Free Festival Hub planned for Lismore Castle Towers and Tales Festival
A carnival atmosphere is planned for the first in-person Towers and Tales Festival since pre-pandemic as the organisers of the fun-filled children’s book festival will host a packed programme of events at Lismore Castle on Saturday, April 30th.
The Towers and Tales Festival Hub will bring the magic of the authors’ stories and illustrations to life through a range of activities and workshops designed to spark the imagination and create a day that reading enthusiasts will never forget.
This year the Festival Hub will allow festival-goers to Knock for a Story at the front porch of the castle, get a reading prescription from the Children’s Books Ireland Book Clinic, sketch and draw at The Inspiration Station with Lismore Castle Arts and participate in art workshops with Cork’s Glucksman Gallery. Visitors to the festival can also doodle on the walls of the castle’s creepiest place in the castle in Dungeon Doodle and Sketch and Stroll with illustrators Olivia Golden and Jennifer Farley around the magical Lismore Castle Gardens.
At the Childvision Camp, visitors can learn a new way of experiencing the world, take part in fun games where you can ‘crack the code’ using Braille, complete puzzles while in the total darkness of a blindfold and enjoy sensory stories that will ignite the imagination. There will also be Pop Up Poetry for Lil’ Peeps, a new multi-platform project presented by Branar (Theatre Company for Young Audiences) for children aged 6 and under.
On the castle grounds, there will be Pop Up Chapters which will see festival-goers surprised and thrilled as they stroll around the Castle Gardens where dramatic readings of some favourite books pop up from behind the garden walls and appear around corners. Plus there will be a Super Star Circus Show and Disco hosted by Cork Circus Factory and after all of that excitement, there will also be a rest and relaxation room for little ones who need some time to chill.
Visitors can also enjoy a Book Swap with Waterford Library services whereby they can bring along one of their own books and swap it for a new one and free library membership will be on offer all day. There will be food stalls and much, much more!
The annual festival is back at Lismore Castle this year with events on offer to the public on Saturday, April 30th including workshops, readings and more with some of Ireland’s top children’s authors and illustrators. Joining this year’s festival is Dapo Adeola who rocketed into the picture book world with his greatly acclaimed illustrator debut, Look Up!, written by Nathan Bryon (Puffin, 2019); Oein DeBhairduin, the award-winning author of Why the Moon Travels (illustrated by Leanne McDonagh); former record-breaking athlete Olivia Hope with the author of soon-tobe-published picturebook Be Wild, Little One (illustrated by Daniel Egnéus).
This year the festival team are also delighted to welcome David King, author of the picturebook, A Hug For You, illustrated by Rhiannon Archard and inspired by his son Adam, who will join him for the event. The festival will also feature the work of Áine Ní Ghlinn, Laureate na nÓg/the Children’s Literature Laureate, a prolific children’s writer, poet and scriptwriter who has written thirty-five books, including poetry collections, picture books, novels for children and teenagers; also joining the festival is Nadia Shireen award-winning author/ illustrator of Barbara Throws a Wobbler and Welcome to Grimwood, an official World Book Day book; and Sarah Webb, winner of two Irish Book Awards whose latest book is ‘The Little Bee Charmer’ of Henrietta Street (illustrated by Rachel Corcoran).
The Towers and Tales Festival is supported by The Arts Council, Waterford City and County Council and Visit Waterford. Further details and tickets for the 2022 festival are now available at www.towersandtalesfestival.ie/