News

2013 Recap

Welcome to our new Website!

If you knew us before clicking here: sorry for disappearing for a while, as we were setting this up.

If you are discovering Oulala Productions and this is your first time, well don’t worry as we are going to give you a quick re-cap of what happened in 2013.

Storyteller dressed as the March Hare

March Hare at Oldbridge House – Photo by Mark Cheevers

Storytelling

Charlie Stinky Socks, The Pigeon Who Wanted to Drive the Bus, Neil Gaiman’s Crazy Hair, Aliens and the pant-tastic Christmas and a lot more were on the menu for a feast of stories, laughter, spooks and poetry. We were a bunny in Ashbourne Library for “Menagerie Mayhem”, organised by Meath County Council Arts Office.  We were the March Hare in Oldbrige House for the Battle of The Boyne fun day out, organised by the OPW. There again at Halloween, as a not-too-scary witch. That same Witch was back in Ashbourne for the Arts Office “Pucas & Potions”. Finally, we closed the book in Kilkenny Castle, as a Christmas Elf for the free festive days organised also by the OPW.

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Video

Our cameras were firmly pointed on Meath last year! We documented the “Volunteering MATters” project and its launch in Navan.  Organised by Meath Volunteer Centre’s exhibition, the month of arts workshops, conducted by local artist Mark Smith with community groups from the area, resulted in colourful painted mats displayed all over town.

Photo of a young man holding paint

Volunteering MATters – Photo by CallMarta Photo

We had great fun working with the Blackfriary team of Archaeologists to create a quirky walk through the Trim dig for the International Day of Archaeology.  Was it magic or did that Friar really bend the space-time continuum?? You can watch it below.



Festivals

Our biggest project last year was with no doubt “Project Swift”: a dream come true as we were approached by Paddy Smith, a board member of the Swift Satire Festival, to create and produce a spectacular display on the Castle for the last night of the Festival. Discovering video mapping, we worked for the first time with the brilliantly talented Lightscape Ireland, paying homage to the work and life of Jonathan Swift. You can see it below.

 

Young boy dressed in 1916 fashion

Liam Hanley in “Rising After All”

We were delighted to be back in Dunshaughlin for a third year at the heart of the town, in the courthouse for the Harvest Festival. This time, we steered from the court-room antics to explore the events of the 1916 rising, but seen through the eyes of local characters. Our play “Rising after all” saw many returning talent, but also new young recruits who braved the butterflies to do justice to the story… and their History!

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Workshops

It was all Arts & Crafts in 2013! Plenty of paint and colour for Trim Family Resource Centre… we made 2 big murals with the teens and children of the council estate: one for the launch of the Youth programme and one for Social Inclusion Week. We also provided a fun and relaxed painting workshop for the Women’s Development Programme with 15 very talented ladies.

Young girl painting a mural

Mural for Trim Family Resource Centre

Finally, we packed our glue, glitter, pompoms and magic dust to create mini Christmas trees, Angels and beautiful lanterns with children in Kilkenny castle.

It is nice to look back at all these projects and the variety of people involved. We hope to continue as we started: meeting new talent, engaging with local groups, filming, creating, laughing, making… and hopefully you will join us too!