Kildare County Council announces 2024 Cruinniú na nÓg programme

Kildare County Council has launched details of the 2024 Cruinniú na nÓg programme, the national day celebrating creativity in children and young people. The programme features a variety of free workshops, concerts, and creative events which will take place across the county on Saturday, June 15.

Young people aged 12-18 are invited to ‘Teen Night featuring GALAXYZ’, an exciting festival of music, art, food and more in the courtyard of Naas Library & Cultural Centre from 4.30pm - 8pm. Attendees will enjoy a Garageland GALAXYZ concert featuring a lineup of local youth bands and guest artists, hosted by actor Robbie White (Netflix’s Heartstopper); paint a graffiti art banner with the experts from Street Art Ink; try a DIY workshop in our MakerSpace; and enjoy a slice of pizza and a chance to socialise between exams.

Riverbank Arts Centre present ‘Pstryk!’, an interactive musical experience designed for children aged 3-10 years. Featuring live music, this vibrant workshop will explore Polish and Irish folklore tunes, creative movement, and spontaneous music creation, led by vocalist Kasia Eliasz with Rafal Szydlowski on violin and Maciej Blizinski on double bass. Performances will take place at 2pm & 3pm in Newbridge Town Hall.

Kildare library branches will host creative hubs on June 15, with children’s self-portrait workshops in Monasterevin and Rathangan, thrilling percussion workshops with Jabba Jabba Jembe in Newbridge, a ClassicalKids interactive music concert in Celbridge, RockJam ukulele workshops in Leixlip, creative nature and folklore activities in Ballitore, a Magic Show in Clocha Rince Community Library, a teen writing workshop in Maynooth, Baby Beats music workshop in Clane, and more. 

Children interested in circus arts such as juggling, hooping, or plate spinning can book in for free after-school workshops on June 13 at Athy Library or June 14 at Clocha Rince Library. 

Additional creative projects are taking place out in the community, such as in Tribe Art Studio in Castledermot where children ages 5-12 can engage in open-ended artmaking, creativity and self-expression through Create and Play Art Workshops. 

Go Fly Your Kite is teaming up with In-Sync Youth Services in Naas for a series of ‘Land, Sky & Dreams’ kitemaking workshops for ages 8-18, taking place from June 11 -14, with all invited to a kite flying celebration on June 15 from 2:30-4:30pm.

‘An Dúlra agus Mé Féin’ is an outdoor exhibition of local children’s work, created with Dúlra Forest School over four woodland crafts sessions. Families are invited to come see the creativity, magic and playfulness of nature through the eyes of a child as you make your own journey through the woodland exhibition at Osberstown Woods, Sallins.

Youth arts groups across the county will be championing the creative voices of young people. Ardclough Youth Theatre invites the community to Straffan Community Hall for ‘Who We Are,’ an interactive exhibition focusing on the lives of Ardclough Youth Theatre's members and friends. 

Griese Youth Theatre invites young people ages 11 to 17 to ‘Walk in My Shoes!’ a day of drama and art workshops exploring ideas of identity, culture and diversity taking place in Ballitore Meeting House.

The Cruinniú na nÓg programme also includes ‘This is Art!’, Ireland’s national young people’s art competition supported by RTÉ. Details for this year’s competition will be announced on June 15 as part of the day’s festivities.

All events are free, however many require advance booking. For further information and booking details, see https://cruinniu.creativeireland.gov.ie/events/location/kildare/

Ireland is the first, and only, country in the world to have a national day of free creativity for children and young people under 18.  Cruinniú na nÓg is a flagship initiative of the Creative Ireland Programme’s Creative Youth Plan to enable the creative potential of children and young people. The inaugural Cruinniú na nÓg took place on June 23, 2018 and for the past number of years, young people and families have come together to enjoy, a wide range of creative activities including workshops and tutorials to recitals and readings in every city, town and village across the country. Delivered in partnership with the 31 Local Authorities and supported by RTÉ, you are invited to participate in a programme of fun, free, creative activities; from graffiti art workshops to stop-motion animation, to coding and architecture workshops.

For further information about the programme contact Colleen Werle, Creative Communities Engagement Officer 

Email: cwerle@kildarecoco.ie Tel: 087 488 4391