THE WONDERISM FESTIVAL Announced At Cork Opera House, March 30

The Wonderism Festival is curated by The Canaille Collective, a group of producers emerging from the MA in Arts Management and Creative Producing at University College Cork in partnership with Cork Opera House. Taking place at Cork Opera House, on Thursday March 30th 2023, this one-day festival celebrates the theme of 'Childlike Wonder' and comprises an array of multidisciplinary experiences for everyone.

The festival title, Wonderism, is an imagined word which represents a nugget of joy and creativity that is intended to spark a feeling of childlike wonder. The name, The Canaille Collective, refers to the French work 'Canaille', meaning 'Scoundrel', to suggest a child's playfulness. The festival programming is aimed towards offering opportunities to local artists whilst inspiring audiences' creativity.

Three main strands of arts events include Music, Storytelling and Visual Art. The finale concert, A Wondrous Life, interprets the festival theme of Childlike Wonder from a nostalgic angle to evoke the emotions of one's journey in life. The storytelling programme, Behind the Curtain, hopes to share diverse stories in the light of the magic and wonder of childhood in an intimate and unconventional location in the Cork Opera House. Art(y) Part(y) adopts the idea of an immersive art installation experience to transform the foyer of Cork Opera House.

Featured Events

Music A Wondrous Life | Main Stage, Cork Opera House

7.30pm | Ticketed €5 / €10 | Age 5+

In the course of our lives, we encounter countless unique emotions, many of which escape language. Experience moments of loneliness, happiness, contemplation and love through the fusion of live music and stunning visuals. A one-hour music concert enriched by moving animations on the big screen, this short cinematic experience centres around evoking the emotions of one's journey in life. Under the baton of Doireann Kelly, the concert features works by animator Ann Upton paired with classical music performed by an ensemble of Cork musicians. This heartwarming concert aims to be a treat for the senses at The Wonderism Festival and hopes to evoke individual experiences for each member of the audience.

Art(y) Part(y) | Foyer, Cork Opera House

ALL DAY FREE - All Ages Unleash your curiosity by setting foot into the magically transformed foyer of the Cork Opera House and witness an explosion of imaginative creativity by Cork artists. Art(y) Part(y) is an immersive visual arts installation that brings together the work of both local and regional emerging artists and children from Cork primary schools to present a colourful, collaborative celebration of childhood and wonder. This event will exhibit artworks from the students of four Cork City primary schools, chosen based on their geographical proximity to Cork Opera House and located North, East, South and West of the River Lee. Their art will be exhibited alongside the work of local emerging artists.

Storytelling Behind The Curtain | Backstage, Cork Opera House

2:30pm - 5:30pm | Ticketed €3 / €5 | Age 5+

Relish in the magic and wonder of childhood set in an exclusive and behind-the-scenes location. Hosted behind-the-scenes in the dressing rooms of Cork Opera House, these bitesize storytelling performances capture stories with themes of fantasy, magic, dreams, and memories. Performed as monologues, this three-part event is staged in the dressing rooms, magically transformed by a local artist. Each part of this three-part event is 15 minutes in duration and runs from 2.30pm-5.30pm on Thursday March 30th 2023 at Cork Opera House. This storytelling experience is for those growing up and for grown-ups too!

The Canaille Collective is an international group of producers emerging from the MA in Arts Management and Creative Producing at University College Cork. Our aim is to produce multidisciplinary experiences that offer opportunities to local artists while inspiring audiences' creativity. We value artistic expression and creativity in all forms.

 

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