by Rose Rushe
Pic: Brian Gavin/ Press 22
BIG guns rolled out a gentle volley of bullet points, puppets and particles at Lime Tree Theatre for Bualadh Bos Children’s Festival, running throughout October at this venue and sister act, 69 O’Connell Street. President of Mary Immaculate College, Prof. Brendan Hayes set framework and intent on Monday 15 to a packed house.
Officiating also were children from half a dozen primary schools, Minister for Education and Skills Jan O’Sullivan, sponsor Bord Ghais’ Fergal McGrath, Limerick City of Culture office and participating strands. An extract from Branar theatre group’s ‘Bláth’ ensured ciúnas.
Another illustrative staging: head of visual art at the college, AnneMarie Morrin, had led the u12s through weeks of work in city lanes. These were scene for their ‘Particles or Waves?’ project and, the real thrill, have come “now the most popular backdrop for Limerick selfies”.
In Mrs O’Sullivan’s first official visit as cabinet minister, she expressed the hope that “Bualadh Bos would spark the imaginations and the passions of the children”.
She underlined the signing in of a charter for compulsory arts into the Education Act, deeming it “absolutely vital that every child is exposed to involvement”.
Festival founder Louise Donlon iterated the international span of festival acts booked, “the plays, music, readings and performances” and the span of ages accommodated, “from six months to 18 years”.
Supporting the idea of Limerick as a hub for children’s literature, the book festival’s Maeve Tynan announced that three of the children’s writers attending Bualadh Bos were Limerick, Judi Curtin, Sarah Moore Fitzgerald and Darren Shan, back from London for a Hallowe’en howl.
Much more made the airwaves at this 500-seater theatre: outlines for ‘Sweet Hands and Spicy Feet’ for tinies; Fidget Feet high flyers; ‘SPUN’ by Emma Fisher and new puppetry from Branar’s Marc Mac Lochlainn, theatre writer in residence on campus.
Bookings for readings, shows, talks on www.limetreetheatre.ie
