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What's on in the Arts
20th September, 2024
From festivals, to concerts, exhibitions and more. Here's your guide to What's On in the Arts....
Sound of Belfast: this year’s Sound of Belfast festival, run by the Oh Yeah Centre, marks its 10-year anniversary. Over ten days,7-17 November, a range of special performances will take place in unique venues across Belfast. This includes Lilla Vargen in the historic Linenhall Library, a specially commissioned Grace and Glory gospel music event at St. Rosemary’s Church led by the creators of Soultrane, a Sacred Sounds event at Shankill Mission which combines yoga with a live ambient DJ set, and a Factory Sessions set by ROE at a top secret location yet to be revealed.
On Friday, November 8, Oh Yeah hosts Breaking Into Music, an immersive one day experience aimed at 14-21 year olds which aims to empower Northern Ireland’s youth by unlocking the career potential of the arts. This event compliments Oh Yeah’s weekly “Volume Control” industry mentoring programme and “Elevate” after-school club which provide opportunities for young music enthusiasts to collaborate, make new friends and get advice from industry professionals. The work of the Volume Control team will be showcased that evening as they host the annual Clash of the New Breeds, a battle of the bands which is suitable for all ages to attend.
This year will see Sound of Belfast 2024 celebrate its status as a UNESCO City of Music by hosting the UK-wide PRS Foundation Talent Development conference for the first time. The flagship event of Sound of Belfast is the NI Music Prize on Wednesday, November 13, at the Ulster Hall, with an Oh Yeah Legend Award presented by PRS For Music to Thin Lizzy’s founding member Eric Bell, followed by a special performance. Sound of Belfast runs from November 7 to 17, are available via www.soundofbelfast.com
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...
Bounce Festival: Bounce, Northern Ireland’s most diverse and eclectic arts festival featuring more than 60 d/Deaf, disabled and neurodivergent artists from across Ireland and the UK, will take place in Belfast, Derry-Londonderry and Limavady from 4-6 October 2024. Two headlining commissioned performances include Chasing Amy with Victoria Geelan and her band in the Crescent Arts Centre in Belfast and A night with pianist Ruth McGinley and performance poet Alice McCullough in the Roe Valley Arts and Cultural Centre in Limavady.
Not Your Pity Party - an evening of unapologetically proud, queer disabled art, celebrating new and emerging talent is a new partnership between Foyle Pride and University of Atypical. Mel Bradley has been commissioned to create this event in the Nerve Centre in Derry.
And for the first time ever, Northern Ireland’s first ever Autistic Comedy Showcase will be held in the Black Box in Belfast. The line-up will feature six comedians on the autistic spectrum who have been performing comedy across Ireland and the UK for years.
Other highlights include:
- Toilet Paper Diaries, written and performed by Manchester’s Porcelain Delaney in a one woman show, at the Crescent Arts Centre.
- De mo Neamhthoil an installation by Soso Ní Cheallaigh at the Centre for Contemporary Art in Derry.
- Open Arts Big Takeover at the Crescent Arts Centre with performances from Open Arts Community Choir, Monday Players, Luminous Soul with Mae Murray Teen Hub, Readings from our creative writing group.
- Theatre maker Jody O’Neill from Cork will present her production ‘Yellow’, a live show about living with autism at the Crescent Arts Centre. She will present her film screening of the theatre production What I (Don’t) Know about Autism at the QFT on Sunday 6th October with Q&A.
- As Bounce Artist in Residence this year, Brian Connolly presents a unique performance art and installation in the Atypical Gallery.
For more information on all shows and to book tickets go to www.universityofatypical.org/b...
Belfast International Arts Festival: returns from 16 Oct – 23 Nov 2024 and the full programme is now available to view and buy tickets. Highlights include:
- 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
Commedia of Errors are back at the Lyric with brand new play 'Rose+Bud' by Rose Coogan directed by Benjamin Gould.
Rose+Bud is a fresh coming of age story about young Bud leaving Ballynahinch and escaping to the bright lights of university in...Magee, Derry. Only he's not alone- with him, of him and for him, is Rose. Rose is his 'ideal', his 'other', his self. A journey of realisation, transition and perhaps, reconciliation.
Journey inside the mind of Rose Coogan - a play about coming to terms with who you were, who you are and who you want to be. Fresh from its debut at the Dublin fringe this play, described as a 'Queer Philadelphia, Here I Come!' by audience members, is a coming of age story for the times.
Running Wednesday 25th until Sun 29th Sept at Lyric Belfast then 10th & 11th October The Playhouse Derry.
Supported by Arts Council Northern Ireland. Developed and produced in association with the Lyric Theatre.
Tickets via www.lyrictheatre.co.uk
Kabosh: Belfast-based theatre company Kabosh will be performing a play celebrating the fearless early campaigners who fought for gay rights at a time when homosexuality was illegal. Callings celebrates the activism of the dedicated people who set up the helpline Cara-Friend 50 years ago to offer support and friendship to gay people living in fear of the State. The drama, written by current Lyric Theatre playwright in residence, Dominic Montague, is set in the offices of Cara-Friend in University Street five years after the helpline was set up, when the North of Ireland was the only part of the UK where homosexuality was still a criminal offence. Now Kabosh marks this special anniversary with a UK and Ireland-wide tour of this highly acclaimed play. The tour schedule is:
- Lyric Theatre, Belfast: Wed 2 Oct – Sun 6 Oct
- The MAC Birmingham, 10 – 11 Oct
- Stanley Arts London: 16-17 Oct
- Chats Palace London: 18–19 Oct
- Hawkswell Sligo: 23 Oct
- Market Place Armagh: 24 Oct
- Riverbank Kildare: 25 Oct
- Down Arts Centre: 26 Oct
- Droichead, Drogheda: 2 Nov
- Garage, Monaghan, 3 Nov
- Project Arts Centre, Dublin: 6-9 Nov
For more information on the production and to get tickets go to www.kabosh.net
Primecut Productions: Prime Cut Productions presents the premiere of Aurora: A Modern Myth at The MAC Theatre, 24 October - 02 November, as part of Belfast International Arts Festival. Directed by critically acclaimed Emma Jordan, this brand-new work which includes a cutting edge animation and immersive theatre experience along with groundbreaking work by artist Dominic Montague, is sure to be a highlight of this year’s festival programme.
Written by Dominic Montague Aurora: A Modern Myth has been developed through Prime Cut’s groundbreaking artist development programme REVEAL* which invests in the development of independent artists at all stages of their career. Aurora: A Modern Myth uses cutting edge gaming animation and immersive theatrical visuals developed in partnership with Ulster University’s Gaming and Animation Department for audiences to discover a new and exciting theatrical experience. Visit www.primecutproductions.co.uk
Big Telly Theatre Company: presents Granny Jackson’s Dead, 31 October - 3 November 2024.
Granny Jackson’s Dead… but her story isn’t. Her family would like to invite all those who knew her to 47 Malone Road, (except the Kelly’s from the Glens, anyone from the council, Big Jim, Miss Gilmour, and Brendan – he knows what he did) to pay their respects and give her a good send off. She will be dearly missed by her devoted, adoring, clever, beautiful, hardworking, long-suffering, generous-to-a-fault daughter Susan, and by the rest of the family.
P.S. anyone who would like to connect with her, she will also be streamed across several platforms and mixed realities – Darren Jackson (grandson).
This performance uses flashing lights, loud noises, fire and immersive technology. Themes of death and grief.
Visit www.belfastinternationalartsfestival.com
Culture Night 20th Sept at Echo Echo:
- 5.30pm-7.30pm 'From these shores' - art exhibition
- 5.30pm-7.30pm 'What's It All About?' by Tina McCauley & Sally Boon Matthews - exhibition and performances at 6.15pm & 7pm
- 9pm Mary McGuiggan and Ensemble performance #echoechofest
Bruiser Theatre Company: presents, Wasted, by award-winning playwright Kat Woods. Wasted is a socio-political play that explores themes of binge drinking and sexual assault. Join Oli, Emma, and their friends on a night out drinking, flirting, and clubbing. The morning after the night before ensues and any event can only be remembered through the blurry haze of a dubious hangover. Wasted illuminates that grey area in the sexual relationship after a few too many drinks. The characters are not sure what has happened; both suffering from post-alcoholic amnesia. They are both secure in the fact that sex happened but, where alcohol puts the female in a state unable- legally- to consent to sex, our characters continually ask 'what happened' as they are marched through the legal system. Age guidance: 16+ (strong language and potentially triggering content).
Performances will take place at the following locations across the region,
- 21 Sep, The Marketplace Theatre and Arts Centre, Armagh
- 25 Sep, The MAC, Belfast
For tickets and further information visit www.bruisertheatrecompany.com
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.belfastinternationalartsfestival.com
DU Dance: visit www.dudanceni.com
Lyric Theatre: presents an exciting programme of events including:
- 5-22 Sep, The Man Who Swallowed a Dictionary
- 25-29 Sep, Rose + Bud by Commedia of Errors
- 2-6 Oct, Callings by Kabosh Theatre
- 10 Oct-3 Nov, Verma by Tinderbox Theatre Company
- 12 Oct – 10 Nov, The Tragedy of Richard III, a Lyric Theatre production
- 6-10 Nov, Chicken by Sunday’s Child
- 12 Nov, Bob Dylan’s Greatest Rejected Album Tracks: An Evening with Writer Michael Gray
- 13-17 Nov, Oh Whistle…Two Ghost Stories By M R James by Nunkie Theatre Company
- 16 Nov, Tim McGarry’s Ridiculous by David Hull Promotions
- 21-23 Nov, The Marian Hotel by Sole Purpose Productions
- 30 Nov – 11 Jan, A Christmas Carol, a Lyric Theatre Production
- 4-7 Dec, Gwyneth Goes Skiing, presented by Awkward Productions in association with The Pleasance
- 29 Jan – 2 Feb, Guy Mitchell’s Dog’s Dead – Pass it on, a Cock & Hens Productions in association with Bright Umbrella
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,
- 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 NIThe Vanishing Elephant
- Part of The Studio at the Grand Opera House, Cre8 Theatre’s modern musical adaption of the classic fairy tale, Sleeping Beauty, places deaf and hearing artists together in central roles. On the eve of her birthday young Rose pricks her finger, propelling her into a sleepy state where she is mystically enticed from slumber into fairy tale land by an all-powerful yet peaceful sleep song. Whilst there, Rose meets new friends who aren’t all what they appear to be. With the help of fantastical flying orbs, a giant shape shifting Witch, and a neurotic Knight, Rose meanders and adventures her way through the mystical magical land. Returning home to Dad with a big message. Innovatively featuring spoken word, music, singing, an interactive vibrational sound experience, puppetry and sign song. This production is fully accessible to all audiences, deaf and hearing.
For tickets and to view the full programme please visit www.goh.co.uk
Green Shoot Productions: present The Man Who Swallowed a Dictionary, a new play by Robert Niblock about the incredible life of ex-UVF and PUP politican, David Ervine, a major architect of the Peace Processs. Lyric Theatre Belfast, 5th -22nd September; The Playhouse Derry-Londonderry, 24th Sept.
Strand Arts Centre: The Strand Arts Centre has opened a new temporary home in Connswater Shopping Centre as it undergoes multi-million pound refurbishment. It will be hosting a range of activities and events over the coming weeks and months at Connswater including:
- Minors Club: Enjoy free films for the whole family, providing a fun outing for children and parents alike
- Creative Arts Workshops: Engage in hands-on activities designed for all children and adults.
- Silver Screenings: Special movie sessions tailored for senior audiences, bringing classic cinema to everyone.
- Seasonal Cultural Classic Pop-Up Screenings: Celebrate various cultural seasons with fun and festive film screenings throughout the year.
- 8mm/16mm Film Club: Join the unique club for screenings and discussions around classic film formats.
Visit www.strandartscentre.com
The Playhouse in Derry-Londonderry: presents a series of events with highlights including,
- Ulster Youth Opera workshops, 14 Oct, 9 Nov, 9 Dec
- NTLive - Prima Facie, 21 Sep
- The Man Who Swallowed A Dictionary, 24 Sep
- NTLive - Present Laughter, 28 Sep
- The Marian Hotel, 3-5 Oct
- Hauntings 28-30 Oct
- Tim McGarry – Ridiculous, 8 Nov
- Shakespeare's Women, 14 Nov
- Anne Gildea - How to Get The Menopause and Enjoy It, 13 Dec
- Gearóid Farrelly: Gearóid Rage, 28 Feb
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
- Sex and the City Hall - Millennium Forum – Fri 27th & Sat 28th Sept. This hilarious show, crafted by comedian couple Diona Doherty and Sean Hegarty, promises to be the ultimate girls' night out. Starring Jayne Wisener, best known for her roles in "Sweeney Todd" and "The Inbetweeners," Jo Donnelly from "The Hen Do" and "Women on the Verge of HRT," Rosie McClelland from "Game Of Thrones" and "Romeo and Juliet," and Mary McGurk from "Marcella" and "My Left Nut," the show is packed with top-tier talent. Directed by the acclaimed Ciaran Nolan of "Derry Girls" and "London Irish" fame, this production is a perfect blend of sharp wit, laugh-out-loud moments, and unforgettable performances. "Sex In The City Hall" is not just a show; it's an event you don't want to miss!
For more details and to secure your seats, visit millenniumforum.co.uk or call the Box Office on 71 264455 (option 1).
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.
- 20 Sep, Christine Bovill: Piaf to Pop
- 25 Sep, Baby Bushka: The Kate Bush Experience of Your Dreams
- 1 Oct, The BBC New Comedy Awards
- 2 Oct, How the Mind Heals the Body with Dr David Hamilton
- 2 Oct, The Neuroscience of Music with Prof. Lauren Stewart
- 12 Oct, Art on the floor: Northern Soul MAC Fundraiser
- 18-19 Oct, The Piece with the Drums
- 20 Oct, Ruby Wax: I’m Not As Well As I Thought I Was
- 5-31 Dec, Elvis Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
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
Northern Ireland Opera: presents, 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.
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
Belfast Music Society (BMS): presents,
- Fri 25 Oct, The Duncairn, The Savage Five. Charismatic Belfast-born soprano and jazz singer Suzanne Savage collaborates with string ensemble the Savage Five to create genre-defying songscapes that weave Irish music traditions with a range of dynamic musical styles.The Savage Five comprise Hugo Smit (Cello), Alwyn Thomas Westbrooke (Violin), Rachel Yates (Viola) and Sven Otte (Double bass). Citing influences as broad as Cole Porter, Björk and Bartók, the ensemble shift from delicately arranged stillness to full-blooded whirling dervish. Add to this the unmistakable influence of Irish music and Suzanne Savage’s distinctive, crystalline voice that speaks of a deep connection to the landscape, life and love.
- Sat 26 Oct, 7:30pm, Harty Room, QUB, The Fidelio Trio. Darragh Morgan (violin), Tim Gill (cello) and Mary Dullea (piano) make up the Fidelio Trio. Shortlisted for the 2016 Royal Philharmonic Society Music Awards, the Trio have been featured on Sky Arts and broadcast regularly on BBC Radio 3 and RTÉ Lyric FM. The trio have appeared at London’s Southbank Centre and Wigmore Hall and in Ireland at the National Concert Hall. Their 2023/24 season includes performances at Dark Music Days Iceland, an extensive USA tour, Les Jardins Musicaux Neuchâtel and Hay Festival.
- Sun 27th Oct, 3pm, Harty Room, QUB, Music and Stories. American pianist Dr. Anthony Capparelli and renowned Irish storytellers Liz Weir and Colin Urwin present the first-ever live performance of Philip Hammond’s Tales from the Sea of Moyle. Irish composer Philip Hammond’s Tales from the Sea of Moyle blends magical stories from the Glens of Antrim with evocative music, illustrating the powerful relationship between music and storytelling. The concert will also include other piano solos from Hammond, coupled with pieces which illustrate the special involvement of storytelling and music. A family-friendly concert for an autumnal Sunday afternoon, informal and welcoming for all ages.
Visit www.belfastmusicsociety.com & https://belfastinternationalar...
Moving on Music: presents,
- 27 Sep, Seckou Keita
- 29 Sep, John Francis Flynn
- 3-6 Oct, Alfi (tour)
- 12 Oct, Chamber Choir Ireland
- 12 Oct, RÓIS (MO LÉAN record launch)
- 16 Oct, Artifacts Trio
- 18 Oct, Night Voyager // Ela Orleans
- 20 Oct, Väsen
- 24 Oct, Rachael Lavelle
- 10 Nov, La Tène
- 13 Nov, Julian Lage
Moving On Music is also delighted to present two of Northern Ireland’s finest classical musicians for a rare duo outing, flautist Aisling Agnew and harpist Richard Allen.
- Fri 22 Nov – Old Church Centre, CUSHENDUN
- Sat 23 Nov – Strule Arts Centre, OMAGH
Portico of Ards: presents ‘This Flight Tonight- The Songs of Joni Mitchell’ on 25th Oct 2024.
Showreel: https://www.zervaspepperjonitr...
Visit www.porticoards.com
Ulster Orchestra: has revealed the programme for its new 2024/25 season which begins in September. View the full programme now and buy tickets on their website. Highlights include:
- 4 Oct, Symphonic Storytellers. A heady evening awaits, rich with storytelling, comedy and drama. We open with Lutosławski’s Little Suite, with its driving energy inspired by Polish folk songs, and close the concert with a virtuosic violin taking the narrator’s role in Rimsky-Korsakov’s series of hedonistic musical adventures, Scheherazade. A characterful duo is required to give life to all the humour of Shostakovich’s Concerto No.1 for Piano, Trumpet and Strings – the one and only Barry Douglas is joined by trumpet player Niall Keatley for this performance!
- 3 Nov, Presenting: Worlds of Fantasy – music from anime. Gaming, film and TV. This popular concert provides the perfect escapism on a Sunday afternoon, guiding you through some of the most exhilarating music from the worlds of fantasy that have been so impactful in creating atmosphere and excitement in cinema, anime, television or gaming. Hear music from Lord of the Rings, Wonder Woman, Halo, Top Gun: Maverick, Game of Thrones and many more!
- 14 Nov, More Than Mozart – On Your Doorstep: Riverside Theatre Coleraine. Following last year's sell-out performance, the Ulster Orchestra return to Coleraine with another exciting concert! An evening in the company of Michael Collins is one well-spent, as he brings his deeply-held musicality and mastery of both the clarinet and the conductor's podium to the Diamond Hall. This concert opens with Grażyna Bacewicz's vibrant, driving Concerto for String Orchestra, before Michael performs Crusell's Second Clarinet Concerto, full of exuberance and lyrical grace and Busoni's Concertino, a virtuosic 20th century tour-de-force written in the style of Mozart. And it's Mozart, with whom Michael has a special affinity, that closes the concert; the exhilarating pinnacle of all his symphonic writing, Symphony No. 4.
- 7 Dec, The Snowman Family Concert. This special event has become an enjoyable family tradition to start the festive season. Generations have loved the timeless tale of a boy and his magical snowman, shown on a big screen and accompanied by the Orchestra and young guest soloists. Combined with some seasonal music and some festive fun at the end, this is a must-see for all the family! *Signed performances. There will be a relaxed approach to noise and movement in the auditorium and you are free to enter and exit during the performance. A chill-out space is available on level one and noise-cancelling headphones can be used if needed. There are no significant adjustments to sound or lighting for these performances apart from slight dimming when the film is on.
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
- 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)
Open Arts: Stressful times!? Need a PAUSE?
Join Open Arts for relaxing Saturdays Gamelan's Sound Baths!
Sat 14/09, 12/10, 9/11 14/12, 11- 12 am, Open Arts Space in Connswater (Ground floor in front of Del Piero's cafe). £6 per session!
Register at https://docs.google.com/forms/...
University of Atypical: presents Bounce Festival, Northern Ireland’s most diverse and eclectic arts festival featuring more than 60 d/Deaf, disabled and neurodivergent artists from across Ireland and the UK, will take place in Belfast, Derry-Londonderry and Limavady from 4-6 October 2024. Two headlining commissioned performances include Chasing Amy with Victoria Geelan and her band in the Crescent Arts Centre in Belfast and A night with pianist Ruth McGinley and performance poet Alice McCullough in the Roe Valley Arts and Cultural Centre in Limavady.
Not Your Pity Party - an evening of unapologetically proud, queer disabled art, celebrating new and emerging talent is a new partnership between Foyle Pride and University of Atypical. Mel Bradley has been commissioned to create this event in the Nerve Centre in Derry.
And for the first time ever, Northern Ireland’s first ever Autistic Comedy Showcase will be held in the Black Box in Belfast. The line-up will feature six comedians on the autistic spectrum who have been performing comedy across Ireland and the UK for years.
Other highlights include:
- Toilet Paper Diaries, written and performed by Manchester’s Porcelain Delaney in a one woman show, at the Crescent Arts Centre.
- De mo Neamhthoil an installation by Soso Ní Cheallaigh at the Centre for Contemporary Art in Derry.
- Open Arts Big Takeover at the Crescent Arts Centre with performances from Open Arts Community Choir, Monday Players, Luminous Soul with Mae Murray Teen Hub, Readings from our creative writing group.
- Theatre maker Jody O’Neill from Cork will present her production ‘Yellow’, a live show about living with autism at the Crescent Arts Centre. She will present her film screening of the theatre production What I (Don’t) Know about Autism at the QFT on Sunday 6th October with Q&A.
- As Bounce Artist in Residence this year, Brian Connolly presents a unique performance art and installation in the Atypical Gallery.
For more information on all shows and to book tickets, go to www.universityofatypical.org/b...
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,
- 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
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.
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.
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.
Craft NI: presents ‘Turning Turns 40’, a Celebration of the Irish Woodturners Guild 40th Anniversary.
Craft Northern Ireland Gallery is delighted to host and celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Irish Woodturners Guild (IWG) with a curated exhibition featuring 40 exceptionally turned wood forms that demonstrate excellence in craftsmanship and design, as well as carrying a message about the threat to the native Ash tree from Ash Dieback disease. Members from Chapters across the country including the local Chapters are represented including makers from Ulster Woodturning and the Crossborder Chapter. The exhibition runs from September 4th - 26th, 2024 and is free for all to attend. It will then travel to other venues in England and the US. Visit www.craftni.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. 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/seacourtprint...
Golden Thread Gallery: Belfast's leading contemporary art gallery, re-opened on Saturday 10th August 2024 located at 23-29 Queen Street, BT1 6EA. Free Entry
GTG presents, Claire Morgan – You Will Not Stop Here, 19 October - 27 November 2024.
The Golden Thread presents new work by internationally acclaimed artist Claire Morgan which has been specially commissioned with the support of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Commissioning Grant 2024. Claire Morgan raises fundamental questions about the role of humans and their relationship to nature. Complex three-dimensional forms made from artificial and natural materials are a frequently recurring motif and the artist uses taxidermy, waste materials, sculptural wax figures and human hair, to create uniquely beautiful work, that inspires new understanding to the possibilities of the art form.
For further information visit www.goldenthreadgallery.co.uk
Cultúrlann McAdam Ó Fiaich: presents,
EXHIBITION | 'as the saying goes' with Emily McGardleVisual Arts
From: Sep 19, 2024 - To: Oct 24, 2024
EXHIBITION | 'Dreamland' with Lorna CorriganVisual Arts
From: Sep 19, 2024 - To: Oct 24, 2024
Visit www.culturlann.ie
Outburst Arts and Ulster University: presents, Mixtape #1 – Phil Collins, 31 October - 5 December 2024. Outburst Queer Arts Festival and Ulster Presents at Ulster University mark the 175th Anniversary of the Belfast School of Art in a new collaboration with one of its most acclaimed graduates. Phil Collins is a visual artist, filmmaker, cultural organiser, and educator who lives in Berlin and Wuppertal. He is internationally renowned for a socially engaged practice that addresses the intersections of art, politics and popular culture.
This UK premiere of Mixtape #1 is an unorthodox overview of Collins’ work in moving image. Drawing its title and concept from the ‘mixtape’ – a devotional form of music compilation – this genre-bending compendium brings together a heady blend of episodes, excerpts, off-cuts, and ephemeral scenes from his extensive filmography.
Presented in Outburst Queer Arts Festival 2024, as part of a BSoA 175 Commissioning Partnership between Outburst Arts and Ulster Presents. Full details will be available in the Outburst programme at outburstarts.com
Belfast Exposed: presents,
Now & Then: Part III
Belfast Exposed: Gallery 1 - 5 - 21 Sept
This exhibition themed around "place" explores how human experience is both influenced by and influences different natural and built environments. Divided into "Home", "Traces", and "Identity", the exhibition features renowned artists such as Paul Seawright, David Copeland, Shannon Ritchie, Victoria J Dean, and Victor Sloan. Through their work, the exhibition offers a profound exploration of the intricate relationships individuals and communities have with their surroundings. It delves into the diverse range of emotions and narratives evoked by places, from notions of belonging and comfort to experiences of conflict and transformation.
https://www.belfastexposed.org...
Sean McKernan: UnExposed
Belfast Exposed: Archive gallery - 5 - 21 Sept
The exhibition highlights the extensive body of work by Sean McKernan, a respected social documentary photographer whose approach is deeply personal and community-centred. For over 40 years, McKernan has meticulously documented the profound divisions in Belfast, capturing its turbulent journey towards peace and remarkable transformation into a city striving to flourish. His work reflects close collaboration with local community groups, using photography as a powerful medium to shed light on the diverse social issues rooted in the city's political and sectarian conflicts.
https://www.belfastexposed.org...
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.
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.
