With everything from yoga and meditation to robotics and science workshops, there is plenty to do at the Kaleidoscope Music and Arts Festival 2023 - for kids and grown-ups alike.
Ireland’s leading family-focused festival will take place at Russborough House, Co Wicklow, from 30 June – 2 July 2023, with organisers promoting a weekend of music, movement, and science.
Irish international rugby player and dad of three Johnny Sexton took some time out of his World Cup prep to chat with Kaleidoscope reporters Roxy Chaney (10) and Jasmine Hegarty (8). Watch it below.
"I’d have loved if this festival was around when I was a child. It’s such a great way to kick off the school summer holidays and keep the kids occupied morning to night so I am really delighted to get behind it!" said Johnny.
As well as a stellar lineup including Nile Rodgers & Chic, B*Witched, Gavin James, Fun Lovin’ Criminals, Newton Faulkner, Róisín O, King Kong Company, Cairde, Jerry Fish, and the ever-popular Dublin Gospel Choir, Co. Wicklow will play host to all sorts of entertainers.
There will be robotics workshops, excavations sites, mindfulness classes, movie-sing-alongs, a Disney disco, a viral-worthy dance challenge, acting, improv, and spoken word workshops, family runs, meditation, Tai Chi, and a whizzing and whirring science demo from Mark the Science Guy.
We caught up with the Let's Find Out presenter to find out what he will have on offer this summer.
"I want to bring science to as many people as possible in as many ways as possible," says Mark. "My aim is to bring these really fun and positive kind of experiences to different audiences.
"I'm really trying to make sure that young people learn that science is your superpower. The world is crazy, it's increasingly scientific and it's rapidly changing. There are new things popping up every week in science and tech, so young people need to be able to figure out what's going on and then figure out how to achieve their own goals.
"I want to show kids that if you learn more about yourself and the world, it makes you much more likely to live the life you want to live and achieve your dreams."
Following performances at BT Science Week and Science Blast along with a long line of science festivals, Mark will bring his interactive workshop to Kaleidoscope under the theme of 'super heroes'.
"It's going to be outrageous and hilarious fun," he promises. "It's about creating really memorable experiences for families. For science to be on a main stage at a festival is wonderful, so I'm going to make sure it's a memorable experience.
"We're not only going to do some levitations, teleportations and mind-boggling experimentations, there's big visual stuff that people can get involved with. I'll be bringing people up on stage and just having fun with the wonders of science."
With an interest in climate change and sustainability, Mark also hopes to inspire families to spend some time thinking about how they can help the environment and speak about it in a positive way.
"We want to inspire them rather than demotivate them," he explains. "We've never in the history of humans existing on the whole planet had a time where one individual person can make such a difference. You have the ability through various mediums like social media to share an idea. One person with one idea can change their whole life, their family, the whole world. There's never been a better time in history for the individual to make a change.
"You can make a positive change or a negative change so it's your choice what team you want to be on; that's a power that totally lies with you."
