido Fanzini has finally managed to demote his brother Ronaldo to a lowly circus roustabout so he can shine as the star of Guido Fanzini’s Impossible Circus. But Ronaldo may have other ideas!

For more information on Culture Night check out www.culturenight.ie or join the conversation on social media channels at Culture Night Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and TikTok.