What’s on in the Arts

Wednesday 3rd November 2021 at 12pm 0 Comments

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FESTIVALS

Belfast International Arts Festival: the 59th annual Belfast International Arts Festival (BIAF) returns from 6th October to 7th November with an extensive programme that gives audiences opportunities to both experience live performances again whilst also enjoying a selection of online events at home. To view the entire programme and to book tickets, visit https://belfastinternationalartsfestival.com/

William Kennedy Festival of Piping: After a one-year pause, one of the longest-running international festivals of pipe-based music anywhere in the world is returning to Armagh. The 27th William Kennedy Piping Festival takes place from the 18th to the 21st November at venues across Armagh City.

The festival, organised since 1994 by Armagh Pipers Club, will feature three principal concerts, concerts in schools, an immersive Piping Academy, and master classes in several instruments. The 2021 Festival will not be like the massive 80-artist events of recent years: it is scaled down to ensure, as far as possible, Covid-safe events, with a back-to-roots emphasis on Irish piping, but with a few superb overseas guests.

Featured artists include Mick O’Brien, Emer Mayock and Aoife Ní Bhriain performing as the Goodman Trio; uilleann pipers Pádraig McGovern, Louise Mulcahy and Cillian Vallely, and Tiarnán Ó Duinnchinn who will be performing in duet with harpist Laoise Kelly. (All six pipers will contribute to the Academy) From Asturias, the festival is delighted to welcome back gaita virtuoso José Manuel Tejedor, while French favourites Sébastien Lagrange and Quentin Millet make a long-awaited return.

Scotland is represented by Mike Katz of Battlefield Band fame, and Alana MacInnes from South Uist. Completing the line-up is the sublime vocalist Diane Cannon from the west Donegal Gaeltacht. Visit www.armaghpipers.com

Outburst Festival: The 15th Outburst Queer Arts Festival returns from 12-20 Nov featuring programme of film, theatre, talks and music. Headlining the Festival is, MASS, the latest production from Ivor Novello nominated composer, Conor Mitchell. This epically proportioned production features 64 musicians of the Ulster Orchestra and specially commissioned visuals from six international film makers. Visit www.outburstarts.com

VISUAL ARTS 

R-Space: presents their next exhibition, Teatime, from 30th October – 26th November 2021 at R-Space Gallery (32 Castle Street, Lisburn) and online via R-Space Social media channels and www.rspacelisburn.com

Free entry Tuesday to Saturday 11am-5pm

Tea is the most widely consumed drink in the world, the paraphernalia surrounding its preparation and consumption is immense. R-Space presents a selection of items surrounding this wonderful beverage. Five artists / makers based in Northern Ireland at different career stages, working in a variety of media, were selected from an open call for this exhibition titled Teatime:

Amanda Croft
Fiona Jiandani
Paul Mulgrew
Millie Moore
Pamela Walker

The selected artists responding to the theme ‘Teatime’ will exhibit work that includes collage, photography, short film, and textiles. R-Space received a large response to this open call and the quality of the submissions was exceptional. The Gallery has also invited these artists to present their work during the exhibition and included items for sale in our online shop. This work includes embroidery, ceramics, cyanotype, sculpture and painting.

R-Space will also be hosting an alternative tea dance for local and international community groups, funded by Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council Arts Grants, to run alongside the exhibition. If your group would like to get involved please contact Mags at rspacelisburn@gmail.com

Craft NI: Craft NI is delighted to present the ‘Shuttles and Shafts’ exhibition, a visual journey into the archives of one of Northern Ireland’s most prominent linen manufacturers and an insight into the work of the design partnership that has brought some of their classic patterns into the 21st century.

Previously, suppliers to the Ritz and the White Star Line, glass design plates from the Ewart-Lidell Mill in Co. Down, were donated to Belfast School of Art. Senior Research Fellow, Trish Belford and Professor of Design Barbara Dass have preserved, catalogued and digitised the plates for future generations.

Their Heritage Lottery funded project Reviving William Liddell’s Damask Designs preserved a unique collection of 1600 photographic glass plates discovered in 2007 when the Ewart-Liddell linen factory at Donacloney, Co Down was dismantled. Their initial research was exhibited at Lisburn Museum during the inaugural NI Linen Biennale in 2018, and the resulting contemporary textiles are now in production at William Clark and Sons of Upperlands.

The exhibition aims to give the public a unique insight into the heyday of Irish Linen design and craftsmanship in the 1900s. The ambitious project is centred around these delicate photographic glass plates which illustrate the labour of a highly skilled workforce of designers, draftsmen and women and weavers working for the company during the years 1900s to 1970s.

The initial stages of the project focused on the preservation of the glass plates, their digitization and classification for an open access digital archive. The complete collection of digitised photographic plates have been arranged into four key classifications: logistics, hospitality, organisations and domestic patterns, these are beautifully illustrated in large format documents on show.

Trish and Barbara also took an interest in finding a way to keep this wonderful design history alive in a contemporary setting. Looking back to look forward, Belford, in collaboration with William Clark and Sons of Upperlands, developed new prints and weaves in the form of the ‘The Donaghcloney collection’ - an uplifting range of decorative fabrics comprising vivid digital prints, new damask woven lace and co-ordinating screen prints that respects tradition while placing itself in a contemporary context.

This modular exhibition designed by Belfast based Form Native will be accompanied by a film documenting the project, a fascinating insight into the history of the designs, as well as the research used to bring the collection to life.

Venue: Craft NI Gallery, 115 - 119 Royal Ave, Belfast

Exhibition Dates: Thursday, 14 October 2021 - Thursday,11 November 2021.

Opening Times: Monday - Saturday, 10am - 5pm.

RUA: The 140th RUA Annual Exhibition returns to the Ulster Museum until 2nd January 2022. The RUA Annual Exhibition is one of the most eagerly anticipated exhibitions in the Northern Irish cultural calendar, providing a unique platform for acclaimed artists and emerging talent to showcase their artwork in the fabulous galleries at the Ulster Museum. It is also a chance for the public to engage with a fully democratic, free admission exhibition.

The exhibition contains examples of painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, video and more. Some of the works reflect the times we are living and allude to isolation, social distancing and surviving in Covid times. Other works share deep messages with hope, humour, passion and integrity. Before opening the exhibition the RUA will host a series of Wednesday lunchtime talks at their new premises on Rosemary Street. Visit www.belfastinternationalartsfestival.com

CCA: CCA Derry~Londonderry presents Tilt [at Windmills] until 18th December. Curated by Mirjami Schuppert, the project features newly produced work by Jarkko Räsänen with Fionnuala Doran, Paul Moore and Robin Price. The newly produced works in the exhibition examine and respond to the UTV archive, which is currently digitised by Northern Ireland Screen’s Digital Film Archive.

Through the works in the exhibition, Jarkko Räsänen has embarked on his personal battle against perceived problems and injustices; he goes on an offence against surveillance apparatuses and their use of AI, and blind trust and glorification of technology, fights for animal rights and highlights violence culture. He examines old footage with the help of technology, stepping away from the content-focused approach that historians mostly use when researching archives. Given the large amount of footage available in the UTV archive, the artist has developed different methods to analyse the material, giving the exhibition distinct directions and various starting points. For more information visit www.ccadld.org

Golden Thread Gallery: presents Portrait of Northern Ireland Centenary Exhibition, 9 October – 4 November.

Secretary of State Brandon Lewis has announced a major art exhibition to showcase Northern Ireland’s creative talent as part of the Northern Ireland Office’s Centenary programme. The Portrait of Northern Ireland: Neither an Elegy nor a Manifesto exhibition will feature over 100 artists who have explored perspectives of Northern Ireland’s people and landscapes from the 1920s until the present day.

In addition to established artists such as Paul Henry, William Scott and Turner Prize nominees, the exhibition will shine a light on the work of up-and-coming artists who have recently graduated from Belfast School of Art. As well as nurturing young talent and enhancing local artists’ profiles, it is hoped that the exhibition will provide a boost to the local arts sector as it deals with the impact of Covid 19.

Curated by Shan McAnena, the exhibition is a collaboration between the Northern Ireland Office, the Government Art Collection, the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and Belfast School of Art as part of the wider cultural programme of the Northern Ireland Centenary. An expert panel of representatives from these organisations and many of the leading Northern Ireland galleries, has ensured that the exhibition features an inclusive and varied range of artwork and exhibits.

Further details will be announced in the coming weeks. www.goldenthreadgallery.co.uk for further details.

Belfast Exposed: will be showcasing ‘Beasts of Burden’ by internationally-renowned documentary photographer, Paul Seawright OBE from 7th October - 18th December in Gallery 1. Paul Seawright is a Professor of Photography and Executive Dean of Arts Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Ulster. Paul’s work has been held in many museum collections including the Irish Museum of Modern Art, the Tate, the International Centre of Photography New York, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Rome and many more.

In ‘Beasts of Burden’, Paul Seawright turns his attention to Rwanda. In the Rwandan genocide of 1994, members of the Hutu ethnic majority murdered an estimated one million people, mostly of the Tutsi minority in just 100 days. 25 years later a distinctive project, “Cows for Peace”, pairs perpetrators with their victims. Seawright’s images examine what is invisible within this space: the tension of the place but also the delicate nature of the caretakers when working with these animals. Beasts of Burden: https://www.belfastexposed.org/exhibitions/beasts-of-burden/

For further details visit www.belfastexposed.org

ArtisAnn: ArtisAnn is delighted to solve all your present problems! With over 50 artists showing over 100 artworks in total, you’re sure to find something for everyone at their Christmas Exhibition from Wed 3rd November to Sat 18th December 2021. Visit www.artisann.org

Queen Street Studios (QSS): presents their exhibition, The Presence of Absence.

No booking required, please see the ‘visitor information’ section of our website for further details on visiting the gallery: https://www.queenstreetstudios.net/visitor-information/

General opening hours: Tuesday – Thursday, 10:30am-5pm.

The 2019 MFA group from Belfast School of Art, UU began their degree pre-Covid. Their first year was cut short, studios were packed-up and practices moved to alternative, makeshift spaces. Despite regaining access to their 5th floor university studios during Year 2, further disruptions ensued with many live shows cancelled or transferred online; as was the case for the Degree Show.

Within this context, the November show at QSS provides a relished opportunity for this cohort of emerging artists to exhibit physically alongside one another. A manifestation of the strong bonds formed against the odds at an uncertain time. The title of the show ‘The Presence of Absence’, reflects this sentiment by exploring the experienced effects of the pandemic, what was absent yet still felt. Unified by theme of internal and external landscapes, the group’s practice spans a diverse range of mediums across the fine arts.

QSS is delighted to host this event and showcase a body of work that captures this moment in our shared history in a poignant and timely manner.

Exhibiting artists: Andy Athanasiou, Declan Coyle, Amy Devlin, Emily Esdale, Anna Horvathova, Maria Horvathova, Susan Hughes, Zara Lyness, Oonagh McAteer, Lauren McCullough, Anna Nangle, Katrīna Tracuma, Charys Wilson and Drydan Wilson.

Cultúrlann McAdam Ó Fiaich every year invite young, dedicated artists from Coláiste Feirste to showcase their artwork in Cultúrlann McAdam Ó Fiaich. The Coláiste Feirste exhibition gives us an insight into the young people in our community and the subjects that inspire them to create their art. This exhibition is now a yearly event which showcases the immense talent coming out of the Coláiste Feirste art room. The pieces will include pieces of art from A-Level and GCSE students across a range of mediums. The exhibition runs from 7 October until 25 November.

For further details visit https://www.culturlann.ie/en/visual-arts

The MAC: presents the following exhibition across all three galleries

Anne Tallentire, But this material…

8th September – 21st November 2021

This exhibition is the first significant institutional presentation of Anne Tallentire’s work since her career survey This and other Things 1999 – 2010 at the Irish Museum of Modern Art. But this material… brings together key works from the last decade as well as work which is re-imagined for the particular architectural and spatial qualities of the MAC galleries.

Tallentire’s practice explores the built environment and how we inhabit space; her process is characterised by a critical relationship to materials and technology. Fundamental to her approach is the repurposing of found materials often associated with the construction industry to delineate space in relation to specific cultural, social, geographic and architectural contexts. Through a visual and textual interrogation of everyday materials and structures, Tallentire’s work reveals systems that shape the built environment and the economics of labour. She explores dimensionality and mapping by using everyday building materials to transpose one physical space onto another.

In representing abstractions of living and shared space, Tallentire questions the conditions that determine, regulate and shape patterns in daily life. Her practice is a commentary on the present circumstances of infrastructure and the social impact of such living environments. The current debate on the rising costs of housing and the systemic failure of the state to provide adequate social housing is alluded to in her work. For further information visit at www.themaclive.com

MUSIC

Northern Ireland Opera: Northern Ireland Opera’s new film, ‘Old Friends and Other Days’ has been officially selected for the Belfast Film Festival where it will premiere at the Strand Arts Centre in Belfast on 10th November at 6pm. Created in Belfast in March 2021 in the middle of lockdown, with Renewal and Stability funding from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, this 45-minute cinematic experience will have you drawn in from the moment a lone voice starts a hauntingly beautiful lullaby. Who is she singing for? Do we ever know for sure?

With an original concept and direction by Northern Ireland Opera’s Artistic Director, Cameron Menzies, ‘Old Friends and Other Days’ takes the music of Irish composer William Vincent Wallace and one of his contemporaries William Balfe and theatricalises each piece into epic storytelling through song. Four of Northern Ireland’s shining lights in opera are featured in this film, Carolyn Dobbin, Mary McCabe, Emma Morwood, and Sinéad O’Kelly, with a cast which includes dancers and actors from across Northern Ireland. Visit www.niopera.com and watch the trailer via this link: https://youtu.be/rDafo8eSNGw

Scott’s Jazz Club: Scott's jazz club runs a weekly concert in Ballyhackamore club 1a Sandown Road every Friday Night at 9pm. The club provides a welcoming environment for world class jazz music to be experienced in a concert setting. For details on upcoming performances visit https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/colin-harper

Belfast Philharmonic Society: presents Belfast Philharmonic Choir in Concert on Saturday November 2021, 7.45pm Assembly Hall, Fisherwick Place, Belfast. In their opening concert of the 2021/22 season, the Belfast Philharmonic Choir returns to live performance after twenty months away, in the historic setting of Assembly Hall. The concert is a programme of pieces celebrating the power of massed voices, led by conductor Stephen Doughty and accompanied by David Leigh on organ. Visit www.belfastphilharmonic.org.uk

Ulster Orchestra: presents Salon Sessions. With the aim to expand their support of and collaboration with local music artists, the Ulster Orchestra is launched an exciting new digital series, Salon Sessions, which is available to watch on their YouTube channel.

With Covid-19 throwing the live music industry into disarray since March 2020, the Ulster Orchestra, along with many musicians across Northern Ireland and beyond, were forced to find new ways to express their creativity and perform. However, despite a challenging time for everyone, the Orchestra have emerged with a fresh outlook on their digital activity and a growing aspiration to work with the support as many local artists as they can.

Salon Sessions is free to view. For further information on Salon Sessions, please visit www.ulsterorchestra.org.uk.

The Ulster Orchestra also presents the following concerts:

• 11 November, Virtuosic Storytellers
• 25 November, The Charm of the Classical
• 3 December, Rustioni conducts Pictures at an Exhibition

For further details and to purchase tickets visit www.ulsterorchestra.org

Katharine Timoney: Belfast based jazz artist, Katharine Timoney has released her debut single, ‘Don’t Fret’, from her forthcoming EP. Produced by Ben Castle, the five tracked EP entitled, ‘Life Came into Colour’ combines jazz melodies, brutally honest lyrics with contemporary production and is due for release next year. Katherine Timoney is a BBC NI and Arts Council of Northern Ireland Young Musicians’ Platform Award recipient this EP is supported by The National Lottery funding through the Arts Council of Northern Ireland. Visit www.katharinetimoney.com

Oh Yeah: The award winning NI Music Exhibition at Oh Yeah is now open for visitors after being shut for almost 18 months due to the Covid-19 Pandemic. The NI Music exhibition at Oh Yeah is the only permanent exhibit for popular music in Northern Ireland. There is much to see, including a series of storyboards documenting and plotting the history and the stories of Folk, Punk, Rock, Jazz and more. There is a ‘Legends’ series of wall displays that hail the great achievers including Ruby Murray, Van Morrison, Terri Hooley, Bap Kennedy, David McWilliams and Henry McCullough to name a few. Exhibition cases display some unique rock and roll memorabilia including the Fender Guitar that Gary Lightbody from Snow Patrol used to write ‘Run’ and ‘Chasing Cars’, a vintage street sign of Cyprus Avenue, made famous in a Van Morrison song, and a specially arranged exhibit of Gary Moore memorabilia.

Exhibition Opening Times

Mon – Fri: 10am-4pm
Sat: 12-5pm

More info will follow on when the Music Bus Tour will restart soon. To enquire about a visit, or for further info and group bookings please contact info@ohyeahbelfast.com or call 02890310845

Portico of Ards: Live music concerts are back at Portico! After 18 months of being forced to close due to the Covid restrictions, the Portico of Ards in Portaferry is finally able to open its doors to audiences. More than 50 concerts have been rescheduled over the last year and a half, which means there’s a jam-packed calendar of events coming up between now and Christmas.

From September through to December concerts include Ryan McMullan, The Pirates of Penzance, The Bjorn Identity, Shane Todd, The Shamrock Tenors and many more. To find out more about Portico or concerts coming up please visit porticoards.com

Duncairn: Duncairn’s video project, ‘In Focus’, continues every Sunday. Each episode is a documentary-style portrayal of young and emerging artists from across the island and includes musical performances in a variety of locations. Available to watch at 7pm every Sunday at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCW8vA0LnFDwumD_oGo2FwqQ

ITMA: 'Drawing from the Well' is an online monthly ITMA series which connects artists with archival materials to inspire new art. To date, nine videos, podcasts and blogs have been created by leading traditional musicians, singers, and dancers, including Louise Mulcahy, Martin Hayes, Edwina Guckian and Cormac Begley. All episodes are free to view online at https://www.itma.ie/drawingfromthewell

Phil Taggart: ChillDaBeats is the brand new show from NI DJ, Phil Taggart. Every week he brings you a soft focus selection of the best alternative chill sounds along with the biggest guests picking some brain soothers in the Soul Food Selection. ChillDaBeats goes live every Sunday. Listen on Spotify at https://open.spotify.com/show/0M2IpL7ldc1Rui2aa9meX3 This podcast series is supported by emergency funding through the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and Department for Communities.

Tommy Sands and Artsawonder:  In this new online film series, legendary musician, Tommy Sands, films, sings, listens and learns from a singing five times world champion drum major Alan McBride, two young women, Jenna Stevenson and Wendy Graham Hanna, who initiate and drive an Arts hub shop, a rhythmic drum weaver rhythmic drum weaver Damien McKeown and a young woman Bronagh Kelly who lovingly echoes the poetry of her mother.  To watch visit Media | Artsawonder (wixsite.com)

Cultúrlann McAdam Ó Fiaich: presents Music Corner, the best of traditional music with great traditional musicians which is streamed live on their Facebook page every Saturday. Visit Cultúrlann McAdam Ó Fiaich (facebook.com)

FILM, LITERATURE, DANCE & DRAMA

Jarman Award 2021: The MAC is delighted to once again be involved in hosting the Film London Jarman Award, presenting a screening of the 2021 award shortlist.

Discover the incredible diversity within the world of artists’ filmmaking in the UK, with a presentation of the work of the shortlist of this year’s Film London Jarman Award. From the individual and autobiographical to the global and political, these films draw us into their narratives through poetry, experimental sound, surreal computer graphics, performance, dance and choreography. Tickets on sale soon.

Tinderbox: This Autumn, award-winning Tinderbox Theatre Company will premiere Jonathan M. Daley’s thrilling new play Sylvan. Sylvan promises to be a nightmarish visual feast with stunning design by Stuart Marshall and featuring acclaimed local cast - Ruby Campbell, Maria Connolly and Seamus O’Hara. Sylvan will be performed live in forest locations in Belfast and Coleraine over the Halloween holidays and will also premiere as part of Imagine Arts Festival in Waterford. Sylvan is an immersive live experience with the amalgamation of digital film, horror, sound design and live performance. Sylvan will be directed by award-winning Writer and Director, Patrick J O’Reilly.

Tour Dates and Locations

4-5 November 2021 | Ulster University Campus, Coleraine | Riverside Theatre

For more information visit https://www.tinderbox.org.uk

Cultúrlann McAdam Ó Fiaich presents Kerri Ní Dhochartaigh & Cal Flynn as part of this year’s Belfast International Arts Festival. The interaction between people and nature is the subject of two new books by these highly-praised writers, appearing as part of the 59th annual Belfast International Arts Festival. The event takes place on 6 November. Visit www.belfastinternationalartsfestival.com for further details.

Poetry Jukebox at Ballycastle Seafront: Located near the fountain at the seafront, the unique installation is part of the Poetry Town initiative. It aims to bring poetry into people’s lives and features audio versions of poems written by Heather Newcombe and Mairtin Crawford.

Heather lived in Ballycastle and was instrumental in nurturing literature activities in the town and surroundings area, including the Ballycastle Writers Group and the annual 'Let Me Take You To The Island' literature festival on Rathlin Island. Mairtin came from Belfast, and both are highly regarded for their influence on the local literary scene. Now sadly passed away, their poems are read by family members and friends.

For added Covid safety, you can use a pen or key to press the button. Posters have also been distributed throughout the town featuring a list of poems alongside their individual QR codes so you can scan and listen to them from the comfort of your own home too!

Launched to coincide with Poetry Town in Ballycastle until September 18th, the jukebox will reside at the Seafront until November 30th.

The Playhouse: presents

• As If I Cared- poems and other parts of a life, 7th December
• The Right Twig: Radio 2020, 13th December
• The White Handkerchief, January 2022

For further information visit www.derryplayhouse.co.uk

DU Dance (NI): presents Belfast Boys, physical dance theatre for boys aged 7-11 years at the Crescent Arts Centre. Classes at 2-3pm every Saturday starting 18th September. No experience is necessary. Book at info@dudanceni.com

BBC Arts Culture in Quarantine: Twelve D/deaf, neurodivergent and disabled professional artists based in England, Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland were commissioned earlier this year to produce new film and audio works for BBC platforms. Three of the twelve artists are from Northern Ireland and includes, playwright, Shannon Yee, animator, Joel Simon and poet/comedian, Alice McCullough. These new works are now available to view on BBC I-Player at https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p09ttsqk

The commissioning programme is part of BBC Arts’ Culture in Quarantine initiative, which has brought the arts into people’s homes during lockdown. The twelve new commissions champion the work of D/deaf, neurodivergent and disabled professional artists by helping them produce work when some may have been self-isolating, and provide a platform to explore their experiences of living through Covid-19.

The programme was established in a partnership between BBC Arts, Arts Council England, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Arts Council of Wales and Creative Scotland to mark the 25th anniversary of the passing of the Disability Discrimination Act into law, forming part of wider disability programming across the BBC.

Crescent Arts Centre: has reopened to the public and have released a new programme of classes and workshops available in person and online. Visit www.crescentarts.org

They will also be running monthly Book Festival events until March 2022. Details of all events can be found at https://belfastbookfestival.com/whats-on

The Lyric Theatre: presents the following,

In The Name of The Son: 2-14 November.

The Long and Short of It: Sunday 14th November. In the popular Radio Ulster program The Long And The Short Of It, historian David Hume, and comedian and keen amateur historian, Tim McGarry, have spent several series learning about and then disagreeing about all aspects of Irish history. This year, the show won the gold award for Specialist Speech Programme at the IMRO Radio Awards.

In this special live event, Tim and David turn their attention to a very topical and controversial subject - the very creation of Northern Ireland.

In 2021 Northern Ireland as a distinct political entity will be 100 years old and it is fair to say that the commemorations will be a game of two halves!

Pinocchio the Musical: 26th Nov 2021 – 2nd January 2022. The creative team behind the Lyric’s hit shows “Alice the Musical” and “Peter Pan the Musical” return with a brand new musical version of the greatest magical adventure of all time; “Pinocchio The Greatest Wonder of the Age”.

For further details on all events and to buy tickets visit www.lyrictheatre.co.uk

Echo Echo Dance Theatre Company has also launched their Digital Programme, a series of online bite-sized courses, each designed to encourage the exploration of creativity in movement, in the comfort of your own home. The courses are aimed at different age groups and are all led by the highly experienced artist-teachers of the Echo Echo Ensemble. Each course consists of 8 easy to follow videos of roughly 15-20 minutes long which include a variety of playful warm ups and exercises, some technical instruction and much guidance for the development Visit www.echoechodance.com to find out more and register. Once you have completed the sign-up form you will receive links for the programmes directly to your email address and it’s all completely free of charge!

Declan McConaghy Show: Newry based former BBC broadcaster, Declan McConaghy has created a new series of short films where he talks in-depth to creatives from Newry and the surrounding area who have made a contribution to theatre, music, dance and the performing arts in general. The view the films visit https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaH9LxmhE8O1Af3Csk-k6vA/

COMMUNITY ARTS

Tumble Circus: Award-winning circus company Tumble Circus will return to Belfast’s Writers Square this Christmas from 17 December 2021 until 3 January 2022. Despite a difficult 18 months due to the Covid-19 pandemic the team at Tumble Circus are back with their spectacular Winter Circus show presented in the Big Top. Now in its fifth year, the organisers at Winter Circus said fans can expect this year’s show “to return louder and prouder than ever before”. Tickets are £9-£14 + booking fee and available from wegottickets.com/JossersBigTop, or for more information go to tumblecircus.com. Family tickets are also available and group bookings (10+) can be booked by emailing bookings@tumblecircus.com

Cultúrlann McAdam Ó Fiaich: presents their Samhain Programme with a plethora of new events and programmes for all as we transition from Summer to Autumn signalling the arrival of the dark nights as we approach Samhain. They are delighted that children will return to the building to develop their creative skills in their drama school,Aisling Óg, along with a new series of Na Bopóga for young babies and toddlers with plenty of singing, art and storytelling.

Find out more and register at www.culturlann.ie

Duncairn: has released details of their new programme of theatre, music and digital classes. To book visit www.theduncairn.com

Duncairn Player: all of the previous video projects can now be viewed from the Duncairn Player including The Duncairn Virtual Cabaret, Take 2, Carlingford and the Ring of Guillion Sessions.  Visit Player — The Duncairn

Wheelworks:  is delighted to offer in person and online workshops in everything from digital music making, street art, animation, coding, drama, Virtual reality and much more.  All of their workshops are bespoke to suit you and your organisation, whether that's driving to your venue in our mobile studio, the ArtCart, or bringing their professional artists to you virtually to delivery online masterclasses.   To book your perfect digital and arts activities just email and visit www.wheelworksarts.com

EastSide Arts: check out EastSide Arts’ YouTube channel which includes lots of videos of their past work, event launches and festivals.  They have also been uploading lots of our recent online event recordings to the channel and these range from the series of EastSide Greenways webinars to events that took place during C.S. Lewis Festival.  Visit https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDZ02s2XSQ6tLcJyD_3S3kQ

Streetwise: Fancy learning how to juggle and other circus skills?! In response to Covid 19 Streetwise Community Circus has developed a team of tutors who are now working via Zoom to reach out to those who can no longer participate in workshops. To take advantage of this opportunity all you have to do is email Streetwise on streetwiseathome@gmail.com. Suitable for participants who range in age from 8 to 80 plus.

Arts Care: has a wonderful range of arts activities available online on their Arts Care 4U Premium +, their online arts delivery channel that everyone can access. Arts Care’s new dedicated online arts and well-being workshop resource, ‘Break-Time’, accessed via their website to support the mental, emotional and physical well-being of children and young people through the Arts. New art, music, dance & exercise, drama, creative writing and clown doctor’s CDTV videos will be uploaded regularly and it’s all FREE. Visit https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQ85xLA2BlQQdrnWBhKw1hw