News
New Arts Park For Children
We are delighted to have officially opened a children's art park in the centre of Newry.
The park has been developed following a request from Newry and Mourne District Council. The Council's horticultural team wanted to create an original new garden and they wanted to involve local children in its design and creation. Sticky Fingers is at the forefront of developments in creativity for very young children so we were able to help the team develop a sustainable garden that would grow and change with the seasons.
The park was created on a waste site and now boasts a range of sustainable and native plants and trees and an abundance of original art work using natural materials, all created or inspired by pre-school and primary school children, working alongside our artistic team and the Council's horticultural team. The park will become a permanent exhibition space and will also host a range of original performances as well as being a garden site for the city's children and families to enjoy all year round.
The artists who worked the project are Hilary Good, Kathy Marsh, Damien Good, Pamela Whittaker and Ivan McNally and they have been working with children from St Colman's Abbey Primary School and The Dominican Playgroup, Newry.
Click here to view photos.
Vote for the Children: AIB Better Ireland Programme
Sticky Fingers were nominated for an AIB award this summer and were named as runner-up. We'd like to thank everyone who registered a phone vote for us and the AIB (Dundalk branch) for it's generous support.
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Sticky Fingers Festival 2009
We are delighted to announce that our second international arts festival will take place from 12 - 17 May 2009.
Following the runaway success of the Family Day in the 2007 festival there will now be a Family Weekend, again at the beautiful setting of Narrow Water Castle. The full programme will be launched in October.
Festival performers:
We are inviting European companies with specially devised work for children aged 0 - 8 years to take part in the next festival.
Contact us
for details or send us your promotional pack and DVD with full details of the performance you would like considered.
Schools, playgroups, community groups:
Sticky Fingers Festival 2009 will feature a touring programme with selected shows being performed in schools and community settings. If you are in the Newry and Mourne District Council area and would like a performance at your school please
contact us
as soon as possible.
Artists, Musicians and Dancers wanted
Sticky Fingers programmes are in huge demand this year and in order to keep all the children happy we have to look for more facilitators. We would like to hear from you if you are a practising artist or dancer, perhaps a teacher, ideally with an interest or background in early years. We are also looking for people with an interest in music. Ideally you'd have some musical training but we are keen to hear from anyone who is passionate about the importance of music in a young child's life. Perhaps you used to teach an instrument, or maybe you sing regularly in a choir or have always wanted to set up a children's music group.
Contact us
for more information on our training and mentoring opportunities. (Anyone who works for us has to undergo the necessary background checks.)
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Raindrops Sticky Fingers recently completed a successful two month tour of Raindrops, its latest theatre production for 2 to 5 year olds. The show was performed at a wide range of venues including large theatres, new venues, school halls and community centres. Around 2000 children and their parents/carers came to see this beautiful show and for many, this was their first experience of theatre. |
Music for Parent and Baby groups
We are currently developing a music programme for community groups that will encourage parents and carers to sing and make music with their babies. If your group would be interested in taking part and meets the BBC Children in Need funding criteria, please contact
claire@stickyfingersarts.co.uk.
Dance practitioners
We have been asked by a number of schools in the Newry area to provide a dance-based early years arts programme. If you are an experienced dancer with a background in early years work, and live in the area, please
contact us.
