Laughing Matters, Comedy Festival for Children

Everyone likes to laugh; this is why Big Telly decided to create a Comedy Festival for Children called Laughing Matters, a celebration of our love of laughing, giggling and chortling. From Tuesday 4th April to Friday 7th April the Nursery School through to Primary 7 pupils of Millstrand Integrated Primary School, Portrush and Damhead Primary School, Coleraine have joined forces for a week-long series of comedy-based workshops with the great Dr Palfi Consultant Laughologist, The Astounding Grundy Brothers and Janice Phayne, stand up comedian for children. Each class will spend a day learning circus skills, physical comedy and stand up comedy. The workshops have been designed to encourage the pupil's creativity, broaden their self-perception and further their expressive skills. This is a great opportunity for both schools to work together to develop their existing relationship and share their laughter.

The finale of the Festival will be a street-theatre event taking place in Coleraine Town Centre on Saturday 8th April from 2pm to 4pm called National No Smiling Day. Dr Palfi Consultant Laughologist, The Astounding Grundy Brothers and Janice Phayne will be entertaining shoppers in Coleraine town centre while the pupils of Millstrand Integrated Primary School and Damhead Primary School schools will be protesting against the ridiculous amount of smiling going on in Coleraine. Members of their wider communities are invited to dress up and participate in this tongue-in-cheek street theatre event.

This project has been funded by the Integrated Education Fund through the PACT VI Grant Making Programme, "Promoting a Culture of Tolerance in Schools" and Coleraine Borough Council Community Relations Grant Scheme. Ulsterbus has kindly sponsored the project, the Ulsterbus Local District Manager said, "We are delighted to be supporting this initiative. Young People represent over a third of our passengers and play a key role in terms of future growth. This is a very worthy initiative which will instil a range of social development benefits. I would therefore like to wish this enthusiastic group of young people every success with this venture and would encourage people to travel to Coleraine Town Centre on Saturday to join in the fun!"