Armagh Observatory and Armagh Rhymers
OASES Out-of-this-World Experience at the Planetarium

One of the drawings produced as part of the OASES project, by Catherine (11) and Neasa (10) from Scoil Mhuire, Clontibret and Eimear (9) from Darkley Primary School

As part of this year's Science Week, children who took part in the OASES project this autumn will come together at the Armagh Planetarium on Friday 12 November for a great fun day filled with exciting astronomy activities. OASES (Over us All is the SElfsame Sky) is an innovative programme in which the Armagh Rhymers and the Armagh Observatory are advancing cross-community and cross-border networking by bringing science and the arts to the classroom. This project is partly funded through the European Union's PEACE III Small Grants Programme, promoted by Armagh City and District Council and managed by the PEACE III Southern Cluster Partnership for the Special EU Programmes Body.

The 170 children from eight schools in counties Armagh and Monaghan that were involved in this innovative project in the autumn should be prepared for an out-of-this-world experience. The visit will contain a planetarium show, a discovery visit through the planetarium's exhibition area, a very special mathemagical presentation, professional story telling, mini-science quizzes, prizes for the winners of the OASES poem challenge and, most importantly, their own performance of astronomy-inspired songs and dances learned during the course of the project. All these activities will be spiced-up with traditional music by the highly acclaimed Armagh Rhymers. The Planetarium will also host an exhibition of the amazing astro-art paintings that were produced during the project's workshops.

"This has been an awesome experience for everyone involved in this highly interdisciplinary project", said Dr Miruna Popescu from Armagh Observatory that together with Dara Valley from the Armagh Rhymers were the leaders of the project. "Dara always has visionary ideas. This project is so rich in content! Children not only learned about The World Around Us and the place of our planet in space, but also about Personal Development And Mutual Understanding as they work in teams and met students from other schools. They created Art in the drama, astro-art and astro-music workshops, as well as learning Numeracy and Literacy, all in a fun and entertaining way."

This event is registered as part of the Science Week, an annual event in the Republic of Ireland that aims to promote the relevance of science, engineering and technology in our everyday lives. Discover Science and Engineering (DSE) has kindly agreed to support the entrance fees for the planetarium as partnership for activities during Science Week aimed at schools in the border region.

The OASES project is part-funded through the EU's PEACE III Programme managed by the Special EU Programmes Body. The Armagh Rhymers Educational and Cultural Organisation is supported by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland. The Armagh Observatory is an astronomical research institute with a rich heritage, supported by the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: Miruna Popescu or Mark Bailey at the Armagh Observatory, College Hill, Armagh, BT61 9DG; Tel: 028-3752-2928; mdparm.ac.uk and mebarm.ac.uk

Last Revised: 2010 November 9th