Colin unveils exciting Creativity Month

The month-long community arts festival has been organised by award-winning community organisation, Colin Neighbourhood Partnership (CNP), in conjunction with the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure (DCAL).

A wide range of creative activities, events and workshops will be on offer, suitable for all ages and all abilities. Film, music, art, sport, history, photography, crafts, and creative technologies all feature in the vibrant programme which was launched today.

Classic and modern film buffs will be excited to hear of the arrival of the Cinemobile, Ireland’s only mobile cinema, which will be based at the Colin Community Hub on the Stewartstown Road. The Cinemobile transforms itself from a truck into a 100 seat comfortable mobile cinema and from today (Friday) until Sunday, March 22 movies shown will include ‘The Goonies’, ‘The Quiet Man’, ‘The Hunger Games’ and even a ‘Frozen’ sing-along. For those interested in the smaller screen, a special ‘Game of Throne’s tour has been organised for Friday March 27. Here, you can visit the wonderful landscapes involved in producing this popular TV show.

There are plenty of highlights for kids and families including science workshops, stargazing nights, and digital art workshops on board the Wheelworks Art Cart. A firm family favourite in the calendar is a free Creativity Day in the Dairy Farm Shopping Centre, Belfast, on Monday, March 16, 1-4pm. Here, there will be a variety of creative performances and workshops on offer from around the world including Chinese fan dancing, drumming circles and Bollywood dance. There will also be international arts and crafts stations as well as cooking demonstrations and storytelling, perfect for an afternoon when the kids will be off school for St Patrick’s Day.

Not forgetting those adults who like a bit of creativity, a number of heritage crafts are lined up. There will be pottery classes every Monday evening in March and basket making classes on Thursday evenings, both at the Colin Allotments on the outskirts of Poleglass. There is also a free trip to see the Ulster Orchestra perform in the Ulster Hall on March 13 and, exclusively for the older residents of Colin, a number of day trips have been organised especially for seniors.

Organiser, John Paul Russell from Colin Neighbourhood Partnership, said at the launch: “We are following on from the success of our first ever Creativity Month in Colin programme and this year we have more than double the amount of events on offer! The programme really does have something for everyone, for example, for the very young we have Jo Jingles bringing an exciting sound and music experience for babies. And then, exclusively for the older residents of Colin, we have organised a senior’s trip to the Ulster American Folk Park on Wednesday, March 11. This programme is jam packed with events designed to spark and inspire interest in a wide variety of creative activities, so take a look on CNP’s website www.newcolin.com for information on all events. Some events require booking so be sure to call us on 028 9062 3813 to ensure that you don’t miss out.”