Planning their 'Escape' festival character Amy McFarlane with Young at Art Director Ali FitzGibbon, Chairperson Patricia Freedman and Nick Livingston, Head of Strategic Development, Arts Council of Northern Ireland

The Belfast Children’s Festival is back!

The fourteenth Belfast Children’s Festival, run by Young at Art, has launched. The city’s favourite family festival returns with a week long programme of fun-filled events for children aged 0-14. With a new theme of ‘Escape’, the festival encompasses the very best in children’s theatre, music, dance, visual art and literature.

At the launch children and other guests had the opportunity to sample a flavour of the festival with an extract from the performance of 'The Giant is Coming', which will be touring in the lead up to the 2012 Cultural Olympiad Event 'Land of Giants'.

Director of Young at Art, Ali FitzGibbon says:

“The programme this year is bursting with great theatre and dance from Germany and France; a special all-island showcase of theatre talent; workshops for older children in digital and sonic arts; exhibitions, literature and free workshops.

We’re inviting you to escape into imaginative worlds and journey with artists and performers to a world where a bicycle can be a horse, an entire story can be told with just one word, where cities are made of cardboard, a kitchen disappears in the blink of an eye and where children can be giants.”

Nick Livingston, Director of Strategic Development, from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, commented:“For many children and families this year’s Belfast Children’s Festival may be their first real experience of an arts event and with so many high quality artists and performances to look forward to, it really is the perfect introduction. The arts can have a big impact on the development of a child’s personality, on their learning and development, helping to form inquisitive minds and better communications skills.  If anyone needed further proof of the benefits of the arts to children, or the sheer pleasure they derive from engaging in the arts, all you need do is come along and sample some of the brilliant and captivating performances taking place as part of the festival.”

The Belfast Children’s Festival:  Friday 9 March – Friday 16 March 2012.  Ticket prices are £5 or lowering for most performances. Discounted tickets for schools and groups are available. To find out more about festival events visit the website www.belfastchildrensfestival.com

This year festival highlights include:

Open House, a free open space that will act as a central hub for the festival, in the Assembly

Rooms, with art activities, Tea & Tales/ Sos agus Scéalta, Many Hands Exhibition, Cardboard Cities and The Giant is Coming – part of the Cultural Olympiad Event. Open House will take place in the Assembly Rooms throughout the festival on Friday 9 March 3pm - 6pm & Saturday 10 March  – Friday 16 March 11am - 6pm

Festival in a Weekend - The Belfast Waterfront will once again be transformed for a weekend of exciting children’s activities including Baby Rave, a celebration of World Book Day, Cinema in a Weekend, workshops and loads more for the whole family to enjoy throughout the two days.  Festival in a Weekend takes place in the Belfast Waterfront on Saturday 10 March & Sunday 11 March 12pm – 5pm

An All-Island Showcase - As part of the 2012 Making Space programme Young at Art are showcasing some of the best theatre performances for children produced by companies throughout Ireland and Northern Ireland including Cahoots NI, Replay Theatre Company, Púca Puppets, Theatre Papilio and the artists represented by Young at Art Events.