Students from St Joseph’s National School in Arden View, Tullamore launching Hullabaloo. Photo: Paul Moore.

Hullabaloo! festival is back this mid-term break

After a fully online event last year, Hullabaloo! Offaly’s Children’s Arts Festival is back with a beautifully blended offering this October mid-term break!

Hullabaloo! has evolved and there are plenty of ways that children and families can join in the fun with an absolutely jam-packed programme of events, in-person workshops and performances across Birr, Clara, Edenderry and Offaly libraries as well as a huge choice of online workshops and performances from Wednesday, October 27 to Saturday, October 30.

This year, there’s an eclectic variety of both physical and online workshops, shows and activities to engage and create with including crafting, juggling, digital art and animation, creepy Witch making, music improvisation games and sing-a-longs, shadow and recycled puppetry, sugar skull makeup and Mexican folk dancing, musical theatre, lovely land and seascape painting plus you can even venture across the universe to help find a galactic egg, plus much, much more!

Live performances include Guido Fanzini’s Impossible Circus, The Canterville Ghost and Teddy’s Halloween Adventure by Barking Dog Theatre and a special interactive event at Tullamore Library, Phone Box Art Through Children - A Virtual Exhibition

There will also be online performances by UK-based Theatre-Rites and Beluga Theatre as well as My House Meets Your House by Polish theatre company, Puna Kuća Theatre

Hullabaloo! is coordinated by the Offaly County Council Arts Office and Birr Theatre & Arts Centre with Offaly Library Service and Clara Family Resource Centre.

“Hullabaloo! is back again, bigger and better, offering four days of fun, discovery and imagination. With something for everyone, we hope you enjoy our exciting programme, with a range of workshops for our younger audience and families to enjoy together. Join in with our combined online and physical programme, offering an amazing array of activities and challenges,” Arts Officer with Offaly County Council Sally O’Leary.

Manager of Birr Theatre & Arts Centre, Emma Nee Haslam added: “We missed our Hullabaloo! audiences last year, so we are particularly excited about hosting live workshops across the county again. Birr Theatre will also be hosting a selection of live family events and a festival film, ensuring that everybody has an opportunity to have a Hullabaloo! this October”.

Ensuring you have an enjoyable and safe Hullabaloo! during the current COVID-19 pandemic is a priority. All events will be delivered with due diligence to Health and Safety requirements, and in accordance and compliance with national guidelines.

Online booking open on the www.hullabaloofestival.ie website.

Hullabaloo! Offaly’s Children’s Arts Festival is made possible by funding from Offaly County Council, Birr Theatre & Arts Centre, Arts Council of Ireland and Birr Lions Club.