April - June 2012 Programme

Our next term will begin on 16 April 2011.

You can enrol for classes online right now, via our box office.

As always you can also book in person at the centre or by phone on 028 9024 2338.

For more details check the box office section, or have a look at our printed programme available from arts venues across the city, from the centre itself, or as a PDF download here on the website: Crescent 2012 April – June 2012 Programme.

View terms & conditions of enrolment online.

Irish President, Michael D. Higgins, visited the Crescent Arts Centre on Friday 2 March 2012 for a tour of the award-winning, refurbished building and an afternoon of performances from many of the artists and community groups supported by the centre.

President Higgins is known for his considerable contribution and support of the Irish arts sector: championing the Gaelic language, reinvigorating the Irish film industry and overseeing investment in museums. An established poet, President Higgins was a fitting visitor to the centre as the Crescent has a strong focus on Irish and Northern Irish poetry, through its long history of providing creative writing classes and being home to the annual Belfast Book Festival.

Centre Manager, Dr Keith Acheson said: “It was a huge honour to host both President Higgins and his wife Sabina Higgins, especially being one of only four venues during the Presidential visit to Belfast. The time they spent speaking to the many artists on the day is a testament to their depth of knowledge and passion for the arts.”

During the visit, President and Mrs Higgins enjoyed many performances and pieces from a number of key artists, participants and organisations in the centre: The Friends of the Grove Dance Group, The Crescent Elderflowers Dance Theatre, Silver Threads, Sheena Kelly and Jayne Smith, Open Arts Luminous Soul Dance Project and the Crescent Writers Group. Exploring the resident organisationsʼ offices the President and his wife, Mrs Sabina Higgins, also had the chance to be creative by working with WheelWorks on an interactive music demo.

The centreʼs permanent art installation by the artist collective ROBOTS was a source of great delight to the President and his party, as the sculpture – made from entirely recycled materials – spiraled up throughout the entire building. Additional visual treats were enjoyed via The Illustrators exhibition in the Crescent Gallery, curated by childrenʼs laureate and author of The Gruffalo, Julia Donaldson.

Following the tour President Higgins addressed members of the public along with the Crescent Arts Centre Chair, Dr David Hill and Minister for Culture, Arts and Leisure, Carál Ní Chuilín MLA. As a token of appreciation, the centre presented a portrait of the President, painted by Crescent artist and staff member, Daniela Balmaverde.

Crescent Arts Centre Chair, David Hill, said: “We were delighted to welcome the President and Mrs Higgins to the centre in both official capacity and as great champions of the arts. It was an honour to showcase the passion the centre has and the transformative role the arts can play in promoting the wellbeing of communities and individuals, ideas to which President Higgins has shown a lifelong commitment.”

‘The Illustrators Exhibition’, which runs from 21 February to 18 March, offers the opportunity to see original artwork by the world’s leading children’s illustrators who feature in Julia’s books, as well as finished illustrations, sketches, ideas and a unique display of illustrated envelopes by Axel Scheffler.
Fans of Julia’s characters from ‘The Gruffalo’, ‘The Snail and the Whale’ and ‘Zog’ will certainly enjoy this month-long celebration of children’s characters which includes screenings of ‘The Gruffalo’ and ‘The Gruffalo’s Child’ films, Drama and Storytelling workshops and even a ‘Gruffalo Disco’ for children.

Accompanied by the wonderful artwork, these activities will allow children to explore the Gruffalo story through drama, singing, dance and games to ensure a magical experience for the whole family.

BBC NI ‘Arts Extra’ host, Marie Louise Muir, said:
“ I feel I know Julia and her writing inside out. I’ve been reading her words to my children for the past seven years. She has transformed the world of children’s literature.”

The exhibition also includes exclusive material, including work from forthcoming books illustrated by Axel Scheffler, Sam McCullen, Pam Smy and even sketches and drawings for a new book by Julia Donaldson with illustrator Charlotte Voake exploring the further adventures of Edward Lear’s timeless creations, the Owl and the Pussycat.

Crescent Arts Centre Manager Keith Acheson, said:
“We are delighted to host The Illustrators exhibition, which truly is a month-long celebration of the very best in children’s book illustration. Providing associated activities such as our Gruffalo discos, films and storytelling means there will be plenty on offer and an uplifting experience for both children and parents. Following the success of exploring new avenues in literature during last year’s Belfast Book Festival, this exhibition promises to be yet another delight for all to enjoy.”

Noirin Mc Kinney, Head of Arts Development at the Arts Council, said:
“Featuring ideas, early sketches and final artworks, this special exhibition offers a unique insight into the collaborative process between author and illustrators which led to the creation of todays most loved children’s books. It is often the first stories we read that stay with us for life, firing the imagination and enticing a new generation of readers into the world of creativity and discovery.”

The launch of the exhibition will be held at 7:00pm on 21 February and will feature a free performance by Victoria Gleason and Kathleen McGrath.  Access to the exhibition is free, with the gallery at the Crescent open from 10:00am – 6:00pm each day.

   The Illustrators exhibition is supported by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland.

The Illustrators exhibition is a partnership initiative between The Park Gallery, Falkirk Community Trust and Artlink Central. We are hugely grateful to Julia Donaldson and the other contributors – their agents and publishers who have all generously supported the ambitions of this project.

Our winter term commenced on 16 January 2012, but don’t worry if you have missed the online enrolment deadline as we still have a few places available in some classes.

You can enrol for these classes by calling us on (028) 9024 2338, or by dropping into the centre.

For more details on this term’s classes and workshops have a look at our printed programme available from arts venues across the city, from the centre itself, or as a PDF download here on the website: Crescent 2012 Jan-March Programme.

View terms & conditions of enrolment online.

Crescent Arts Centre Jan - Mar 2012 Programme

Our next term will begin on January 16 2011.

You can enrol for classes online right now, via our box office.

As always you can also book in person at the centre or by phone on 028 9024 2338.

For more details check the box office section, or have a look at our printed programme available from arts venues across the city, from the centre itself, or as a PDF download here on the website: Crescent 2012 Jan-March Programme.

View terms & conditions of enrolment online.

The Crescent Arts Centre’s annual interactive dance festival CityDance will take place on Saturday 10th and Sunday 11th December 2011.

The festival features a wide variety of FREE dance workshops for everyone to enjoy, as well as screenings of popular dance films and a showcase of new and recent work from class participants and top local dance companies.

Saturday 10th December

Dance Workshops  11:00am-4:00pm | FREE

Evening Performances  7:30pm | £5  |  BOOK TICKETS

Nikki Fulcher Yoga  All Day Saturday from 11:00am, at 45 minute intervals

The RelaxRoom  11:00am-4:00pm | FREE

Sunday 11th December

Dance Workshops  11:00am-4:00pm | FREE

Audience’s Choice Film Screening  
Dance Film for Families | 4:45pm | £2 -VOTE WINNER= Happy Feet  -  BOOK TICKETS
Dance Film for Adults | 7:30pm | £2 – VOTE WINNER= Dirty Dancing  BOOK TICKETS

The RelaxRoom  11:00am-4:00pm | FREE

Dance Workshops Schedule

Saturday 10th December

11:00-11:20am

Jennifer Jordan
Baby Dance (1-3 years)

Sheena Bleakney
Pop Dance for Kids (4-10 years)

11:30-11:50am

Leigh O’Neill
T’ai Chi

12noon-12:20pm

Segura Maytee
Hawaiian Dance

Karin Mallon
Bellydance

12:30-12:50pm

Alina Gazdieva
Capoeira

Maureen Connolly
Flamenco

1:00-1:20pm

Adib Maani-Hessari
Body Percussion

Sheena Kelly
Contemporary Rock

1:30-1:50pm

Donna Namukasa
African Dance

Jayne Smith
Zumba

2:00-2:20pm

Stevie McFall
Breakdance

2:30-2:50pm

Jacinta Morris
Charleston

Richard Turner
Salsa

3:00-3:20pm

The Grove
Community Group Showcase

3:30-4:00pm

Julie Dorman
Tap

Sunday 11th December

11:00-11:20am

Vanessa Franchetti
French Dancing

11:30-11:50am

Leigh O’Neill
T’ai Chi

Patrick Brunskill
Circle Dance

12noon-12:20pm

Sheena Kelly
Creative Movement

12:30-12:50pm

Richard Turner
West Coast Swing

Adib Maani-Hessari
Body Percussion

1:00-1:20pm

Thomas Annang
African Dance

Burlesque
Karin Mallon

1:30-1:50pm

Anita McBriar
Second Chance Ballet

Mary-Jo Reid
Hip Hop

2:00-2:20pm

Tim Flaherty
Belfast Trad – Set Dancing

Sarah Johnston
Jazz Dance

2:30-2:50pm

Lauren Guyer
Contact Improvisation

Richard Turner
Latin American Dance

3:00-3:20pm

Jacinta Morris
Charleston

Emma Copland
Scottish Highland Dance

3:30-4:00pm

Jo Britland
Ickle Street Dance

Sheena Bleakney
Pop Dance for Kids

We would love it if you could fill out our short questionnaire about the Crescent Arts Centre, and as a thank you for doing so your name will be put into a prize draw to win great prizes!

Complete the  Autumn 2011 survey here.

The Prizes

- 1 free class in the Jan-April 2012 term*
- 1 free workshop in the Jan-April 2012 term*
- 1 pair of tickets to any event at the Crescent Arts Centre*

Deadline for completed questionnaires is 4 December 2011.

*Crescent-run classes, workshops and events only – these can be identified in the programme by a 3-digit code preceding the class/workshop title.

The category recognises the importance of providing local communities with outstanding facilities. Projects could be single or groups of buildings which are entirely new or improvements on an existing facility. Judges were looking for projects that have had a strong interaction with the community throughout the process from start to finish. The projects are judged on feedback from the community and how they have enhanced the local landscape/streetscape.

The West Midlands RSA Academy in Tipton won the Community Benefit category.  In May 2011 the Crescent Arts Centre was named the Northern Ireland RICS project of the year.

Crescent Arts Centre Chair David Hill receives the RICS Commendation certificate from BBC presenter Julia Bradbury

At the Crescent the new building includes a performance area, a dance studio and 10 other activity rooms of various sizes, enabling greater use by community organisations. The Crescent is a listed building dating back to 1873. The refurbished building has attracted many new visitors with overall numbers having doubled.

The building fits well with the strategic Action Plan for the Creative Industries in Northern Ireland, given its role in each of the four themes namely people, business, infrastructure and knowledge.

Crescent Arts Centre Manager, Keith Acheson welcomed the UK finals commendation, saying, : “We were absolutely delighted at having been awarded the 2011 RICS NI Project of the Year back in May and now to have been placed so highly at a UK level is fantastic. The competition was stiff and this commendation recognises the extremely positive impact the Crescent has had on the entire community of Belfast and beyond.”

The Crescent Arts Centre seeks a self-motivated, organised and enthusiastic individual with a proven track record in community arts outreach work.

Working closely with the Crescent Management and staff this individual will design, develop, implement and monitor community arts activities within and across communities from and at the Crescent Arts Centre. These activities will be participative, non-prescriptive and community-led and will be designed to increase the participantsʼ personal development and self esteem. The role will also involve exploring funding mechanisms in association with the Marketing and Fundraising Officer.

Salary (Gross): £22,500 – £23,100 per annum

Applications

Application Pack PDF

Application Pack Word

To apply please download the relevant application pack or contact the centre at:

2-4 University Road, Belfast BT7 1NH
Tel: 028 9024 2338
Email: info@crescentarts.org

The Crescent Arts Centre is an Equal Opportunities Employer

Hear first-hand about their work and the sculpture, and take part in the collaborative artwork in the Crescent Arts Centre!

Limited spaces are available for the official launch at 2.30pm, but there are many other interesting activities taking place within the centre for everyone to enjoy from 3 – 7pm.

2.30pm - Official Launch with Marie-Louise Muir
Limited spaces available, please book here.

3pm & 4.30pm - Storytelling Workshop
with Victoria Gleason and Kathleen McGrath
Join explorer Beth Learner on a free ROBOTS>>>> story telling workshop! Be prepared for a magical journey of mythical adventures and tales that will take place in different locations around the Crescent Arts Centre.
8-11yrs  |  Free – limited spaces: please book here.

3.15pm to 7pm – Selected Exhibits

ROBOTS>>>> WORMWOOD @Skulduggery Exclusive preview for  show @ Skulduggery 24 September 2011.
Simon Mills Photography

Free activities and information: up-cycling, re-cycling, cycling re-cycling

• RAINSKIRTS See how it’s done: skirts made out of old tents
• Recycled China Cake Stand Demo
• Origami and Paper Decoration
• Belfast Puncture: upcycling bicycle parts: wallets, bags, belts made from tyres
• free bike check-up
• Instrument Making with the REALLY RUBBISH ORCHESTRA, 5.30pm Soundscapes in the Stairwell

And: Your chance to get creatively involved and contribute to a collaborative artwork celebrating the sculpture – the ROBOT WALL!