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Since 2003 Artastic have created a pageant spectacle for St Patricks festival parade in Dublin, using a variety of community groups along with our talented artists. This blog will describe in brief of a spectacle along with credits to those involved from the years 2003 to 2007.
This is now stepping back a few years but lost a lot of the record of our work. This is a attempt to preserve what we remember of the early years. Hopefully we may be able to add to this information as time goes along.
Aside from the theme of the spectacle each parade brings its own personal story from us as artist but more importantly the stories of the individuals attending. Many participants who got involved with the parades, came back year after year, and in turn some also became the artists who helped create our parades of the future. There are many hardships associated with creating these productions but one thing that made it so worth it was meeting so many wonderful people over the years
2007 Midas Touch – Saint Patrick’s parade
This was a pageant created for Saint Patrick’s parade. The work was based on the story of Midas who wished that everything he touched turned to gold, which was great until he touch his beloved daughter who also turned to gold. Them moral of the story is often told as ‘be careful what you wish for’ while another moral is , ‘to fulfill all of someones dreams is to drive them mad’.
We based the visual idea on some of histories first know parades parades, which were military parades showing strenght in numbers. The parades were huge displays were often captains told of the victories through dance and theater.
This was Artastic’s biggest parade in Saint Patrick’s parade ever with over 260 participants. The pageant actually cover the entirety of O O’Connell street as we passed through it. We had schools from Dublin and all over kildare involved.
One of the artists who currently work with us Eugenia, was in the parade as a transition student from Leixlip, and joined the parade a few year later when she was a student in Iadt. She was been in every parade since, as well as working with artastic projects through out the years.
2006 Elemental thought – Saint Patrick’s parade
I remember least about the theme or story but it was based on a Celtic Ireland and the four elements. By 2007 we were noticing a repeated request from participants from previous Saint Patrick’s parades in Dublin. A strong bond start to form with the participants and this is when I think that it was more than just I start to really identify with been part of Artastic.
I had just lost my studio and this entire parade was created inside a sitting room.
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2005 Chaos in Calcutta – Saint Patrick’s parade
This was Artastic’s third entry in Saint Patrick’s parade in Dublin. It was another comic version of a story from when Vijaya was in India. In Calcutta he noticed they stopped cars to protect cows who had decided to stop and have a rest in Calcutta city centre. The pageant was based on the tree colours of traffic lights as there were no traffic lights in Calcutta.
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2004 Knicker Bocker Glory – Saint Patrick’s parade
This was our second parade and at least this year we had managed to get some music into the performance. The story as in many years to come, was a comic story based on monsters who like to disco, but had a keen taste for ice-cream and sweets. The visual idea was to try build everything on the three shapes, square, triangle and circle.
Artists involved with this were
Vijaya Bateson, Denis O Connor, Valerie Kelly.
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2003 Journey to the bottom of the garden – Saint Patrick’s parade
This was our first year to create a pageant for Saint Patrick’s parade in Dublin. If was a steep learning curve but lots of fun. I was hard to believe that only after two years of creating local parades in Newbridge Co Kildare we were not creating work for Saint Patrick’s parade in Dublin. The parade route went from St Stephen’s Green to Western way in the early days.
The story in the pageant was based on being conscious of the damage that was created to the environment by not recycling. The story told of creatures who’s natural habitat was been destroyed. We tried to create some of the creature by recycling materials such as milk bottles.
Artists involved with this were
Vijaya Bateson, Denis O Connor, Valerie Kelly.
We do not have many images of this event, but have whatever is left can be seen below.
Since 2003 Artastic have created a pageant spectacle for St Patricks festival parade in Dublin, using a variety of community groups along with our talented artists. This blog will describe in brief of a spectacle along with credits to those involved in the year 2009
This is now stepping back a few years but we like to keep a record of our work, and their is a special personal story that goes with each of the parade for those involves so we wanted it to act as a trip down memory lane for anyone who wanted it.
The Age of Aquarius
Pageant description
Artastic’s pageant brings you on a journey through the age of Aquarius into the colourful and adventurous sixties. A time when hippies also became known as flower children because they often would hand out flowers to promote ideas of love and peace. The sixties was more than just a decade, it was a state of mind. The sixties were an exciting, revolutionary, turbulent time of great social and technological change: unforgettable fashion, new musical styles, the first man landing on the moon, peace marches, flower power. Where “go with the flow” was the motto, “the sky is the limit” realized new expectations for mankind.
Visual concept for pageant
The visual concept is one of three stages. 1/The spiral dancers, 2/ the flower children, 3/one small step for man.
The spiral dancers leading the procession, who dance to the sound of the Beatles, represent the notion of ideas starting to escalate. Spiritual ideologies emerging from eastern continents which influenced western thinking. Social expectations been questioned and revolutions begin for human rights. A race for technological advancement.
The flower children section is bedecked with a huge mix of colours. This section represents the state of mind that became known as the sixties. Wild fashion, new music, road trips, festivals, new ideals, a new found liberation which knew no limits. Visually we attempt to bring the eye of the observer upwards with this colour and height.
The final section ‘One Small Step for man’, is a simple, almost baby-like step into the infancy of the space age. Along with the Apollo rocket, our quirky moon dancers float around in the space gear, to represent the brave step out into the unknown. Rob Creage created the sound scape to accompany the section, which has an interesting mix, of moon landing recordings and sixties tunes to create a very bouncy tune.
ABOUT THE COMPANY
Artastic’s collaborative art projects are nationally recognised as models of community theatre in Ireland, where artists and community groups work together to transform our urban landscapes with colourful creative performances.
This year Artastic’s pageant has a cast of 120 performers made up of many community groups and friends of Artastic
Artastic is involved with four different parades today, with over 300 costumes in parades throughout the country. Organising this has been a real challenge to the team.
Although they are based in Newbridge Co Kildare. They work all year round with a variety of community settings, right through out Ireland.
Artastic has worked alongside many Dublin inner city youth projects over the past three years, where they have though many young people and a few not so young how to walk on stilts.
Artastic have worked with the Rose of Tralee over a number of years and plan to work closely with organisers this year to celebrate the fiftieth year of the Rose festival.
Transition year from ST Patricks Secondary school – Naas
Celbridge Youth Theatre
Balitore Youth Theatre
Various friends and guest of Artastic
Special Guests.
Saorise Kearney, Amber Short and Kinkari Bateson.
Interesting developments.
Our choreographer Paula O Reilly, and two artist Aoife FitxGerald (aka Aoife FitzPerfect) and Kirtsen Armstrong , would have all been young participants in Artastic parades over the years, who have now become valuable assets to the creative team.
Since 2003 Artastic have created a pageant spectacle for St Patricks festival parade in Dublin, using a variety of community groups along with our talented artists. This blog will describe in brief of a spectacle along with credits to those involved in the year 2010.
“A topsy turvey world”
Pageant description
FollowArtastic on a journey through the extraordinary wonders of “A topsy turvey world” where nothing is quite as it seems and strangely magical characters are simply the ‘norm’. Inside this world you will meet talking cats in bowler hats, life sized dolls on their way to the ball. Liquorice shops, candy floss mops and spinning tops being chased by clocks! A giant cake would not look altogether out of place either…..
Visual concept for pageant
The visual concept is one of a colourful journey through a Childs eye that not only leaves your eyes wide open with joy, but then has you licking your lips, and stomping you feet. The Topsy Turvey World will leave you with a lasting smirk on your face for the rest of the day.
The show opens with spinning tops whirling you into frenzy. Wave hello to Tic and Toc, the talking clocks, but don’t be alarmed with what they may say to you. While candy sticks fly through the air, candyfloss dancer, show of their long hair.
Watch those cheeky chatty cats, with the funky top hats; try to steal a bite from the liquorish house. Watch the sweet liquorish dancer, twist and twirl.
And look at those large dancing dolls, looks like their dressed for a ball. But with that mischief in their eyes, you can tell someone is for a surprise.
Then the back-to-front boys, full of teenage joys bumble around the huge cake. With a spin in their eyes, were not sure if it’s from sugar, or carousel rides.
The pageant is ushered on by the large twisters, and a flock of hyper active birds, but were are not sure if their singing, or just mumbling strange words..
Caitriona McGowan has worked with Artastic for a few years, but this is her for first year to act as Artastic Director for the St Patricks day parade. Caitrona, who is from Killybegs in Co Donegal, has been responsible for the pageant from design stage, through to finish. She has leaded the team brilliantly to create this wonderful pageant.
Since 2003 Artastic have created a carnival arts spectacle for St Patrick’s festival parade in Dublin, using a variety of community groups along with our talented artists. This blog will describe in brief of a spectacle along with credits to those involved in the year 2012.
History of Group
Artastic was founded in 2003 by its Artistic director Vijaya Bateson.
Artastic’s collaborative art projects are, nationally recognised as models of community theatre in Ireland, where artists and community groups work together to transform our urban landscapes with colourful creative performances
Artastic is involved with four different parades today, with another parade in London on Sunday.
Description of Pageant
This will be Artastic’s 10th year involved with our national St Patricks parade in Dublin.
Section one, represents the explanation of light travelling through a prism and as the light bends it transforms into a rainbow
Section two, represents the raindrops that act as a prism in the shy. The raindrops appear in colour order of the rainbow, red, yellow, orange, green, blue, indigo, violet.
Both section one and two are led by Atomic dance group from the Liberties in Dublin. The groups are Choreographed by their director Mark Kennedy.
Section Three, represents the Observer who needs to be positioned between the Rain and the Sun to see the rainbow.
The observer section is performed by both Balitore and Celbridge Youth Theatres from Co Kildare.
Section Four, represents the Sun, which needs to be set on far side of the observer for the rainbow to be seen.
This Section is performed by young people form Bradog Regional Youth Service’s in North Inner City, Dublin, and directed by Mary Duffin
Section Five, represents one of the many Mythological stories associated with the Rainbow. We have highlighted ‘IRIS’ the Greek Goddess of the Rainbow in this section.
Iris section is performed by members of IADT college in Dun laoghaire, along with Artastic regular Performers.
Artistic team involved including titles
Artistic Directors – Vijaya Bateson, Caitriona Mc Gowan
Atomic Dance group choreographer – Mark Kennedy
Performance Directors: – Mary Duffin, Vijaya Bateson,
To set the scene we are playing remixes of songs such as ‘Somewhere over the Rainbow’, ‘Singing in the Rain’, ‘Here comes the Sun’ and many more!
Any information on individual members….
Aside from the Artistic Director Vijaya Bateson, Aoife FitzGerald is now the only participant that has been all ten St Patricks day parades with Artastic. She got involved the first year as a transition year student, but enjoyed herself so much she has returned every year bringing a few friends along. Aoife has been involved with many Artastic projects, and has been part of the creative team, who created the costumes for St Patricks day for the past two years,
One of Artastic’s favourite fans, young Saoirse Kearny leads of our parade today.
Since 2003 Artastic have created a pageant spectacle for St Patricks festival parade in Dublin, using a variety of community groups along with our talented artists. This blog will describe in brief of a spectacle along with credits to those involved in the Saint Patrick’s parade Ireland 2011.
History of Group
Artastic was founded in 2003 by its Artistic director Vijaya Bateson. The idea at the time was to work with local communities in Co Kildare to create street theatre events by the local people for the local people.
Artastic’s collaborative art projects are now, nationally recognised as models of community theatre in Ireland, where artists and community groups work together to transform our urban landscapes with colourful creative performances
Although Artastic was a Kildare based group, now it is Kildare and Dublin based group, as the studio remains in Kildare but many of the groups they now work with are based in Dublin.
This will be Artastic’s eight year involved with our national St Patricks parade in Dublin.
Artastic is involved with four different parades today, with over 300 costumes in parades throughout the country. Organising this has been a real challenge to the team
This parade was created to various chapters of a story by Rody Doyle
Description of Pageant
Artastic adapted chapter three, to set the scene of the three children Raymond, Gloria and Ernie (who was a bit of a vampire), running though the streets from one house to another. Artastic split the story in to three sections, 1/ The intro – Bright lights and brilliant, 2/ Mooney House and 3/ O’Driscolls house. Artastic interpreted and translated the story using own unique carnival style costumes. There is a repeated emblem of the black dog of depression. These images of the dogs are created in Celtic style to reflect the back dog of depression that emerges from the Celtic Tiger. The Performers will dance and perform to the wonderful sound of Imelda May, to set the scene of a contemporary Dublin. The pageant attempts to create a colourful imagination of the scene of the story, rather than a literal one.
Section one, is lead at the front of the parade by the three lead characters played by, Saoirse Kearney, Amber Short, Joe O Loughlin.
Next we will see the white lace costumes which represent the white flood lights at O Leary’s house. The bright yellow section is to represent, when the lights go off Gloria shouts brilliant, and the passage is full with yellow light.
This whole section is performer by Atomic Dance Group for Dublin, and choreographed by Mark Kennedy.
In Section two we see the first emblem of the dogs, closely followed by the two big eyes and tongue of O’Mooney’s dog, lulu Mooney. Watch out for the cheeky letterbox girls and those funny bones.
This section is performed by, Celbridge and Balitore youth theatres, The Base Youth service, as well as students from IADT and ISI. Performances are directed by Johnny Murphy and Vijaya Bateson.
Section three is opened with shadows of the children as the run through the streets to O Driscoll’s house. It is here the meet Fang, O’Driscoll’s dog, and the ever so strange Ernie O’Driscoll who is a bit of a vampire. It is all a bit dark a scary for Gloria, as they run off in to the distance with, vampires and the large shadows of the dog that Ernie just spotted.
The final section was performed by young people for the north inner city through the Bradog regional youth services, and directed by Rachel Laley.
Artistic team involved including titles
Artistic Directors – Vijaya Bateson, Caitriona Mc Gowan
Atomic Dance group choreographer – Mark Kennedy
Performance Directors: – Vijaya Bateson, Johnny Murphy, Rachel Laley
To set the scene of contemporary Dublin we decided to use a lively collection of songs by Dublin based Imelda May. Imelda will be playing in London roundhouse on St Patricks day after completing her Australian tour.
Any information on individual members….
Aside from the Artistic Director Vijaya Bateson, Aoife FitzGerald is now the only participant that has been all eight St Patricks day parades with Artastic. She got involved the first year as a transition year student, but enjoyed herself so much she has returned every year bringing a few friends along. Aoife has been involved with many Artastic projects, and has been part of the creative team, who created the costumes for St Patricks day for the past two years,
Since 2003 Artastic have created a pageant spectacle for St Patricks festival parade in Dublin, using a variety of community groups along with our talented artists. This blog will describe in brief of a spectacle along with credits to those involved in the year 2013 for parades Ireland.
History of Group
Artastic was founded in 2003 by its Artistic director Vijaya Bateson.
Artastic’s collaborative art projects are, nationally recognised as models of community theatre in Ireland, where artists and community groups work together to transform our urban landscapes with colourful creative performances
Artastic is involved with four different parades today around Ireland
Description of Pageant
This was Artastic’s 11th year involved with our national St Patricks parade in Dublin.
Parade Tilte : Raggie Maggie
Story line :
Artastic’s cast of 120 performers create a colourful spectacle that tells the story of some old Toys who were concerned that children were drifting towards playing with electronic games too much. And more frighteningly, the old toys were concerned that Children may start to lose their great imaginations, if the stopped playing with their old toys. In response, the toys decide to have a great gathering of toys to enter St Patricks Festival parade. But to really capture the imagination of children not only in Ireland but all round the world they decided to make the world’s largest Rag Doll. The Toys decide to almost double the world Guinness record and make the ginormous Raggie Maggie 7.7 metres tall. (That’s about the height of two Double Decker bus on top of each other)
Artastic actually attempted the world record. Read more Here
Captured by Adrian Melia photography here
Parade Opening, Our three young performers Saoirse Kearney, Joe and Faye O Loughlin open our parade as Three Rag Dolls, followed by a huge Yellow Bird.
Section one, Are dancing Barbies, and Kens
Section two, Are colourful collection Emu Puppets
Both section one and two are led by Atomic dance group from the Liberties in Dublin. The groups are Choreographed by their director Mark Kennedy.
Section Three, Is a large collection of soft toys such a trolls, Teddys, and black birds.
This Section is performed by young people form Bradog Regional Youth Service’s in North Inner City, Dublin, and directed by Mary Duffin
Section Four, we find a Lego characters, Robots and spinning tops.
This section is performed by both Balitore Youth Theatres from Co Kildare and,
Young people from Cabinteenly youth arts group.
Section Five, See’s a collection of individual toys such as Tin soldier, Teddy bear, plastic soldiers, Dragon, Strong man, Goblin, and gingerbread man.
Section Six, will finish the parade with a lively bunch of Rag Dolls dancing and sing as the parade the massive mascot ‘Raggie Maggie’ for all to see.
These last two sections are performed by members of IADT college in Dun laoghaire, along with Artastic regular Performers.
Artistic team involved including titles
Artistic Directors – Vijaya Bateson, Caitriona Mc Gowan
Atomic Dance group choreographer – Mark Kennedy
Performance Directors: – Mary Duffin, Vijaya Bateson,
Creative Team– Ryan Aoife FitzGerald, Wendy Stephens, Emily Archer, Eimear.
Other Groups/people involved in the project
This year Artastic has a cast of over 130 performers from group such as;
Big thanks to Ryan Smith for all his work. Ryan was a guest artist who was invited form Scotland to help create this pageant
Also big thanks to Aoife FitzGerald, who has been the longest standing participant in out parades, travelled all the way back to be with us again this year.
Other interesting info
A Roman Rag Doll is one of the oldest Children toys still in existence, and is kept in the British Museum. The doll was found in a child’s grave from 300BC
Since 2003 Artastic have created a pageant spectacle for St Patricks festival parade in Dublin, using a variety of community groups along with our talented artists. This blog will describe in brief of a spectacle along with credits to those involved in the year 2014.
History of Group
Artastic is a street spectacle company based in Kildare, under the artistic direction of Vijaya Bateson and Caitriona McGowan. Artastic was founded in 2003 by Vijaya Bateson.
Artastic’s collaborative art projects are, nationally recognised as models of community theatre in Ireland, where artists and community groups work together to transform our urban landscapes with colourful creative performances
Artastic annual programme will include but not limited to a new production for St Patrick’s Day Festival in Dublin, as well as many National Festival including Rose of Tralee.
Artastic is involved with four different parades today around Ireland.
Description of Pageant
This was Artastic’s 12th year involved with our national St Patrick’s parade in Dublin.
Parade Title : Let’s make History Colourful
Story line : Artastic known for colouring our Urban landscapes with its colourful creations, was looking at how sometimes our history looked a bit grey. The Artastic Artists imagined if they could go back through or history books, how they might add a bit of colour and carnival to some of our history. Artastic’s artists set off with the fabric, paint and performers, adding a bit of colour and fun to the Celtic Ireland and the Myths that seem to be embossed into the history of the bronze and Iron Age in Ireland.
Artastic’s cast of 120 performers create a colourful spectacle
Parade Opening, Our three young artists open our parade making history colourful with the large paint brushes.
Section one,
The first section represent the pages of our history books. Then we see brightly coloured monuments such as round towers and Celtic crosses. This era represents the span of time when Celtic culture is influence by Christianity that flooded Ireland
This section is led by Atomic dance group from the Liberties in Dublin. The groups are Choreographed by their director Mark Kennedy.
Section two,
The Celtic era is well known for its artwork including many of the creatures that featured in their stories and daily life. Using this strong iconic imagery Artastic add intense colours to highlight the quality of their intricate interlace art work.
This Section is performed by young people form Bradog Regional Youth Service’s in North Inner City, Dublin, and directed by Mary Duffin
Section Three
This represents Celtic women and warriors with colourful costume and oversize masks that depicts the strong character of these tribes. Our Large puppets of the King Queen mark how these large groups settled into provinces with their rí ruirech, or king of the province as their leaders.
This section is performed by Students from Iadt Model making course in Dunlaoire
Section Four
Finally we add a bit of colour to the well-told Myths of that time, Children of Lir, the Salmon of Knowledge and The fairies. We also want to include the Cliodhna the queen of the Banshees which in spite of our best efforts, she would not accept any colour than her infamous white appearance.
This section is performed by Friends of ARTASTIC
Artistic team involved including titles
Artistic Directors – Vijaya Bateson, Caitriona Mc Gowan
Since 2003 Artastic have created a pageant spectacle for St Patricks festival parade in Dublin, using a variety of community groups along with our talented artists. This blog will describe in brief of a spectacle along with credits to those involved in the year 2015.
History of Group
Artastic is a street spectacle company based in Kildare, under the artistic direction of Vijaya Bateson and Caitriona McGowan. Artastic was founded in 2003 by Vijaya Bateson.
Artastic’s collaborative art projects are, nationally recognised as models of community theatre in Ireland, where artists and community groups work together to transform our urban landscapes with colourful creative performances
Artastic annual programme will include but not limited to a new production for St Patrick’s Day Festival in Dublin, as well as many National Festival including Rose of Tralee.
Description of Pageant
This was Artastic’s 13th year involved with our national St Patricks parade in Dublin.
Parade Title : Wow O Clock
Story line : Artastic want to help you celebrate ‘now’ by creating a ‘Wow O Clock’. This clock is designed to celebrate those times that we decide to do more of what we love. Wow O clock has no numbers, or hour and minute hands, but has one WOW hand that brings us to different wow moments in our day. We encourage you all to make your own WOW O clock and put your favourite moments of the day on it. So don’t wait until tomorrow, and yesterday has gone, do more of what you love, and each day will be more fun.
Artastic’s cast of 120 performers create a colourful spectacle
Parade Opening,
The parade opens with our clock makers. These clock makers create the wow o clock to point to different ‘Wow’ moments in our day.
First WOW moment – ‘In the Garden’
If you’re a garden lover, you will know how rewarding it is to spend your time in your garden. In this section we will see a collection of beautiful flowers like Lilies, Daisies, Buttercups and Roses, along with two beautiful butterflies flying between the flowers.
This section is led by Atomic dance group from the Liberties in Dublin. The groups are Choreographed by their director Mark Kennedy.
Second WOW moment – Sweets and Treats
Do you know that feeling when you bite into a lovely slice of cake and the world disappears in that moment? Well in this section we will see some of our favourites from, cupcakes, popcorn, love heart sweets, candy canes, gingerbread man and candy of all shapes and sizes.
This Section is performed by young people form Bradog Regional Youth Service’s in North Inner City, Dublin, and from Balitore Youth Theatre, Balitore , Co KIldare. This section is directed by Mary Duffin
Third WOW moment – Lost in music
You know how you can be transported in time when you hear your favourite tune. You know how some songs just want to make you dance. Well in the last wow moment today we see, costumes and characters to conjure up those feelings. Lose yourself in the moment, or get up and dance to join in.
This section is performed by first and second year Students from Iadt Model making course in Dun Laoghaire.
Artistic team involved including titles
Artistic Directors – Vijaya Bateson, Caitriona Mc Gowan
Atomic Dance group choreographer – Mark Kennedy
Performance Directors: – Mary Duffin
Other Groups/people involved in the project
This year Artastic has a cast of over 120 performers from group such as;
Since 2003 Artastic have created a pageant spectacle for St Patricks festival parade in Dublin, using a variety of community groups along with our talented artists. This blog will describe in brief of a spectacle along with credits to those involved in the year 2016.
Overall Theme
The overall theme for the parade was “Imagine if” where everyone worked alongside young people to image what their future might be. This is what our bunch conceived of.
Artastic –Cead Mile Future
History of Group
Artastic is a street spectacle company based in Kildare, under the artistic direction of Vijaya Bateson and Caitriona McGowan. Artastic was founded in 2003 by Vijaya Bateson.
Artastic’s collaborative art projects are, nationally recognised as models of community theatre in Ireland, where artists and community groups work together to transform our urban landscapes with colourful creative performances
Artastic annual programme will include but not limited to a new production for St Patrick’s Day Festival in Dublin, as well as many National Festival including Rose of Tralee.
Description of Pageant
This was Artastic’s 14th year involved with our national St Patricks parade in Dublin.
Parade Title : Cead Mile Future
Story line : Inspired the a vision of young people from Dublin’s north inner city Artastic create a pageant that embraces the Dublin City of the future as a visual and emotional place of welcome with the most unusual and interesting places to visit. The young people want their city to be a place of welcome to all. They hoped that Irish eyes would always be smiling and that we would greet their guests with a warm heart and a hug. Their ideas bring you on a tourist journey from Moore Street through the city up to Dublin Zoo in a very childlike colourful version of the future.
Artastic’s cast of 100 performers create a colourful spectacle
Parade Opening,
The parade opens with a warm Irish welcome, where Irish eyes are smiling and all are greeted with a big heart and hug to the Dublin of the future.
Follow the futuristic tour trail through the streets of Dublin conceived by the young people from the north inner city.
First section – ‘Moore Street markets’
The tour story starts from a very old traditional market that has now been revived but with a very unusual twist. Been conscious of having a healthier future the children imagined their famous Moore Street as a place for tourists to seek out our unique forty shades of fruit. The young people’s idea was that food biotechnology will have developed so that can produce fruit in every colour and a variety of tastes to suit everybody’s palate. You can even buy chocolate or sweets have been designed to actually help you lose weight. This would encourage us to eat healthy and live longer happier lives. After your fill of funky fruit take a trip through of colourful capital’s streets.
This section is led by Atomic dance group from the Liberties in Dublin. The groups are Choreographed by their director Mark Kennedy.
Second section – Walk through our futuristic City Centre
Moving away from the stereotypical image of a future of metallic buildings the children imagined a very colourful cityscape that was designed for people walking rather than cars. The buildings were influenced by the shape of our old round towers, but with a very funky difference. Although they hoped that in the future Irish people would speak mainly Irish, they conceived of multi Lingual interactive statues for the tourist to get directions from. These were commonly called ‘Giggle Guides’. To get around the city they imagined you get a E-taxi which was an environmentally friendly robot pedal power vehicle. Or you could jump on the sky luas, which helped you see the Spire from great heights as you head down over Phoenix park to see the jaw dropping Dublin Zoo.
This Section is performed by young people form Bradog Regional Youth Service’s in North Inner City, Dublin. This is the group who Artastic worked with to generate the idea about their future city. This section is directed by Mary Duffin
Third section – Visit to Dublin Zoo
This section is where the tour finishes, but have we saved the best till last? Here you will see some of the most unusual aspects of the children imagination yet. Not unlike the mixture of fruits, Dublin Zoo if full of the most unusual mix of animals in the galaxy. No Joke, there are ‘Gir-havin-a-laughs’ a unique blend of giraffes and laughing hyenas. And there are ‘Tigerphants’ you guessed it, Tigers mixed with Elephants. Can you guess what the ‘Sworses’ are? Swan shaped like horses! You can see a very special kind of monkey called ‘OranguSparkle’ along with ‘Glitter Snakes’. Due to their cheeky interactive natures one the favourites in the zoo is in the ‘Exotic chaotic Zone’. There you will see a collection of weird, wonderful and beautiful birds like you never seen before. Which one will fascinate you most?
This section is performed by first and second year Students from ‘3 Dimensional Design model Making and digital Art’ course in Iadt in Dun Laoghaire.
Artistic team involved including titles
Artistic Directors – Vijaya Bateson, Caitriona Mc Gowan
Artistic team also include – Eugenia Genuchi, Aoife Fitz Gerald, Stephen Butler, Alan Baird.