Wainfest 2024 – ‘550 Adventures’ await…
The 28th Annual Wainfest Children’s Arts and Book festival was launched on Thursday the 19th of October in the beautiful and historic Donegal Castle, where school children from Scoil an Leinbh Íosa were treated to an immersive story telling experience from the fabulous Maura Logue and an inspiring talk from local author Isla McGuckin.
The theme of this year’s festival, “550 Adventures,” aligns with the Donegal 550 celebrations, which commemorate the 550th Anniversary of Donegal Town. Few Irish Towns have ever reached such a milestone, yet Donegal Town is still young at heart and a flourishing and vibrant cultural centre. The Wainfest programme this year is a recognition of the town and region’s remarkable history and aims to celebrate its unique heritage and culture.
Launching the event,Cathaoirleach of Donegal County Council, Niamh Kennedy outlined how this year’s festival will celebrate “the many talented authors, illustrators, musicians, historians, and storytellers who will provide children with opportunities to participate in activities that celebrate their heritage, in a fun and engaging manner.” She went on to say that Donegal County Council “believes that promoting and supporting festivals is of vital importance to our society, our economy, our education and our communities” and that “festivals are instrumental in allowing community engagement, economic development, and celebrating diversity in our communities.”
Wainfest invites children of all ages to embark on an exciting adventure through captivating performances, interactive workshops and engaging storytelling sessions, all designed to spark curiosity and foster a love of books and the arts. This year, Wainfest offers over 100 free events designed for schools, families, and children of all ages. Activities are available both indoors and outdoors, with some events streamed live into classrooms, along with evening and weekend programs to accommodate families and to encourage participation in a wide range of activities.
Some highlights of this year’s family events include MC Grammar, who combines music and language arts to help children understand and remember grammatical rules - beatboxing, dancing, rhyming, READING, rapping...you name it, he does it! There’s also a 3D Game Development Workshop, author visits, biology workshops, Boogie Bugs dancing classes and much, much more! Children can try out pottery with Lorraine O’Carroll, learn how to upcycle an old item of clothing into a fabulous new fashion piece with Bernie Murphy or embark on a prehistoric journey with the Roar, Roar Dinosaur workshop. There’s sure to be something for everyone!
The school’s programme, as expected, is packed full of amazing events including, The Big White Coach Sensory Experience, visits from renowned authors such as Eve McDonnell, Sheena Wilkinson, Erika McGann and Paddy Donnelly, among others, as well as performances from storytellers, artists and a host of interactive workshops and activities.
Following the launch, schools received an electronic copy of the brochure and families can view the full programme of events planned by picking up a brochure in their local library or cultural venue. The programme is also available on our website www.wainfest.ie
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Seoladh an 28ú Féile Bhliantúil Wainfest um Ealaíona agus Leabhair do Pháistí Déardaoin an 19 Deireadh Fómhair i gCaisleán álainn stairiúil Dhún na nGall, áit ar cuireadh páistí scoile ó Scoil an Linbh Íosa faoi gheasa le scéal tumthach ón scríbhneoir iontach Maura Logue agus caint spreagúil ón údar áitiúil Isla McGuckin.
Téama fhéile na bliana seo, “550 Eachtra,” a thagann le chéile le ceiliúradh 550 Dhún na nGall, a dhéanann comóradh ar 550 bliain de Bhaile Dhún na nGall. Is beag Baile Éireannach a bhain a leithéid de chloch mhíle amach riamh, ach tá Baile Dhún na nGall fós óg ina chroílár agus ina ionad cultúrtha bríomhar agus faoi bhláth. Is aitheantas é clár Wainfest na bliana seo ar stair iontach an bhaile agus an réigiúin agus tá sé mar aidhm aige a oidhreacht agus a chultúr uathúil a cheiliúradh.
Agus an t-imeacht á sheoladh ag Cathaoirleach Chomhairle Contae Dhún na nGall Niamh Kennedy, leag sí amach an chaoi a ndéanfar ceiliúradh le féile na bliana seo ar ‘na húdair, na maisitheoirí, na ceoltóirí, na staraithe agus na scéalaithe éirimiúla go léir a chuirfidh deiseanna ar fáil do pháistí chun páirt a ghlacadh i ngníomhaíochtaí a dhéanann ceiliúradh ar a n-oidhreacht, ar bhealach spraíúil tarraingteach.’ Chuir sí in iúl ina dhiaidh sin go gcreideann Comhairle Contae Dhún na nGall ‘go bhfuil sé ríthábhachtach dár sochaí, dár ngeilleagar, dár n-oideachas agus dár bpobail féilte a chur chun cinn agus tacú leo’ agus go bhfuil ‘féilte thar a bheith tábhachtach, rud a fhágann gur féidir leis an bpobal a bheith rannpháirteach, forbairt eacnamaíoch a dhéanamh, agus luathú a dhéanamh ar an éagsúlacht inár bpobail.’
Tugann Wainfest cuireadh do pháistí ar gach aois tabhairt faoi eachtra spreagúil trí léirithe mealltacha, ceardlanna idirghníomhacha agus seisiúin scéalaíochta tarraingteacha, iad go léir deartha chun fiosracht a spreagadh agus grá do leabhair agus do na healaíona a chothú. I mbliana, cuireann Wainfest níos mó ná 100 imeacht saor in aisce ar fáil atá deartha do scoileanna, do theaghlaigh agus do pháistí ar gach aois. Tá gníomhaíochtaí ar fáil laistigh agus lasmuigh, le roinnt imeachtaí sruthaithe beo isteach sna seomraí ranga, chomh maith le cláir tráthnóna agus deireadh seachtaine chun freastal ar theaghlaigh agus chun rannpháirtíocht i raon leathan gníomhaíochtaí a spreagadh.
I measc bhuaicphointí imeachtaí teaghlaigh na bliana seo tá MC Grammar, a chomhcheanglaíonn ceol agus ealaíona teanga chun cabhrú le páistí rialacha gramadaí a thuiscint agus cuimhneamh orthu, - buille-bhosca, damhsa, rithim, LÉITHEOIREACHT, rapáil... achan rud faoin spéir! Tá Ceardlann Cluiche Forbartha 3D, cuairteanna údair, ceardlanna Bitheolaíochta, ranganna damhsa Boogie Bugs agus go leor eile ann fosta! Is féidir le páistí triail a bhaint as potaireacht le Lorraine O’Carroll, foghlaim conas seanéadaí a chur in oiriúint do phíosa faisin iontach nua le Bernie Murphy nó dul ar thuras réamhstairiúil leis an gceardlann Roar, Roar Dinosaur. Is cinnte go mbeidh rud éigin ann do gach duine!
Tá clár na scoile, mar a bhíothas ag súil leis, lán le himeachtaí iontacha lena n-áirítear, The Big White Coach Sensory Experience, cuairteanna ó údair cháiliúla amhail Eve McDonnell, Sheena Wilkinson, Erika McGann agus Paddy Donnelly, i measc daoine eile, chomh maith le léirithe ó scéalaithe, ealaíontóirí agus go leor ceardlann agus gníomhaíochtaí idirghníomhacha.
Tar éis an tseolta, fuair scoileanna cóip leictreonach den bhróisiúr agus is féidir le teaghlaigh amharc ar chlár iomlán na n-imeachtaí atá beartaithe trí bhróisiúr a phiocadh suas ina leabharlann áitiúil nó ina n-ionad cultúrtha. Tá an clár ar fáil fosta ar ár suíomh gréasáin www.wainfest.ie
