What's On

What’s on in the Arts

21st September, 2022

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MUSIC

Ulster Orchestra: presents their new Season opening concert, 23 September, 7:45pm. As a single horn sounds a fanfare that calls together the musicians of the orchestra, Ulster Orchestra invite you to join us them the opening of the 2022/23 Season in the company of Music Director Daniele Rustioni and phenomenal pianist, Stephen Hough.

The musical programme for the evening includes:

Brahms Piano Concerto No. 2
R Strauss Ein Heldenleben

DANIELE RUSTIONI CONDUCTOR
STEPHEN HOUGH PIANO

Lose yourself in the tempestuous drama of Brahms’s Second Piano Concerto, with all of Stephen Hough’s dazzling virtuosity and warmth, and meet Richard Strauss’s (autobiographical?) ‘hero’ in a musical narration of A Hero’s Life (Ein Heldenleben).

Through depictions of the protagonist’s moods, enemies and his beloved companion, Strauss paints a kaleidoscopic picture of the trials, tribulations and triumphs of life. This fascinating depiction of humanity is a welcome start to the new Season!

Other highlights this season includes:

7 Oct, Tianyi’s Tchaikovsky, Ulster Hall

Salina Fisher Tupaia
Mendelssohn Violin Concerto
Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 5

TIANYI LU CONDUCTOR
ARABELLA STEINBACHER VIOLIN

21 Oct, Evergreen Grieg, Ulster Hall

Ligeti Romanian Concerto
Grieg Piano Concerto
Beethoven Symphony No.8

GABRIEL BEBEŞELEA CONDUCTOR
SIMON TRPČESKI PIANO

30 Oct, Halloween Howler, Waterfront Hall

PAUL CAMPBELL CONDUCTOR
RYAN HAND PRESENTER

Celebrate all things Halloween at this spooktacular show featuring music from your favourite scary films and more! Conductor Paul Campbell, with presenter Ryan Hand, will bring you on a spooky journey through some of the creepiest classics including Ghostbusters, Harry Potter and Hotel Transylvania. Whether its witches, wizards or ghouls, this concert will certainly send shivers down your spine! ... Exciting spot prizes for best fancy dress!

For further information and to view the new season programme please visit www.ulsterorchestra.org.uk

The MAC: presents

AURA – an album launch of reimagined Irish airs, 29 Oct, The MAC.

Celebrate the island of Ireland with this one of a kind event to launch the album of solo piano music featuring Irish Airs written by Belfast composer Neil Martin and performed by Derry-born pianist, Ruth McGinley. AURA is an album of re-imagined Irish airs presented in a more Classical musical language… some well-known, some less so, all magical. A very special evening of music and spoken word.

Visit www.themaclive.com

Oh Yeah Music Centre: presents the NI Music Prize at the Ulster Hall on 16 November 2022. The evening celebrates the best music from across Northern Ireland in the past year. The event features performances from shortlisted artists and a very special Oh Yeah Legend Award to musician and singer from Horslips, Barry Devlin. Visit www.ohyeahbelfast.com for further information.

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.

Exhibition Opening Times
Mon – Fri: 10am-4pm
Sat: 12-5pm

To enquire about a visit, or for further info and group bookings please contact info@ohyeahbelfast.com or call 02890310845

Moving On Music: presents a series of concerts including:

  • 1 Oct, Chamber Choir Ireland
  • 2 Oct, Jack Warnock
  • 7 Oct, Robocobra Quartet
  • 20-23 Oct, Damien O’ Kane and the Ron Block Band (tour)

For further info visit www.movingonmusic.com

The Black Box: For further information visit www.blackboxbelfast.com

Scott’s Jazz Club: Scott's Jazz Club runs a weekly concert in Ballyhackamore club 1a Sandown Road every Friday Night from 9pm. The club provides a welcoming environment for world class jazz music to be experienced in a concert setting. For upcoming performances visit https://www.scottsjazzclub.com/

Portico of Ards: presents a new programme of events for 2022 . Highlights include:

  • Teresa Livingstone and Diona Doherty, 23 September
  • The Iconettes and The Hitzvilles, 24 September
  • Buster Keaton’s The General with live organ, 25 September
  • Simon ad Garfunkle, Through The Years, 8 October
  • The Beethoven Project: John O’Connor and Ailbhe McDonagh, 15 October
  • Dracula The Panto, 29 October
  • The Illegals, 5 November
  • Fidelio Trio, 6 November
  • ANÚNA, 12 November

To view the full programme visit porticoards.com

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 every Saturday. Visit https://www.facebook.com/AnChulturlann/

COMMUNITY ARTS

Partisan Production: in collaboration with Clanmil Housing present the play Shared? as part of Good Relations Week 2022 showing from 20th-23rd September at 7.30pm in a Big Top circus tent in Ormeau Park.

Shared? is a thought-provoking, moving and at times surprisingly funny exploration of contemporary housing issues and the human lives behind the social housing statistics and stereotypes.

Tickets to the play are free of charge and to add to the Big Top atmosphere, there’ll be circus themed food and beverages at the venue near the Ormeau Road entrance to Ormeau Park.

The play will be performed during Good Relations Week 2022, the Community Relations Council’s annual celebration of peace building and cultural diversity work.

Shared? follows a colourful cast of characters living in, and close-by to a shared housing association development where a rumour has been circulating and the local Neighbourhood App has taken a definite turn for the odd. Partisan invite audiences to ‘meet these neighbours, from different countries, classes and cultures as their worlds begin to combine and collide’.

Visit https://www.facebook.com/partisanproductions

Cultúrlann McAdam Ó Fiaich: is offering events and courses in abundance with something for all. Further information on all events, workshops and courses can be found in their programme available on www.culturlann.ie

Sole Purpose: as part of Community Relations Week this September, presents, MOHAND & PETER, 20th - 24th September. PSYCHEdelight Theatre and Sole Purpose Productions present a wonderful work of storytelling and physical theatre. With humour and visual poetry, Mohand & Peter will take you on a road trip through Sudan jumping from one character to another, including Omar Al Bashir, Mohand’s 450 cousins, and a lazy camel. Mohand & Peter bounce on one of the toughest international news stories of the decade and as two brave clowns, they fight horror with laughter to build a magnificent pedestal for Mohand’s country. In English with some Arabic. Performed by Mohand Hasb Alrosol Abdalrahem and Peter Pearson, and directed by Sophie Bertrand Besse, this is an unmissable event, make sure you get a ticket!

Tickets £10, matinees £5, free for school groups and refugees / asylum seekers.
20th 7.30pm / 21st Sept 1pm, 7.30pm - Duncairn Arts Centre, Belfast
23rd 11am, 7.30pm / 24th Sept 7.30pm - Pilots Row Community Centre, Derry/Londonderry

Visit https://www.solepurpose.org/ for further details on performances in Belfast and Derry/Londonderry.

Cathedral Quarter Arts: presents Fionn’s Window. Visitors to Belfast’s historic Cathedral Quarter are invited to divine their way around the area in a journey of discovery and inspiration which has its origins in the Druidic traditions of our collective past and the mythology that has endured.

Following on from last year’s successful Ogham Grove installation for Culture Night, the Cathedral Quarter Trust (CQT) is presenting Fionn’s Window, named after Irish hero Fionn MacCumhaill, a warrior chieftain and druid. Fionn’s Window launched on June 21, to mark the Summer Solstice. Fionn’s Window comprises a series of hand-made wooden plaques, representing each of the twenty-five Ogham characters. The plaques have been placed in various locations around the Cathedral Quarter, enabling visitors to divine their own journey and answer their own personal questions. Read more at www.culturenightbelfast.com

Crescent Arts Centre: has a new term of classes to book and enjoy now. Fancy learning to speak some Italian before your holiday to Italy this year? Well now’s your chance! From visual arts, language classes, acting, dance, music making and more, there’s something to tantalise all tastes. Visit www.crescentarts.co.uk

Duncairn: has released details of their new programme of theatre, music and digital classes. Highlights include:

  • 20 Sep PSYCHEdelight Theatre and Sole Purpose Productions present Mohand and Peter
  • 2 Oct Live music with Jack Warnock
  • 8 Oct Live music with Clare Sands
  • 23 Oct Live music with Damien O’Kane and Ron Block Band

For Further details 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 https://www.theduncairn.com/player

Greater Shantallow Community Arts: presents Spill The Tae Youth Led Podcast from the young people at Studio2/GSCA. This amazing group of creative young people have launched their very own podcast and it can be found on Spotify or Apple Podcast. The young people plan, host, interview and edit the Podcast. To date they have interviewed some of their local MLA’s, Councillors, survivors and local Derry’s own Serena Terry, creator of Mammybanter. As well as this they have a voice and a safe place where they can openly talk about mental health and what it means to them.

As well as having a voice the young people are developing their communication skills, confidence and self-awareness as well as learning skills in sound engineering and digital editing, skills they can take with them into their future career paths. You can find the podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcast but also by clicking this link below.

https://shows.acast.com/spill-the-tae-youth-led-podcast

Eden Place Arts Centre: has an exciting range of courses and workshops to get your creative juices flowing including wood sculpture, Inner Lanscapes, Abstract Art, Ceramics, Painting for Beginners, Contempoary Botanical Watercolours, Landscape Painting Life Painting, Spinning and Weaving plus Portrait Painting, among others. All courses are designed for adults aged 18+. Visit www.edenplaceartscentre.com

Wheelworks: unique to WheelWorks Arts is their state of the art ArtCart — a mobile arts studio that travels to your venue and opens up to provide an additional studio space for workshops and is packed full to the brim with digital equipment such as ipads, music and film making technology.

Virtual ArtCart activities take place at your own venue. Where outdoor space is limited, Wheelworks bring the ArtCart creativity inside your centre. They also come with a full outdoor suite — marquees, stage sound, lighting and outdoor heaters.

This unique space allows your young people the opportunity to experience professional equipment in a custom-made studio. It allows your centre to offer a range of socially distance spaces and utilises outdoor space. To book your perfect digital and arts activities just email lisa@wheelworksarts.com and visit www.wheelworksarts.com

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

VISUAL ARTS 

‘Making Space to Soar’ – New paintings by Emma Berkery: Making Space to Soar is a collection of recent and previously unseen paintings by contemporary visual artist Emma Berkery, taking place in the newly reopened Gallery 2 @ the Nicholas Gallery in Belfast.

The Nicholas Gallery is the only one of its kind in Belfast. With artworks by well-known international artists such as Pablo Picasso, Joan Miro, and Francis Bacon to mention just a few, the gallery specialises in modern and contemporary art of the 20th and 21st century. Opened in 1996 the gallery houses an impressive and exclusive inventory, much of which is privately listed. Director of the gallery Cathy Bustard said: ‘We are delighted to reopen our Gallery 2 with a solo show by Emma Berkery. We felt the timing was right to reopen our second gallery to showcase carefully curated, special exhibitions. ‘Making Space to Soar’ is the first of several throughout the year, which will present an exciting mix of paintings and prints, that we hope people will enjoy.’ The exhibition, part of the Visual Arts programme of Belfast International Arts Festival 60th Anniversary celebrations runs from 5 October to the 20th October with a special ‘Meet the Artist’ launch event on Saturday 8 October (10am – 4pm), where the artist will be on hand to discuss the role of abstraction in her work.

The production of these artworks was supported by the Arts Council NI and Cultúrlann McAdam Ó Fiaich. www.emmaberkery.com www.nicholasgallery.co.uk Exhibition runs: 05/10/22 – 20/10/22 October Opening hours: 10-3pm Tues to Fri; 10-4pm Sat Gallery 2 @ The Nicholas Gallery, 571 Lisburn Road Belfast BT9 7GS.

Belfast Print Workshop: is celebrating 45 Years of Belfast Print Workshop with an exhibition at their premises at Cotton Court in Belfast. Belfast Print Workshop still has thirteen of the original members who were there at the beginning and it is a home for another generation of artists who are now establishing themselves. The Workshop has been a dynamic home for printmakers and it is a pleasure to acknowledge its contribution to the arts in Northern Ireland as we celebrate forty five years of growth and development with this exhibition. Visit www.bpw.org.uk

The MAC: presents

Ron Mueck, 29 July – 5 Nov, The MAC. Free, booking advised. Suggested donation: £5

This is the first exhibition of Mueck’s work in Ireland and brings together seven of his key works including Dead Dad, 1997 and his monumental work In Bed, 2005. Book now for the opening weekend (29 - 31 July) of what will be a powerful exhibition of Mueck's meticulously sculpted figures, from mini to mammoth, that act as psychological reflections of the human condition. https://themaclive.com/exhibition/ron-mueck-2

Craft Northern Ireland: presents

Irish Craft Heroes Exhibition, view now until 7 November 2022, Botanic Gardens and Craft NI Gallery, Belfast. Free to view, visit www.belfastinternationalartsfestival.com

Irish Craft Heroes is a highly-visual, outdoor panel trail at Botanic Gardens celebrating Ireland’s inspirational craftspeople and makers whose work has contributed to the rich tapestry of craft and design practice in Ireland. The exhibition charts the evolution of the craft and design sector on the island of Ireland over the last 50 years, and pays homage to the many makers whose work has significant legacy.

The outdoor panel trail launched in Kilkenny Castle in 2021, to coincide with Design & Crafts Council Ireland’s 50th Anniversary since its establishment in 1971. It then toured to Dublin Castle in Autumn 2021, and Galway and Cork in 2022, and now to Belfast. Presented by Belfast International Arts Festival and Craft NI | Curated by Design & Crafts Council Ireland | Supported by National Museums NI.

Craft NI Gallery: Irish Craft Heroes Exhibition: To accompany the outdoor trail, Craft NI will show a capsule exhibition of work from the Northern Ireland-based Heroes, giving people the opportunity to see their stunning work up close, a perfect complement to the outdoor exhibition in Botanic Gardens. NI makers include Seliena Coyle, Jack Doherty, Sara Flynn, Bob Johnston, Alison Lowry, Michael McCrory, Peter Meanley and Cara Murphy. For more information visit www.craftni.org

Golden Thread Gallery: presents ROOT AND BRANCH Catherine and Simon McWilliams, view now until 15 October 2022 at Golden Thread Gallery, Belfast. Free to view, visit www.goldenthreadgallery.co.uk

Catherine and Simon McWilliams, mother and son artists, present work together in the Golden Thread Gallery’s Project Space. Taking Betty McCord’s sculpture ‘Rook’ as a starting point, the exhibition is a conversation about the processes of making artwork with familial connections. Both Simon and Catherine are interested in the natural environment, with the rook appearing in both of their works at various points. This connecting motif draws out a combined interest in interpreting the world around them, whether it’s a goddess emerging from within a tree, bursting with life and vibrancy or a quiet view out a beautiful window, revealing a riot of colour.

Simon and Catherine display immense technical skill within their chosen media. In painting or sculpture, they are informed and inspired by the materials with which they work and have both revisited the subject of trees throughout their individual careers.

Catherine’s tree pieces are evocative of female figures, gods, terrifying in their ferociousness. Female figures have played a central role in her paintings over a number of decades from the 1960s to the present day. In moments of transition, the figures metamorphose into Celtic goddesses and rise above with a sense of joyous freedom.

The cherry tree for Simon might be aligned with his attitude towards paint as a medium. It continues to flower even as the world around changes, adapting to its environment much as he has introduced new materials and new techniques into his more recent works.

The McWilliams hail from a family of artists and this history and connection informs and speaks through their work. They engage with the act of creating in a unique and personal way, using paint for its endurance through generations and ultimately its versatility. The interpretative power of paint is core to their work and acts as an additional connector which, as with the images of trees, continues to provide something beautiful, revelatory and enduring.

CCA: presents Ballads of Rhinestones and Newcomers, which runs from 20 July-24 September 2022, with a preview event taking place from 7-9pm. Ballads of Rhinestones and Newcomers features work by Frank Sweeney and Tom O'Dea, and Bojana Janković, an Eastern European artist based in Belfast. The exhibition brings together two counterpointing experiences of the border between the UK and Republic of Ireland at a time when the realities of Brexit are playing out. The work included in the exhibition refers to the history of analogue radio and TV signals, as well as the migrant experience of the border.

Visit www.ccadld.org for further details and background.

Cultúrlann McAdam Ó Fiaich:.For further details visit www.culturlann.ie

VOID: Void Gallery presents the following:

In poetry, something else happens’: Being In A Place and Margaret Tait’s Film Poems. Saturday 8 October, 2pm
Join VOID for a series of events this autumn with Void Engage as part of their exhibition Being in a Place: A Portrait of Margaret Tait by artist Luke Fowler.

Void Tots
Wednesday 21 September, 1-1:45pm & 2-2:45pm
Saturday 15 October, 10:30-11:15am & 11:30am-12:15pm
£3 per child

These relaxed, fun sessions with artist Sinead Crumlish are always a hit with children aged 1-3 years old. Come along and get messy with your little ones! Please note that, due to space restrictions, one parent per child is advised. Parents or guardians are welcome to take other children along but they will be asked to remain seated in the gallery foyer or they can visit the exhibition.

Culture Night for All – at Void Gallery
Friday 23 September, 6-8pm

Join Void on Culture Night 2022 from 6-8pm for a family drop-in workshop inspired by Luke Fowler’s exhibition, Being in a Place: A Portrait of Margaret Tait led by artists Zoe McSparron and Anna Barclay. No need to book, just call in!

The entire gallery will be transformed, with the gallery floor becoming a giant collaborative sketchpad for everyone to explore the exhibition through drawing exercises, and Void’s education space becoming a creative eco-laboratory where you can conduct experiments, making your own natural inks and paint brushes! Personal drawing boards will also be available for participants to conduct independent drawing experiments. These activities will encourage us to explore the exhibition through various different mediums as we think about relevant themes, sounds and memories.

Void’s Curiosity Club
Saturday 29th October 12-4pm

The Curiosity Club gets spooky on Saturday 29th October as we invite families to come along and make Halloween-inspired crafts. Activities include, mask making, making your own trick-or-treat bag, cotton bud skeletons and spooky paper lanterns.

The Curiosity Club will be filled with various materials, activity prompts and mediums for your little ones to experiment with and unleash their inner artist. No need for booking, just pop along to Void at 10 Waterloo Place, Derry, BT48 6BU.

Spooky Halloween Suncatchers - art packs

Available to collect from 18th October. Create your own spooky suncatcher to place in your windows this Halloween! In your art pack you will find all the materials needed to make a suncatcher. Packs can be collected in the gallery with a limited number available by post from the 18th of October. Email hello@derryvoid.com and please include a postal address to order yours.

Exhibition-inspired drawing booklets

VOID’s drawing booklets are inspired by their current exhibition Being in a Place: A Portrait of Margaret Tait and are now available in the gallery! Explore the exhibition through explorative drawing exercises! Why not pick one up when you visit the gallery?

These booklets are free, suitable for all ages, and available at the front desk throughout the duration of the exhibition. Please note, younger children may need help from a parent when reading the drawing prompts but will still be able to engage in this activity.

Make it up!
The Playtrail x Kippie exhibition in Void's Engage space
28th September - 4th October.

Void Gallery is delighted to present Make it up! in our Education Space from 28 September - 4 October 2022. Make it up! is an imaginative story prompt game created by the students of Liberty Consortium Day Opportunities through a series of seven workshops with Kippie Productions. The workshops ran between May and June 2022. The work on display, showcases interactive versions of the group's final story prompt game, Make it up!

A series of preparatory drawings and imaginative stories formed by the participants as a result of interacting with the game. The exhibition will run from 28 September until 4 October with an exhibition opening on Wednesday 28th September at 12:30pm. The project is presented in collaboration with Void Gallery

Void Visionaries ‘Composites of:’
Showcase

20 - 27 October, with a soft opening on 20 October. Details to follow - stay tuned to a href="https://www.derryvoid.com/">www.derryvoid.com for more!

Belfast Exposed: Presents the following exhibitions:

Gallery 1: Belfast Exposed is delighted to present 'Parr's Ireland: 40 Years of Photography', a retrospective of work by esteemed British documentary photographer, Martin Parr.

One of the pre-eminent photographers of his generation, Parr has been taking photographs in Ireland since the 1980s, when he spent two years living in Co. Roscommon. Returning at regular intervals for the next three decades, his work in Ireland forms a visual testimony of the changing cultural and social norms of Irish life, the influx of newfound wealth and, in particular, the Americanisation of Irish society from the 1980s onwards.

Brought together in 'Parr's Ireland: 40 Years of Photography' as a complete collection for the first time, Parr's Irish body of work has been on tour since 2021. The work explores a variety of themes and events of historical and social significance in Ireland including the Pope’s visit to Ireland, the traditional Irish horse and cattle fairs, rural ballrooms, the infamous abandoned Morris Minors of the West of Ireland, seaside holidays and the changing face of economic Ireland.

What is more, Belfast Exposed is privileged to be presenting a curated special edition of the collection, that includes the commission of work focusing specifically on Northern Ireland, and will be on display in Gallery I from Thursday 4th August to Saturday 24th September.

Gallery 2: Strangely Familiar is a collection of thought provoking work that explores the realm of cinema and its relationship with the still image. As the name suggests, Johnston combines familiar objects & settings with the strange and bizarre, all photographed through the medium of film. Johnston shoots all of her work on film, and processes and prints her work by hand. This is a key part of her practice, as is the pace of the processing and printing work, which takes place immediately after a shoot has finished. Johnston has described this rhythmic practice as akin to an 'obsession'.

'It is the moments spent in the darkroom that I really love, there is something very comforting about walking into a darkroom and seeing your enlarger and smelling the chemicals' - Samantha Johnston.

The exhibition showcases Johnstone's signature style in a series of evocative, powerful still lifes, replete with rich colours and a combination of the mundane and mysterious. A unique experience for viewers, Strangely Familiar will be shown in Gallery II from Thursday 4th August to Saturday 24th September 2022.

Visit www.belfastexposed.org

ArtisAnn:
ArtisAnn Gallery, 70 Bloomfield Avenue, Belfast, BT5 5AE
Tue – Fri: 11am to 6pm ; Sat: Noon to 5pm

All artworks are available to buy. You can also buy art from this exhibition through the Arts Council supported Own Art scheme which gives you an interest-free loan over 10 months (and you still get to take the art home immediately the exhibition ends). Visit www.artisann.org


FESTIVALS

Waterside Theatre and Arts Centre: Waterside Theatre is proud to announce a brand new Literary Festival which will take place between the 1st and 8th October 2022. A new week-long literary festival for people of all ages in Derry/Londonderry and the wider North-West. With talks, readings, workshops, exhibitions and many more events by world-renowned and local authors, poets and illustrators. The festival features Serena Terry aka Mammy Banter, writer Lucy Caldwell, poet Lemn Sissay. PJ Lynch, Ten X9 plus many more. There’s something for EVERYONE! For the full programme visit www.watersidetheatreni.com

Belfast International Arts Festival: The 60th Belfast International Arts Festival (BIAF) has unveiled the autumn season of its diamond anniversary year, with a programme of events that addresses the current and future nature and role of arts and culture in society, the contemporary issues that are influencing our international artists, and Northern Ireland’s place in the global world.

From October 5 to November 6, over 320 imaginative, inspiring and intriguing events spanning across the artistic disciplines of music, theatre, dance, film, visual arts and discussion will be hosted throughout the city of Belfast for all to engage with and enjoy. Some of the many highlights include:

  • Irish Craft Heroes, 29 July – 7 November, Botanic Gardens. This exhibition charts the evolution of the craft and design sector on the island of Ireland over the last 50 years, and pays homage to the many makers whose work has significant legacy.
  • Dinner with Groucho by Frank McGuinness, 5-9 Oct, The MAC. An evening that promises blistering wit, brilliant buffoonery, and reflections on the ephemeral nature of life from the award-winning writer of such iconic plays as Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme, Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me and The Factory Girls comes this fast-paced fictional dinner date like no other.
  • Propaganda: A New Musical, Lyric Theatre. With a Broadway influenced score, a live 14-piece orchestra and stellar cast, Propaganda promises to be a musical for our time. Commissioned by the Lyric Theatre, and developed with the Lyric New Writing department, Propaganda: A New Musical by double Ivor Novello- nominated composer Conor Mitchell is an old fashioned Soviet love story
  • Cahoots NI presents The Ghost House, 14-31 Oct, Cityside Retail and Leisure Park. Journey into a shadowy world of shipwrecks and sword fights, through the thin veil that separates our world from the world we call, ‘the past’. Secrets emerge and things definitely go bump in the night in this seriously spooky story! The Ghost House is a walk-through theatre experience in a custom built, multi-space set, featuring live performances, magic, digital technology and dance from Cahoots, makers of The Grimm Hotel (BIAF 2021).
  • AURA – an album launch of reimagined Irish airs, 29 Oct, The MAC. Celebrate the island of Ireland with this one of a kind event to launch the album of solo piano music featuring Irish Airs written by Belfast composer Neil Martin and performed by Derry-born pianist, Ruth McGinley. AURA is an album of re-imagined Irish airs presented in a more Classical musical language… some well-known, some less so, all magical. A very special evening of music and spoken word.
  • Big Telly: presents Frankenstein’s Monster Is Drunk And The Sheep Have All Jumped The Fences, 14-22 Oct, Brian Friel Theatre. The story begins in 1946, when they dig Frankenstein’s monster out of a glacier, where he’d crawled after his Hollywood career had given up the ghost. Fully defrosted, he meets his match, a spark which ignites a love story of monstrous proportions, a duet of undateables who stand out and fit in and forge their own brutiful brand of domestic bliss in a small holding with their 67 (Italian) blue sheep. Where comedy is pitch black and horror gets a happy ever after, this wildly fresh look at the Frankenstein myth is provocative, topical and tailor made for critically acclaimed theatre mavericks, and festival favourites, Big Telly. Age guidance: 14 Yrs +.

There are many more theatre, visual arts, music, comedy, film and talks events available to view and book at www.belfastinternationalartsfestival.com

FILM, LITERATURE, DANCE & DRAMA

Aisling Ghéar: presents Minimal Human Contact by Naoise Ó Cairealláin from 26 September to 1 November at An Cultúrlann. A new voice from the urban Gaeltacht of West Belfast.

Glór úr as Gaeltacht urbach Iarrthar Bhéal Feirste. Déanann an seó aonar seo mionscagadh archearrbhachais neamhsrianta, le toradh cairtairseach a nochtadh. Cróga, dian agus i nGaeilge seo é an dráma úr scríofa ag rápalaí Móglaí Bap as KNEECAP.

This one man show delves deep into the world of compulsive gambling to produce cathartic results. Gritty, intense and performed in Irish, this new play is written by award-winning rapper Móglaí Bap from KNEECAP. Book at www.belfastinternationalartsfestival.com

NI Writers Day: The Royal Society of Literature (RSL) andC the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, have announced details of a special collaborative event this month at the Lyric Theatre, Belfast. The third NI Writers Day will take place on Monday 26th September 2022 and shine a spotlight on the art of writing for stage and screen, providing a platform for discussion, sharing industry insights and celebrating the work of local writers. Headed up by esteemed playwright, novelist, critic and broadcaster Bonnie Greer, recently announced a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.

The evening event will feature a panel discussion in the Lyric’s Naughton Studio and is open to the public.

Tickets to the evening event, NI Writers Day 3, can be booked via the Lyric Theatre box office from 1pm on Wednesday 9th August and are priced at £5. Contact the Lyric box office to book your seat on 02890 381 081 or go to: www.lyrictheatre.co.uk

Accidental Theatre: presents the following:

Tea & Jam, Thursday 22nd September 6pm-8pm


https://accidentaltheatre.co.uk/box-office/tea-and-jam

Have a cuppa tea and we’ll jam! Tea & Jam is an alternative event for all, where you bring the music, and Accidental Theatre will bring the tea and coffee, and we’ll enjoy both together in a relaxed space. This drop-in event is open to all people, of all musical abilities - or none! Feel free to just enjoy the vibe - as we chill with some music and some tea and coffee and chat.

Lies Where It Falls, Friday September 30th, Sat 1st and Sun 2nd October, 8pm-10pm
https://accidentaltheatre.co.uk/box-office/lies-where-it-falls

Award Winning Broadway, West End, and Downton Abbey actor Ruairi Conaghan brings a story born from his native South Derry. When asked to play the part of Patrick Magee (the man who tried to assassinate Margaret Thatcher and her Government in Brighton 1984), an act of violence upon his own family when he was a child plays heavily with his conscience - despite being a tale of truth and reconciliation. But it was his next role as “The Player King“ in the most successful production of Hamlet in recent years that the true consequence of his decision took its toll.

The speech of King Priam of Troy’s assassination, told by the Player King to a broken Prince Hamlet flares up the memories of his own family’s devastation, and brings down on Ruairi a physical and mental collapse that threatens his mortality.

It is only through the love and care of family and the community of theatre that he is brought back from the brink. In a time when the legacies of this island’s recent past have never been more important to talk about, this unique one person show, directed by acclaimed actor Patrick O Kane, uses storytelling, song, poetry, humour, cinema, and Shakespeare to tell Ruairi’s tale, leaving us with a sense that even through the worst of times, if we can find empathy, there is always hope. Visit www.accidentaltheatre.co.uk

Linen Hall Library: the Linen Hall Library is a truly unique institution. Founded in 1788, it is the oldest library in Belfast. The library is free for all to enter and enjoy. The Linen Hall Library offers a year-round programme of arts and cultural events featuring authors, academics, historians, performers, and much more. To view the events programme visit www.linenhall.com

The Linen Hall Announces Ulster-Scots Writing Competition

With the support of the Ulster-Scots Agency, The Linen Hall will be hosting an Ulster–Scots writing competition this Autumn. There will be two competition categories, one for prose and one for poetry. The winner for each section will receive £500 and one runner-up for each section will receive £250. The winners will be announced during Burns Week in January 2023 and the winning entries will be published in a special edition anthology. A distinguished panel of judges has been assembled to adjudicate Dr Frank Ferguson, Ally Heather and Dr Carol Baraniuk.

The deadline for entry is Tuesday 1st November at 5 pm, and below you can find the Ulster-Scots Writing Competition Entry Guidelines. To find out more, please visit our website: https://linenhall.com/ulster-scots-writing-competition/

Cahoots NI: presents The Ghost House, 14-31 Oct, Cityside Retail and Leisure Park. Journey into a shadowy world of shipwrecks and sword fights, through the thin veil that separates our world from the world we call, ‘the past’. Secrets emerge and things definitely go bump in the night in this seriously spooky story! The Ghost House is a walk-through theatre experience in a custom built, multi-space set, featuring live performances, magic, digital technology and dance from Cahoots, makers of The Grimm Hotel (BIAF 2021).

Strand Arts Centre: For more information visit www.strandartscentre.com

Grand Opera House: presents a series of shows including the highlights below:

  • Saturday Night Fever, 20-24 September
  • Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, 27 Sep – 1 Oct
  • Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, 4-9 Oct
  • Northern Ballet, The Little Mermaid, 12-15 Oct
  • Martin Hayes and the Common Ground Ensemble, 25 Oct, part of the Belfast International Arts Festival
  • Paul Carrick, 26 Oct, part of the Belfast International Arts Festival

For tickets and the full programme please visit www.goh.co.uk

Lyric Theatre: presents a new programme for 2022/23 with highlights including,

The Gap Year, a Lyric Theatre production in association with Commedia of Errors, 3-25 September.
A journey of craic, coffee shops and self-discovery at 60

Propaganda: A New Musical, by The Belfast Ensemble, 8 Oct – 5 Nov.
With a Broadway influenced score, a live 14-piece orchestra and stellar cast, Propaganda promises to be a musical for our time. Commissioned by the Lyric Theatre, and developed with the Lyric New Writing department, Propaganda: A New Musical by double Ivor Novello- nominated composer Conor Mitchell is an old fashioned Soviet love story

Big Man: a new Lyric Theatre Production written by Paul McVeigh and starring Tony Flynn, 27 Oct – 13 Nov.
Holding hands across Ardoyne, two men in pursuit of love move beyond the barrier of age and conflicting gay experience in Paul McVeigh's latest play.

Big Man is an evocative one man show that explores love at first sight and whether it ever truly works out. Held together by their shared working-class background and experience of devastating loss, what if the very things that brought them together end up pulling them apart?

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

Millennium Forum Derry-Londonderry: presents a new season of music, comedy, theatre and more. Highlights include:

  • Comedy with Tommy Tiernan, 22 Sep
  • Music with Gavin James, 25 Sep
  • Comedy with Dara O’Brien, 29 Sep – 1 Oct

Visit www.millenniumforum.co.uk

THE MAC: presents a fantastic programme of events this autumn and winter with this month’s highlights including:

MAC Saturday Art Club: Puppet Emporium, 12 Nov, £3
https://themaclive.com/event/mac-saturday-art-club-puppet-emporium

Come and make your very own puppet from scratch in our puppet-making emporium. An afternoon of family fun in the MAC, kids and their adults will get to make puppets in the style of Indonesian shadow puppetry. The MAC’s exhibiting artist, Ron Mueck, started his career as a puppet maker - after the workshop, don't miss exploring his life-like sculptures in our galleries. The boring bit for parents/guardians: Book a time slot and drop-in anytime within the hour. Recommended activity time: 30mins.

Luisa Omielan: Ten, 24 Sep, £12.50 - £27.50
https://themaclive.com/event/luisa-omielan-ten

Luisa Omielan was the first comedian to receive a Bafta Breakthrough for stand up. Not the first female comedian. The first. Now, 10 years after 'What Would Beyonce Do?!' propelled her into the spotlight, she brings together the best bits of every show since, featuring jokes from Am I right Ladies, Politics for Bitches and God is a Woman. Viral before there was TikTok, expect cow impressions, thigh gaps, Mary Magdalene and relationship boat analogies. Authentic, raw, honest and timeless, it's the only show that can make you laugh your head off and cry your eyes out simultaneously. Book now!

Free your Soul by Shelley Lowry Drama School, 1 Oct, £15 - £20
https://themaclive.com/event/free-your-soul

Back by popular demand, Shelley Lowry Drama School returns to the MAC with Free Your Soul for one more night of a story about how the best 90s music brought two warring sides of a community together.

Bring your glo-sticks, whistles and your white gloves for a night of fun, laughter and maybe some tears as the talented young people of Shelley Lowry Drama School bring this story of a not too distant past to life.

Please note: This show contains mild swearing and scenes of a violent nature.

Late Night Art Life-Like Drawing, 6 Oct, £10, 18+
https://themaclive.com/event/late-night-art-life-like-drawing

An evening of life drawing in a unique setting.

Inspired by our visitors' drawings in the Common Room, this life-like drawing workshop takes place in the unique setting of the Upper and Tall Galleries, where the figures you'll be drawing are Ron Mueck's life-life sculptures.

With a wealth of inspiration around you, perhaps you'll make your own interpretation of Youth or Dead Dad? Or maybe you just can't look away from the gaze of the monumental woman In Bed?

This workshop is for anyone with an interest in drawing. Everyone welcome, from beginners through to those with some experience. Join us for this unique opportunity to get creative in our galleries.

Led by artist, illustrator and educator Duncan Ross, you'll learn a range of approaches and techniques for working ‘from life’. The sculptural subjects of clothed and unclothed figures will provide an opportunity for study and observation of the human body.

You'll be guided on various techniques such as depicting form, volume, the effects of light and shadow, perspective, foreshortening, composition and proportion, and you can try a range of drawing surfaces and media. The session will include a mixture of short, energetic sketching exercises and longer more in-depth study of a figure.

Drawing materials will be provided. Just 15 places available so book now to avoid disappointment.

How to Fail as a Popstar, 6 & 8 Oct, £15 - £17, All ages
https://themaclive.com/event/how-to-fail-as-a-popstar

Learn how to fail better with Vivek Shraya.

In How to Fail as a Popstar, the singer and writer tells us about her path to the margins of fame as a “not quite” major popstar with lots of humour and empathy. In a thrilling cabaret-style performance consisting of anecdotes, music, and choreography that straddles all genres, Shraya takes us on a journey through her rise in showbiz, beginning with singing Hindu bhajans and R&B covers when she was young at competitions for teenagers, to moving around, all the way to her first album.

Bittersweet and yet triumphant, How to Fail as a Popstar is a wise and ultimately redeeming pop odyssey: A reflection on the power of pop culture, dreams, disappointment, and self-determination and a celebration of her own authentic voice. 

Part of Belfast International Arts Festival’s 2022 focus on artists from Canada.

Supported by Canada Council for the Arts

Gearóid Farrelly: Glamour Hammer, 7 Oct, £16 - £20
https://themaclive.com/event/gearoid-farrelly-glamour-hammer

After some time sitting on the couch we are back to real life. Trousers instead of tracksuit bottoms and coffee and a biscuit instead of four gin and tonics and half a cheese cake. In this show Gearóid takes a look at the litany of things in our lives that just don’t measure up. Everything from his generic-looking cat to Shania Twain.

He will also be examining the big issues that really sell tickets like mental heath (INSERT SOMETHING SEARINGLY HONEST), Masculinity (grrrr) and relationships (sexy stuff as opposed to splitting bills) and how we’re living in a time when we can say anything we like and it becomes the truth.

MAC Saturday Art Club: Mini Mueck, 8 Oct, £7 per child
https://themaclive.com/event/mac-saturday-art-club-mini-mueck

Join us in our Playroom for a masterclass in sculpting for 7 - 10-year-olds. Inspired by the extraordinarily life-like sculptures by Ron Mueck, kids will get to sculpt their very own figures with clay, guided by an artist.

Dinner with Groucho by Frank McGuinness, 5-9 Oct, The MAC. ,

An evening that promises blistering wit, brilliant buffoonery, and reflections on the ephemeral nature of life from the award-winning writer of such iconic plays as Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme, Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me and The Factory Girls comes this fast-paced fictional dinner date like no other.

Fight and The Resilience of the Body, 13 Oct, £16 - £18. All ages
https://themaclive.com/event/fighting-and-the-resilience-of-the-body

A rare opportunity to experience the new voices and beats coming out of North Africa. A double bill of meditative, contemporary dance from Egyptian multidisciplinary artist Shaymaa Shoukry, testing the ongoing perseverance of the human spirit, questioning the reality of our internal and external fights, and refining our ability to carry on.

A double bill of meditative, contemporary dance from Egyptian multidisciplinary artist Shaymaa Shoukry, testing the ongoing perseverance of the human spirit, questioning the reality of our internal and external fights, and refining our ability to carry on.

From one of North Africa’s rising stars, this double bill of Fighting and The Resilience of the Body together examines how we might find continuity and perseverance in the world we live in today.

Also, join Shaymaa Shoukry with interdisciplinary artist Youness Atbane to hear more about the arts scene in North Africa after the performance of Untitled 14km on Saturday 15 October.

UNTITLED 14KM, 15 Oct, £16 - £18, 10+
https://themaclive.com/event/untitled-14km

Belfast International Arts Festival welcomes leading Moroccan interdisciplinary artist, Youness Atbane and his one-off installation/performance, UNTITLED 14 KM.

The piece explores how the art world sees and understands contemporary art in its relation to identity, specifically Arab identity. 

Many Arab artists have experienced stress and anxiety created by the political realities in their region, and many more share a common subject matter, related to the political and social problems resulting from the loss of part of their land.

Youness Atbane’s latest performance piece examines this through an enacted conversation among fictional characters: an Arab-Andalusian poet, a director of the museum of contemporary art, a curator, and a contemporary artist. The characters are trying to set up an exhibition of contemporary art that analyses the concept of modernism through the interpretation of the poetic writings of the Andalusian Arab era, as well as the analysis of artworks by existing recognised contemporary Arab artists.

UNTITLED 14 KM reflects on negotiations, conflicts, competitions, and illegitimacy, and how this defines a “contemporary Arab identity” in the art world.

Post Show Discussion: Youness Atbane will be joined immediately after the performance by Egyptian dance maker, Shaymaa Shoukry, and author Fatima Daas to discuss the arts scene in North Africa.

Part of Belfast International Arts Festival’s 2022 focus on artists from the Middle East and North Africa.

The Queen In Me, 18 & 19 Oct, £16 - £18
https://themaclive.com/event/the-queen-in-me

When The Magic Flute’s iconic Queen of the Night refuses to keep singing, theatre and opera combine for a thrilling performance that sheds light on the restrictive notions of race and gender within the opera industry.

The curtain rises on The Magic Flute’s iconic Queen of the Night, ready to sing her highly anticipated aria “Der Hölle Rache,” but tonight, she refuses to play the fallen woman. Tonight, she takes a stand against the expectations that bind her by refusing to sing as prescribed.

In a thrilling performance that combines theatre and opera, comedy and drama, Teiya Kasahara (they/them) explores the many ways that race, gender, and sexuality are policed in the opera industry.

Told through the lens of the Queen of the Night, the show reclaims space for the multitudes of women, trans, and non-binary individuals excluded from the stage, daring to imagine new narrative possibilities for the art form.

Featuring music from La Bohème, Lucia di Lammermoor, Macbeth, Madama Butterfly, Manon Lescaut, Rigoletto, Salome, and The Magic Flute.

Post show discussion: Tuesday 18 October

Part of Belfast International Arts Festival’s 2022 focus on artists from Canada. Supported by Ontario Arts Council & Canada Council for the Arts.

On The Shelf, 9 – 23 December, various times, £12.50 - £20

A Christmas show that’s strictly for grown-ups. Starring Tara Lynne O’Neill (Ma Mary from Derry Girls) as Paula who, this Christmas Eve, finds herself firmly back on the shelf. Following its sold-out run in 2018, this smash-hit comedy is back with an updated version for the MAC that’s bigger and better than ever.

It’s Christmas Eve. Paula has a list and she’s checked it twice. She has the flat, the car and the career. Now all she wants for Christmas is the ring! Her boyfriend has other ideas though and she ends up back On The Shelf.

Faced with spending a lifetime of Christmases alone, she decides to peel off the spanx, pour a drink or twelve and dish the dirt on love, life and turning 40. Like the rest of Paula’s night though, things don’t quite go to plan with the arrival of an unusual and unwanted house guest (Chris Robinson (Bouncers).

Join The MAC for a laugh-out-loud cracker. Time to get together for a guaranteed great night out this Christmas. https://themaclive.com/event/on-the-shelf

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. No experience is necessary. Book at info@dudanceni.com

Echo Echo: presents Introduction to Body Wisdom Movement for Over 50s on Tuesday evenings 7pm - 9pm at Echo Echo's studios on Magazine Street, Derry-Londonderry. Join Echo Echo for a short introductory evening course in Body Wisdom Movement and Dance for the over 50s led by Echo Echo's Artistic Director Steve Batts.

Any men and women 50 years and upwards can join, no matter the level of physical ability or experience. To register please visit https://www.echoechodance.com/whatson/introduction-to-body-wisdom-movement-dance

For more details on al of Echo Echo’s classes and events visit www.echoechodance.com

Cultúrlann McAdam Ó Fiaich and Quotidian: presents Poetry Jukebox. Poetry Jukebox are #ChangingTheMessage! This project aims to share beautiful, profound and life-affirming words and change the words on our streets, opening hearts and minds, putting poetry to work where it belongs: everywhere, for everyone. As well as pressing buttons on the physical jukebox outside the Cultúrlann, poetry-lovers will be able to listen online at https://www.culturlann.ie/en

Crescent Arts Centre: has launched a new season of the Crescent’s Creative Learning Programme where you can explore a hobby, brush up on your creative talents, or have a go at something new. Visit https://crescentarts.org/courses

Seamus Heaney HomePlace: has released details of their new winter-spring 2022 seasonal programme of events. Visit www.seamusheaneyhome.com for tickets and information.

Declan McConaghy Show: Newry based former BBC broadcaster, Declan McConaghy has created a new serfies 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.facebook.com/DMCSHOW or https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaH9LxmhE8O1Af3Csk-k6vA