In 2009, in celebration of the London 2012 games, Legacy Trust UK challenged six arts organisations in Northern Ireland to develop a series of new community projects that would connect culture and sport. The result was the Connections programme. On Saturday September 1^st, those groups will come together for the first time to showcase their achievements over the past three years, with a feast of carnival, film, dance, music and song.

Join us at Belfast city centre’s newest and most exciting arts venue, The MAC, for an inspiring day of free performances and workshops. Everyone is welcome but please book early to reserve your place at this extraordinary creative celebration!

Connections has been funded by Legacy Trust UK, creating a lasting impact from the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games by funding ideas and local talent to inspire creativity across the UK. The programme is managed by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland.

 

To book tickets to performances please contact the MAC at www.themaclive.com by phone on 028 9023 5053 or in person at the MAC. 10 Exchange Street West. Belfast BT1 2NJ                    

To book places on workshops please contact individual organisations

For all other information on the Connections Programme please contact:

Marian Clark de Monreal

mclarkdemonreal@artscouncil-ni.org or telephone 02890 385276

 

Echo Echo Dance Theatre Company

10.30 – 12.30                                                      Dance Studio (The Lab)

A workshop for professional and experienced dancers introducing some of the core methods used by the company

12.30                                                                     St. Anne’s Square

Echo Echo Dance Theatre Company will present their joyful and energetic production, The Feel of Play

14.30 – 17.00                      Dance Studio (The Lab)

The company will offer two cross-generational, Dance Picnics where children, parents, grandparents and friends can dance together with a break for cake.

To book Echo Echo’s workshop for professional dancers and their Dance Picnic family workshops contact  Echo Echo on 028 7130 8883 or email info@echoechodance.com

 

The Beat Carnival

13.30                                                                     St Anne’s Square

The Beat Carnival with project partners, Circus Bone Idle, will present Butterflies Above a performance high above St. Anne’s Square – a vertical dance on ropes by the Lift Off dancers: up, down and across the outside wall of the MAC building.

14.30 – 15.30 and 16.00– 17.00                   Workshop (The Works)

Family workshops in puppet making and circus skills will be offered by Beat Carnival and Lift Off partners Streetwise Community Circus.

17.30 – 18.30                                                      Dance Studio (The Lab)

A Tiny Beat carnival dance workshop for children aged from 4yrs upwards

To book Beat Carnival workshops please call the Beat Carnival office on 028 9043 4767 

 

Open Arts

14.30 – 15.30 and 16.00 – 17.00                  Small Theatre

Open Arts will hold two Creative Souls workshops combining music, drama and dance in a fun and dynamic way. These workshops will involve African drumming, singing, role play and improvisation.

18.30 – 19.00 and 19.30 – 20.00                  Main Theatre

Open Arts will present two inspiring dance pieces that reflect the Luminous Soul’s energetic spirit of striving and achieving. These are entitled Patterns of Play with Maiden Voyageand Split with Caroline Bowditch.

To book a place on the Creative Souls workshops please contact Una on 028 9024 0765 or email unaopenarts@gmail.com

 

Beam Creative Network

20.00 – 20.30                                                      Main Theatre

Since the summer of 2009 Beam Creative Network has delivered workshops, master classes and presented major musical theatre pieces. Performing to celebrities such as Shane Lynch, Louis Walsh and John Partridge, ImagineAction’s three year journey has been unforgettable. The ImagineAction group will perform a colourful, musical theatre showcase medley from some of their very successful productions.

For further information on ImagineAction please contact Kathryn@beamcreativenetwork.com Tickets to attend the ImagineAction showcase are available from the MAC box office

 

The Verbal Arts Centre

20.30 – 21.00                                                      Main Theatre

As part of their Comment-8 project, the Verbal Arts Centre will present a newly commissioned piece, Number Seven. This is an exciting, sports-themed, classical choral piece composed by Sean Doherty with libretto by Carlo Gebler. Directed by Peter Morgan Barnes this short operatic presentation will be performed by young vocalists from the North West.

Tickets to attend Number Seven are available from the MAC box office

 

Northern Ireland Screen

17.00 – 18.00                                                      Workshop (The Works)

The Nerve Centre in partnership with Flickerpix, Creative Director, Joel Simon will hold a one hour introductory session in stop-motion animation and claymation. Featuring a talk and demonstration, this unique workshop will introduce participants to the techniques and practices used in this medium.   12+ years

19.00 -19.30                                                        Main Theatre

Devised and delivered by the Nerve Centre in Derry, BAFTA nominated animator John McCloskey worked with ten young people from the local area in the creation of a short animated film, The Olympic Ballad of Normal Norman from Normalville.   Animate explores the links between art and sports and is accompanied by a specially commissioned dance piece from Beam Creative Network.

To book places on the Stop Motion Animation workshop contact Eavan King at the Nerve Centre on 028 7126 7432 or email eavan@nervecentre.org.uk