Projects
Digital Playground
Branar is committed to reaching its audience, wherever they are. As a result of the Covid-19 public health crisis, the company has recently developed a bespoke digital strand of work and looks forward to continuing to develop its practice in this area.
Pop-up Poetry
for Lil’ Peeps
Summary
Tales of teddies, moments of magic, comforting cuddles and worlds of wonder are celebrated in an exciting new collection of poems and nursery rhymes for young children.
Pop Up Poetry for Lil’ Peeps is a new multi-platform project presented by Branar for children of all ages up to 6 years. Irish writers and artists Inni-k, Mary Murphy, Tadhg Mac Dhonnagáin and Liz Weir have created new poems and nursery rhymes in Irish and English for this unique project. Audiences can enjoy this work online through vivid audio recordings and new animations by artist Maeve Clancy.
Originally commissioned by the Galway County Council, Creative Ireland Programme led by the Arts Office in partnership with Galway City Council and Roscommon County Council’s Creative Ireland programmes, in association with Children's Books Ireland and Poetry Ireland.
Age: Early Years (Up to 6 years)
Creating Pop-Up Poetry
The idea for Pop up Poetry for Lil’ Peeps emerged from our own experience of reading, singing & reciting nursery rhymes with the little citizens in our lives. The musicality, rhyme and rhythm of nursery & nonsense rhymes and poetry has a significant impact on very young children, helping to boost children’s language development. Children relish the opportunity for shared connection with parent, grandparent and/or caregiver to play, have fun and be silly with language, which in itself promotes the confidence within the child. While there is the canon of old familiars available, we found that there is little original work published by writers and poets based in Ireland specifically for children aged up to 6.
Branar set upon developing Pop up Poetry for Lil’ Peeps, a performance led poetry project that would commission new work from writers based in Ireland. We met with Jane O’Hanlon from Poetry and Elaina Ryan of Children’s Books Ireland, who introduced us to a number of wonderful writers and artists from throughout Ireland. In May and August 2019 we facilitated 2 workshops with writers and performers exploring the world of rhymes and poetry for the lil’ peeps. 4 writers, Eithne Ní Chatháin, Mary Murphy, Tadhg Mac Dhonnagáin and Liz Weir, were commissioned in February this year, delivering their wonderful work in April.
The ongoing lockdown due to Covid 19 means that the intended live performances have, for the time being, been reimagined into to vivid audio recordings of the new poems performed by Helen Gregg, Eithne Ní Chatháin, Conor Geoghan and Zita Monahan McGowan. Artist and Branar collaborator Maeve Clancy has created original animations in response to 8 of the poems.
Fuaimrian
Summary
Fuaimrian is a dedicated digital arts programme for early years children from birth to 7. The objective of the project is to expand and develop the variety and quality of audio & digital arts available to children in Ireland.
Sonic Postcards
If you listen very closely what can you hear?
The wind rustling in the trees, maybe waves lapping on the seashore, or perhaps a lone blackbird calling in the garden? As very young children find and discover the world through all of their senses, the landscape of sounds shapes their connection to it.
Sound designer Adrian Ferry from All Go Audio is working with the Branar team to create a series of Sonic Postcards that feature found sounds from nature. These aural snapshots offer children the opportunity to be transported into nature wherever they may be, at home, in the car, or snuggling up before bed. Commissioned by the Festival of Curiosity.
Sonic Postcards