My Place to Be
My Place to Be is a current work in progress with Helium Arts. It has been commissioned as part of ART:2023, a Decade of Centenaries collaboration from the Arts Council and the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media.
My Place to Be is a collaboration between Helium Arts and That’s Life Galway, an arts and personal development programme of the Brothers of Charity Services. The project will involve the creation of an inclusive, interactive and multi-sensory installation for young children, and their parents which will be shared with audiences in March 2024.
https://helium.ie/2023/08/28/my-place-to-be/
Kannermusee Plomm
LOVE is the first temporary exhibition on show at PLOMM and was developed by its educational team with the artistic direction of three international artists Katrin Verkant, Bryan Tweddle and Orla Kelly, collectively known as Team De Lux.
https://www.plomm.lu/en/kannermusee/expo/
https://www.instagram.com/team_de_lux/
When the Moon Spun Round
When the Moon Spun Round is an exciting new production that brings together the synergy of Ceol Connected and Fidget Feet in an impactful work. The coming together of artists and performers from the worlds of aerial dance and traditional arts has resulted in a unique experience that is sure to leave audiences of all ages enthralled.
When the Moon Spun Round is inspired by a selection of W.B Yeats poetry and stories that can be found in The Moon Spun Round publication edited by Noreen Doody and illustrated by Shona Shirley Macdonald.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=osz4HaJ7MYI&t=2s&ab_channel=FidgetFeetAerialDanceTheatre
The Mystery of Hairs Father
This beautiful work is a collaboration by a group of children from Sacred Heart School, Tallaght, and Set Square Collective a group of visual artists and set designers (who did what the children told them!) and set about picking each others brains and learning each others expertise! The result is a fantastical story developed through sculpture, drawing, playing, singing, thinking, talking, laughing, and general messing around; reflecting the unique thinking process that happens when a group of 10 and 11 year olds get together with playful, supportive artists.
This story sees our heroes go on a quest through a series of fantasy worlds, facing many different challenges, scenarios, and emotions with which we are all familiar, from excitement, longing, anger and trepidation to love, resilience and the joy of getting back home. The set was created using cardboard boxes and paint. Each scene moved the boxes to reveal another configuration of the set.
The Mystery Of Hair’s Father was originally commissioned by Ready, Steady SHOW! at The Civic, 2023
https://www.civictheatre.ie/whats-on/the-mystery-of-hairs-father/
Lullaby Leaf
Lullaby Leaf is an up and coming project for 2022. The project will take elements of the successful Leaf theatre work developed by Ceol Connected as Theatre Company in Residence in Draíocht. Leaf is an immersive, inclusive, and highly participatory theatre experience designed specifically for very young children with additional needs, and Lullaby Leaf will add new strands for children with down syndrome.
The voice and experience of the child will be central to the creative development of this project. After the developmental and research has been concluded, it will tour centers across four counties.
https://tradoodle.ie/project/sounding-the-senses-lullaby-leaf/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVbVCngxDpE
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=355184010061127
Paper Plane
With some simple tucks and folds a paper plane appears. Floating, diving and skimming through the air. Not every plane will be the same just as not every flight it takes will be the same.
Families come in all shapes and sizes and Paper Plane celebrates that diversity.
With original music/sound scape and a highly visual set design, Paper Plane is a poetic 45 minute dance theatre performance with 4 adults and 2 children portraying modern families, sharing true stories from a child's perspective, embodying trust and care, commitment and friendship, it is about LOVE and hard work.
Paper Plane was created in collaboration with visual artists Anne Cradden and Andrew Carson under the guise of Set Square.
https://selmadaniel.com/littlelion/paper-plane-project/the-project/
Making Waves
Making Waves, 2021, is an immersive dance theatre performance specifically designed for children with mild to moderate needs aged 8-12 years. This beautiful work brings the audience on an exciting sea voyage as they follow a magical moving trio, riding the ocean waves and feeling the breeze, watching the birds soar and swoop, discovering the school of sparkling fish and finding out what’s inside the mystical sea treasure chest.
Directed by Jess Rowell, Draíocht's Dance Artist in Residence, Making Waves features three performers, an original sound score by Stefan French, set design by Orla Kelly and lighting by Sebastian Pizarro.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52Aix8jF7Bs
Fox Bird River Sing!
Fox Bird River Sing! is an exciting and interactive radio play created to be heard by the whole family in their own designed environment. Created by Órla Kelly and Thomas Johnston it transports the listener to wonderous space, leading them through the Irish landscape on a magical journey to hear the singing trees. Commissioned by Fingal Arts Office on the occasion of Cruinniú na nÓg 2021. Funded by Creative Ireland.
Image by Beth O’Halloran
https://www.foxbirdriversing.com/
Still Here
At a time when it feels like it's all negatively about covering up and staying away, a joyful wordless piece about opening up and being together still, finding how to play, connect and be curious within the restrictions of this brave new world.
Still Here is a live music and physical theatre piece created in 2021, which responds to the challenges presented by Covid-19. Exploring distance and togetherness, it is collaborators are children’s theatre performers Mary Lou McCarthy and Nicky Harley, musician Eamon Sweeney, director Anna Newell and visual artist Orla Kelly.
https://www.ruaillebuaille.ie/events/still-here/
Mora
Mora is a magical one person theatre piece for young children by the artist Cliodhna Noonan, developed in partnership with Aisling Byrne and Sarah Fitzgibbon through Arts Grant Funding 2020.
https://actinguparts.weebly.com/recent-acting-up-news.html
LEAF
LEAF is an immersive, inclusive, and highly participatory theatre experience designed specifically for young children with complex needs. Developed by Ceol Connected as Theatre Company in Residence at Draíocht.
Leaf is supported by the Arts Council and Fingal County Council.
Moon Woke Me Up
Inspired by a Haiku of the same title by Basho Matsuo, Moon Woke Me Up is an interactive theatrical adventure to space for ages 3-5, using a wonderful blend of performance and interactive drama, construction play and sensory explorations by Little Big Top.
Moon Woke Me Up is accompanied by an interactive exhibition.
A Winter Wish
Every winter in Whistleberry Forest, a little robin comes to visit and grants the creatures of the forest their very own wish – they can wish for whatever they want! As Ornaith the owl, Sorley the snail, and Faoiláin the frog sing the magic words, the forest is transformed before their eyes into an enchanting wintry wonderland.
From dripping icicles to gentle snowfall, the delight of skating on an icy river or flying high on a moonlit night, discover the mysteries of Whistleberry Forest in a mesmerising traditional music performance made for children.
With musicians Thomas Johnston and Stephen Markham, and visual artist Órla Kelly, A Winter Wish is a wonderfully interactive adventure that is sure to have everyone singing along.
Whistle in the Wind is a delightful outdoor, magical musical trail where children sing, dance, and discover beautiful forest objects beneath the trees alongside musicians Thomas Johnston and Sean McElwain and visual artist Órla Kelly.
Whistle in the Wind is a production of Ceol Connected with the support of the National Concert Hall’s Learning & Participation programme.
Image courtesy of Ceol Connected
From a Railway Carriage
Commissioned by The Civic Theatre for Ready, Steady, Show!
The Civic Theatre is committed to work for very young audiences. A key cornerstone of this policy of their annual early year’s commissioning minifestival, ‘Ready, Steady, Show!’
From a Railway Carriage is an interactive visual art work based on the poem by Robert Louis Stephenson, created for a large stage.
OPW Installations
Seasonal events are often marked by festive installations. Farmleigh Estate have been marking festive occasions with interactive installations for a number of years, drawing new crowds and welcoming back regular visitors.