NAVIGATOR Artist in Residence Sorcha McCague announced for Courthouse Arts Tinahely
19 Oct 2024
Fun Size Jazz at Cruinniú na nÓg
Following on from ‘Fun Size Jazz!’, IMC’s collaboration with The Ark Children’s Cultural centre in 2018, two Fun Size Jazz acts return to perform at Cruinniu na nOg this June.
Fun Size Jazz is a musicians’ development programme devised and curated by Improvised Music Company and The Ark, which supports jazz and improvising musicians to develop skills and experience in performing for young audiences. It’s first iteration, in 2018, resulted in a number of successful and engaging shows, giving children their first experience of improvisation and communicating through music.
String Play
String Play, which performed a number of sold-out shows in The Ark this February, was devised as a musical journey through an ordinary day in which three friends converse, argue, travel, play and interact using only their instruments. Percussionist Matthew Jacobson said of the project ‘opportunities such as this – where we can show the children the fundamentally communicative and expressive nature of music – are vitally important.’
For this occasion, String Play expands its horizons and is working with Tallaght Strings to develop new material which the students and the String Play musicians will perform together, giving these young musicians their first taste of improvising.
String Play with Tallaght Strings will have a workshop and performance at Scoil Aoife CNS, Citywest on the 15th of June.
The Smashing Red Kite's Blues
The Smashing Red Kite’s Blues was also developed during Fun Size Jazz in 2018. It uses the children’s story ‘The Smashing Red Kite’ by Ann Lorraine Mack to bring the blues to life. The music follows the red kite as he leaves the toy shop for a life of adventure.
The Smashing Red Kite’s Blues will be performed for the children of St. Thomas Junior National School, Jobstown on the 14th of June.
IMC are delighted to have played a role in bringing new and engaging experiences like this to young audiences around Dublin. Stay tuned for further adventures in Fun Size Jazz coming up in 2019 and 2020!
