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What's on in the Arts
2nd August, 2024
From festivals, to concerts, exhibitions and more. Here's your guide to What's On in the Arts....
Féile an Phobail: Féile an Phobail: is Ireland’s Biggest Community Arts Festival. Féile provides a programme of inclusive arts, cultural and community-based activities throughout the year, with its flagship festival, the August Féile being the highlight of Ireland’s festival calendar. The festival returns from 1-11 August 2024. Highlights include:
- The Art of Reconciliation, a partnership project involving Féile an Phobail, the Belfast International Arts Festival. Part 1 of this project involves three-days of events, involving performance, and Panel discussion on the role of arts in conflict and post-conflict societies, involving international delegates, artists, writers and audiences, at the newly built Black Mountain Shared Space Community Centre. Part 2 of the partnership is hosted in October by Belfast International Arts Festival.
- 6th August, KABOSH PRESENTS ‘GREEN & BLUE’ BY LAURENCE MCKEOWN. An officer from the Royal Ulster Constabulary in his green uniform and Eddie from An Garda Síochána, resplendent in blue, communicate via crackly radios until an explosive incident forces them to meet across a field only farmers know the location of. What is it like to be hunted when you’re protecting a man-made line on the ground? The performance will be followed by a discussion.
- 7th August, KABOSH PRESENTS ‘THOSE YOU PASS ON THE STREET’ BY LAURENCE MCKEOWN. Those You Pass on the Street explores the complexities of dealing with the legacy of conflict, especially when that conflict is localised and personal. It contrasts party political positioning with individual needs. It challenges the view that any mechanism for dealing with the past is simply about ‘whose side gets what’. The performance will be followed by a discussion.
- 8th August, KABOSH PRESENTS ‘FEVER’ BY NICOLA MCCARTNEY AND ‘THIRD PERSON IN OUR MARRIAGE’ BY LAURENCE MCKEOWN. Two explosive short dramas. Fever examines the devastating impact of anti-social behaviour, challenging perceptions of class and the role of community justice. In Third Person, a husband and wife are having a seemingly domestic conversation but there is a third person in the room – it asks if there is a timeline to victimhood. The performances will be followed by a discussion.
- 1st -11th August, 8pm ‘ANTHEM FOR DISSATISFACTION’ by Belfast-based Brassneck Theatre Group. ‘Irish Twins’ Jamie and Sarah are about to hit 30… but before they do, they’re reliving their greatest hits; ‘Credit crunch’, ‘Austerity’ and ‘Free School Meals…’ Benefits Britain never sounded so good! Join us for this euphoric working-class celebration of the power of live music, teenage angst and sibling rivalry in this electric and hilarious coming-of-age anthem for the ages!
To view the full programme visit https://feilebelfast.com/feile...
EastSide Arts Festival: continues until 4 August 2024. Packed with music, workshops, comedy, tours, theatre, literature and visual arts, this year’s festival is really special. Across 11 days, festival-goers can enjoy 60+ unique accessible and inclusive events spread across east Belfast, showcasing the vibrant cultural scene and creative talent in this part of the city, as well as welcoming legendary international artists. Programme highlights include:
- DRAGTASTIC CABARET WITH BSL INTERPRETATION Friday 2 August , 8pm , £15 , Shorts Sports & Recreation Club. Lady Portia, Cherrie Ontop and Miss Onya Becks will be joined by Californian glamor duo Deven Green & Handsome Ned, making an exclusive UK and Ireland guest appearance, and the incredible Miss Dora Belle who will provide BSL interpretation for this festival favourite.
- JAZZIE B DJ SET, Friday 2 August, 9pm, £22, Banana Bloc. EastSide Arts Festival is delighted to welcome legendary UK artist and one of the most in demand soul and funk DJs on the circuit, Jazzie B, founder of one of the most iconic soul bands of all time, Soul II Soul.
- CIARAN BARTLETT’S COMEDY CLUB WITH COLIN GEDDIS, AARON BUTLER AND JAZMYNNE SIERRA, Saturday 3 August, 6:30pm & 9:30pm, £22, Banana Block. MC Ciaran Bartlett returns to Banana Block with a sensational lineup of Belfast's premiere comedians. It promises to bring you the funniest stories and most epic one-liners around.
- TUMBLE CIRCUS PRESENTS ‘BANJAXED’, Sunday 4 August, 12pm & 4:30pm, £5, Malone Rugby Club. Come and experience hammer-smashing inspired circus crafted in Belfast by Tumble Circus: the Irish Cirque de Soleil - if Cirque de Soleil was hit by a bus. 35 minutes of death-defying aerial hula hoops, duo trapeze, slapstick, and loads of craic for the whole family.
- Terra Nova Productions is excited to have landed funding for a day of Shakespeare activity with EastSide Arts and Royal Shakespeare Company Actor, Debbie Korley. They have two amazing events taking place on 4th of August 2024: The Shakespeare Masterclass (1pm - 4pm) followed by our Bard & Beverage event, an inside take on acting, directing and navigating a career in show business! (7pm - 9.30pm). The event will also feature performances from their three Shakespeare Monologue Challenge winners.
Plus look out for Soultrane and Hotbox Entertainment championing music of black origin and MOBO-inspired artists, walks and talks exploring history, heritage, beats & bites, silver screenings with Strand Arts Centre at Connswater Shopping Centre, literary an poetry readings, board games, Shakespeare and much more! Visit www.eastsidearts.net
Open House Festival: The annual Open House Festival Bangor gets underway from 28 July-31 August, with Donegal sisters The Henry Girls kicking off a month-long programme of music, comedy, film, theatre, literary and food & drink events. The majority of the 76 events will take place at two key locations: the award-winning Court House on Bangor seafront, and the beautiful Walled Garden at Bangor Castle, and for the first time since the covid pandemic, there will be at least one event every day during the month of August.
Music highlights include an album launch gig by internationally acclaimed Northern Irish rock band And So I Watch You From Afar, indie singer-songwriter and banjo strummer Kate Stables, aka This Is The Kit, and the sensational young Donegal country blues musician Muireann Bradley. The eleven-man Whitehorse Guitar Club from Cork should deliver a Festival “moment” at their Walled Garden event, while for indie soul group Skinny Living, their performance in the Walled Garden will be a much-anticipated homecoming gig for frontman Ryan Johnston who comes from Bangor.
For comedy fans there’s a double bill of Diona Doherty and Micky Bartlett, stand-up and Irishman Abroad podcaster, Jarlath Regan, and Colin Geddis, one of Ireland’s most in-demand comedians.
Cinema highlights include a screening of last year’s box-office hit, Barbie, in the Walled Garden, a trilogy of Bangor writer Colin Bateman’s films in the Court House, including Driven, the story of John DeLorean’s rise and fall, and Blitzed, a documentary film from Belfast-born director Michael Donald about London’s famous New Romantic nightclub The Blitz.
Free events include Irish Traditional Music sessions in the Court House every Saturday afternoon, and Picnic in the Park gigs at Ward Park every Sunday afternoon throughout the month.
The Festival will close on Saturday 31st August with an appropriate finale party set from Will Foot and Lewis Henderson of Deptford Northern Soul Club at the Court House. Full details of the Festival programme and ticket links can be found on the Open House website: www.openhousefestival.com
Clandeboye Festival: celebrates 25 years of Camerata Ireland, founded by world-renowned pianist Barry Douglas in response to the Good Friday Agreement. This year’s festival features a new commission by Belfast composer Greg Caffrey to celebrate 25 years of Camerata Ireland and will see 12 young musicians join Camerata Academy.
Camerata Ireland’s celebrations will continue in August when they return to perform at the Clandeboye Festival which takes place in the historical Clandeboye Estate on the outskirts of Bangor. Founded by Douglas in 2001 to showcase the very best international guest artists along with homegrown musical talent, the 2024 Clandeboye Festival, themed “Colourful Connections”, takes place this year from 17-24 August with a rich programme planned. As well as 2 performances by Camerata Ireland featuring Barry Douglas as soloist, the festival will showcase a stellar line up of internationally renowned guest soloists and homegrown talent, with 13 lunchtime, afternoon and evening concerts taking place in the unique and intimate setting of the Banqueting Hall and Chapel at Clandeboye. Visit https://www.camerata-ireland.c...
Northern Ireland Opera/14th Glenarm Festival of Voice 2024: returns to the beautiful Co Antrim village of Glenarm from 23-25 August 2024. Now in its fourteenth year, the festival includes three free BBC Radio 3 recitals to experience, recorded live at the festival for national broadcast in September as four ‘Lunchtime Concerts’, an afternoon recital in The Londonderry Arms in Carnlough, and the weekend culminates in a thrilling vocal competition featuring five young opera singers selected from across the island of Ireland.
The Competition Finale, hosted by NI Opera Patron, BBC Radio 3 broadcaster Sean Rafferty, showcases five singers selected from entrants from across the island of Ireland who compete in front of a live jury panel to win the Deborah Voigt Opera Prize and become the NI Opera Young Opera Voice of 2024. There is also a Song Prize award and the Kathryn Harries Audience Prize, voted for by the audience during a short interval on the night.
The BBC Radio 3 Recitalists this year are mezzo soprano Niamh O’Sullivan, tenor Liam Bonthrone, baritone Ben McAteer who will perform a recital each across the weekend, accompanied by pianist Michael Pandya. Tickets to attend these BBC Radio 3 Recitals are free but booking is essential via BBC Shows and Audiences – booking will open on July 15th.
Save the dates now for a weekend packed full of wonderful concerts and performances – details and booking links coming soon!
- Friday 23 August, 8pm: BBC Radio 3 Recital in St Patrick’s Church, Glenarm: Liam Bonthrone (tenor) & Michael Pandya (piano)– Free but booking essential from 15 July
- Saturday 24 August, 3pm: Afternoon Recital in The Londonderry Arms, Carnlough with soprano Anna Gregg – winner of last year’s Glenarm Festival of Voice Competition and pianist Tristan Russcher.
- Saturday 24 August, 8pm: BBC Radio 3 Recital in St Patrick’s Church, Glenarm: Ben McAteer (baritone) & Michael Pandya (piano) – Free but booking essential from 15 July
- Sunday 25 August, 3pm: BBC Radio 3 Recital in St Patrick’s Church, Glenarm: Niamh O’Sullivan (mezzo-soprano) & Michael Pandya (piano) – Free but booking essential from 15 July.
- Sunday 25 August, 6.30pm: The Glenarm Festival of Voice Competition Finale in the Church of the Immaculate Conception, Glenarm – Finalist details coming soon
To book visit www.niopera.com
25th Scoil Samhraidh Mhic Reachtain festival (21 July – 2 August): Cumann Cultúrtha Mhic Reachtain will celebrate their 25th Scoil Samhraidh Mhic Reachtain festival, commencing Sunday 21 July with music and guided walk from Belfast Castle to McArt's Fort, and will close on Friday 2 August with an Oíche Airneáil concert celebrating sean-nós singing and dancing. In between there are the best of pioneering, traditional and contemporary music at concerts, daily music sessions, literary events, lectures, Gaelic karaoke night, bespoke cultural culinary evening, international lunch, 2 x 5-day Irish-language courses, book stalls, and more. For more info and tickets go to www.mhicreachtain.com or follow on Facebook and Twitter, or call into Caifé Ceoil in Áras Mhic Reachtain 283-289 Antrim Road, Belfast).
ArtsEkta: presents the Belfast Mela. Experience the wonder of Belfast’s diversity with a spectacular week long programme of world music, dance, food and art across the city as Mela returns between 17 – 25 August 2024. Sponsored by Sensata Technologies, culture and creativity come together in a magical programme of events finishing with the spectacular finale at Botanic Gardens. Visit www.belfastmela.org.uk
Charles Wood Festival of Music and Summer School: returns from 11-18 August 2024, in person, on radio and online. Highlights include:
- A Festival of Hymns, Sunday 11th August - 15:00 – Free. John Crothers, Executive Committee Member of The Hymn Society of Great Britain and Ireland, introduces a selection of favourite and lesser-known hymns on the theme of beginnings, in the glorious surroundings of St Patrick’s Church of Ireland Cathedral. Featuring the Lowry Singers (Armagh), conducted by Elizabeth Seale, with organist Ven Dr Peter Thompson.
- Opening Concert, Sunday 11th August - 20:00 – Free. A spectacular celebration of local and international talent featuring the Grosvenor Chorale (Belfast) – winner of Best Choral Society Choir in RTÉ Lyric FM’s 2023 Choirs for Christmas Competition – and Thomas Trotter – winner of the Queen’s Medal for Music 2021 and one of the world’s most revered concert organists.
- Come and Sing 'Gloria', Monday 12th August - 19:30 - £10. Dónal Doherty, Artistic Director of the City of Derry International Choir Festival, and conductor of the acclaimed choir, Codetta, guides singers through an eclectic mix of Glorias - including those by Vivaldi, Handel, Poulenc and Rutter. The event will be supported by the Newry-based chamber choir, Gaudeamus. Sure to be a glorious event!
- Summer Delights, Wednesday 14th August - 19:00 - £20. Be transported to a realm of refined splendour at Armagh’s Palace Demesne! Join us for an unforgettable evening with the acclaimed Northern Ireland mezzo-soprano, Carolyn Dobbin, pianist Tristan Russcher and Ioana Petcu-Colan, Leader of the Ulster Orchestra!
- The Charles Wood Gala Concert, Friday 16th August - 19:30 - £15/£5. Musicians associated with the Festival come together for a glorious evening of music featuring: The Charles Wood Singers; David Hill (conductor); Philip Scriven (organ); The Charles Wood Girls’ Choir; Ian Keatley (conductor); Luke Bond (organ); Ellen Pearson (soprano) – Charles Wood Song Competition Senior Winner 2024 – with Ruth McGinley (piano); and the 2024 Senior Winner of the Northern Ireland International Organ Competition.
View the full programme and book tickets at https://www.charleswoodsummers...
August Craft Month: The highly anticipated month-long celebration of Irish craft has officially launched! This year’s August Craft Month brings together an array of talented makers hosting nearly 300 events with representation in almost every county on the island of Ireland. August Craft Month celebrates a rich craft heritage with artisans keeping ancient traditions alive and new talented makers bringing real vibrancy to the scene. With events taking place across Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, August Craft Month provides unique opportunities for people to get involved as well as supporting makers by buying products and learning more about their work. Supported by Design & Crafts Council Ireland and Craft NI, the annual celebration is once again part of an island-wide summer programme. There is a packed itinerary of nearly 300 eclectic events, with craft disciplines including ceramists, textile makers, glassblowers, designer-makers and more all available across the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. For events taking place in Northern Ireland, please visit https://augustcraftmonth.org/e...
Belfast 2024: is an ambitious cultural celebration made by the people of Belfast and led by Belfast City Council. This programme will see the city come to life with creative projects, events and civic initiatives taking place across Belfast throughout the year. For more information visit https://www.belfastcity.gov.uk...
Belfast International Arts Festival: returns from 16 Oct – 23 Nov 2024 and early bird shows are now on sale including a summer event in August:
- 10-18 August, Step into the new community garden at the Black Mountain Shared Space and experience ROOTS, a unique performance by Eileen McClory that blends dance, poetry and storytelling. (Commissioned by Belfast 2024)
- 28 October, A collective of supremely talented female musicians from West Africa, Les Amazones d’Afrique blend traditional African rhythms with gritty contemporary pop
- 29 October, BIAF presents blues legends Paul Jones and Dave Kelly, Irish singer-songwriter Freddie White, and special guests the Ulster Orchestra
- 24 and 25 October, North Star is an immersive live music performance, inspired by the historic speech given by writer and abolitionist, Frederick Douglass in Belfast in 1845. (Commissioned by Belfast 2024). Grammy Award winner Kaidi Tatham, poet Nandi Jola, rising stars Leo Miyagee and Winnie Ama, special guests Hannah Peel and Colin Salmon, and nearly 100 Belfast schoolkids, have created a spectacular showcase of music, art, and literature, deeply rooted in Black music and cultures, and delivered in spectacular surround sound.
- 31 Oct – 2 Nov, Cahoots NI presents The Vanishing Elephant. Cahoots’ moving story of friendship, belonging and adventure was named a ‘Critic’s Pick’ in the New York Times, which hailed it as ‘an alluring spectacle’.
Visit www.belfastinternationalartsfe... for tickets and info.
City of Derry International Choir Festival: The 12th City of Derry International Choir Festival returns this autumn from the 23rd to 27th of October and this year will see the largest ever number of participating choirs the festival has had since its inaugural year as part of the 2013 City of Culture programme. 91 musical groups will be bringing the world-famous City of Song to life across the five-day annual festival, which will feature, as ever, a superb programme of guest artist concerts, competitions for school, national and international choirs, as well as the audience favourites of pop-up choral trail performances and community concerts in venues across the city and northwest region. Choirs will be travelling from Spain, Portugal, Iceland, Germany, England, Scotland, Wales and from across the island of Ireland to be part of this exciting and major event in the musical life of Northern Ireland. Visit www.derrychoirfest.com
Féile: Derry’s biggest community arts festival, returns this August for the 32nd year. From August 10th - 17th, Féile 2024 will feature more than 120 events across the Bogside, Brandywell, Creggan, Bishop Street, Fountain neighbourhoods and Derry City centre. The programme is now available to view at https://issuu.com/gasyardfeile...
Tinderbox: presents, YERMA, By Federico Garcia Lorca; New Adaptation by Patrick J O’Reilly, 10 Oct – 3 Nov.
This October at the Lyric Theatre, as part of the Belfast International Arts Festival, the multi-award-winning Tinderbox Theatre Company are thrilled to premiere Patrick J O Reilly’s new adaptation of Yerma, a poetic and darkly tragic re-telling of maternal love, passion and obsession against the backdrop of the Cooley Mountains.
Against the shadows of the Cooley Mountains, a turmoil lurks beneath a family gathering. As Yerma and her husband navigate a family christening, their strained relationship is laid bare. Will Yerma's yearning for a child drive her to despair, or can she find a way to defy societal expectations? Experience Lorca's masterpiece of love, loss, and longing in this gripping production by the Tinderbox Theatre Company. Through a powerful combination of Lorcas stunning words drenched in passion and visually stunning physical theatre, Yerma is sure to cement itself as a landmark piece of this year's theatrical calendar, one that will leave you reflecting long after the lights have faded. Visit www.lyrictheatre.co.uk
Cahoots: Mark 31st October – 2 November in your diary for the European premiere of, The Vanishing Elephant, presented by Northern Ireland theatre company, Cahoots, at the Grand Opera House, as part of the 2024 Belfast International Arts Festival. The show, which is supported by funding from The National Lottery through the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, received critical acclaim at its premiere in New York at The New Victory Theater in 2023, and now’s your chance to see this extraordinary show in Belfast!
This moving story of friendship and what it means to be ‘home,’ reflects on topics of migration, displacement, new beginnings and acceptance - all told through the eyes of an astonishing Asian elephant. Don’t miss this incredible show this autumn – buy your tickets now at www.belfastinternationalartsfe...
DU Dance: presents the following:
- Join DUDanceni for SHIFT, this immersive show dives into a young person's perspective on the climate crisis, migration, & human resilience through breathtaking dance, music, & aerial performance. Aug 21st-22nd at BBC Blackstaff House. Tickets only £5 https://tinyurl.com/shiftdudan...
- Craic Theatre in Dungannon will host a photography exhibition by Jim Corr on DU Dance’s youth engagement project’ Sutemos’, to mark the end of a great year of dance. The exhibition called ‘Seen / Unseen’ follows a group of young people from Du Dance, along with dance artist, Christine O’Neill, as they used dance to explore the important topic of what we see on the outside compared to what we don’t see going on in the inside. Their ideas originated from experiencing first hand that social media can dramatically affect how we perceive the world and crucially how by portraying a bright and vibrant online appearance often we don’t see the real and dark lives behind the screen. The exhibition is now available to view.
Visit www.dudanceni.com
High Points to bring world class dance to Belfast International Ballet Festival.
The first one is High Points Youth Ballet who are this year hosting Belfast International Ballet Festival in this city between 5-10 August 20 when they will bring together over 100 dancers comprising young students, adult students and professionals to celebrate the rich ballet community we have here.
The teachers will include principal guest ballet artist and educators from across the world with homegrown talent like Oona Doherty joining global ballet guru Yuri Tcvetkov, Master Teacher, ballet artist and educator who is an esteemed graduate of Vaganova Academy in St. Petersburg, and Sarah Maria Burton who is an international medalist and has performed globally too. There are a number of master class teachers who are from the local area including Belfast Newtownards and Portadown all of whom will be working with the adults and children on their dance techniques to create performances for three shows which will take place in the MAC Theatre between 9-10 August 2024, a lot in 5 days! Visit www.themaclive.com
Lyric Theatre: presents an exciting programme of events with highlights including:
- 2-4 Aug, All Growed Up
- 8-10 Aug, A Night at the Musicials
- 28 Aug- 1 Sep, Nuala McKeever, Truth, Love or Promise
- 5-22 Sep, The Man Who Swallowed a Dictionary
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,
- 18-20 July: Sunset Boulevard
- 23 July- 3 Aug: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
- 23-27 July: Scaredy Fat
- 13-17 Aug: 101 Dalmations
- 19-24 Aug 2024: Grand Family Festival. Get ready for the Theatre’s Grand Family Festival taking place in August 2024 - for one week only! Tickets are now on sale for over 25 fun workshops and events. Create, learn and discover this summer with all the family at your Grand Opera House!
- 6 June 2025: Russell Kane: HyperActive
- Eugene Onégin by Tchaikovsky. 14,17,19,21 September, Grand Opera House Belfast. After two consecutive sold-out productions, La Traviata in 2022, and Tosca in 2023, Northern Ireland Opera returns to the Grand Opera House with Tchaikovsky’s stunning operatic masterpiece, Eugene Onégin. Love, friendship and fidelity collide with devastating consequences in this story of passion, pride, a moment’s madness, a duel and a true love lost. Directed by Cameron Menzies, don’t miss your opportunity to see this award-winning national opera company’s new production of one of the most exciting stories ever set to music. Performed in Russian with English surtitles.
- 24 Sep 2025: Rob Beckett: Giraffe
- 31 Oct-2 Nov: Cahoots NI presents The Vanishing Elephant
For tickets and to view the full programme please visit www.goh.co.uk
Strand Arts Centre: visit www.strandartscentre.com
The Playhouse in Derry-Londonderry: presents a series of events with highlights including,
- Ulster Youth Opera workshops, 10 June, 8 July, 12 Aug,& 19 Aug
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:
- Moves and Melodies. Moves and Melodies is an age friendly project in the Millennium Forum that includes song and dance workshops for 60 people. This project will be provided complimentary and will be held once a month in the Studio Theatre. The music facilitator is Fiona Logue and the dance facilitators are Claire Harkin and Emma Lindsay from Emma Lindsay Dance. There will be an opportunity to learn new dance skills and sing a range of song styles every month. 2pm – 3.30pm. For further information contact Lisa Heaney on 028 7127 2779 or email lisah@millenniumforum.co.uk
- 15-17 Aug, Sweeney Todd
- 16 Aug, Ulster Youth Orchestra Concert, Gulidhall
Visit www.millenniumforum.co.uk
THE MAC: presents a fantastic programme of theatre, comedy music and talks with highlights including:
- 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 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.
- 5-8 Aug, MAC Art Camp
- 22-24 Aug, Charlie and The Chocolate Factory
- 28 Aug – 1 Sep, Shrek The Musical
- 6-7 Sep, Rachel Tucker, I’m Home
- 20 Sep, Christine Bovill: Piaf to Pop
For all this and more visit www.themaclive.com to view a full programme of events and exhibitions.
Crescent Arts Centre: presents a series of language, visual arts, craft, music, dance classes, and more plus workshops and events. Visit www.crescentarts.org for details.
Seamus Heaney HomePlace: View the full programme at www.seamusheaneyhome.com
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/DMCSH... ) or https://www.youtube.com/channe...
Ulster Youth Orchestra: presents their summer concert series in Belfast and Derry-Londonderry
- Fri 16 Aug, Guildhall, Derry-Londonderry
- Sat 17 Aug, Ulster Hall, Belfast
Visit www.uyo.org.uk
Clandeboye Festival: celebrates 25 years of Camerata Ireland, founded by world-renowned pianist Barry Douglas in response to the Good Friday Agreement. This year’s festival features a new commission by Belfast composer Greg Caffrey to celebrate 25 years of Camerata Ireland and will see 12 young musicians join Camerata Academy.
Camerata Ireland’s celebrations will continue in August when they return to perform at the Clandeboye Festival which takes place in the historical Clandeboye Estate on the outskirts of Bangor. Founded by Douglas in 2001 to showcase the very best international guest artists along with homegrown musical talent, the 2024 Clandeboye Festival, themed “Colourful Connections”, takes place this year from 17-24 August with a rich programme planned. As well as 2 performances by Camerata Ireland featuring Barry Douglas as soloist, the festival will showcase a stellar line up of internationally renowned guest soloists and homegrown talent, with 13 lunchtime, afternoon and evening concerts taking place in the unique and intimate setting of the Banqueting Hall and Chapel at Clandeboye. Visit https://www.camerata-ireland.c...
City of Derry International Choir Festival: The 12th City of Derry International Choir Festival returns this autumn from the 23rd to 27th of October and this year will see the largest ever number of participating choirs the festival has had since its inaugural year as part of the 2013 City of Culture programme. 91 musical groups will be bringing the world-famous City of Song to life across the five-day annual festival, which will feature, as ever, a superb programme of guest artist concerts, competitions for school, national and international choirs, as well as the audience favourites of pop-up choral trail performances and community concerts in venues across the city and northwest region. Choirs will be travelling from Spain, Portugal, Iceland, Germany, England, Scotland, Wales and from across the island of Ireland to be part of this exciting and major event in the musical life of Northern Ireland. Visit www.derrychoirfest.com
Northern Ireland Opera: Come and see artists from Northern Ireland Opera in action this summer at a whole range of free concerts and pop-up events. No need to book – just turn up and enjoy the performance. Performances include:
- 7 August, 1.15 to 2pm – free performance as part of the Summer Recitals Series at First Church, Rosemary St, Belfast
- 25 August, 12 to 1pm – free performance at the SoundYard, Maritime Mile, Belfast
Northern Ireland Opera/14th Glenarm Festival of Voice 2024: returns to the beautiful Co Antrim village of Glenarm from 23-25 August 2024. Now in its fourteenth year, the festival includes three free BBC Radio 3 recitals to experience, recorded live at the festival for national broadcast in September as four ‘Lunchtime Concerts’, an afternoon recital in The Londonderry Arms in Carnlough, and the weekend culminates in a thrilling vocal competition featuring five young opera singers selected from across the island of Ireland.
The Competition Finale, hosted by NI Opera Patron, BBC Radio 3 broadcaster Sean Rafferty, showcases five singers selected from entrants from across the island of Ireland who compete in front of a live jury panel to win the Deborah Voigt Opera Prize and become the NI Opera Young Opera Voice of 2024. There is also a Song Prize award and the Kathryn Harries Audience Prize, voted for by the audience during a short interval on the night.
The BBC Radio 3 Recitalists this year are mezzo soprano Niamh O’Sullivan, tenor Liam Bonthrone, baritone Ben McAteer who will perform a recital each across the weekend, accompanied by pianist Michael Pandya. Tickets to attend these BBC Radio 3 Recitals are free but booking is essential via BBC Shows and Audiences – booking will open on July 15th.
Save the dates now for a weekend packed full of wonderful concerts and performances – details and booking links coming soon!
- Friday 23 August, 8pm: BBC Radio 3 Recital in St Patrick’s Church, Glenarm: Liam Bonthrone (tenor) & Michael Pandya (piano)– Free but booking essential from 15 July
- Saturday 24 August, 3pm: Afternoon Recital in The Londonderry Arms, Carnlough with soprano Anna Gregg – winner of last year’s Glenarm Festival of Voice Competition and pianist Tristan Russcher.
- Saturday 24 August, 8pm: BBC Radio 3 Recital in St Patrick’s Church, Glenarm: Ben McAteer (baritone) & Michael Pandya (piano) – Free but booking essential from 15 July
- Sunday 25 August, 3pm: BBC Radio 3 Recital in St Patrick’s Church, Glenarm: Niamh O’Sullivan (mezzo-soprano) & Michael Pandya (piano) – Free but booking essential from 15 July.
- Sunday 25 August, 6.30pm: The Glenarm Festival of Voice Competition Finale in the Church of the Immaculate Conception, Glenarm – Finalist details coming soon. To book visit www.niopera.com
- Eugene Onégin by Tchaikovsky. 14,17,19,21 September, Grand Opera House Belfast. After two consecutive sold-out productions, La Traviata in 2022, and Tosca in 2023, Northern Ireland Opera returns to the Grand Opera House with Tchaikovsky’s stunning operatic masterpiece, Eugene Onégin. Love, friendship and fidelity collide with devastating consequences in this story of passion, pride, a moment’s madness, a duel and a true love lost. Directed by Cameron Menzies, don’t miss your opportunity to see this award-winning national opera company’s new production of one of the most exciting stories ever set to music. Performed in Russian with English surtitles.
Visit www.niopera.com for details
Belfast Music Society (BMS): please visit www.belfastmusicsociety.com
Moving on Music: presents,
- 2 Aug, Deerhoof
- 28 Aug, Matana Roberts & Guest
- 27 Sep, Seckou Keita
- 29 Sep, John Francis Flynn
- 16 Oct, Artifacts Trio
- 24 Oct, Rachael Lavelle
For tickets visit www.movingonmusic.com
Portico of Ards: visit www.porticoards.com
Ulster Orchestra: presents
1 Sep, On Your Doorstep, The Hill of the O’Neill and Ranfurly House, Dungannon
Visit www.ulsterorchestra.com to book tickets.
Oh Yeah Centre Belfast: presents a programme of music and tours with highlights including,
- 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
- 13 Aug, Dean Friedman
- 17 Aug, United Bottles, Takers & Users, An Slua, Easy Company, Crackhead Company
- 31 Aug, Gazefest
- 22 Sep, Taylor Made - A Tribute to Taylor Swift
Visit www.ohyeahbelfast.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/drawingfro...
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)
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 live music from the following,
- 24 August, Brendan Mulholland CD Launch & Piaras Ó Lorcáin
- 5 Sep, live music from DUG
- 27 Sep, ITMA: Drawing from the Well Concert Tour 2024
- 3 Oct, live music from ALFI
- 12 Oct, live music from The McGoldrick Family
- 23 Nov, Suaimhneas : Caoilfhionn Rose & Sammy Copley
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
University of Atypical: visit https://universityofatypical.o...
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
- Yoga Classes with Dunla, 6:30-7:30pm, £5. No need to register, just pay on arrival.
- Cultúrlann McAdam Ó Fiaich are delighted to present their summer programme with events and courses in abundance as they gear up for the indigenous festival of Lúnasa.
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-...
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 and to hear about their special Art Cart offers over Christmas, visit https://www.wheelworksarts.com... 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....
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... 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/channe...
August Craft Month: The highly anticipated month-long celebration of Irish craft has officially launched! This year’s August Craft Month brings together an array of talented makers hosting nearly 300 events with representation in almost every county on the island of Ireland. August Craft Month celebrates a rich craft heritage with artisans keeping ancient traditions alive and new talented makers bringing real vibrancy to the scene. With events taking place across Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, August Craft Month provides unique opportunities for people to get involved as well as supporting makers by buying products and learning more about their work. Supported by Design & Crafts Council Ireland and Craft NI, the annual celebration is once again part of an island-wide summer programme. There is a packed itinerary of nearly 300 eclectic events, with craft disciplines including ceramists, textile makers, glassblowers, designer-makers and more all available across the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. For events taking place in Northern Ireland, please visit https://augustcraftmonth.org/events-ni/
Craft NI: This year’s August Craft Month Exhibition, ‘Reaction’, opens at Craft NI Gallery on August 1st to Saturday, August 31st, 2024. The exhibition will welcome audiences with exciting work by talented local designer-makers, who have responded to this year’s theme, Reaction. Viewers are invited to follow striking trains of thought, and glimpse into the makers’ journey - from the creative spark to the finished piece.
The works seen in the exhibition are bound to raise reactions in the viewer, whether these are consensus, discomfort, an inward smile - perhaps the recall of a similar experience or memory. We are looking forward to sharing this year’s August Craft Month exhibition with you and seeing what conversations around craft and its purpose emerge from this year’s theme!
Exhibiting makers: Anne Butler, Caitlin Murphy, Cara Murphy, Carla Pennie McBride, Celine Traynor, Cora Cummins, Corinne Price, Eleanor Wheeler, Fang Zhao, Hugh Cummins, Irene McBride, Jackie McMaster, Janice Gilmore, Joel Smyth, Karena Ryan, Karl Harron, Kathleen Walsh, Maya Todd, Natasha Rollinson, Pennie Metcalfe, Claire and Karen Gibson from Red Earth Designs, Ruth Osborne, Sarah Cathers, Stuart Cairns and Sue Cathcart. Visit www.craftnigallery.org
The MAC: presents,
The Weight of Light: Conor McFeely and Pascale Steven, 9 Aug – 20 Oct 2024 (Tall Gallery and Sunken Gallery).
This exhibition brings together the practices of Conor McFeely and Pascale Steven, artists who live together and occasionally work together, their practices have been influenced by their shared, and occasionally different outlooks on art and living. In this presentation works overlap at a conceptual level, with their focus being the discernment of meaning within the experience of loss and the potential for adaptive change resulting from life experience. Their partnership is a synergy of emotions and ideas and an invitation for viewers to explore and make connections within the collaboration.
Conor McFeely will present the video work Memorial Device in the Sunken Gallery along with new works, photography and installation under the title Azimuth PointZero in the Tall Gallery. Pascale Steven will be showing the works Coda and Gravity Game in the Tall Gallery. They are provisional by their nature in terms of their presentation and are specifically considered for this gallery space. The project reflects the artists wider interest in the use of materials and images as metaphors. The works are connected by their shared interest in serendipity when integrating sometimes incongruous processes and images.
The Shake: Khaled Barakeh, 9 Aug – 20 Oct 2024
The Shake is an ambitious art project by Khaled Barakeh, a Syrian multidisciplinary conceptual artist, activist, and cultural director based in Berlin. This project is funded by Cultural Bridge, which celebrates bilateral artistic partnerships between the UK and Germany through the collaboration between Arts Council England, the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, British Council, Creative Scotland, Fonds Soziokultur, Goethe-Institut London and Wales Arts International / Arts Council of Wales. Cultural-bridge.info
The project takes its stepping-off point from Maurice Harron's iconic public sculpture, Hands Across the Divide. Erected in 1992, the sculpture is located in the doubly named City of Derry-Londonderry, marked by its complex identities in Northern Ireland. It symbolises "the letting go of the past and reconciliation between both sides of the political divide during The Troubles."
Barakeh reimagines this historical piece, focusing on the hands of the monument's two figures and precisely the gap between them: cast in bronze, frozen in an unfinished reconciliation, almost meeting but never genuinely joining. This gap, filled with traumas and emotional memories, historical and political differences, resonated deeply with Khaled, who is from a country recently torn apart by sectarianism and deep-seated conflicts. He is drawn to exploring the potential within this void as an opportunity for new thinking that could bridge societal divides. By considering it as a connector rather than a divider, the gap metaphorically opens a space for this to negotiate the essence of it, encouraging viewers to contemplate what can be done differently. A socially engaged segment of The Shake will unfold during the exhibition period. It will involve collaboration with a coalition of local organisations and stakeholders.
Visit www.themaclive.com
Belfast Print Workshop - buy framed prints by BPW members working across a range of techniques, supported by The National Lottery, www.bpw.org.uk
Queen Street Studios, Belfast: visit www.queenstreetstudios.net
Seacourt Print Workshop. Visit www.facebook.com/seacourtprintworksshop
Golden Thread Gallery: While they await their big move into their new city centre location in Belfast, GTG is delighted that their programme of free workshops for all ages will also continue in collaboration with The Naughton Gallery at Queens. 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 about the new location! For further information visit www.goldenthreadgallery.co.uk
Cultúrlann McAdam Ó Fiaich: presents,
EXHIBITION | Colin Darke 'With Hidden Noise', 1 Aug – 12 Sep
Darke is originally from England. He moved to Ireland in 1988, spending twenty years in Derry, relocating to Belfast to return to study, completing a PhD at Ulster University in 2010. He has lived in West Belfast since 2012. Much of his work has incorporated hand-written text. This initially referred to political prisoners’ letters - the “comm” or “teach” - written on cigarette papers. Darke took the essentially republican form of the comm and onto it wrote Marxist content, thus looking at the relationship between the two ideologies. The show at the Cultúrlann in part returns to this question.
The three pieces in Fuaim Faoi Cheilt refer to a 1913 work by Marcel Duchamp, titled With Hidden Noise.
One consists of external hard drives, containing unknown password-protected files. The largest piece consists of 1,275 gift boxes, tied with string and containing a British penny. Their tags have one word, adding up to James Connolly’s translated essay Socialism and Irish Nationalism. The third considers far-right bigotry towards immigration and consists of bottles of sea water from the west coast, and including the ironic poem Démocratie by Rimbaud. All three works form the basis of animations which will be included in the exhibition.
Colin Darke says of the show, “As a local resident, showing at the Cultúrlann has been an ambition for some years. Two of the pieces were made specifically for the gallery and I look forward to seeing them in place.”
EXHIBITION | Megan Luddy 'In The Smoke of A Little Sugar', 1 Aug – 12 Sep
"In the smoke of a little sugar". “Leigheas an tSiúcra”(?) and a cut finger might be held in the smoke of a little sugar/ sprinkled on a lighted coal (NFC 0122: 157.)
Joyce says that the soul of Ireland is trapped in a net; it is also collected there. To create ourselves we must reach into that fishing net, that lacework, that woven basket. Do our fingers catch in the gaps?
Owing a great debt to the scholarship of Martín Mac Con Iomaire, Bríd Mahon, Kevin Danaher, Jennie Moran and the thousands of voices woven into the Dúchas Schools collection, this exhibition explores and reimagines the patchwork history of cooking culture in Ireland. It does so in the hopes of easing a painful cultural memory of famine, fasting, hunger strikes, institutionalization and food insecurity, which today manifests in the prevalence of disordered eating and Ireland’s disregard for the nutritional needs of those in our care.
Drawing on the aforementioned scholarship, persevering folklore, medieval Irish literature, traditional craft methods (patchworking, Irish lace), as well as the artist's love of cooking with her friends, the work develops a joyful visual language for Irish cooking.
Visit www.culturlann.ie
Belfast Exposed: presents,
Gallery 2: Degrowth Utopia,4 July – 3 Aug 2024
Kicking off the Belfast Exposed Emerging Curator Programme, 'Degrowth Utopia' borrows the economic concept of ‘degrowth’ (a project of voluntary societal shrinking of production and consumption aimed at social and ecological sustainability) as a departure point to explore an alternative future where ecological sustainability replaces the system of capitalism.
Many economists believe that the age of capitalism is coming to an end, but what system will replace it? 'Degrowth Utopia' functions as a tool to re-imagine capitalism’s replacement through the medium of photography and facilitates a space in which radical hope can exist.
Mark Fisher argues in his text Capitalist Realism: is there no alternative? (2009) that capitalism is untenable and inconsistent but that our representation of war, poverty, and climate disaster reinforce the belief that it is an inevitable part of the societal process. Utopianism perforates this process to re-imagine an alternative world that centres the natural world, social justice and well-being.
The social significance of Belfast Exposed as a venue for this show cannot be understated. Belfast has been a place in chronic flux, confronting ongoing tensions and mediating complex identities therefore prompting its communities to constantly re-imagine their futures. Belfast’s capacity to rebuild, self-reference and persevere allows it to act as an open space for renewed thinking - what comes after capitalism?
Belfast Exposed also offer a series of photography classes and workshops for all levels of experience. Visit www.belfastexposed.org
VOID Art Centre: presents,
- Nyctalopia, Adrián Balseca, 22 June – 21 Sep 2024.
Void Art Centre is delighted to announce ‘Nyctalopia’, an exhibition by Adrián Balseca. Adrián Balseca’s ‘Nyctalopia,’ his debut solo exhibition in Northern Ireland, is a commissioned research project at Void Art Centre in Derry. This two-part multimedia installation critically examines the impacts of car culture by offering alternative perspectives on the ongoing ecological crisis. “Nyctalopia,” or “night blindness,” symbolizes a collective condition in post-neoliberal economies, characterized by an inability to clearly perceive the current environmental crisis.
- Life Drawing with Cara Donaghey and Caoimhe Stones, Thursday 15 August, 7-8:30pm
VOID is looking forward to welcoming you to their next Life Drawing session in Void Art Centre, part of the public programme for Nyctalopia, a project with artist Adrián Balseca. Artist Cara Donaghey and Model Caoimhe Stones join together create an engaging and open session in the main galleries, which will include a soundtrack themed to Nyctalopia. VOID will provide standing easels and boards, a range of art materials for drawing and newsprint for the session. You are also welcome to bring your own personal materials/sketchpad. No previous experience required and all participants are all warmly welcome. Tickets are £8 per person, which ensures we can pay our facilitators and provide materials. Book via the link - https://www.eventbrite.com/e/life-drawing-with-cara-donaghey-and-caoimhe-stones-tickets-964886981937?aff=oddtdtcreator
Visit the VOID website for full details at www.derryvoid.com
Platform Arts: Visit www.nuacollective.com for more information.
CCA: presents, Strata, 20 July – 21 Sep, a new exhibition at CCA Derry~Londonderry by artists Marie Farrington, Dorothy Hunter and Amy Stephens. The artworks in the show explore layers of interconnected themes and lines of enquiry exploring geology, extraction, value and thresholds. The three artists use a range of media including photography, sculpture, film and new site-specific installations and interventions. Visit www.ccadld.org for more details.
F.E McWilliam Gallery & Studio: F.E. McWilliam Gallery and Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council are delighted to present two new exhibitions focusing on the work of talented women artists. Scottish Women Artists: 250 Years of Challenging Perceptions and Congruent, a solo exhibition by North Coast based sculptor Sara Cunningham-Bell, will run at the Banbridge Gallery from the 8 June to 2 September and promise to provide a great day out for locals and visitors to the Borough.
Scottish Women Artists: 250 Years of Challenging Perceptions, brings together the work of over 40 artists. The exhibition highlights key women artists who have changed society’s view over the centuries of what women should and could do, and the significance of work by women artists in Scotland’s cultural history.
Scottish Women Artists, is the second collaboration between the F.E. McWilliam Gallery and The Fleming Collection. Running in conjunction with Scottish Women Artists is Congruent a fascinating new body of work exhibited in the F.E McWilliam sculpture garden, by Sara Cunningham-Bell. Based in her studio on the North Coast of Ireland, Cunningham-Bell works with storm-felled local timber including larch, maple, beach and oak, combined with upcycled lead and steel, GRP (Glass Reinforced Plastic), concrete and bronze. Made through a variety of processes including carving, casting and sanding Cunningham-Bell’s sculptures often reveal the layered traces of their creation.
Both exhibitions are free entry and will run throughout the summer to 2nd September 2024. Open Monday – Saturday 10am – 5pm.
