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Wires, Strings & Other Things 5 Feb - 3 Apr 2022

Meet Ed, Andreea and James, three totally different people with one thing in common – they are crazy about music and sound.

The Ark and Music Network present a new music show for ages 6+ composed by Brian Irvine and directed by Wouter Van Looy.

Ed can usually be found in a corner, building unusual electronic instruments, tinkering with his own world of sound. Andreea plays the viola beautifully and reads complicated sheets of music as if they were fairy tales. And James? Well, James wanders a labyrinth of sound like an explorer, connecting and disrupting with his bass clarinet as he goes.

Anything can happen as they find each other and start to invent music together. What stories will they share when, with your help, they explore the magic and mystery of how to compose, perform and improvise?

Wires, Strings & Other Things is a music performance that encourages you to always be curious. To listen, respond to, and communicate through the sounds, music and stories that are all around you – wherever you are and whoever you are with.

Take a look at the trailer...

We're taking the show out on tour across Ireland!

Find out where you can see Wires, Strings & Other Things near you by clicking here.

Relaxed Performances

There will be relaxed performances of Wires, Strings & Other Things on Sat 2 April @ 4pm. Relaxed performances are aimed at families or school groups with children who are on the autism spectrum or those who have sensory sensitivities and will be tailored for the comfort of your child. The sound will be at a lower volume and the lights will be dimmed rather than completely dark, we will warn you of any loud noises and we will have a special chill-out area where your child can relax.

A relaxed performance information pack, with photographs and a synopsis of the play which may assist your child to prepare for the performance is available via the link below.

For further information please contact The Ark on (01) 670 7788 or boxoffice@ark.ie.

Curricular Links

Perfect for all primary school classes, Wires, Strings and Other Things links in with the Listening and Responding strand units of the Music curriculum. It fosters a sense of excellence in and appreciation of new music. Through storytelling and composing, this show encourages an awareness and sensitivity to the inter-related elements of music and musical understanding. Experiencing this live music performance means children will see and hear outstanding musicians performing brand new music on a range of instruments including the viola, bass clarinet and improvised musical instruments made from a variety of objects.

A free downloadable classroom pack is available in both English and as Gaeilge which provides a range of accessible music activities and creative approaches connected to the theme and songs of the show. The activities will encourage music-making projects in the classroom and support imaginative music responses to the performance which are relevant to the composing and performing music curriculum strands.

BIG BANG web icon 2022

About BIG BANG Dublin!

Ireland's only international music festival for young audiences returns for what promises to be the biggest bang yet! An adventurous celebration of music of all kinds, BIG BANG Dublin! encourages curiosity and musical discovery with outstanding music performances and intriguing installations from Ireland and abroad. Fri 1st to Sun 3rd April. See the full festival programme here.

BIG BANG Dublin! is presented by The Ark in collaboration with Zonzo Compagnie with the support of the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union. BIG BANG Festival is a format developed and owned by Zonzo Compagnie.