A new festival, celebrating the opening of a new visitor centre in Titanic Quarter, has been announced for the Easter weekend.
The Dockside Festival, which will coincide with the opening of the new visitor centre at MS Caroline, will take place at Alexandra Dock & Wharf.
The family friendly event will run from March 27 to April 20 will give visitors a first look at the newly restored Pump House – adjacent to HMS Caroline – which houses fresh exhibition spaces to complement the experience aboard ship.
Coinciding with the Easter holidays, children can enjoy activity trails, arts and crafts, film screenings, educational family events and an exciting chance to handle replica objects and artefacts on board the ship.
The Festival will also celebrate the completion of Alexandra Dock & Wharf, now comprising the Pump House visitor centre and HMS Caroline, which are connected by a 25-metre steel and timber footbridge installed across the mouth of Alexandra Dock. The bridge, and a newly installed gangway welcoming visitors onto the vessel, further improves access to what is one of the UK’s most accessible historic ships.
Jamie Wilson, General Manager at HMS Caroline, said: “We’re very pleased to be able to host the Dockside Festival, which promises to have something for everyone and for all ages.
“Our new Pump House visitor centre adds to what is already truly a captivating and enjoyable day of maritime adventure.”
Family events during the festival will also have nautical themed activities for everyone to try their hand at, including trails with Blucher the Bunny, one of the ship’s mascots.
Activities throughout the Easter Weekend (March 30 – April 3) include: make your own pom-pom bunny with Woolly Workshops, create a Blucher the Rabbit headdress with artist Bobbi Purdy as well as Punch and Judy shows. Visitors will also get the opportunity to listen to storytelling sessions by Captain the Puppet, and enjoy singing along to sea shanties with Sailor Dan.
Following the family fun over Easter, HMS Caroline’s Drill Hall will host movie fans at special screenings of classic ‘80s adventure, The Goonies (PG) on Friday 13 April and the 1978 comedy-horror, Piranha (18) on Friday 20 April.
The attraction will also welcome Dr Dónal McAnallen and Dr Eamon Phoenix for specially curated lectures as part of the Festival. The historians will discuss the impact of the First World War on Gaelic Sport in Belfast, Ulster and Ireland, and the political landscape of Northern Ireland in the period leading up to when HMS Caroline came to Belfast, respectively.
A unique museum and education facility, HMS Caroline is operated by The National Museum of the Royal Navy and is the world’s last remaining floating survivor from the Battle of Jutland in 1916. Moored in Belfast since 1924, over the past four years HMS Caroline has been fully restored and fitted out thanks to support from the Heritage Lottery Fund in Northern Ireland.
For more information go to www.nmrn.org.uk/dockside-festival-2018
Docklands Festival Highlights
Friday March 30 & Saturday March 31
Drop in and make your own Pom Pom Bunny with Woolly Workshops, and enjoy the fun at our Punch and Judy shows. Also, catch ‘Sailor Dan’ as he roams the ship singing sea shanties.
Sunday April 1 & Monday April 2
Make your own ‘Blucher the Bunny’ headdress with our crafts team, and enjoy a storytelling session with Captain the Puppet. Also, catch ‘Sailor Dan’ as he roams the ship singing sea shanties.
Tuesday April 3
Make your own ‘Blucher the Bunny’ headdress with our crafts team, and sit in for a storytelling session with Captain the Puppet.
Wednesday April 4, 6pm, HMS Caroline
Dr Donal McAnallen discusses the devastating impact of the First World War on Gaelic sport in mid-Ulster during this specially curated lecture on board the HMS Caroline.
Wednesday April 11, 6pm, HMS Caroline
Dr Eamonn Phoenix will bring his fascinating lecture on the political landscape of Northern Ireland in 1924, when HMS Caroline first docked in Belfast.
Friday April 13
Special screening of The Goonies (1985)
HMS Caroline Drill Hall at 7.30pm
Come along to a special screening of classics 80s adventure The Goonies. In order to save their home from foreclosure, a group of misfits set out to find a pirate’s ancient valuable treasure. Running time 1hr 54 min
Friday April 20
Special screening of Piranha (1978)
HMS Caroline Drill Hall at 7.30pm
As part of the Belfast Film Festival, HMS Caroline is hosting a special screening of 70s comedy/horror movie ‘Piranha’. When flesh-eating piranhas are accidentally released into a summer resort’s rivers, the guests become their next meal
. Running time 1h 34min.