Young at Art

Established in 1998 as the creator of the region’s first international arts festival for children and young people, Young at Art has grown to deliver a year-round programme of activity that encourages children and young people under 18 to enjoy the arts. It is home to the annual Belfast Children's Festival, Young at Art Events and Fighting Words Belfast creative writing centre.  

Young at Art creates and curates exceptional arts experiences for children and young people, and the adults in their lives throughout the year. It connects children and young people to creative pathways that open up a world of possibilities for them. It provides arts engagement programmes and activities for schools, community groups and families carefully designed to unlock creativity and it is proud to lead the way as a catalyst for creative approaches to continuing professional development training for arts practitioners, teachers and other professionals who work with children and young people.

The Belfast Children’s Festival is now, in terms of footfall, the largest on the island of Ireland and one of the largest in the UK.  The 21^st edition takes place Friday 8 to Wednesday 13 March 2019. Watch the highlights here. 

The dates have been released for the next two years, so you can add them to your diary now:

• Friday 6 to Wednesday  11 March 2020


• Friday 5 to  Wednesday 10 March 2021

Visit the website to find out more about the schools and community engagement programmes, free creative writing workshop with Fighting Words Belfast, professional training, and hiring the events agency for your event. You can also check out the latest What’s On to find out what family events are happening throughout the year across Northern Ireland.

Young at Art believes passionately that every child should have the right to access exciting and original creative experiences, regardless of who they are or where they come from.