Exhibition: Beautiful Beasts at The Ark

Visit the weird and wonderful collection of animal sculptures at The Beautiful Beasts exhibition. Amongst the quirky, lovable animals you will find a flying horse, a tortoise with a secret story and a toucan in disguise!

Created by leading Irish and international artists from materials ranging from bronze, woods, ceramics, steel and stone. The Beautiful Beasts exhibition is made up of some of The Ark’s favourite pieces from its collection which spans its 29 years of commissioning professional artists to create work for children.Having viewed the sculptures in the gallery, children and their families are also invited to spend some time at our creative stations in the Long Room response area to create their own animal-themed artworks. This exhibition will include a response area for children to create their own artworks inspired by their visit, as well as workshops for school groups.

Schools
School groups participating in the Summer Programme are very welcome. However to help us manage capacity in the space, we would ask these groups to contact boxoffice@ark.ie to give advanced notice of their visit.

Touch Tours and Audio Description

As part of Cruinniú na nÓg at The Ark this year, the Ark are delighted to welcome Bríd Ní Ghruagáin back to deliver tailored audio description and touch tours of The Beautiful Beasts designed for children aged 4-12 with additional sensory needs or access requirements on the 15 June.

There will also be touch tours available on Sat 27 July. To register for the touch tour, please email boxoffice@ark.ie by 5pm on Monday 15 July.Touch tours are for children who have a visual impairment or those with additional sensory needs or access requirements who would benefit from a more supported, relaxed experience. Touch tours give children the opportunity to experience and familiarise themselves with the exhibition in a way that suits them. Touch tours run for 25-30 minutes.