Harvesting Young Creativity is a EUNIC London project that is in partnership with Young at Art, Belfast Children’s Festival. Over the duration of the festival, 3-12 March 2023, Harvesting Young Creativity will bring visionary festival leaders and artists from across Europe, together with local Northern Ireland counterparts in order to participate in captivating panel discussions, workshops and performances.

Panel discussions:

Friday 3 March, 3.15-4.45pm at Oh Yeah Music Centre, Belfast

Opening Worlds: How to further engage with the local community? Reach versus Depth of Impact with artists and experts Filu Sampé, Justinas Vancevicius, Inna Siemicz and Veerle Kerckhoven. Moderated by Belinda McElhanney, Chief Executive of Imaginate.

This panel will address how festivals can broaden audiences horizons and the ways in which festivals can impact local and international communities. The discussion aims to answer questions such as: What is community engagement? What does engagement look like in a local, country wide, and European context?

Sunday 5 March, 10:00- 11:30 am at Oh Yeah Music Centre, Belfast
Why Do We Need Festivals? How to stay innovative in the world of children’s festivals? with experts Stefan Hansen, Laura Kauppinen (Hippalot festival, a children’s art festival in Finland), Suzanne Verboeket and Maria Steiner. Moderated by Tony Reekie, Director of Catherine Wheels.

This panel discussion addresses the need for children’s festivals and highlights the key tools required to ensure the future success of the festivals. The talk will focus on questions such as: How can children’s festivals better serve their audiences? What is the future role of children’s festivals across Europe?

Both panel discussions are part of the Delegates programme of the 2023 homegrown Northern Ireland Showcase at the 25th Belfast Children’s Festival.

Workshops:

• Puppet workshop with the Lithuanian duo of visual artist Antanas Dubra and actor Sarunas Datenis working in puppetry, object theatre, installation and street art. More info to follow.
• Illustration workshop with the Polish artist and graphic designer Piotr Socha. More info to follow.
• Intervention by the North Belfast Youth Choir, 3 March 2023 (venue TBC).

All workshops will take place on the last weekend of the festival 11-12 March 2023.

Supported by EUNIC London Members:
Finnish Institute UK + Ireland (Leading member)
Austrian Cultural Forum
Embassy of Belgium- Flanders House
Goethe-Institut London
Embassy of Lithuania
Embassy of the Netherlands
Polish Cultural Institute
Embassy of Sweden
British Council Northern Ireland
European Parliament Liaison Office to the UK

Funded by the EUNIC Global Cluster Fund

Harvesting Young Creativity as a part of homegrown NI showcase, in partnership with Young at Art, Belfast Children’s Festival. Festival will take place from 3 to 12 March in various places in Belfast.

More info and tickets please click here.