Children's Express members review events at Belfast's Young at Art festival.
| The Javanese Anklung is a difficult instrument to describe... |
Bamboozled
The Palm House in Botanic Gardens was a perfect venue to learn how to play the mysterious Javanese Anklung.
Musician Nico Brown started off the musical workshop, Bamboozled, with some fun warm up games. The atmosphere was relaxed and friendly, even adults joined in. There was even room for a budding young conductor to show off his skills!
The Anklung is a difficult instrument to describe. But one thing is for sure, no musical skill is needed to play it. The hollowed out bamboo canes, all of different lengths are struck or tapped by hand. This produces an eerie, haunting sound.
Inside the Palm House, amid the lush green vegetation, young people practised for thirty minutes before treating passers-by to an awesome Anklung orchestral performance, accompanied by an accordion and double bass.
Bamboozled was a perfect treat for everybody, even those who think they have no musical skills. It is possibly more suited to a younger age group rather than teenagers. Willingness to join in and experiment and being prepared to have a lot of fun are vital to get the most out of this unusual experience.
A Time For Magic
The old museum arts centre was a cosy setting for the premiere performance of Canadian director Robert Morgan's A Time for Magic.
The audience were made to feel like old friends who had been invited into a mystical land courtesy of the Magicians and Bromians. Narrators gently guided onlookers through the unfolding drama that was going to unite people of two different cultures to face a common enemy, before peace could be restored to the land.
Set against a simple, shimmering backdrop, the epic tale came to life through story telling and acting. Three local actors played several characters. Each character had a particular type of clothing, a belt, a scarf, or coloured cloak, which introduced the audience to them.
The play, a timely performance for any nation embarking on the path of peace, could be enjoyed by all ages, although very young children should be accompanied by an adult, because some of the scarier scenes may be a little too frightening.
The actors' first rate performances and the Director's attention to detail and special effects made the play a memorable success.The unseen baby crying softly off stage, the huge, hooded shadow looming in the background and the girl who appeared as if by magic from the Temple of Magic, took the spellbound audience further into the fantasy world.
A Time for Magic is a rewrite of The Book of Miracles, an earlier stage play co-authored by Robert Morgan. The script was reworked and produced especially for the Young at Art festival.
About the team
Bamboozled review produced by Amanda McAteer, Clare McKeown and Jonathan Hobson, age 12, and Michael Hinds, age 11.
A Time for Magic review was produced by Joanna Bingham, 15, Mary Slane, 13, and Sharon Armstrong and Ciara Leathem, age 12. They appeared in the Young Review at Young at Art.
