ABOUT US
EXPLORE, CREATE, IMAGINE & PLAY at Ireland’s leading Children’s Arts Venue
Sticky Fingers Arts provides and promotes Arts and Creative activity and events for children and young people across Ireland.
Through our work we create original and innovative experiences in theatre, visual arts, music, storytelling, and lots of imaginative play.
Sticky Fingers Arts is registered charity and all of activities and programs are not for profit.
We believe every child has the right to experiences the arts and have a safe space to play, reaching their full potential and thriving.
We believe every child deserves a safe and happy childhood.
Our guiding principles are embedded within Article 31 on the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child.
Our Story
Sticky Fingers Arts was established in 2002 as the first program developing the
Arts for young children, with programs spanning all arts forms. In 2005, we
introduced professional theatre for babies to Northern Ireland and launched the
first early years arts festival within Ireland and the UK.
We create quality creative opportunities for children in a fully inclusive and
accessible space. In 2018, the organization achieved a long -term vision to open
the first dedicated arts and creative learning centre for children and young
people in Northern Ireland. Today the Imaginarium welcomes thousands of
children from across Ireland every year to experience a little bit of magic.
In 2018, Sticky Fingers Arts became the first organization in Ireland to ever win
the prestigious J.M Barrie award for Outstanding Contribution for Children’s Art
Our Impact
Since 2002, Sticky Fingers Arts has striven to ensure access to the earliest
creative encounters for children of all ages and abilities.
Through strong evaluation process, feedback, and community partnerships we
have established a very powerful impact of the arts, creative play and the
Imaginarium as an accessible space has on the lives of children across Ireland.
“ I am not sure what takes place inside the Imaginarium but it must be magic as my child never goes anywhere unless I stay with him, even a struggle for him to attend school but when we arrive at the Imaginarium, he runs in and never looks back”
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“ I drove for over two hours to visit the Imaginarium, I was bit concerned as I didn’t have a booking or an appointment and was worried I would be turned away. Once I walked through the doors, I knew then trip was worth it. *Ben loved it, the lights, the music and
just how imaginative the centre is, everywhere you look there is something to see. The staff are so patient and helpful. I will defiantly be back.”
“We were apprehensive when the project was suggested as *Conor never goes
anywhere without one of us, he gets very upset as he has attachment issues. He hasn’t
been attending school as his anxiety has got really bad, but Mary (health trust worker)
recommended Sticky Fingers and I had heard good things from other parents, but I
wasn’t sure. The first evening I sat directly outside the door in the car, I was a nervous
wreck. When the time came to collect *Conor, I was the first parent in the door expecting
to see Conor distressed waiting for me, but he wasn’t at the door, I had to go into the
magic forest area with a staff member as he didn’t want to leave. I was so overwhelmed I
started crying, the poor worker didn’t know what was wrong as she had no idea that to
see my non-verbal child who can hardly leave the house, spinning and playing with
actual giggles with other children was for me just the best.”
*Zoë is a little girl with very complex needs, every Tuesday and Friday afternoon at 2pm,
*Zoë and her support worker visit the Centre. The same routine each week, sun, rain or
snow, straight into the Illuminarium exhibition. Zoe removes her protected earphones
and is taken out of her wheelchair to sit in the garden exhibition with the Giant
butterfly’s and caterpillar and sits on the floor. This is *Zoë’s happy place.