A FEAST of music, dance, painting, crafts and film is in store for young people across Clare and Limerick, with an event entitled, Scairt na hÓige, A Creative Youth Festival around the Shannon Estuary, taking place from August 27 to 30.
The Clare element will see activities in Ennis, Shannon and Kilrush, organised by the Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board (LCETB) in association with Creative Ireland, and involving a range of creative partner organisations.
“Creative Ireland are really brilliant in terms of encouraging young people to participate in the arts and in asking them what they want in terms of arts activities,” explained actor and former star of Fair City, Maeve McGrath, who is festival organiser. “This programme is a direct response to that. Creative Ireland supports participation in the arts and raises awareness of creative sectors and roles.”
Kilrush will be the focal point of activities on Thursday and Friday, as the majestic tall ship, Ilen, docks at the marina. Pre-booked tours will be available on both days. “The Ilen is just gorgeous,” said Maeve. “I first came across it in 2014 and it has been rebuilt over the course of ten years. As a vessel, it’s one of the last of its kind. Many different groups have been involved and the aim is to educate people about marine skills. Kilrush Marina have been just superb in facilitating.”
Music Generation Clare will be also be taking part, while a hip hop workshop will be facilitated by the internationally acclaimed Tobi Omoteso.
A pop-up cinema, at Merchant’s Quay, Kilrush, will be another highlight. “The feedback from the children of Kilrush is that they really wanted a cinema,” Maeve explained. “Almost everyone has Netflix, but that’s just not the same as going to the cinema with friends and having fun together.”
Meanwhile, members of Clare Youth Service will work with visual artists Martin Shannon and Giordanna Cachi to create a mural in the Youth Café on Carmody Street, Ennis. The Shannon branch will start a mural on the external wall of their music rehearsal space in Smithstown.
Covid-19 means that every possible step will be taken to ensure social distancing. For that reason advance booking (scairt.eventbrite.com) is essential and all events will be tailored to small groups.
Monica Spencer, the Ennis-based Creative Youth Partnership Coordinator with LCETB said, “Scairt na hOige events are presented strictly in line with public health guidelines. Social distancing, sanitising, mask-wearing and maintenance of all relevant documentation will inform the running of all events. We are very happy to respond to the voices of children and young people in Limerick and Clare, heard through an in-depth consultative process carried out in 2019. The workshops and events in our programme reflect some of the suggested creative activities that young people in our region enjoy or want to try out.”
More details of all events and partner organisations are available on lcetb.ie.