Chalkboard walls ready for doodles. A child-sized amphitheatre filling with young voices. In Dublin, The Ark opened its doors on Saturday as Cruinniú na nÓg brought a wave of colour, music and making to children across Ireland.
More than 1,000 free events are taking place nationwide for Cruinniú na nÓg, the annual celebration of children’s creativity that began in 2018. Organisers say it is the only national day of free creativity for children in the world, with local programmes ranging from mural workshops and youth theatre to circus céilithe, sensory-friendly discos and live performance opportunities for young musicians.
A full day of Cruinniú na nÓg moments
At The Ark in Temple Bar, every corner of the building was in use. Younger children were busy designing dragons in workshop sessions, while animation classes introduced stop-motion and flip-book techniques. In the gallery, families could step behind the scenes of My Father’s Dragon through sketches, production material and clips charting the film’s long journey from first idea to finished screen.
Downstairs, the focus shifted to the very youngest visitors. A sensory installation created by artist Orla Kelly invited babies and toddlers to touch, crawl, climb and explore at their own pace.
- Dragon-making workshops for ages five to seven
- Stop-motion and flip-book animation sessions
- A sensory baby space designed for open-ended play
- Free access for families who may be new to arts venues
Aisling Clancy of The Ark said the day offers families a chance to try something they might not usually do. That matters, especially for children who face barriers to taking part in arts and cultural activities.
Delivered through the Creative Ireland Programme with local authorities around the country, Cruinniú na nÓg has grown into a fixture of the early summer calendar. And its appeal is simple: give children room, materials and a little encouragement, and they take it from there. Cruinniú na nÓg is doing exactly that, one workshop, disco and painted dragon at a time.
Image Courtesy: The Irish Times
