Cruinniú na nÓg 2024 launches

15/05/2024

Cruinniú na nÓg 2024 launches over 1,000 free creative activities for young people

• Creative Ireland launches Cruinniú na nÓg 2024 with the young rappers, circus performers and artists.
• Cruinniú na nÓg will be on Saturday 15th June 2024
• Programme includes events for children and young people across the island of Ireland
• A comprehensive programme of events for older teens will be held around the country, supported by the Late Night Economy Unit
• TG4 will host Amuigh 24 , an outdoor family festival of young creativity as Gaeilge, in the heart of Connemara.

Today at Fernhill House and Gardens, Dublin, Creative Ireland announced details of Cruinniú na nÓg 2024, a day of free creative activity for young people. This year Cruinniú na nÓg will take place on Saturday 15^th June and will feature more than 1000 free creative activities for children and young people throughout the island. The theme this year is Dare to Create and Creative Ireland is calling on all young people to get creative, try something new and show off their skills.

The launch event was marked by an energetic performance of the RAP Found my Spark led by GMC Beats ambassadors MC Tiny (15) and Lil’Sophia (11) with support from the young rappers of the Southside Traveller’s Action Group. Also at Fernhill was Taiguara Murphy Barbosa Pereira (13) and Charley-Rose Aston (13) ambassadors for Irish Street Arts, Circus and and Spectacle, Joe Ó Curraín (9) TG4 and RTÉ’s This is Art 2023 winners Zihan He (15) and Maimoonah Syed (7). 

To find a listing for Cruinniú na nÓg event near you please click here

Cruinniú na Óg 2024 will host hundreds of free creative events for young people, including an aerial arts programme for deaf youth in Dublin, all the craic agus ceol of a Rambling House performance in County Clare, an Eras dance party in Waterford, a Battle of the Bands in Cloughjordan, Tipperary, pottery classes in Leitrim, family art exchanges between Mayo and Armagh, heritage stone mason and gilding classes in Offaly and so much more.

For the first time, the programme will include a series of late night events for young people. Cruinniú Late includes a play created and performed within 24 hours in the crypt of the Waterford Museum, a Rocky Horror Picture Show screening and dance off in Limerick, silent discos in Dun Laoghaire and Offaly, and an open mic night at the comedy club in South Dublin.

As part of the Shared Island-dimension of the Creative Ireland Programme, events are scheduled which will bring communities together across the island. These include a Deep Dive Game Jam where young people from Wexford and Belfast will join together to explore the shared environmental issues, Convergence will explore the importance of cultural connection, diversity and pride of place in Derry and Tallaght and there will be twinning events between youth centres in Belfast and Dublin.

Cruinniú na nÓg 2024 is a collaboration between the Creative Ireland Programme, the 31 local authorities in Ireland and RTÉ.

Announcing Cruinniú na nÓg 2024, Minister Martin said:

“This year Cruinniú na Óg is everywhere, and all at once! I am delighted that we have been able to launch Cruinniú Late this year which is in direct response to requests from young people to provide authentic, alcohol-free spaces in which young people can perform.

With this mind, I want to congratulate our partners in the local authorities who devised over 31 great events for 14-18 year olds.

Also, I’m delighted that Cruinniú na nÓg will feature events across the four corners of the island building on the inaugural all-island programming in 2023. In the spirit of the Shared Island initiative, we continue to promote cross-community creative opportunities for children young people to engage in creative activities while building new relationships and bringing communities together”

The Creative Ireland Programme and its strategic partners have developed a number of creative projects, all planned to go live on Saturday 15 June 2024.

These include

Irish Street Arts, Circus and Spectacle Network (ISACS) will host 16 events around the country for young people who want to try their hand at circus skills and street spectacle.

• Rhyme Island – This year, Creative Ireland is teaming up with GMC Beats to get every young person in Ireland rapping. In preparation, the Rhyme Island team have been travelling the length and breadth of the country holding a series of online and in-person workshops, which will culminate in a massive day of rap back at the GMC Beats headquarters in Knocknaheeney, Cork.
• TG4 will host Amuigh 24 in the grounds of their Connemara studio in Baile na hAbhann, County Galway with support from the Gaeltacht division of the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media. This day long festival will feature bands, graffiti painting, d-jing workshops, Children’s Books Ireland, crafting and so much more, with young people from every Gaeltacht region in the country participating.
• This is Art 2024 – The theme for Creative Ireland and RTÉ’s wonderful art competition for young people will be announced on the day of Cruinniú na Óg and the competition will be open from September for entries.

RTÉ is supporting Cruinniú na nÓg with a nationwide campaign on television, radio, online and digital. For a full listing of all activities and information on how to join in for Cruinniú na nÓg – please go to https://cruinniu.creativeireland.gov.ie  and www.rte.ie