Family creative day inspired by Ledwidge

To celebrate Cruinniú na Cásca, Solstice Arts Centre is hosting a free family creative day inspired by the work of “poet of the blackbird,” Francis Ledwidge on Easter Monday.

Solstice will transform into a bird nest of children’s creative and learning zones, drawn from the natural and enchanted worlds of the poet’s home place of Slane, County Meath. Activities include Egg and Spoon, a perfect gentle introduction to the magic of theatre for children aged 1 – 5 years, drawing workshops with Don Conroy from RTE’s The Den, parent & child dance workshops with Ella Clarke, gigantic bird-nest building, egg painting and lots more.

“Meath Local Authorities Cruinniú na Cásca event at Solstice Arts Centre celebrates the poetry of Francis Ledwidge on the centenary of his death. “A Blackbird’s Song” creatively connects this work to a new generation of citizens of the county through a playful and vibrant celebration of our cultural heritage” says Jackie Maguire CE, Meath Local Authorities.

Cruinniú na Cásca Meath takes place on Easter Monday 17 April from 12pm – 4pm at Solstice Arts Centre, Navan. While all events are free, some require booking in advance. Full details can be found on www.solsticeartscentre.ie.

 

Drawing Workshops with Don Conroy *
Studio
6+
All events are free - Events with a * require pre-booking. Click on the name of the event to go directly to the booking page.
Egg & Spoon - Lyngo Theatre
Ages 1-5
The very young won’t sit still to watch a show and we don’t expect them to. Egg and Spoon is an interactive romp through the seasons where you come in and out of our magic circle and get to open all the gifts of nature. Percy and April get you settled on our comfortable cushions and introduce you to Birdy, still hiding in his glowing egg. We have to wait till Spring if we want to see him so it’s time to begin our hands-on journey through the year. We’ll run through the rain and the falling leaves and sleep under the snow till the sun wakes us up for the butterfly party. Egg and Spoon is a perfect gentle introduction to the magic of theatre.

Nature Talk with Paul O’Donnell
Could you build a nest to hold some bird eggs? Could you tell the song of some of Ireland's native birds? What does a swallow pack in its suitcase when coming to Ireland on its holidays in spring? For answers to these questions and the chance to hold some real bird's nests and more drop in to this workshop!
Parent & Child Dance Class with Ella Clarke
Age 4+
Ella Clarke hosts a blackbird themed family dance workshop, learning a simple, fun and easy dance for you and your children to take away and dance together. Each class will be 1 hour in length, all children to be accompanied by at least one participating adult.

Drawing Workshop with Don Conroy
Age 6+
Don Conroy is a working artist. He is a household name from his many years on The Den, and his books for children, most recently his 5 new Draw with Don series. He is looking forward to Cruinniú na Cásca at Solstice on Easter Monday where he will be drawing and talking about poetry and nature. Don is especially interested in the poetry of World War 1.