A cornucopia of entertainment is on offer during Belfast Children’s Festival 2022

Belfast Children’s Festival 2022 starts in just over two weeks with a panoply of fun planned including the ever popular Baby Rave for tots aged 0-4 with a specially curated playlist by DJ in residence Kwame Daniels with pumpin’ beats to be enjoyed by little ones and parents or guardians at new arts venue, Two Royal Avenue.

Underwater will take young ones on a magical journey into the deep blue sea in a beautiful dance piece, created especially for 0-2 year olds.

Morf, created for three to six year olds, is a another playful production, creating the magical out of the everyday.

Through imaginative play the two dancers find themselves on a suit safari creating familiar animals from their suit jackets and movement.

Children will be challenged to spot the jellyfish, the elephant, and bird and the worm...

Their ever-changing identities continue as they shape a new fabric fantasy world of mountains, volcanoes, castles and more.

A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings for those aged eight and older is a darkly comic tale from Spanish writer Gabriel García Márquez, which has been adapted for the stage by Dan Colley.

In a kitchen, in a theatre, two storytellers and their audience find something remarkable — a very old man with enormous wings.

The wise neighbour says he’s an angel; the priest says he’s an imposter and pilgrims flock to see him, hoping to be healed by him.

They leave with something different to what they might have expected....

Birdboy, for children aged eight and over, is a another unique production about a boy who wished he was a bird and could then fly away and be liberated from all of his worries.

In the seminal character’s whirring mind, thoughts, worries and fantasies all compete for space in a world where fitting in is hard to do.

Do As I Say, a theatre show for those aged 13 and over, will explore the issues of bullying and social exclusion via the medium of dance.

The piece takes the audience on an emotional and thought-provoking journey looking at how group pressure can affect us, and asks ‘Who is the authority? Why do we all do as they say? And what happens if we refuse to follow their orders?’

Meanwhile Nobody, Somebody, is an exciting and powerful new opera created by composer Neil Martin and playwright Fionnuala Kennedy for and with teenagers and young adults around the issues of housing stress and homelessness some young people are now facing.

Roisin McDonagh, chief executive of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland which principally funds the festival said: “It has been truly heartening this year, of all years, to see how our wonderful arts and cultural organisations have gone that extra mile to ensure that the people of Northern Ireland can continue to enjoy the enrichment, the pleasure and the entertainment that the arts bring to our lives.

“Keeping the arts alive and available has probably never been more important, and indeed more valued and appreciated, as we have all needed our spirits lifted during these exceptional times.

“As the principal funder of the Belfast Children’s Festival, through our National Lottery funds plus additional emergency Covid-19 funding from the Department for Communities, the Arts Council is delighted to have been able to support this key organisation as it has adapted and risen to meet the challenges.

“The festival will feel a little bit different this year, but it will still deliver unforgettable, transformative experiences that will live long in the hearts and minds of the children, their families and carers.

“I hope you enjoy the festival!”

The Belfast Children’s Festival runs from Friday March 4 until Sunday March 13 at a variety of locations across the city with a myriad of performances designed to inspire young minds. Visit youngatart.co.uk/festival for full programme or to book tickets.

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