Bualadh Bos Children’s Festival gets under way this weekend and celebrates ten years of entertaining and inspiring children through art and fun.
Led by festival curator Liam McCarthy, the festival promises two weeks of fun and creativity for children running from Wednesday, October 2, to Saturday, October 12.
As Limerick’s only arts festival dedicated to children, the 2024 edition offers a packed programme for families. Galway’s Branar Téatar do Pháistí, a festival favourite, will open the event with Story of a Day – Scéal Lae, a bilingual, music-filled performance on October 3 at 6:30pm.
On Saturday October 12, Bualadh Bos Children’s Festival hosts the very popular Family Day including a Masterclass for Aspiring Artists with the zany Boss Rob at Limerick City Gallery of Art, Moving Words at Dance Limerick, and storytelling at the Wandering Stories Workshop. A day filled with music, art, storytelling, dancing and a movie, Belltable hosts The Bualadh Bop from 2.30pm, a fun filled festival event a kind of Electric Picnic for the kids that promotes fearless creativity and self-expression and encourages children to take the lead.
Facilitators Darren Yorke, Avoca Reaction, Aisling Ryan and Sinéad O’Brien will entertain with crafts, stories, dance moves, comedy, all building up to a bop on the Belltable floor.
Artist and playmaker, Darren Yorke chatted with Limerick Post this week.
“The Bualadh Bop pulls together artists from a couple of different shows. So there’s myself, Liam McCarthy and Duffy Mooney Sheppard who is a visual artist. And then Sinead O’Brien, who’s a storyteller she has her own performance.”
The Bualadh Bop pulls together different arts and has different elements throughout the day that rotate the kids and it is all done to gear them up for a big party that happens at the end.
“So part of it is learning dance moves and part of it is preparing costume pieces. (Last year they made hats).
“They put all the pieces together for the dance with live singing and a full kitted out theatre, it’s like this big anticipated thing.”
There is a surprise guest appearance at the bop by drag queen, Avoca Reaction at the end.
The kids are divided into groups, one group will go with the storyteller, while another group is working with the artist to make the pieces they’re bringing into the performance and then more are working with the dance instructor, so everybody at The Bualadh Bop gets a go at everything.
Darren plays the part of Boss Rob, the mischievous host of the event.
Darren says, “He will turn his hand to anything where there Is money involved. Laughs
“He is a con artist, posing as a real artist. He has been offered the job of MC of the Bualadh Bop by Belltable, he told all the staff that he knows how to dance and he’s going to teach the kids how to dance. But really it will be the kids teaching him how to dance”
Darren, Liam McCarthy and Duffy Mooney Sheppard have worked together at the Bualadh Bos festival for the last three years since developing a show called ‘Fergal’ which was a hit here in 2022.
“We’ve just been back every year since. We love going back down and we’re always involved with the Bualadh Bop just because it’s such a mad day.”
The Bualadh Bop culminates with DJ Choppy Waters and the kids get to reign over the Belltable floor, all the seats are removed for the Bop.
“The nice thing about it is the kids end up where it’s just disco lights and music and they are free to dance and run around in the theatre, and have a bit of craic.”
An essential element of the festival is the Pay It Forward Fundraising Campaign, which works to make the festival accessible to all children, including those from disadvantaged backgrounds. Partnering with Doras, the campaign will distribute tickets to families who might otherwise miss out. Donations can be made when purchasing tickets online, ensuring more children can enjoy the festival.
Bookings are now open, and tickets are selling fast. Visit the website or call 061 953400 for more details.
For a full festival programme visit limetreebelltable.ie
