What's On in the Arts

FESTIVALS

Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival (CQAF): the annual festival of music, comedy, theatre, art and literature returns this April and May to venues in Belfast with a lively programme of exciting events with highlights including:

• Dani Larkin – Walking With Natives Tour, Duncairn Arts Centre, 27 April
• Paul Brady, ‘Crazy Dreams’ book launch, Rosemary Street Church, 28 April
• Joshua Burnside, Festival Marquee, 1 May
• Anne Gildea – How to Get the Menopause and Enjoy It, The Black Box, 1 May
• Zandra Rhodes In Conversation, Ulster University, Belfast College of Art, 2 May
• Bricolage – Circusful, 3-4 May
• Ferna, The Empire Music Hall, 4 May
• Not Now, The MAC, 4-5 May
• Ichiko Aoba, The Black Box, 7 May

View the full programme and purchase tickets at www.cqaf.com

FILM, LITERATURE, DANCE AND DRAMA

DU Dance: Youth dance groups from across the island of Ireland will come together and return to the stage at The MAC, Belfast, on Sunday 16^th April as DU Dance (NI) present Unanimous a powerful and energetic showcase of their work.

Over the past eleven years, the Unanimous platform has continued to expand and help young people from the ages of 12-24 years from all over the island to get together in a professional theatre, develop skills, share their experience and form new connections. The diversity of the line-up for Unanimous reaffirms DU Dance (NI)’s commitment to fostering dance talent from across the island of Ireland and providing a supportive professional environment for dancers of all backgrounds.

This is an event for families, community groups and individuals of all ages with an interest in the performing arts. Tickets for Unanimous are available to purchase from The MAC: 028 9023 5053 / themaclive.com.

Tickets are priced at £8 for adults / £6 for under 16s. Contact tickets@themaclive.com for information about group rates.

The Playhouse: presents the following,

Beyond Belief – The Life and Mission of John Hume, Friday 31 March – 7 April, 7pm, The Guildhall.

A major new musical drama to mark the 25th Anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement. Beyond Belief will present John Hume’s life and his odyssey for peace, the right to decent life, and the right to hope.

While he has been described as a “Titan”, a “Giant” and a “Hero” of peace-making and reconciliation, Beyond Belief, in its words and music, will reach for the man: the man who achieved all he did not glibly, without struggle or alone, but as a human being; a human being just like the rest of us. In re-presenting John Hume, his life and his mission – a mission never fettered by shibboleth, dogma or fossilised tenet – Beyond Belief will seek to inspire through words, music, song.

The anniversary performance on 7th April 2023 will be broadcast live and available to stream for 7 days afterwards. This is the second part of a peacebuilding trilogy, following the phenomenal success of The White Handkerchief, which premiered in the Guildhall on the 50th anniversary of Bloody Sunday, 30 January 2022. For a full programme and tickets visit www.derryplayhouse.co.uk

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

• Agreement, available to see from now until 22 April, a new play by Owen McCafferty.

The clock is ticking. It’s April 1998 and the main political parties in Northern Ireland, the British Government and the Irish Government, all under the watchful eye of Senator George Mitchell, try to hammer out a deal that could pave the way for peace in Northern Ireland. Every word, every movement, every stare means something. This is the last chance saloon and no one is leaving until Agreement is reached one way or another.

In this major new play by one of our foremost playwrights, Owen McCafferty examines the negotiations leading up to the Good Friday Agreement and weaves real drama out of this complex, momentous and landmark moment for Northern Ireland.

• Tartuffe, An Abbey Theatre Production, 25-29 April

In this spectacular dramatic comedy, the villainous Tartuffe shocks and enthrals with his deceptive powers. Charming to some, a danger to others, one family risks losing everything if he gets his way.

An Abbey Theatre production, this new version of Molière’s Tartuffe by Frank McGuinness is directed by Caitríona McLaughlin. A 17th century classic, given an audacious contemporary makeover - where truth faces off with deceit, who has the last laugh?

Molière’s exuberant comedy is brought back to life in an opulent Irish retelling of this classic tale.

• Country and Irish, 16-17 May
• Amadan presents, GEPETTO on 26th, 27th & 28th May 2023. Geppetto is a brand new children's production from Amadan Ensemble premiering at the Lyric Theatre. Geppetto is the story of a lonely old man, grieving the loss of his wife and isolated from the world outside his workshop. He spends his days pottering in his repair shop, half-heartedly fixing broken things, never quite getting to the bottom of the pile of these once loved but now discarded items. His small and solitary life is interrupted by the unexpected arrival of a mysterious visitor that brings his broken things to life; a lamp causes havoc, a radio bursts into song, and a Hoover is determined to cause trouble. Geppetto is slowly pulled out of his lonely existence and into a world full of hope and opportunity. He’s finally able to move through life no longer weighed down by loss. As we leave him, the mysterious visitor has one last gift to bestow - one story’s end is just another story’s beginning.

For further details on these and to view all events visit www.lyrictheatre.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 full events programme visit www.linenhall.com

Grand Opera House: presents a series of shows this month and next including the highlights below:

• Titanic The Musical, 4-8 April
• Six The Musical, 11-15 April
• Good Vibrations, 9-20 May

Returning by hugely popular demand, the Lyric Theatre’s sell-out production Good Vibrations débuts at the Grand Opera House. This staged musical version of the award-winning movie charts the life of Belfast punk legend Terri Hooley, a radical, rebel and music-lover.

This is the 1970s Belfast, conflict is shutting down the city. While all Terri’s friends take sides and take up arms, he opens a record shop Good Vibrations on ‘the most bombed half-mile in Europe’. Here he discovers a compelling voice of resistance in the city’s underground punk scene. Galvanising the young musicians into action, Terri is the unlikely leader of a motley band of kids and punks. Join Terri and the gang on their mission to create a new community, an alternative Ulster, and to bring his city back to life!

• Northern Ireland Opera Tosca, 9,12,14 & 16 September

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

Accidental Theatre: presents the following,

Never Seen It Film Club, Third Saturday of the month, 7pm (monthly) at Accidental Theatre, 12-13 Shaftesbury Square, Belfast The Never Seen It Film Club is a special subscription membership for those who have never seen some of the classics of cinema and for those who’d love to see them one more time!

Diana: The Untold And Untrue Story, Friday 31st March, Saturday 1st April, 8pm at Accidental Theatre, 12-13 Shaftesbury Square, Belfast, BT2 7DB. Do you know the story of Diana? Probably. But do you know our story of Diana? We very much doubt it. Join Diana in heaven as she shares the untold and untrue tale of her extraordinary life.

Alex Kealy: Winner Takes All, Wednesday 19th April, 8pm at Accidental Theatre, 12-13 Shaftesbury Square, Belfast. The ‘rising star of the British stand-up scene’ (The List) and writer for Mock The Week & The News Quiz explores Silicon Valley tech monopolies, advertising and addiction through his ‘perfectly expressed gags’

Visit www.accidentaltheatre.co.uk

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

• LMS: 9 to 5, 29 March – 1 April
• New and Classic Country with Daniel O’Donnell, 3 April
• Celtic and Contemporary County with Daniel O’Donnell, 4 April
• Country ‘N’ Irish & The Songs of Patsy Cline, 5 April
• Cirque – The Greatest Show, 8-9 April
• Feis Dhoire Cholmcille, 11-14 April
• Christie Moore, 19-21 April
• Strictly Ballroom, 22-27 May
• Menopause the Musical, 28 May
• Tom Allen, 8 June
• Buddy – The Musical, 8-12 Aug

For the full programme of events visit www.millenniumforum.co.uk

THE MAC: presents a fantastic programme of events with highlights including:

• Billy Boy, 21 -22 April, by East Belfast writer Rosemary Jenkinson, is inspired by interviews with young bonfire builders.
• Wasteland, 27-28 April. A dance show by Gary Clarke Company that dives headfirst into a gritty story of loss, hope, escapism, and survival.
• Jazz Up the 80s with the Jay Raynar Sextet, 13 May, Restaurant critic Jay Rayner, undoubtedly the best jazz pianist in Britain of all the judges on MasterChef, leads an ensemble of top flight musicians through a vivid night of the very best of song-writing and jazz.
• Queer Set Dancing. Part of the MACtivate programme in association with The Rainbow Project, our fortnightly Queer Set Dancing class with Alexa Moore is specifically beginner-friendly. Join Alexa and the group on select Thursdays from 6.30pm-8.30pm for a fun class with no expectation of any prior dancing experience. The class is run by a queer woman and aims to create a welcoming and friendly environment for LGBTQ+ people and allies to learn a new dance, have some fun and meet new people.

Visit www.themaclive.com to view a full programme of events and exhibitions.

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

Cultúrlann McAdam Ó Fiaich: 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 www.quotidian.ie.

Visit Cultúrlann McAdam Ó Fiaich | Belfast (culturlann.ie)

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 Learn Something New At Crescent Arts Belfast | The Crescent Belfast

Seamus Heaney HomePlace: visit www.seamusheaneyhome.com for tickets and information.

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.facebook.com/DMCSHOW ) or https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaH9LxmhE8O1Af3Csk-k6vA

MUSIC

BBC NI and Arts Council of Northern Ireland present: Young Musicians’ Platform Award Concert: The BBC NI Young Musicians Platform Award: The Winners' Concert will took place at the Ulster Hall on 16 March 2023 featuring the Ulster Orchestra performing alongside the winners of the BBC Northern Ireland and Arts Council of Northern Ireland Young Musicians’ Platform Award. You can listen back to the concert online and presented by BBC’s John Toal at BBC Sounds - Classical Connections - BBC NI Young Musicians Platform Award: The Winners' Concert - BBC Sounds

Classical awardees - soprano, Rebecca Murphy and tenor, Andrew Masterson performed a selection of operatic arias and songs including music from Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin, Berlioz’s Nuits d’été and music by Kurt Weill.

Traditional folk music awardee and fiddle player, Méabh Smyth, performed alongside guitarist Marty Barry in a specially arranged selection of airs and reels, and contemporary singer-songwriter awardee, Eve Belle-Murtagh performed her own songs with the orchestra.

Finally, Jazz awardee, drummer, Andrew McCoubrey took to the stage with a bass player and pianist alongside the Ulster Orchestra to perform two Jazz standards, I Love Music, written in 1974 by the American composer and pianist Hale Smith, and John Coltrane’s, Naima, taken from his 1959 album Giant Steps.

The Ulster Orchestra was conducted by conductor Roderick Dunk, renowned for his time as conductor with the BBC Concert Orchestra.

Northern Ireland Opera: presents,

A Midsummer Night’s Dream on 12 May at Belfast’s Ulster Hall in an evening of music with the Ulster Orchestra which starts with Schumann’s Violin Concerto performed by Sayaka Shoji and conducted by Dinis Sousa.

Then, in the company of a female chorus from Northern Ireland Opera with soloists Catherine Donnelly and Mary McCabe, we head to an Athenian forest for an hour, for Mendelssohn’s complete incidental music for A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Skittish fairies, star-crossed lovers and even the braying of a donkey find their way into the score, which matches the darting, whimsical Shakespeare tale to perfection. For tickets visit www.ulsterorchestra.org.uk

On 19 May at The Harbour Commissioner’s Office in Belfast NI Opera also present Chorus! An evening of opera choruses. Following on from the huge success of the 2022 Opera Chorus Development program and their performances in the highly acclaimed production of La Traviata at the Grand Opera House Belfast, we proudly present our 2023 Northern Ireland Opera Chorus as the feature of this very special showcase. Our choristers have become one of the greatest assets for our company and through this specialised program they have worked with industry professionals including vocal coaches, conductors, language coaches, choreographers and movement directors from highly prestigious operas house all over the UK and Europe.

This concert puts these highly accomplished artists as the centre focus of opera and allows us to perform many varied styles and periods of writing for an opera chorus. Come and enjoy well-loved favourites as well as some lesser know delights from Monteverdi, Wagner, Puccini, Verdi, Smetana and John Adams. Book tickets at www.niopera.com

NI Opera also returns to The Grand Opera House in 2023 with Puccini’s Tosca, after their critically acclaimed production of La Traviata in 2022. Tosca is an operatic thriller set in Rome, taking place over one day, making it one of the most intense and exciting operas ever written. Floria Tosca is a beautiful soprano, deeply in love with painter Mario Cavaradossi. When the corrupt Chief of Police, Baron Scarpia, discovers that Mario has been helping political prisoners escape, he sees a way of forcing Tosca into the ultimate sacrifice to satisfy his lust. Scarpia will entrap her and try to get rid of her lover… who will survive?

Directed and conceptualised by Cameron Menzies, performed with the Ulster Orchestra and the NI Opera Chorus on 9, 12, 14 & 16 September. Visit www.niopera.com

Brigid O’Neill: has released her new single Easy. The single is from the singer’s new album The Truth and Other Stories. The album was recorded in Nashville with Grammy-Nominated producer Neilson Hubbard (Mary Gauthier, The Orphan Brigade, John Prine). Brigid will be touring the album with a gig at the Cobblestone Dublin on the 22nd April. Other dates throughout Ireland coming up soon! Visit www.brigidoneill.com

Sestina Music: presents Music of Celebration: ceremonial music from the courts of the European Baroque era. The programme opens with G.F. Handel’s well-loved coronation anthem for King George II of England, Zadok the Priest, and continues to include Jean Baptiste Lully’s sumptuous setting of the Te Deum, for the French court of Louis XIV.

Come, ye Sons of Art by Henry Purcell, was written as a birthday ode for Queen Mary of England in 1694 and includes the famous duet Sound the trumpet. Johann Sebastian Bach's cantata BWV 29 Wir danken dir, Gott, wir danken dir was written to celebrate the ‘ratswechsel’ (inauguration) of the Leipzig town council in Germany (1731). The programme concludes with Handel’s Sing unto God, written for the marriage of Fredrik Prince of Wales to Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha in 1736. A celebration of music not to be missed!

Join Sestina Music and their 20-piece period ensemble for celebratory choruses and virtuosic vocal arias, written for the finest singers of the day. Music of Celebration marks the first event of the 2022/23 season for participants in Sestina’s unique Next Generation initiative. Sestina Music Next Generation offers up-and-coming singers based on the island of Ireland, a career expanding opportunity under the mentorship of professional Sestina Music singer

Performances take place in Belfast, Kilkenny and Dublin on:

• Friday 14th April 2023, 7.30pm, Fisherwick Presbyterian Church, Belfast
• Saturday 15th April 2023, 8pm, St Canice's Cathedral, Kilkenny
• Sunday 16th April 2023, 8pm, Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin

Visit www.sestinamusic.com

Ulster Orchestra: presents

• 7 April, The Creation
• 21 April, Latin Rhythms
• 5 May, Dwellers in all time and space
• 6 May, Symphonic Soul and Motown
• 12 May, Midsummer Night’s Dream
• 26 May, Bella Italia

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

Oh Yeah Centre Belfast:

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,

• 13 April, Karen Casey (folk/trad), Duncairn Arts Centre
• 26 April, Colin Stetson (electronic/jazz/other), The Empire Music Hall
• 30 April, Fly Magic (Jazz), The Deer’s Head
• 5 May, Blind Stitch (folk/other/trad), Duncairn Arts Centre
• 25 May, Richard Dawson (folk/other/roots), The Empire Music Hall
• 2 June, Anna B Savage (contemporary/folk/electronic/other), The Deer’s Head

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 Scott's Jazz Club (scottsjazzclub.com)

Portico of Ards: presents,

• 7 April, Tenebrae Service with Faure's Requiem
• 10 April, Joe the Magician Live, children’s magic and illusion show
• 16 April, Eduardo Martin and Ahmed Dickinson Cárdenas
• 22 April, A Glamourous Night of Ivor Novello and Friends
• 29 April, The Legend of Luke Kelly
• 5 May, ELVIS SPECTACULAR
• 13 May, The London Handel Players
• 21 May, Anne Page Organ Recital
• 27 May, Tribute: Patsy Cline and the Country Divas
• 2 June, The Shamrock Tenors
• 3 June, Serenade to Music: the Ulster Consort
• 11 June, Music From The Movies Organ Recital
• 30 June, Kinnaris Quintet

To view the full programme visit www.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

COMMUNITY ARTS

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: presents

• 1 April, Inni-K
• 13 April, Karen Casey
• 14 April, Jinx Lennon
• 27 April, Dani Larkin
• 28 April, Pa Sheehy (unplugged)
• 29 April, David Kitt
• 4 May, Saphwat Simab & Junaid Ali
• 13 May, Sam Amidon
• 21 May, Lumiere
• 22 Sep, Flook

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

The Duncairn also has a range of workshops and craft classes and courses. For further details visit www.theduncairn.com

Cultúrlann McAdam Ó Fiaich: is running an Irish Language Intensive Course. Intensive courses are a great way to boost your language skills in a short space of time. The course will be both motivating and informative and will take your confidence in the Irish language to another level. The levels we offer are: Bunrang |Beginner , Meanrang | Intermediate , Ardrang | Advanced.

Please email sinead@culturlann.ie for more information

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 Mammy Banter. 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. 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 Landscapes, Abstract Art, Ceramics, Painting for Beginners, Contemporary 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. This Halloween they have a selection of fun, 2 hour projects to offer your young people, aged 10-18, in a variety of traditional and digital artforms! 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

The Citizens Wallpaper Project 2023: The Citizens Wallpaper is an artistic project, led by experienced international photojournalists, artists and workshop leaders. It benefits the local community by giving the participants skills and techniques in citizens’ journalism and photojournalism using the latest technologies. The project engages communities in the creation of a visual representation of their lives, traditions and cultures. A photographic exhibition by APAC, Belfast’s CPA and Ballymoney camera clubs, will display 24 representations from the Citizen’s Wallpaper project’s four canvasses. The exhibition can be visited by the public at APAC’s online Eirene Gallery from 23 March – 23 July, visit www.apacfoundation.org

Ulster Museum: presents, The Druthaib's Ball, the 2021 Turner Prize-winning installation by the Belfast-based artists collectively known as Array Collective. They are the first artists from Northern Ireland to win the prestigious Turner Prize. The group of eleven artists from the north and south of Ireland, England and Italy all live and work in Belfast creating collaborative actions in response to socio-political issues affecting them and their communities.

The Druthaib's Ball is on display at the Ulster Museum until 3 September 2023. The acquisition to the Ulster Museum collection was supported by the Art Fund and the Department for Communities. Visit www.ulstermuseum.org

Belfast Exposed: presents, Healing Through Photography, a ground-breaking conference on photography and mental health which we are holding here in Belfast from 3rd to 4th April 2023. A two-day conference held at the MAC and various venues across the Cathedral Quarter, Healing Through Photography is built on 25+ years of work by Belfast Exposed using photography in the community. Attendees will get to see the therapeutic benefits of photography and its processes brought to life. Get an insight into inspirational, real-life stories, and develop new techniques and share their experiences with peers. Confirmed speakers range from Professor Siobhán O’Neill, NI Mental Health Champion and Roisin McDonough, CEO of the Arts Council NI, through to Pulitzer Prize Winner Cathal McNaughton and acclaimed photographer Donovan Wylie. For more info visit https://www.htpconference.com to view the full conference programme.

Belfast Exposed: also presents,

Gallery 1: The Jerwood/Photoworks Awards 4 Touring Exhibition from 6^th April – 20^th May 2023. Since 2015, the Jerwood/Photoworks Awards have provided a major opportunity for UK-based artists on a biennial basis. Specifically for artists in the first ten years of their careers and who use photography in their work, the Awards encourage the creation of new work and provide a significant milestone in an emerging artist's career. The current awardees are Heather Agyepong and Joanne Coates.

Studio Gallery: Built on four years of work with Belfast Exposed, Paul McCabe brings A door, a picture frame and the number 52 to the Studio Gallery from 6-22 April, in association with the Healing Through Photography Conference.

Born and based in Belfast, McCabe is a photographer whose practice is a tool to explore his inner thoughts and emotions, combining the use of various symbols that explore his own journey and struggles with mental health. Having worked with Belfast Exposed for several years to expand his creative practice and develop his photography, McCabe's images provide both himself and the viewer with an insight into the artist’s mind. With passion and creativity, McCabe’s work demonstrates the powerful tool for communication that photography can be. By sharing his story and experiences through art, McCabe hopes to support others with their recovery. Visit www.belfastexposed.org

Anushiya Sundaralingam: Arts Council of Northern Ireland ACES awardee, Anushiya Sundaralingam present her ‘Rip it up and start again’ exhibition at the Island Arts Centre, Lisburn from 6 March – 6 April 2023. Visit www.islandartscentre.com

The MAC: presents,

Upper Gallery – At The Table, 7 April to 2 July 2023. At The Table brings socially and politically engaged practices into The MAC’s core gallery programming. It is their first major exhibition developed from MACtivate - the work The MAC do with their five Associate Partners which speaks to some of the most pressing and challenging issues in our society including mental ill health, LGBTQIA+ rights, reproductive rights, housing injustice and the rights of people seeking asylum. This exhibition has been co-designed with people and communities connected to their Associate Partners - The Rainbow Project, Participation and the Practice of Rights, Alliance for Choice, Action Mental Health and Extern.

The Tall Gallery - Louise Wallace: Midnight Feast, 7-13 August 2023. Louise Wallace produces work that is deliberately provocative, utilising a palette of lush colour to create images that draw on abstraction and Surrealism to transform the suburban into scenes that hover between the familiar and the uncanny. Visit www.themaclive.com

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

Craft Northern Ireland: for more information visit www.craftni.org

Golden Thread Gallery: presents fully conscious movements, fully different time, an exhibition by Dorothy Hunter, 25/03/23- 20/05/23.

In March 2023 The Golden Thread Gallery will present new work in the project space by Dorothy Hunter titled fully conscious movements, fully different time. Having been awarded ACES from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, the exhibition in the Project Space will focus on the changing underground terrain in the caves of Fermanagh and Cavan, through video and installation artwork. Hunter uses careful interventions within her installations, creating space to contemplate different geographic sites and aid our interpretation of time and space. She is interested in different modes of displaying artwork and the act of collecting. Visit www.goldenthreadgallery.co.uk

Cultúrlann McAdam Ó Fiaich: presents

Michelle Harton Exhibition, available to view now until 27 April.

In “The Land Of Gemini” artist Michelle Harton desires to show how beautiful the earth is through the lens of an imagined dream world named after her star sign. She is inspired by the magical glimpses we get daily, be it a sunset, a rock pool, light reflecting off a body of water and the energy seen and unseen that emanates from each living thing. Michelle invites the viewer to leave their burdens within the paintings and take relief from the movement and colours and time spent with a piece. Her aim is for the viewer to get lost in the painted landscapes she creates and leave the exhibition a little lighter than they came in. She hopes the mystical nature of the work encourages viewers to think about their own natural surroundings and how they can also feel magical while understanding that we are the caretakers of this beauty.

‘Léaspáin’ by Susan Hughes exhibition, available to view now until 27 April.

‘Léaspáin’ is part of an ongoing body of artwork exploring the intersection of psychedelic sensual experiences in nature with traditional Irish folklore. The intensity of the artists’ own experience of bioluminescent phosphorescence started an inquiry into how humans throughout history have made sense of mysterious natural occurrences, the stories that are associated with them and the physical and cognitive effects on the body.

Hughes uses synthetic and artificial materials often associated with the ‘urban’ to create immersive viewing environments. In this exhibition she presents digital video and perspex light boxes as sculptural manifestations of her subject matter. Susan Hughes, from Belfast, graduated with a Masters Degree in Art in 2021 from the University of Ulster. She has completed many artist residencies in Ireland and Scandinavia where she has used her traditional fiddle playing as a bartering tool to gain access to local stories

For further details visit www.culturlann.ie

VOID Gallery: presents Re_sett_ing_s, from 4 March to 3 June 2023. In October 2022, Re_sett_ing_s – a collaborative exhibition between Locky Morris and Jaki Irvine – opened at The Complex Gallery, Dublin. The artists, who are probably best known for working solo, were approached separately by Mark O’ Gorman speculating on ‘hidden connections’. Unbeknownst to him, they had a close friend in common, artist Anne Tallentire, whose Setting Out 3 (2021), with its yellow builder’s string and hints at musicality, acted as a kind of starting point and touchstone for the development of the work.

VOID also presents: Krunal Gohil - Vyang-Kath, 21 March – 4 April. Void Gallery is delighted to welcome MFA student Krunal Gohil to present his exhibition, Vynag-Kath, in our education space between 21 March - 4 April. Krunal received the Void Gallery Fine Art Graduation Prize in 2022.

The collection of work is a response to his life experience, childhood, and the nature and domestic animals of Angadh, India, where he was born. His biggest interest and driving force has always been to be connected to nature. He sees animals as having personalities and personalities, as well as commonalities between them and people. This background served as the foundation for his body of work and captures the spirit of what he wishes to portray via his images. Visit www.derryvoid.com

CCA, Derry-Londonderry: presents

SEAMS, 1 April – 3 June 2023.

SEAMS is a solo exhibition by Laura Wilson comprising three installations including a significant new body of work entitled Winding then Winding. Laura is interested in how everyday materials such as bricks, textile, wheat, salt and bread dough transmit historical and embodied knowledge between people over time and place. Laura develops research-led projects, working with specialists and experts to communicate relationships between materiality, memory and tacit knowledge, explored through sculpture, performance, drawings and video. This exhibition is a survey of Laura’s recent works connected by the body, learning, movement and labour. Visit www.ccadld.org

Stitch Me Up For Life runs from 11^th March – 7^th April 2023 at R-Space Gallery (32 Castle Street, Lisburn) and online via R-Space Social media channels and www.rspacelisburn.com

The span of Janet Hackney’s career in art and textiles reflects her artwork itself – strands of textiles, embroidery, modern digital technology, heritage and colour all coming together to create a unique and memorable range of pieces. Stitch Me Up For Life includes early works from her fashion and textile background with supporting drawings. The exhibition will display a variety of textile landscape works that demonstrate a wide range of textile art processes. The gallery will also celebrate the costume work that she does for the volunteers at Castle Ward, the eighteen century National Trust property. This will include four ladies’ outfits, including Robe a La Francaise. Janet will also spend a five day period of residency in the gallery.

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