Spring into life at An Creagán

An exciting range of arts workshops are commencing this spring at An Creagán Visitor Centre as part of the centres busy Arts Programme. The Arts Programme, funded by National Lottery through the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and Lloyds TSB Foundations for Northern Ireland, offers workshops in Circus Skills, Salsa Dancing, Digital Photography and Creative Writing.

The arts programme continues to attract the best of local and international talent and the spring term is no exception, with respected and highly sought after tutors joining the spring line up to deliver high quality arts workshops at An Creagán.

Stilt walking

Belfast’s Streetwise Community Circus will deliver a fun 3 day course in Stilt Walking and Circus Skills. These unique workshops will train participants to become stilt walkers, while having a go at the full range of circus skills! Participants will learn the basic balancing skill required to stilt walk using hand held stilts and, with one-on-one tuition, progress safely to become fully independent at using stilts on a range of surfaces, steps and slopes. Other circus skills to master at the workshops include diablo, juggling, hat tricks and plate spinning. This workshop is open to everyone and everyone will be starting at the same level. These are real circus skills that anyone can master! Participants can expect to become fully fledged stilt walkers by the end of the course, as well as having learnt a range of other circus skills to take away with them.

Professional dancer Zulma Georgina Rascón Marquez will introduce participants to the art of Salsa in her dance classes for beginners running for 8 weeks. Zulma won the ‘Belfast Week of Dance Award’ in 2006 and is a formally trained dancer with extensive experience in delivering dance workshops. Salsa Dancing is an exciting and fun dance form and this beginner’s course will teach participants to Salsa in a comfortable, relaxed and fun setting. This is your chance to master the basic steps and progress to learn styling and confidence in your dance with a professional dancer. It is not necessary to bring your own partner as the class will be learning as a group and will be encouraged to dance with each other; early booking is advised as places are limited to 12.

Belfast based photographer Liam Campbell will be facilitating a course in Digital Photography . Liam graduated with an MA in Art in the Contemporary World in 2007 from NCAD Dublin and has exhibited on a regular basis over the last number of years. The development of portfolio and project based photography will be key over Liam’s eight week course. Portraiture, still life and landscape photography will be developed and discussed with participants and will include extracts from writings on photography. The portfolio and project based photography will come together to form a public exhibition of the groups work as a closing highlight of the workshops

Liam Campbell 'Hinterlands'

Published author, scriptwriter and journalist John Bradbury, who’s work includes the non fiction book ‘Celebrated Citizens of Belfast’ (Appletree Press) and poetry anthology ‘A Pocketful of Poems’ (Northern Creative Print) completes the impressive spring line up. John has produced a play for the Belfast Fringe Festival, scripted a sketch show for Edinburgh Fringe and wrote scripts for Radio Ulster. John has also worked as both a Columnist and Journalist and recently co-scripted and produced a musical for BBC 3 Northern Ireland. All aspects of creative writing will be explored in this 6 session workshop including; hints and tips on getting started, fiction writing, screen writing for film and TV, script writing for stage and radio, as well as advice and tips on getting published!

All participants on our spring term will be offered the chance to showcase their work at the end of the term in a public exhibition to be held at An Creagan Visitor Centre. For further information on any of the upcoming arts workshops at An Creagán Arts Programme please contact the Arts Officer on 028 8076 1112.