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What's on in the Arts
2nd November, 2023
From festivals, to concerts, exhibitions and more. Here's your guide to What's On in the Arts....
Outburst Queer Arts Festival: the 17th Outburst Queer Arts Festival returns to Belfast from 9-18 November. Highlights include:
- The Headless Soldier, A Opera Triptych by The Belfast Ensemble, 9-11 Nov, Lyric Theatre
- Queer Art Market, 11 & 18 Nov, Sunflower Pub
- Soula Emmanuel, 11 Nov, Paperxclips Bookshop
- Brewing Showcase, 12 Nov, Brian Friel Theatre
- Grace Petrie: Butch Ado About Nothing, 16 Nov, Black Box
- Closing Night Concert, 18 Nov, Carlisle Memorial Church
View the full programme at www.outburstarts.com
Belfast International Arts Festival: Belfast International Arts Festival continues until Sunday 5 November featuring the absolute best in international and homegrown theatre, dance, music, visual art, literature and film. For full programme information and to book visit www.belfastinternationalartsfestival.com
Sound of Belfast: 9-19 Nov 2023. The Oh Yeah Music Centre has announced the details of its Sound of Belfast 2023 programme. Highlights include:
NI Music Prize at Ulster Hall, which will see an Oh Yeah Legend Award presented by IMRO to Paul Brady, followed by a special performance.
Women’s Work showcase returns as part of Sound of Belfast with an eclectic mix of new music, the only Youth Open Mic in Belfast will unearth new sounds of the city as will the Volume Control Clash of the New Breeds live final.
Beyond Skin will present a show titled Safe Harbour, Concert of the Diaspora
A unique storytelling aspect is integral to this year’s Sound of Belfast, to tell the tales behind the music. In Belfast Central Library, Duke Special will be discussing his new album ‘Blood for Ghosts’ which is to be released both on vinyl and as a book. Eric Bell will take us through his autobiography Remembering, Before, During and After Thin Lizzy with Stuart Bailie in The Deer’s Head.
Full details can be found at www.soundofbelfast.com
Belfast XR Festival: Welcome back to the Belfast XR Festival 2023, running from 4th to the 5th November. This year the Festival is proud to partner with the ground-breaking StoryFutures Xperience who have provided 20 pieces of virtual reality content made by Oscar and BAFTA award-winning filmmakers that showcases the best of local and international immersive technology content. Visit www.belfastxrfestival.com for tickets and information on all events.
Big Telly Theatre Company: as part of this year’s Belfast International Arts Festival, Big Telly Theatre Company in Collaboration with Dr Eleanor Dare and d Dr DylanYamada-Rice presents, Rear Windows from 4-5 Nov. Join the innovative and creative minds of Big Telly for an online interactive and immersive experience performance based on Alfred Hitchcock’s classic 1954 thriller Rear Window. With digital/ physical assets, music and scripts developed through a series of public engagement workshops this performance will allow an audience on Zoom to be immersed and engaged with:
What happens to the minor characters after Hitchcock’s film ends?
Where do you draw the fine line between watching others and something less innocent?
What would you do if you saw something you shouldn’t have seen?
Who’s watching you and who are you watching?
Rear Windows presents human stories, old and new, of life unfolding through our own and other people’s windows.
Resources will be made available online ahead of the performances to allow for audience participation.
Age recommendation: 15 Yrs +
Content warning: Please be aware this show explores challenging themes, such as grief and loss, and has implied descriptions of violence and abuse.
Visit www.belfastinternationalartsfestival.com
Lyric Theatre: presents an exciting programme this autumn and winter with highlights including:
- The Headless Soldier, 9-11 Nov. World premiere and Outburst Queer Arts Festival 2023 Opening Event. Music | Conor Mitchell / Libretto | Mark Ravenhill.
In a world premiere, two of the UK’s most vital and influential queer voices join forces for a three-part operatic first. Mark Ravenhill and Conor Mitchell’s piercing new work looks beneath the perfect lives of Helen, her husband, Thomas and their haunted son, Zach – finding a hidden, much closer war. The latest collaboration between the award-winning Belfast Ensemble and Outburst Queer Arts Festival, this powerful triptych of short operas is performed in one night, blending multi-media with live performance, international soloists and chamber orchestra. A co-production between The Belfast Ensemble & Outburst Arts for Outburst Queer Arts Festival. Supported by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Belfast City Council & The Paul Hamlyn Foundation. Visit www.outburstarts.com
- Hansel & Gretel, 24 Nov 2023 – 6 Jan 2024. (Signed performance on 14th Dec)
You can get lost in a story, but sometimes, you may just find yourself there too. Join Hansel, his sister Gretel and a mischievous little mouse called Monty, as they tumble through their story book and into an enchanted forest of technicolour. Together with a host of woodland creatures they will take you on a magical journey to defeat the witch in her sweetie house.
Tara-Lynne O’Neill’s brand-new telling of this classic tale is a spectacular Christmas adventure full of heart for all the family. It's a brand-new original musical with amazing dancing, and unmissable songs by Katie Richardson.
Add a little magic to the festive season with a visit to the Lyric. Whether it's your very first Christmas show, or a Lyric family tradition, this wonderful live theatre experience will make magic memories.
- Grimes & McKee: Have Yourself a Scary Little Christmas, 1 Dec 2023 – 6 Jan 2024. (comedy)
Join Grimes & McKee with an incredible ensemble cast at Darkwood Manor. Embrace the holiday spirit with a hint of the supernatural and prepare to be festively terrified.
Picture this: Christmas Eve, an eerie ancestral estate, and a TV psychic, Nancy Nugent, ready to livestream the mysteries lurking within. But what if the ghosts she hunts are too ghastly even for her? Intriguing secrets, elusive guests and a sprinkle of holiday spookiness will keep you glued to your seat throughout. It's all part of the festive shivers in Have Yourself a Scary Little Christmas.
Join the Lyric for a merry and mischievous spooky evening that'll leave you entertained and thrilled.
For further details on these and to view all events visit www.lyrictheatre.co.uk
Grand Opera House: presents an exciting series of shows including,
- Annie, 31 Oct – 4 Nov
- 2:22 A Ghost Story, 14-18 Nov
- Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, 2 Dec – 14 Jan (panto)
For tickets and the full programme please visit www.goh.co.uk
Kabosh Theatre Company: The award-winning Green & Blue returns for an epic national and international tour with performances spanning from Bangor to Boston! This compelling piece explores the harsh (and sometimes humorous) realities of policing the border during the height of the conflict, with stellar performances from James Doran & Vincent Higgins.
USA Tour: 02 - 18 November
For details visit www.kabosh.net
Brassneck Theatre Company: presents, Cinderella, 5-21 Dec at The Devenish Complex. Written by Neil Keery and directed by Tony Devlin, this is a twist on the original tale and stars Philippa O’Hara as Cinderella. For schools and larger bookings contact lyndsay@brassnecktheatrecompany.com
Strand Arts Centre: presents films and events, visit www.strandartscentre.com
The Playhouse in Derry Londonderry: presents a series of events this autumn with highlights including,
- La Voix Humaine, 18 Nov with Northern Ireland Opera
- Maxwell Quartet, 23 Nov
- Damian Gorman and Anthony Toner, 25 Nov
Visit www.derryplayhouse.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
Millennium Forum Derry-Londonderry: presents music, comedy, theatre and more with highlights including:
- Jack and the Beanstalk , 30 Nov – 31 Dec
- Mary Black, 11 Nov
- Energy of Light Disco, 24 Nov (over 15s)
- Sarah Millican, 7-9 Dec
- Ulster Orchestra, Handel’s Messiah, 8 Dec
- Ulster Orchestra, The Magic of Christmas, 20 Dec
Visit www.millenniumforum.co.uk
THE MAC: presents a fantastic programme of theatre, comedy music and talks with highlights including:
19 Oct – 14 Mar, Queer Set Dancing. Come along to a Queer Set Dancing class with Alexa Moore. Part of the MACtivate programme, in association with The Rainbow Project, the MAC’s fortnightly Queer Set Dancing class with Alexa Moore is specifically beginner-friendly. Join Alexa and the group 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 we aim to create a welcoming and friendly environment for LGBTQ+ people and allies to learn a new dance, have some fun, and meet new people. Come along when you can - you don't need to have joined from the first date to attend. All welcome.
The 4 Worst Things I’ve Ever Done, 8 Nov. Performed by Katie Shortt and written and directed by Ewan McGowan (with contributions from Louise O’Dowd and Rosie McWilliams), the Edinburgh Fringe Sell-Out show 4 Worst Things is a profound dark comedy-drama which begs the question, 'How do we find meaning in a world which has none?'. Join Erin as she takes you through a journey of confession, self-discovery, ethical reflection... and hamsters.
NI Opera Sea Wrack, 12 Nov. Northern Ireland Opera presents The Salon Series at the MAC. Sea Wrack is a staged performance of art songs written by Irish and Northern Irish composers featuring well-loved classics and new arrangements of contemporary songs, sung by four opera singers and a pianist from across the island of Ireland. The event is named after a well-known song by Hillsborough composer Hamilton Harty: a number of the songs in Sea Wrack explore themes of emigration, rivers and the sea. Repertoire includes works by composers Balfe, Vincent Wallace and Hamilton Harty right up to ‘Sunrise’ by Neil Hannon, ‘Carrickfergus’ in a new arrangement by Matthew Owens and ‘Méilte Cheann Dubhrann; arranged by Neil Martin. Audiences can expect an uplifting and captivating evening of beautiful music and song celebrating the creativity and artistry of composers from across this island.
Salon Series – The Lost Boy, 2 Dec. Northern Ireland Opera presents The Salon Series at the MAC. Vocalist Conor Quinn (Jack, ‘Into The Woods’ NI Opera 2022) presents a staged performance of songs exploring a young man’s journey into adulthood. The Lost Boy leads the audience through a repertoire of songs in a staged performance drawn from cabaret and musical theatre, linked by themes of hope, loss of youth, unrest and war.
Ranging from ‘I’ll Make a Man Out Of You’ to ‘The Parting Glass’, ‘Only Heaven Knows’ to ‘The Tenterfield Saddler’, this is an eclectic and emotional selection of songs which touch on love, loss, PTSD and generations lost to war and violence. The small ensemble for this Salon Series event includes piano, drums and bass
A Christmas Sing-along. 3 Dec. Come and enjoy an hour of songs, carols and music with the NI Opera Chorus! You’ll experience the power of an opera chorus performing some festive favourites and join in with them to sing carols and seasonal songs. Start your Christmas season off by belting out some rousing well-loved tunes: whether you sing in the shower or are a fully-fledged singer, this will be a fun, festive hour to get you in the Christmas spirit.
The Night Before Christmas. 29 Nov 2023 – 7 Jan 2024. The MAC’s Christmas show for 2023 is a brand new MAC tale, The Night Before Christmas. 'Twas the night before Christmas and the air was thick with excitement...Not least amongst the fairy tale characters who, no longer content with living in the pages of your favourite books, jump up, out and into the real world in our brand new family Christmas show The Night Before Christmas.
Meet a storyteller who loses her words, plus lots of characters from your favourite fairytales, in this festive fable about the power of stories. Written by Stephen Beggs and Simon Magill. Produced by the MAC.
For all this and more 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
Crescent Arts Centre: presents a series of classes, workshops and events, with highlights including:
- Late Night Art
- ‘Stripped Down’ Music events, the next one is on Saturday 11 November with Winnie Ama.
- 16 December – a bit of Indie Rock with Cormac Neeson and Charlie Hanlon
- Friday 8 December, 4:00 – 9:00 – ‘Take the Stage’. This will be a celebration of the great work made across all artforms by CAC’s Autumn Term Courses & Workshops participants. Expect an evening of performance, reading and exhibition, lighting up multiple spaces with opportunity for customers current and new to display their talent, explore the building and get a sense of what CAC do.
Visit www.crescentarts.org for details on all classes and events.
Seamus Heaney HomePlace: has releases details of their Autumn/Winter programme. Taking place from Sep-Dec 2023 at Seamus Heaney HomePlace, the programme is overflowing with brilliant musicians, poets, authors, and artists. Highlights include:
- 18 Nov, Mary Robinson
- 1 Dec, Brigid O’Neill
- 16 Dec, Christmas at the Home Place Hearth with Anthony Toner, Neil Martin, Glenn Patterson and John McCullough
To view the full programme 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
Belfast Music Society (BMS): presents,
- BMS Chill, 0-13 years and 14 Years plus, at the Crescent Arts Centre on 9 Dec (Christmas edition), 27 Jan & 24 Feb.
Belfast Music Society presents an afternoon of accessible high quality classical music for people with additional needs and their families. Join RiChmusicNI as they create both a stimulating and soothing environment for children and adults alike. People are very welcome to come and familiarise themselves with the space 30 minutes before the concert starts. NB: Tickets are £5 per person with an access companion/PA. Please let BMS know of any accessibility or additional needs so they can make this experience as enjoyable as possible. Email: info@belfastmusicsociety.org
- The Nightingale Trio, 3 Nov, The Harty Room, QUB
- Across The Atlantic, Northern Lights Mini-Fest, 4 Nov
- Breaking Boundaries with Fionnuala Ward and David Zucchi, Northern Lights Mini-Fest, 5 Nov
Visit www.belfastmusicsociety.org
Cinema for the qu(ears): 19 November Nerve Centre, Derry -Londonderry, is an audio installation with soundscapes from the lives of rural LGBTQI+ young people built around the idea of “Cinéma pour l’oreille” (Cinema for the Ears), coined by French/Canadian composer Francis Dhomont. Listeners to ‘Cinéma pour l’oreille’ are taken on a journey through soundscapes that conjure up aural images, creating a cinematic experience for the ear.
The artists who created this installation are all LGBTQI+ young people living in rural areas of the North West. The installation is made from sounds from their daily lives, music, voices, stories — all shaped in the studio to allow them to tell their own story. The installation uses these sounds to build up an imaginary cinema soundtrack — Cinema for the qu(ears).
This Arts Council of Northern Ireland funded the project, through the National Lottery Rural Engagement Arts Programme, which ran from March – August 2023 with a series of workshops led by Amanda Koser-Gillespie and a final sound design session with Glenn Rosborough at Nerve Centre. Visit https://foylefilmfestival.org/whats-on/cinema-for-the-quears-festival-club
Allegri: presents, Allegri Ladies, Allegri Junior and Youth Choirs, Orchestra Northwest - The Nutcracker & Other Christmas Classics at the Guildhall, Derry-Londonderry on Sunday 10 December (3pm and 6pm).
Portico of Ards: presents a range of performances with highlights including,
- The Scott Flanigan Trio plays The Beatles, 4 Nov
- Christmas Karaoke with Lady Portia, 8 Dec
- Little Miss Muffet's Christmas Adventure, 10 Dec
- Cappella Caeciliana: The Magic of Christmas, 16 Dec
To view the full programme visit www.porticoards.com
Northern Ireland Opera: presents The Salon Series, six one-act productions coming to The MAC and The Playhouse from October 2023 to May 2024.
NI Opera is bringing performances every month to Belfast and Derry/Londonderry: one-act staged productions of opera, cabaret, song-cycles, music theatre, and Irish art song performed by artists from NI Opera and directed by Cameron Menzies. Each production lasts around an hour and is a perfect introduction to different types of vocal performance, whether you are a hardcore classical fan or trying a new genre of vocal music for the first time. Performances include:
- La Voix Humaine - Poulenc's one-act, one-woman opera about the end of a relationship.
- Sea Wrack - Irish songs from Hamilton Harty to Neil Hannon.
- The Lost Boy - cabaret and music theatre songs on a theme of growing up and loss of innocence.
- Songs and Dances of Death and Kindertotenlieder - magnificent song cycles by Mahler and Mussorgsky on a theme of death and grief.
- Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered: songs from the golden age of music theatre, with songs by Gershwin, Porter, Sondheim and more
- Les Nuits D'Été and À Chloris French songs about love and loss by Berlioz and Hahn
Visit www.niopera.com for full details.
Ulster Orchestra: presents their new 2023/24 Season which is on sale now. Highlights for Nov include:
- Echoes in Time, 3 Nov, Ulster Hall, Belfast.
Bach/Webern Ricercare
Mozart Piano Concerto No. 21
Prokofiev Symphony No. 5
DANIELE RUSTIONI CONDUCTOR
FEDERICO COLLI PIANO
‘Ricercare’ means ‘to seek’ and Webern’s interpretation of Bach is very much the 20th Century composer seeking to understand the musical techniques at play in the 18th Century, resulting in an elegant reimagining of Bach’s original. Concert soloist Federico Colli delves even deeper in his preparation for performing Mozart, exploring the context and ‘zeitgeist’ for each of Mozart’s works, which results in a really rather special interpretation. The gently pulsating slow movement of Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 21 will be instantly recognisable, as its regular use in films such as Superman Returns, The Spy Who Loved Me and Elvira Madigan (the source of its unofficial nickname) has given it huge popular fame.
Prokofiev’s Fifth Symphony was written during World War II and had its première in 1945 with artillery firing outside the Moscow concert hall. It’s difficult not to hear echoes of the War in this dramatic, jagged and sometimes anguished work, though Prokofiev claimed the work was a ‘hymn to the human spirit’ and it ends on a riotously optimistic note.
- · Stanford’s Requiem, 5 Nov, Ulster Hall Belfast
Conductor, James Grossmith and soloists include,
- Soprano - Mary McCabe
- Mezzo Soprano - Cecily Hé
- Tenor - Aaron O'Hare
- Baritone - Brendan Collins
Belfast Philharmonic Choir are joined by the Ulster Orchestra and guest soloists supported by Northern Ireland Opera as they open their 2023/24 Season with a performance of Stanford’sRequiem, commemorating the centenary of the Irish composer’s death. Chorus Director James Grossmith conducts what will be a wonderful night of music in the Ulster Hall.
- Fire and Ice, 16 Nov, the Diamond Hall, Coleraine & 17 Nov, Ulster Hall, Belfast.
Dvořák Slavonic Dances
Sibelius Violin Concerto
Clara Schumann Three Romances for Violin
Dvořák Symphony No. 7
DANIELE RUSTIONI CONDUCTOR
FRANCESCA DEGO VIOLIN
On the face of things, this concert contrasts the fire of Dvořák’s fast and furious Slavonic Dances and his Seventh Symphony (arguably his greatest), both of which are inspired by his Czech homeland, with the crystalline Finnish cool of Sibelius’s Violin Concerto. But the works have more in common than you might think, as Dvořák’s Seventh Symphony was a particular inspiration for Sibelius as he wrote his only concerto. Clara Schumann’s Romances for Violin (originally written with just a piano accompaniment) create a beautiful moment of intimacy and poignancy amidst this concert’s dramatic peaks.
- The Snowman Family Concert, 2 Dec, Waterfront Hall, Belfast
- Handel’s Messiah, 8 Dec, Christ Church, Derry-Londonderry
- Handel’s Messiah, 9 Dec, Waterfront Hall, Belfast
- Seamus Heaney & Greece, 15 Dec, Carlisle Road Methodist Church, Derry-Londonderry
An intimate evening of music and poetry exploring Seamus Heaneys relationship with Greece, Featuring Hellas Ensemble , The Ulster Orchestra and Catherine Heaney.
Carlisle Road Methodist Church Derry. 7.30pm ( Doors - 7pm). Price - £18.50 +bf
- The Magic of Christmas, 20 Dec, Millenium Forum, Derry-Londonderry
- The Magic of Christmas, 21 Dec, Waterfront Hall, Belfast
For further information and to view the full season programme please visit www.ulsterorchestra.org.uk
Belfast Tradfest: presents
Barry Kerr, Laura Kerr & Donogh Hennessy | Méabh Meir | Ó Ghlúin go Glúin
Date: 17th November
Venue: The Oh Yeah Music Centre
Workshops: 16:00 - 17:30
Concert: 20:00
Tickets: £15
Traditional Singing - MÉABH MEIR
Guitar Accompaniment - DONOGH HENNESSY
Flute- BARRY KERR
FIiddle - LAURA KERR
For tickets visit www.belfasttraditionalmusic.com
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
Sound of Belfast: 9-19 Nov 2023. The Oh Yeah Music Centre has announced the details of its Sound of Belfast 2023 programme. Highlights include:
NI Music Prize at Ulster Hall, which will see an Oh Yeah Legend Award presented by IMRO to Paul Brady, followed by a special performance. Included in the programme is the NI Music Prize on 15 November. The annual award ceremony which recognises the musical talent in NI returns for 2023, with live performances and special appearances live from the Ulster Hall in Belfast. The prize includes a trophy and a monetary prize of £3000 for Album of The Year. Visit www.nimusicprize.com for full information.
Women’s Work showcase returns as part of Sound of Belfast with an eclectic mix of new music, the only Youth Open Mic in Belfast will unearth new sounds of the city as will the Volume Control Clash of the New Breeds live final.
Beyond Skin will present a show titled Safe Harbour, Concert of the Diaspora
A unique storytelling aspect is integral to this year’s Sound of Belfast, to tell the tales behind the music. In Belfast Central Library, Duke Special will be discussing his new album ‘Blood for Ghosts’ which is to be released both on vinyl and as a book. Eric Bell will take us through his autobiography Remembering, Before, During and After Thin Lizzy with Stuart Bailie in The Deer’s Head.
Full details can be found at www.soundofbelfast.com
Moving On Music: presents,
- 23 November, Arborist (full band), The Empire Music Hall.
Visit www.movingonmusic.com
The Black Box: presents a varied programme of music, comedy, street art tours and other arts events.For further information n 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)
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
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)
Tumble Circus: present their Winter Circus at Writer’s Square in Belfast from 15 Dec 2023 – 4 Jan 2024. Join Tumble Circus for circus, comedy and fun. Winter Circus is high skill, all human and all thrill featuring death defying aerialists, acrobats and juggles. Winter Circus is Belfast’s alternative festival extravaganza for all the family, all performed in a heated big top. Visit www.tumblecircus.com
University of Atypical: is offering a new series of Digital Horizon Masterclasses with registration now open. All masterclasses are free with lunch included, and access needs will be met. Classes include:
- The FUNdamentals of Animation with Grace Fairley, Friday 10 Nov, 10:30am-4:30pm. Register at https://forms.gle/6yj3kd7YW5Jagh9k9
- Digital Portrait Painting using Procreate with Joel Simon, Friday 17 Nov, 10:30am-4:30pm. Register at https://forms.gle/zzFEFQfVToaDy44W6
- Dyslexia and How I Built My Robot Secretary with Conor McGinley, Friday 1 Dec, 10:30-4:30pm. Register at https://forms.gle/5eH3zTuELYQrfBvu6
- Experimenting creatively with sound recordings with Sinead O’Neill Nicoll, Friday 26 January, 10:30am-4:30pm. Register at https://forms.gle/8XxBdSCf8xLR2mpC6
For full details visit https://issuu.com/uoat/docs/digital_horizon_a5_booklet_forweb
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 the following live music events,
- 2 Nov, Ciaran Lavery and Blánid
- 5 Nov, Ellipses, An Anthem to End Wars, part of the Belfast International Arts Festival
- 10 Nov, Ferna and friends
- 25 Nov, Lí Ban
- 26 Nov, Maxwell Quartet with Brighde Chaimbeul & Linda Buckley
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
The Duncairn also has a range of workshops and craft classes and courses. For further details visit www.theduncairn.com
Cultúrlann McAdam Ó Fiaich: presents,
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
For this and more visit www.culturlann.ie
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: in Derry-Londonderry 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 Arts: presents,
ArtCart: Unique to WheelWorks Arts (WWA) is their ArtCart community engagement and outreach programme, which brings creative and artistic activities to your community. ArtCart is also the name WWA gives to its bespoke vehicle that can travel across Northern Ireland and transform into a unique workshop space. ArtCart is available for hire at youth, community, education, and festival events, bringing artistic and creative activities to the community. The available inventive activities cover digital and traditional arts and can include animation, DJing/music making, arts & crafts, and digital arts using augmented and virtual reality. For further information, visit https://www.wheelworksarts.com/artcart or email artcart@wheelworksarts.com.
TS3 Programme: The Tech Studio Skills Share (TS3 programme) is a new initiative by WheelWorks Arts (WWA) that offers training to help people improve their creativity and skills in digital communication by harnessing the specialist artistic expertise of the WWA team. The staff team at WWA consists of professional artists and digital innovators who have a wealth of knowledge, talent, and experience in delivering creative activities. They are now offering a range of training opportunities to the corporate and commercial sectors. For further information, visit https://www.wheelworksarts.com/ts3-training.
TechStudio: This is a 60m2 meeting room and collaboration space available for hire at our office in Weaver's Court, close to Belfast city centre (BT12 5GH). The room is equipped with a range of digital and recording resources, including cameras, green screens, tripods, iPads, and an interactive whiteboard, all available for hire. For pricing and to book the TechStudio, please use our online booking system. For further information, visit https://www.wheelworksarts.com/room-hire or email info@wheelworksarts.com or business@wheelworksarts.com.
ChangeMaker: This is a programme by WWA that connects people from diverse communities with varied identities within organisations, communities, or geographical areas. It encourages open dialogue, exploration, and recognition of differences to foster mutual inclusion, enhance interpersonal understanding, and ultimately boost inter and intra-community cohesion. The programme explores perceptions, stereotypes, and misconceptions that workshop participants may have, with a view to understanding other contributors' values, heritage, biases, and experiences, and why people may have certain views or stereotypes. It also highlights how many of these perspectives may be unintentional, unconscious, and often unchallenged. For more information, contact Lesley@wheelworksarts.com.
Streetwise Community Circus: 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
142nd Royal Ulster Academy Exhibition at the Ulster Museum: 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. The exhibition contains examples of painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, video and more. The must-see exhibition is free to view and is now on, continuing until 1 January 2024. Visit www.belfastinternationalartsfestival.com
Belfast Exposed: presents,
Gallery 1: Victor Sloan, 12 Oct – 21 Dec 2023.
Belfast Exposed presents Beyond, a new survey exhibition of work from world renowned Irish visual artist Victor Sloan. Containing both some of Sloan’s iconic works and a series of never before exhibited images and video pieces, Beyond gives audiences a chance to view a broad survey of work from one of Ireland’s major artists, spanning Sloan’s entire career. The exhibition features both Sloan’s trademark hand-manipulated conceptual images and a range of his documentary photography and video pieces.
The work has a strong international theme, with images from Berlin, Poland, Germany, The Golan Heights, Syria and Jordan displayed, alongside pieces from Northern Ireland. Victor Sloan's Beyond is the highlight exhibition. Beyond will be in Gallery I from Thursday 12th October until Thursday 21st December 2023.
Visit www.belfastexposed.org
The MAC: presents,
Korakrit Arunanondchai, continues until 26 November. The first exhibition in Ireland by Korakrit Arunanondchai, a video and multimedia artist originally from Bangkok who now splits his time between New York and Bangkok. The artist Korakrit Arunanondchai’s interdisciplinary works explore dualities such as life and death, past and present, dream and reality, reflection and rapture, man and machine, individualism, and interconnectedness, combining geopolitical movements and personal experiences of love and loss. In a narrative vein, he will fill the MAC galleries with a hybridised form of documentary, film, installation, performance, painting, and sculpture. Visit www.themaclive.com
Louise Wallace: Midnight Feast – continues until 26 November. Midnight Feast is a new body of work which looks at desire, excess and the feminine. Wallace explores a landscape made of body parts, fruit and animated shrubs, populated by monstrous bird feeders, bizarre garden ornaments and spectral visions. The paintings are a series of nocturnes, loosely based on the gardens of Lenadoon and Glengoland housing estates in West Belfast.
Wallace has distorted these night scenes in a playful, provocative manner to subvert traditional Irish landscape painting and the problematic conflation of the feminine and the land. Midnight Feast depicts a contemporary Northern Imaginary – a reading of place and identity that encompasses laughter, fluidity and non-sense. The exhibition’s title suggests excessive or forbidden behaviour – in the world of adults, a midnight feast could be Bacchanalian. The exhibition positions painting as a field of enquiry rather than a medium-specific condition. A febrile sense of colour is instrumental to holding relationships across media and into the gallery space. Wallace’s painting practice is reimagined across drawing, collage and three-dimensional objects.
Sharon Kelly, Red-to-Red – continues until 26 November. The work in this exhibition has been developed over the period of the artist's ACNI Fellowship at the British School at Rome. Kelly originally commenced the residency in January 2020, but this was interrupted by the pandemic. She returned January - March 2023 to complete the Fellowship.
In this current work, the colour red has developed as multi-charged, with multi-layered resonances; the residue of a staunched wound; the symbol of blood, the universal force and flow of life; the symbol of bloodshed, sacrifice, often seen in religious depictions.
A marker for warning or impending danger. Red is the colour symbolising authority, or status; generals in the days of the Roman Empire had their bodies painted red to celebrate victory. Red was also the colour of protective amulets. Red may indicate energy, vibrancy - the longest-lasting and most dominant of the colours of the Etruscan fresco wall-paintings. These red figurative images, fragmented over time, depict life, death, and the transitional space.
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:
Craft NI Gallery is delighted to invite you to a very special night to of new seasonal work by NI designer-makers!
Join them on Thursday, November 2, 6 - 9pm (Late Night Art) at Craft NI Gallery for the opening night of not one, but two of their most special events: the Christmas exhibition, 'Ag925 - Au750 / Journeys in Silver and Gold' and the Big Bauble Showcase!
Come along and immerse yourself in the makers' creative journeys in silver and gold; or enjoy this year's clever bauble designs and bring the delights of the handmade into your celebrations. Big Bauble Showcase is a yearly staple at Craft NI Gallery, featuring a wide range of unique handmade baubles, in limited ranges or one-offs. The event is a highlight for visitors who come back each year to add to their collection.
Their Christmas exhibition, Ag925 /Au750 / Journeys in Silver and Gold will show new work from NI makers and a few special guests. Conveying the idea of precious metals but also hinting at creative journeys and innovative ways to incorporate these metals and/or colours in new work, and sometimes unexpected materials, we hope this unique selling exhibition will bring a glow to the shortest days of the year.
Exhibiting makers: Abbie Dixon, Aisling Higgins, Alison Lowry, Andrea Hayes, Anna Donovan, Anne Earls Boylan, Ariel Lavian, Caitlin Murphy, Cara Murphy, Celine Traynor, Claire Mooney, David Cousley, Fiona Kerr, Gail Kelly, Irene McBride, Jackie McMaster, Joel Smyth, Kathleen Walsh, Maggie Napier, Patricia Kelly, Ruth Osborne, Sarah Cathers, Shannon McShane
Guest makers: Peter Meanley, Clodagh Molloy, Julie Usel, Cameron & Breen
Venue: Craft NI Gallery
Dates: November 2 (6 - 9pm) - December 30
Visit www.craftni.org
Golden Thread Gallery: After 16 wonderful years on Great Patrick Street, Golden Thread Gallery is moving! They left their current building at the end of September, and re-opening in an exciting new city-centre location in Spring/Summer 2024.
While they temporarily ‘go dark’, their team will work from offices in Weaver’s Court, running all of the gallery’s activities apart from actual exhibitions. They will continue to offer professional support and mentoring for artists; their community outreach programme; workshops for schools and businesses; and advocacy for the visual arts in Northern Ireland through their roles in the Plus Tate network and Belfast Visual Arts Forum.
GTG is delighted that their programme of free workshops for all ages will also continue in collaboration with The Naughton Gallery at Queens. Starting from October, their workshops for families and kids, and for teens and adults, will take place in the Lanyon Building at QUB. As always, all materials will be provided, plus snacks. Dates and times may vary. Full details will be shared on the GTG website and social media in advance. Workshops are free but please book your place by emailing. And make sure you’re on their mailing list to be the first to know!
For further information visit www.goldenthreadgallery.co.uk
Cultúrlann McAdam Ó Fiaich: presents,
Exhibition: Taispeantás Choláiste Feirste. Available to view until 9 Nov 2023.
Every year young, dedicated artists from Coláiste Feirste are invited to showcase their artwork in Cultúrlann McAdam Ó Fiaich. This exhibition gives an insight into the young people in the 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. For more information visit www.culturlann.ie
Queen Street Studios (QSS): Visit www.queenstreetstudios.net
VOID Gallery: presents an exhibition by Istanbul-based artist Banu Cennetoğlu from 2 Sep – 1 Nov 2023.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in Paris on December 10, 1948, three years after the end of World War II. According to the UN, it sets out, for the first time, fundamental human rights to be universally protected, and has been translated in over 500 languages.
Banu Cennetoğlu’s right? (2022 – ) presents the articles of the UDHR in bouquets of gold letter balloons. As the bouquets deflate during the run of the show, they will leave viewers to question whether any rights can remain without the labour of protecting, extending, and upholding them. It will be on display at Void Art Centre from 2 September – 1 November 2023.
Given the parameters of the work, space and duration of the exhibition, articles 11 and 12 will be on view. The first 10 articles of the UDHR were on view at Carnegie Museum of Art for the 58th Carnegie International in 2022-2023 and a short video is displayed on VOID’s website which shows the work which was on display - Banu Cennetoğlu - Void Derry | Contemporary Art Derry (derryvoid.com)
In her cross-disciplinary practice, which includes photography, sculpture, and moving image, Cennetoğlu explores the impossibility of giving form to absence and how the process of attempting to do so deepens our understanding of loss. right? similarly asks if we can protect what is being undermined and never fully actualised as intended.
VOID also has a range of learning opportunities available for all ages, such as talks, workshops and more, visit their website for full details.
Visit www.derryvoid.com
ArtisAnn:
ArtisAnn Gallery, 70 Bloomfield Avenue, Belfast, BT5 5AE
www.artisann.org
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. Visit www.artisann.org
