Belfast Harbour Gives Schools a Passport To The Mac
Over 2,500 school children will visit the MAC’s Christmas production of Hansel & Gretel this year thanks to support from Belfast Harbour.
The Harbour is sponsoring the ‘Passport to the MAC’ programme which provides schools with a £350 bursary towards travel costs.
The programme will help 20 local schools enjoy a trip to the theatre which they otherwise couldn’t afford.
Jenni Barkley, Communications and Corporate Responsibility Manager at Belfast Harbour, said:
“Giving children the experience of live theatre at Christmas is a great initiative. The arts are an integral part of the school curriculum and their educational benefits are well documented.
“By helping schools overcome the financial costs of travelling to the MAC we can give 2,500 pupils an educational and fun day out which will hopefully inspire their interest in the wider arts.”
Anne McReynolds, Chief Executive at the MAC, added:
“The MAC introduced ‘Passport to the MAC’ to help teachers and schools overcome the financial pressures which prevent them from bringing pupils to venues like ours.
“The arts are incredibly enriching for children and it’s fantastic that businesses such as Belfast Harbour are helping us give that experience to as many children as possible.”
The MAC’s Christmas show for 2017 is a heart-warming adaptation of Hansel & Gretel sponsored by Phoenix Natural Gas and produced by the MAC. The show includes big songs, an evil witch and an all-important candy trail. Thanks to ‘Passport to the MAC’ there will also be two ‘relaxed performances’ for Special Education Needs schools.
