Musical pony rides, workshops, art, and a spectacular laser show

A HIGHLY ambitious event takes place in Ballyfermot this week – featuring multiple moving parts, input from a wide range of groups and organisations, a public procession, musical pony rides and even an outdoor laser show.

Cherry Orchard Equine Centre present Capall, Curra Horse, on Friday, December 3, at 7pm.

The amount of work that has gone on over the last two months has been phenomenal with workshops held at different venues.

This includes work by nearly 50 children from fifth class in St Ultan’s, and also at Labre Park Travellers’ site (11 people), Cherry Orchard Integrated Youth Services (15 people), Cherry Orchard branch of the Irish Pony Club (16 riders aged 11 to 18), Direct Provision Centre Clondalkin (nine people), and Wheatfield Prison (around 15 men involved in the prison’s arts team).

For the men in Wheatfield, it was an opportunity for them to talk about horses they themselves had growing up, before they went inside.

“It is very ambitious – I don’t think there has been anything like this in the area before,” said Amanda McCoy, Youth Services Manager Cherry Orchard Equine Centre.

The fire ring

“It is hard to describe it, but I do believe it will be spectacular. The more I talk to the artists involved (LUXe Landscape Theatre Makers), the more I understand it.”

The project is centred on horses because they play an important role in the life of both the settled and the Traveller communities in the area.

Part of the event is indoors, including the musical horse, and other parts – including the laser show – are outdoors, beside a back wall which the equine centre shares with Wheatfield.

“Originally we were going to do this before lockdowns last year. Really, the work has been taking place over the last two months. All groups worked in pods. We operate in the centre to all Covid guidelines anyway,” said Amanda.

The workshops focused on filmmaking, art, the spoken word, and music, which will be used in the show.

Colm Keegan, a poet and spoken word artist, originally from Clondalkin, carried out a series of workshops with the children and is writing a special piece, featuring excerpts from youths.

Project funding has come from the Arts Council, with contributions from Dublin City Council (Dave O’Donovan, and BC Partnership (Douglas McClellan).

Amanda said attendance sadly has to be limited due to Covid restrictions, but there will be a procession in the local estate, which will allow more residents to enjoy a truly unique piece of work.