This October will see the long awaited return of Sticky Fingers’ Children’s Arts festival and this year it was worth waiting for as the festival comes back with a programme jam-packed with theatre, music, dance, arts and crafts. The Sticky Fingers’ festival is now the largest in Ireland and in the UK and artists and musicians from Germany, Italy, England, Japan, Scotland, Egypt and the US are travelling to Newry to provide magical events and performances across the city. There will be dragons lurking by the canal and giant birds dancing on Hill Street. With the groups most ambitious programme ever Sticky Fingers is welcoming back old friends and making new ones, with traditional children’s favourites such as Horse and Bamboo’s Red Riding Hood and traditional jazz musicians from Pittsburg USA. Branar’s beautifuol puppet performance of the Children of Lir brings a traditional Irish aspect to the festival with a number of shows performed in both English and Irish. Northern Ireland award winning children’s theatre Cahoots will certainly add some colour and laughter and La Barracca’s world famous Little Elephant will delight and enchant young and old. A must see is the Incredible Swimming Choir, a participative performance for babies and toddlers that takes place in Newry swimming pool. This year’s festival coincides with a very special event as it marks October as Newry’s month for children and along with the Sticky Fingers team, Newry and Mourne District Council, local groups and businesses are also providing special treats and magical experiences or local little ones. There will be pumpkin picking and lantern making for a very scary night walk around the city where the world of goblins and giants will come to life. There will be tales to be told and songs to be sung in languages from across Europe. Sticky Fingers festival 2011 will mark a new era in the world of children’s arts and will open many doors for our most valued audience – our children. Artistic director of Sticky Fingers, Grainne Powell is excited about the upcoming events. “Festival 2011 is a land mark event for children of Newry, an opportunity for each and everyone of us to see the world once again through the eyes of a child and enjoy6 the innocence of that time, revisit old memories of our old childhood and create new ones, the festival 2011 is a magical time and fun experience for the whole family to enjoy. There iws definitely something for everyone,” said Grainne. Newry and Mourne District Council Mayor Charlie Casey said his council was delighted to be working with Sticky Fingers. “It is fantastic to be able to bring the children of Newry and Mourne this exciting festival and establishing October as the month we celebrate children and childhood in a very special and creative way,” said Charlie. “For many of our children this will be a first experience of the arts and through their eyes we can all once again become captivated by the smiles, laughter and words of this magical time, childhood,” added the mayor. Chief Executive of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Roisin McDonough is delighted to be supporting the new month for children. “As the principal founder of Sticky Fingers the Arts Council is pleased to continue its support for the annual children’s festival,” said Roisin. “We share a commitment to introducing children to quality creative experiences at an early stage in their development. Engaging the children in the kind of inspiring, professional led creative activities that they will enjoy during the 2011 festival is also the best way to instil a life long love of the arts,” she added. Check the Newry Reporter over the coming weeks for more information on the Sticky Fingers festival for children of visit the website www.stickyfingersarts.co.uk
Newry Reporter
21st September 2011
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