What's on in the Arts

FESTIVALS

In Your Space Circus / Carnival of Colours: The Carnival of Colours returns on Saturday 1st & Sunday 2nd July, taking over the streets of Derry City with a host of circus, music and arts, brought to you by the finest circus and street theatre acts. In addition to the performers and bucketloads of silliness, from Doris & Mabel's Book Club aerial acrobatics to Frankie Magilligan and his jaw-dropping juggling skills, the pocket-sized festival-within-a-festival 'Park Vibes' makes a welcome return to the Peace Garden, the best local musicians will be performing at The Hidden Pavilion, and the Curious Cabaret is back for one night only at the Nerve Centre. Visit In Your Space Circus - The Carnival of Colours (inyourspaceni.org)

Beyond Skin & Make Music Day, 21 June 2023: Make Music Day is a huge celebration of music making around the world on June 21st. It is a unique event that is open to anyone who wants to take part – old or young, amateur or professional and just about every musical style is represented. Every year people and organisations from 1,000 towns and cities in 120 countries create events to share their music. All Make Music Day events are free to watch. This Year we celebrate 41 years of Music Day since it began in France with Féte de la Musique. Beyond Skin in NI is encouraging everyone to make music anywhere and everywhere. Come and join Beyond Skin for Make Music Day in 2023. If you wish to take part, the Make Music Day Northern Ireland coordinator is Venus Roller Girl, contact venusrollergirl@gmail.com and visit https://makemusicday.co.uk/

Belfast Photo Festival: The Belfast Photo Festival is returning this year at outdoor and indoor venues across the city from 1-30 June. Launched in 2011, this now annual photographic event has been described as one of the "best photography festivals in the world" by Capture Magazine.

The Festival consists of exhibitions, talks, symposiums, workshops, screenings, masterclasses, portfolio reviews and tours. The 2023 edition of Belfast Photo Festival explores how artists in the contemporary moment are interpreting the idea of the ‘journey’ as a subject of art. For more information visit https://www.belfastphotofestival.com/

Belfast Book Festival: The 13^th Belfast Book Festival is now on until 18 June with highlights including:

16 June, The Voice of Carers and The Power of Writing

17 June, Making Stories with Paul Howard

18 June, Love Poetry Today: Bebe Ashley, Leeanne Quinn & Stephen Sexton

For more information visit https://belfastbookfestival.com/

The Playhouse: presents, Artitude Climate festival from 23-25 June. A free three day community-led celebration of art, climate action and the circular economy. Showcasing creative, community-led responses to the climate emergency, the festival is delivered in collaboration with The Gathering, Zero Waste North West (ZWNW), Northern Ireland Resources Network (NIRN), Environmental Justice Network and Making Relatives – a visit of water and land protectors from Lakota Nation, US.

Emerging from The Playhouse’s Artitude: Climate, Culture and Circularity project, the festival is part of a unique and transformational programme of activity, using the arts and creative practice to engage communities in the DCSDC area in exploring climate action and the circular economy, with a view to encouraging positive behavioural change.

The Playhouse works with partners Zero Waste North West, Northern Ireland Resources Network, Queen’s University and Derry City and Strabane District Council to use the arts to co-ordinate and deliver the 18 month programme. Full programme of events coming soon. Visit www.derryplayhouse.co.uk

Belfast Tradfest and Summer School: Belfast TradFest Summer Fest will return from 23-29 July 2023, jam-packed full of traditional music, song and dance, with some of the best traditional musicians, singers & dancers from across these islands. Featuring a week-long programme of workshops and a full programme of concerts, talks, lectures, sessions, céilís & festival clubs, this weekend is the only one of its kind in Northern Ireland and brings together both the Irish and the Ulster-Scots musical traditions, in a shared celebration of culture & heritage. Visit www.belfasttraditionalmusic.com for the full programme.

John Hewitt Festival: The John Hewitt International Summer School Festival of Literature, Arts and Politics, returns from 24-29 July 2023 at The Market Place Theatre & Arts in Armagh. Visit www.johnhewittsociety.org for programme details.

Northern Ireland Opera: presents The 13^th Glenarm Festival of Voice from 25-27 August 2023.

Join Northern Ireland Opera in the beautiful coastal village of Glenarm for their annual celebration of song: The Glenarm Festival of Voice. Now in its thirteenth year, this much-loved event brings together BBC Radio 3 recitals, outreach events, performances by emerging artists and culminates in the Competition Finale, hosted by our Patron, BBC Radio 3 broadcaster Sean Rafferty, where five singers from across the island of Ireland compete in front of a live jury panel to win the Deborah Voigt Opera Prize and become the NI Opera Young Opera Voice of 2023.

The theme for the 2023 BBC Radio 3 Recitals is Women Composers and Poets. NI Opera’s three BBC Radio 3 recitalists will be announced later this spring. Free tickets will be available to book to experience these BBC Radio 3 recitals live in Glenarm through BBC Audiences in the next month or two. NI Opera will announce the date when these will be available on their website, via their social media and through their e-newsletter. Visit www.niopera.com

EastSide Arts Festival: returns this July and August with an exciting programme of special events. Highlights include:

Ciaran Bartlett’s Comedy Club with Micky Bartlett & Paddy McDonnell

Thursday 27 July | 8pm | £20 | Banana Block

Two of Northern Ireland comedy's giants join forces for a one-off performance for EastSide Arts Festival, with Ciaran Bartlett as MC for the evening. Paddy is renowned for his story telling and tall tales. Micky s known for stories that would make a therapist go part-time!

The Orb LIVE

Support by Explosion Sound Selectors

Friday 28 July | 8pm | £22 | Banana Block

Electronic pioneers, The Orb celebrate the release of their new album Prism, with this one-off NI date for the EastSide Arts Festival opening weekend. 35 years since Alex Paterson took the first steps on the band’s odyssey, he continues to defy gravity, offering a new release already hailed as their most towering set for years.

Thomas Carnduff Appreciation Society presents Work, Place and Language

Saturday 29 July | 7pm | £8 | Templemore Baths

Join Malcolm Guite, Gaynor Kane, Rosemary Jenkinson, Mark Ward and Elizabeth McKeown for a discussion led by Dr Connal Parr on the theme of ‘Work, Place and Language’. Capacity is limited, so we recommend booking early for what will surely be a highlight event in this year’s festival.

EastSide Electronics

Saturday 29 July | 7pm | £22 | C.S. Lewis Square

The Night Institute and God’s Waiting Room join forces for this 1,000-capacity open air show featuring David Holmes, Timmy Stewart & Jordan Nocturne - an annual highlight of the local electronic music scene.

EastSide ParkFest

Sunday 30 July | 12 noon | FREE | C.S. Lewis Square

The Festival Fun Day joins forces with the Connswater Community Greenway team to deliver #ParkFest23! With animation taking place along the Greenway linking our two main events at C.S. Lewis Square and Orangefield Park, this is set to be a fun-filled day with something for everyone to see.

Life’s a Bowl of Cherrie

Sunday 30 July | 8pm | £15 | Titanic Hotel

Join award-winning entertainer, Miss Cherrie Ontop, in Drawing Office One in the Titanic Hotel for a very special evening of songs that Cherrie loves to sing, accompanied on the grand piano the wonderful Darren Day. Sit back, relax and let Cherrie sing your worries away.

In at the Deep End… A Night of Music with Anthony Toner and Friends

Tuesday 1 August | 8pm | £15 | Templemore Baths

Four artists (songwriters Matt McGinn, Ciara O’Neill, Anthony Toner and John McCullough) get together in this unique space for a one-off ‘in the round’ evening of celebration – a night of songs on a ‘water’ theme, to celebrate the re-opening of the historic Templemore Baths.

Sh!tShow Shambles and Seedhead Arts Comedy Club Double Bill

Thursday 3 August |8pm | £10 | Harland & Wolff Staff Club

Come down for a double bill of chaos and side-splitting hilarity! Strap yourself in for the interactive gameshow Sh!tshow Shambles with host Emily McDonagh. Imagine all your favourite board games smooshed together into… an absolute shambles. Seedhead Arts Comedy club welcomes some of the best comedians the city has to offer. Don’t miss it!

After-Work Club

Friday 4 August | 4pm – 6pm | £10 | Boundary Brewing

One for the ‘not-so-grown-up' and the ‘less-than-artistically-gifted', this is a rare opportunity to indulge in the type of intuitive, “messy” play we did as children. This event will get you out of your head and start your weekend off in the best way!

‘Eats-Side’ Food and Drink Tour

Saturday 5 11am £55

Looking to explore the food scene in East Belfast? Then join Experience & Explore NI on a food and history tour led by a fully qualified guide. As part of our intimate and personalised experience, you’ll be introduced to some of the exciting new ventures that have sprung up in this part of the city. You’ll also learn about the fascinating food and drink history of the area as we walk between venues. So why not join us on our food and history tour?

Belfast International Arts Festival: has announced details of their first shows which are now on sale. Fresh from their milestone 60th year celebrations, Belfast International Arts Festival is now at the dawn of a new decade of world-class arts programming as they reveal the first events of their 2023 autumn season. They are delighted to announce the festival will return from Thursday 12 October - Sunday 5 November featuring the absolute best in international and homegrown theatre, dance, music, visual art, literature and film. A full programme will be revealed in August!

Among the headline show now on sale are:

• An Evening with The Belfast Ensemble and Marc Almond, 17 Oct, Grand Opera House. Join The Belfast Ensemble for an unforgettable evening in The Grand Opera House as they share the stage with iconic pop star Marc Almond for a two part concert featuring the critically acclaimed Abomination: A DUP Opera and the multi-award winning song cycle Ten Plagues.
• Cara Dillion, Coming Home, 16 Oct, Grand Opera House. Few singers are as celebrated and revered as Cara Dillon. Known for her captivating live performances she seldom fails to leave audiences spellbound. This autumn sees Cara unveiling Coming Home, her first new material in almost six years, in which she effortlessly blurs the lines between spoken word and song to stunning effect. Skillfully interspersed with songs from her catalogue throughout the set, join Cara and her band as she shares this truly unique and inspiring collection accompanied by original music written by songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Sam Lakeman. A very special opportunity to experience a revealing and emotive performance by this internationally acclaimed singer - and not one to miss!
• FIQ!, 20 & 21 Oct, Grand Opera House. Groupe Acrobatique de Tanger bring their phenomenal acrobatic energy to Belfast International Arts Festival with FIQ!, a luminous, acrobatic and playful ode to the young people of Morocco that is a celebration of light and colour. An absolute treat for audiences of all ages this autumn, FIQ! will transport you to a colourful, visual world designed by celebrated artist Hassan Hajjaj. Expect magical acrobatic feats, breakdancing and freestyle football, set to the unique sounds of DJ Dino’s scratching and fiery rap in the majestic surroundings of the Grand Opera House.
• The Waterboys, 28 Oct, Ulster Hall. Few bands have as great a live reputation as The Waterboys.From their mid-1980s "big music" period through the influential mix of Celtic, gospel and country on their classic Fisherman’s Blues tours, to the hundreds of brilliant shows accompanying the last decade's run of supremely in-form albums from 2011's An Appointment With Mr Yeats to this summer's Good Luck, Seeker The Waterboys have consistently blended tightness, inspiration and improvisation to reach heights of performance few other acts can. Led by mercurial and brilliant Scottish guitarist/vocalist Mike Scott, the 2020 version of the band features the established line-up of Memphis keyboard great "Brother" Paul Brown, ace British drummer Ralph Salmins and funky Irish bassman Aongus Ralston.

Visit www.belfastinternationalartsfestival.com

FILM, LITERATURE, DANCE AND DRAMA

Accidental Theatre: presents,

• Songs For Sudan 2, Weds 28 June 7pm. This is the second Songs for Sudan, hybrid benefit concert , a response to war in Sudan with more live music from Juanita Rea, Chip Bailey and Paul Kane (OTH Music Collective) with other artists.
• Sunday Improv, every Sunday in June, 8pm. Every week a range of Belfast performers take to the stage at Accidental to perform engaging comedy routines. After taking an audience suggestion (a location, emotion, line of dialogue), improvisers perform a series of sketches on the spot.
• Never Seen It Film Club Presents: Re-Animator (1985), 17th June 7pm. Never Seen It is an exclusive film club, where members get to choose films to come and see monthly.
• Event name: Belfast Photo Fake Comedy, 9th and 23rd June 8pm. Accidental, Belfast Photo Festival & Belfast Improv Theatre present a wild night of comedy improv inspired by never before seen fake images, made up from audience suggestions!
• Cosmic Jam with Somehow Sentient, Sat 24th June 8pm. Explosive Punk/Rock/Ska/Funk band Somehow Sentient are headlining a special edition of the Cosmic Jam open mic night

Visit www.accidentaltheatre.co.uk

Strand Arts Centre: presents,

• The Elvis Spectacular, Thursday 29 June. The greatest Elvis show since 1977! Join us for a two-hour trip to Elvis heaven. European champion Ciaran Houlihan, his band and the Sweet Sensations are back!
• David Elliott’s Comedy Takeover. Friday 30th June. Dave Elliott’s popular comedy night returns with a line-up including Colin Geddis and Mark McCarney... not forgetting Dave Elliott himself!

Visit www.strandartscentre.com for further details and to view the screening programme of films and shows.

The Playhouse: presents a series of events this summer with highlights including,

• 23-25 June, Artitude Climate Festival
• 29 June, Kinnaris Quintet
• 30 June, Grimes and McKee New Ireland
• 9 September, Deirdre O’Kane – Demented

Visit www.derryplayhouse.co.uk

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

• The Beauty Queen Of Leenane, 27 May – 1 July 2023. A contemporary classic by Martin Mc Donagh. In an isolated cottage in Connemara, Maureen Folan leads a lonely life with Mag, her demanding, manipulative mother. With the arrival of an unexpected admirer, Maureen finally sees the possibility of escaping her dismal life. However, Mag has other ideas, and the two women are plunged into a desperate conflict which leads to a shocking conclusion. The Beauty Queen of Leenane is one of playwright Martin McDonagh’s (The Banshees of Inisherin Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri;The Lieutenant of Inishmore) finest achievements. Winner of four Tony Awards on Broadway and nominated for an Olivier Award, the play conjures up the unbearable tension and loneliness of an isolated existence. It is not to be missed.

For further details on these and to view all events visit www.lyrictheatre.co.uk

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

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

• The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, 6-10 June
• Vote DLA, 13-17 June
• The King and I, 20-24 June
• Colin Murphy, 29 June – 1 July
• Oliver, 20-22 July
• Demon Dentist, 26-29 July
• Northern Ireland Opera Tosca, 9,12,14 & 16 September

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

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

• Buddy – The Musical, 8-12 Aug

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

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

• Queer Set Dancing. Part of the MACtivate programme in association with The Rainbow Project, our fortnightly Queer Set Dancing class with Alexa Moore is specifically beginner-friendly. Join Alexa and the group on select Thursdays from 6.30pm-8.30pm for a fun class with no expectation of any prior dancing experience. The class is run by a queer woman and aims to create a welcoming and friendly environment for LGBTQ+ people and allies to learn a new dance, have some fun and meet new people.

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

DU Dance (NI): presents Belfast Boys, physical dance theatre for boys aged 7-11 years at the Crescent Arts Centre. Classes at 2-3pm every Saturday. No experience is necessary. Book at info@dudanceni.com

Cultúrlann McAdam Ó Fiaich: presents

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

Crescent Arts Centre: presents,

• Belfast Book Festival, 13-18 June 2023.

• Stitch and Natter. On a Saturday morning, The Crescent runs free Stitch and Natter sessions in the café. Customers are encouraged to stop in for as long or as little as they’d like, and to come to all or just a few of the sessions.
  • This Apr - Jun term will be our 2^nd time running this free activity and the the sessions will be focusing on English Paper Piecing Patchwork. This block will last for 5 weeks.
  • All materials will be provided (along with tea, coffee, and biscuits)
  • The finished patchwork will be framed and displayed in The Crescent building

• Tech Tips: Support And Advice On Using Your Phone, Tablet Or Computer. Popular drop-in Tech Tip workshops available on various dates. More details can be found here: https://crescentarts.org/whats-on/tech-tips-support-and-advice-on-using-your-phone-tablet-computer-may23

Visit www.crescentarts.org

Seamus Heaney HomePlace: has releases details of their spring and summer programme. Taking place from May to August 2023 at Seamus Heaney HomePlace, the programme is overflowing with brilliant musicians, poets, authors, and artists. Highlights include:

• Audiences will enjoy several genres of music throughout the season, featuring renowned performers such as Mundy Ruth McGinley (1^st July), Luka Bloom (8^th July) and Colm Mac Con Iomaire (26^th August).
• A film screening of the Oscar-nominated Irish-language feature film An Cailín Ciúin (The Quiet Girl) is planned for 10^th June. This coming-of-age drama tells the poignant tale of a young girl sent to live with distant relatives in eighties rural Ireland.
• Playwright, author and poetry aficionado Roger McGough brings ‘Alive & Gigging’ to HomePlace near the end of June. This will be Roger’s second visit to The Helicon following a memorable sell-out appearance in 2019.
• Then there is the special announcement of the debut performance of Brian Bilston in The Helicon in November. Brian Bilston has gathered a huge following on social media and has been described as ‘Twitter’s unofficial Poet Laureate.’
• The highlight of the summer is a weekend of events to mark the tenth anniversary of the death of Seamus Heaney. Seamus Heaney HomePlace will welcome a number of award-winning poets from across Ireland and the UK over the course of this commemorative weekend. The weekend will close with a poignant screening of Seamus Heaney and the music of what happens. This special weekend is taking place from 25^th - 27^th August 2023 at Seamus Heaney HomePlace, Bellaghy and is part of a full programme of events happening throughout the summer. A weekend pass for all five events is available to book.

Visit www.seamusheaneyhome.com for tickets and information.

Declan McConaghy Show: Newry based former BBC broadcaster, Declan McConaghy has created a new series of short films where he talks in-depth to creatives from Newry and the surrounding area who have made a contribution to theatre, music, dance and the performing arts in general. The view the films visit https://www.facebook.com/DMCSHOW ) or https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaH9LxmhE8O1Af3Csk-k6vA

MUSIC

Dún Uladh: Summer has arrived, which means the welcome return of Dún Uladh’s annual Summer Seisiún. Running each Tuesday from 11th of July until the 15th of August,
commencing from 8pm weekly.

The Summer Seisiún is our authentic show of Irish music, song, stories and dance, which brings together the best and most talented musicians from across Ulster performed on Dún Uladh’s celebrated stage.

Summer Seisiún is an excellent opportunity for families, friends and visitors from far and wide to come along and delve into the beauty of our unique traditional culture across music, dance and story-telling, as well as enjoy our traditional Irish bar and facilities at Dún Uladh.

More amazing musicians and local talent are set to be confirmed in the coming weeks, so stay up to date with our Summer Seisiún updates on
Facebook and at www.dunuladh.ie.

For more information, please get in touch with Dún Uladh Cultural Heritage Centre on 028 8224 2777 or e-mail info@dunuladh.ie

Portico of Ards: presents.

• Fri 30 June: KINNARIS QUINTET

Winners of the 2019 Belhaven Bursary for Innovation in Music – the most significant prize in Scotland, matched only by the Mercury Prize – Kinnaris Quintet burst onto the scene in 2017 with a unique, highly emotive, energetic, and powerful sound. Their music has been described as ‘euphoric’ and combines Scottish and Irish traditional music with Bluegrass, Classical, Scandinavian and Appalachian influences. Uplifting, fresh music…created by three fiddles, mandolin and guitar. Expect influences of Trad Scottish & Irish, Bluegrass and Classical.

• Nashville's Albert Cummings' on Saturday 8^th July.

Known for his masterful guitar skills and soulful voice, Albert Cummings has garnered a dedicated following for his exceptional live performances and impeccable musicianship. With his dynamic blend of blues, rock, and roots influences, Cummings has established himself as a formidable force in the contemporary blues scene. Audiences can expect an electrifying display of guitar prowess, soulful vocals, and a repertoire that spans his impressive discography, including tracks from his latest critically acclaimed album, “Ten."

To view the full programme visit www.porticoards.com

Jamie Thompson Adjunct Ensemble: Irish composer and performer Jamie Thompson has launched his new album with support from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland ACES programme. The album is called Sovereign Bodies / Ritual Taxonomy and features innovative electroacoustic music.

Thompson’s Adjunct Ensemble of highly celebrated musicians consists of a female opera singer, a turntablist, a spoken-word poet, a jazz-punk trio and soloists. Sovereign Bodies / Ritual Taxonomy is a remarkable artistic achievement like nothing you have heard before. The album was created through a mixture of improvisation, notated music, and experimental hip-hop, collage and electroacoustic production approaches. Sovereign Bodies / Ritual Taxonomy is due to be released internationally on Diatribe Records as a limited edition set of three postcards as well as all major digital retail and streaming services.

Northern Ireland Opera: presents,

Northern Ireland Opera: presents The 13^th Glenarm Festival of Voice from 25-27 August 2023.

Join Northern Ireland Opera in the beautiful coastal village of Glenarm for their annual celebration of song: The Glenarm Festival of Voice.

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

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

Ulster Orchestra: presents

• 17 June, CBeebies Ocean Adventure with the Ulster Orchestra, Millennium Forum, Derry-Londonderry
• 18 June, CBeebies Ocean Adventure with the Ulster Orchestra, Waterfront Hall, Belfast
• 23 June, On Your Doorstep, Bangor Abbey

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

Oh Yeah Centre Belfast:

The NI Music exhibition at Oh Yeah is the only permanent exhibit for popular music in Northern Ireland. There is much to see, including a series of storyboards documenting and plotting the history and the stories of Folk, Punk, Rock, Jazz and more. Exhibition Opening Times, Mon – Fri: 10am-4pm, Sat: 12-5pm. To enquire about a visit, or for further info and group bookings please contact info@ohyeahbelfast.com or call 02890310845

Moving On Music: presents,

• 22 June, Linda May Han Oh and Fabian Almazan, The MAC
• 29 June – 2 July, Kinnaris Quintet Tour
• 27 October, Hailu Mergia, Ulster Sports Club

Visit www.movingonmusic.com

The Black Box: presents a varied programme of music, comedy, street art tours and other arts events.For further information n visit www.blackboxbelfast.com

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

ITMA: 'Drawing from the Well' is an online monthly ITMA series which connects artists with archival materials to inspire new art. To date, nine videos, podcasts and blogs have been created by leading traditional musicians, singers, and dancers, including Louise Mulcahy, Martin Hayes, Edwina Guckian and Cormac Begley. All episodes are free to view online at https://www.itma.ie/drawingfromthewell

Tommy Sands and Artsawonder: In this new online film series, legendary musician, Tommy Sands, films, sings, listens and learns from a singing five times world champion drum major Alan McBride, two young women, Jenna Stevenson and Wendy Graham Hanna, who initiate and drive an Arts hub shop, a rhythmic drum weaver rhythmic drum weaver Damien McKeown and a young woman Bronagh Kelly who lovingly echoes the poetry of her mother. To watch visit Media | Artsawonder (wixsite.com)

COMMUNITY ARTS

Stage Beyond: Stage Beyond, the Derry-based theatre company for adults with learning disabilities, is gearing up to raise the roof with their variety show ‘Unstoppable’ in St Columb’s Hall on Saturday June 24^th, 2023 at 7.30pm. The multi award-winning ensemble is rising to the challenge yet again in a thrilling theatrical showcase inspired by the popular variety shows which the historic venue was renowned for hosting in the 1960s. Centre Stage and Beyond, and the React Review Film Club youth outreach funded by BBC Children in Need, are also taking part in the showcase which includes a rousing repertoire of Shakespearean drama, Seamus Heaney poetry, pop songs, classical and contemporary music, a whodunnit, dancing queens, and comedy acts.

The Stage Beyond team facilitating the upcoming anthemic production ‘Unstoppable’ include Dee Conaghan (Artistic Director), Jean Dunn (Leading Drama Facilitator), Nora Kavanagh (Stage Beyond Letterkenny,) and visiting award-winning artists Ruairi Conaghan (actor/writer/filmmaker); Doreen Curran (mezzo-soprano opera singer); Laurie Schneider (choreographer); Cyril Kelly (filming); Francis O'Hagan (creative writing); Oliver Barron aka Cello Fella (freelance musician/teacher); and Neil Burns (pianist).

The performance takes place in St Columb’s Hall, Derry, on Saturday 24th June 2023 at 7.30pm. Tickets priced £15 are available by emailing stagebeyond@aol.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

24 July, Fiddle Concert in memory of Seán Maguire

28 July, Richard Hayward, Romancing Ireland

22 Sep, Flook

Duncairn Player: all of the previous video projects can now be viewed from the Duncairn Player including The Duncairn Virtual Cabaret, Take 2, Carlingford and the Ring of Guillion Sessions. Visit Player — The Duncairn

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

Cultúrlann McAdam Ó Fiaich: 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
• Airneál na nÓg, 19|04|23 - 15|06|23. Ranganna 1 – 7 | 4:00pm - 5:00pm, £30. Airneál na nÓg returns under the direction of Caitríona Gribben and will give children the chance to immerse themselves in music. There will be a variety of activities developing young people’s skills in the arts and Irish culture, focusing on the tin whistle and singing, and of course a lot of fun along the way. This is an 8 week course.
• Cultúrlann’s Drama School ‘Aisling Óg’ will start back from 22 April – 24 June, £30. This is a great opportunity for children from Primary 1 and up to build on their confidence, conversational skills and acting abilities. All whilst making new friends and having great fun. We explore every aspect of the arts including dance, art, music and drama to fulfil an exciting and engaging programme. We also produce an end of term performance to show off all our hard work.
• A new season of Babaithe Cultúir (Culture Babies), has started with the next days on 02|05|23 and 06|12|23. Babaithe Cultúir offers a range of interactive and creative experiences that support young children’s creative expression by enabling them to try new things, and the freedom to get as messy and as creative as they want, in a safe, fun and welcoming Irish language environment. Babaithe Cultúir will help to build very young children’s self-confidence, interpersonal and technical skills as well as offering a wonderful way to spend one-on-one time with your child. Delivered in Irish, everyone is welcome regardless of fluency in the Irish Language. Suitable for ages 0-4.
• Join Cultúrlann for a beautiful concert as they celebrate the coming of Bealtaine and the beauty of nature through music with the majestic Gráinne Holland and friends on 13 May 2023.

Visit www.culturlann.ie

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

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

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

WheelWorks Arts: presents,

ArtCart: Unique to WheelWorks Arts (WWA) is their ArtCart community engagement and outreach programme, which brings creative and artistic activities to your community. ArtCart is also the name WWA gives to its bespoke vehicle that can travel across Northern Ireland and transform into a unique workshop space. ArtCart is available for hire at youth, community, education, and festival events, bringing artistic and creative activities to the community. The available inventive activities cover digital and traditional arts and can include animation, DJing/music making, arts & crafts, and digital arts using augmented and virtual reality. For further information, visit https://www.wheelworksarts.com/artcart or email artcart@wheelworksarts.com.

TS3 Programme: The Tech Studio Skills Share (TS3 programme) is a new initiative by WheelWorks Arts (WWA) that offers training to help people improve their creativity and skills in digital communication by harnessing the specialist artistic expertise of the WWA team. The staff team at WWA consists of professional artists and digital innovators who have a wealth of knowledge, talent, and experience in delivering creative activities. They are now offering a range of training opportunities to the corporate and commercial sectors. For further information, visit https://www.wheelworksarts.com/ts3-training.

TechStudio: This is a 60m2 meeting room and collaboration space available for hire at our office in Weaver's Court, close to Belfast city centre (BT12 5GH). The room is equipped with a range of digital and recording resources, including cameras, green screens, tripods, iPads, and an interactive whiteboard, all available for hire. For pricing and to book the TechStudio, please use our online booking system. For further information, visit https://www.wheelworksarts.com/room-hire or email info@wheelworksarts.com or business@wheelworksarts.com.

ChangeMaker: This is a programme by WWA that connects people from diverse communities with varied identities within organisations, communities, or geographical areas. It encourages open dialogue, exploration, and recognition of differences to foster mutual inclusion, enhance interpersonal understanding, and ultimately boost inter and intra-community cohesion. The programme explores perceptions, stereotypes, and misconceptions that workshop participants may have, with a view to understanding other contributors' values, heritage, biases, and experiences, and why people may have certain views or stereotypes. It also highlights how many of these perspectives may be unintentional, unconscious, and often unchallenged. For more information, contact Lesley@wheelworksarts.com.

Streetwise Community Circus: Fancy learning how to juggle and other circus skills?! In response to Covid 19 Streetwise Community Circus has developed a team of tutors who are now working via Zoom to reach out to those who can no longer participate in workshops. To take advantage of this opportunity all you have to do is email Streetwise on streetwiseathome@gmail.com. Suitable for participants who range in age from 8 to 80 plus.

Arts Care: has a wonderful range of arts activities available online on their Arts Care 4U Premium +, their online arts delivery channel that everyone can access. Arts Care’s new dedicated online arts and well-being workshop resource, ‘Break-Time’, accessed via their website to support the mental, emotional and physical well-being of children and young people through the Arts. New art, music, dance & exercise, drama, creative writing and clown doctor’s CDTV videos will be uploaded regularly and it’s all FREE. Visit https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQ85xLA2BlQQdrnWBhKw1hw

VISUAL ARTS

Deepa Mann-Kler: Join Deepa Mann-Kler in her new show "The Metaverse & Me" on Tuesday 20th June 2023 at the Events Space, Ormeau Baths, Belfast from 6-9pm featuring original artwork alongside cutting-edge augmented reality with a stunning soundtrack. Thanks to Aura Studios Eva Robinson Sinead Burns Josh McAvoy Eoin Peel Clio Young-McGahey for the co-creation process. The project is supported by Arts Council of Northern Ireland. Further information and registration details below.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-metaverse-me-augmented-artistry-unleashed-in-the-digital-realm-tickets-617315325757

#AR # #augmentedreality #artwork #belfast #exhibition #XRtist #XR #ar

Seacourt Print Workshop: presents, A Life in Print and Paint, an exhibition by JEAN DUNCAN 1933-2018 13^th May - 4 August at Seacourt Print Workshop, The Old Bank building, 75 Main Street, Bangor.

‘A life in paint and print…’ is an exhibition looking back over the work of our Seacourt Print Workshop’s co-founder Jean Duncan in our new city centre premises.

The exhibition features prints and paintings from the Duncan family’s personal collection, Seacourt’s archive and Jean’s friends and it showcases the diversity and vibrance of Jean’s work and her contribution to the visual arts here in Northern Ireland.

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

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

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

R-Space: presents, Re: New Wallace #6 – Time frame now until 30 June. The Re:New Wallace #6 Residency was awarded to artist, Emma Whitehead, who responded to the theme Time Frame for her solo exhibition. Inspired by the journey and time spent passing through the hands of people over time, she explored the compulsion to measure time, distance, the seasons, the stars, and the need to make sense of the connections that intersect with our lives.

R-Space also presents a series of workshops including:

• Dry Point Intaglio Printing with Robert Peters, 9, 16 June, 25 July and 1 August
• 24 June, Bee Embroidery Workshop with Emma Whitehead

R-Space Gallery has also received a National Lottery Heritage Fund grant of £99,352 for an exciting heritage project, Northern Ireland’s Linen Biennale, which will take place in Lisburn and throughout NI. Made possible by money raised by National Lottery players, this project will feature a full programme of events, initiatives and community outreach that will celebrate the heritage, and future, of linen and flax on the Island. The 2023 Linen Biennale will run from 26 July - 26 August 2023 and partners will include PRONI, Northern Ireland National Museums, and Portview Trade Centre. Visit www.rspacelisburn.com

Belfast Exposed: presents,

Bank Gallery: Blinded by the very force it imagined it could handle by Donovan Wylie, 20^th April – 28 July. Belfast Exposed is delighted to present Blinded by the very force it imagined it could handle, a new film from Donovan Wylie and Peter Mann. The work examines the enduring legacy and architecture of the Troubles, as we mark the 25^th Anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, and features never before seen footage from the demolition of the notorious Maze/Long Kesh Prison in 2007. Blinded by the very force it imagined it could handle builds on work done by Wylie as part of his landmark exhibition The Maze (2004) - which was shown at Belfast Exposed - that saw Wylie given access to the Maze/Long Kesh site as in stood empty in the post-Good Friday Agreement political landscape.

Visit www.belfastexposed.org

The MAC: presents,

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

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

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

Craft Northern Ireland: presents their 'Spring Collectors’ Showcase', an exhibition which is now open until June 30 at Craft NI Gallery, 115-119 Royal Avenue, Belfast!

The 'Spring Collectors’ Showcase' is a unique exhibition of one-of-a-kind pieces made by some of the most established designer-makers in Northern Ireland. Following a visit from international collectors, the gallery’s current selection shines a light on new work from some of Northern Ireland’s best contemporary craft makers.

The exhibition will give the public a rare opportunity to view and acquire work from silversmith Cara Murphy, renowned for her beautifully enamelled silver bowls, woodturner Mark Hanvey as he unveils his new ‘Graft’ pieces, or new glass work by Andrea Spencer and Scott Benefield. New or award-winning designs by Patricia Millar, John McKeag, Peter Meanley, Alison Lowry, David Cousley, John Piekaar, Sarah Cathers, Michael Moore, Chris McHugh, Anna Smyth to name but a few make this event a perfect occasion to start (or add to) a cherished craft collection from local artists.

Jewellery gets a special spotlight: Egle Banyte shows her ‘Wave' brooch, inspired by North European aesthetics; forward-thinking Anne Earls Boylan delights with her new SLS colourful 3D print designs; and Celine Traynor takes us on a time travel journey with her ‘Golden Years’ piece, a kinetic pendant made up of 24 ever increasing rings that represent the 24 years that she lived in her house on Canal Street, Newry, before it was sold.

Craft NI Gallery are looking forward to welcoming you to this exceptional event and encourage you to visit to see the full selection. The works, spanning across different craft disciplines, varied mediums and concepts, will give the public a thorough understanding, and hopefully a new appreciation of the talent, craftsmanship and skill available in Northern Ireland. For more information visit www.craftni.org

Belfast Photo Festival: The Belfast Photo Festival is returning this year at outdoor and indoor venues across the city from 1-30 June. Launched in 2011, this now annual photographic event has been described as one of the "best photography festivals in the world" by Capture Magazine.

The Festival consists of exhibitions, talks, symposiums, workshops, screenings, masterclasses, portfolio reviews and tours. The 2023 edition of Belfast Photo Festival explores how artists in the contemporary moment are interpreting the idea of the ‘journey’ as a subject of art. For more information visit https://www.belfastphotofestival.com/

Golden Thread Gallery: presents, GATHER BELFAST / Niamh O’Malley from now until 24 June. Golden Thread Gallery is excited to host Irish artist Niamh O’Malley in their main space after the hugely successful Gather, Ireland at Venice 2022. Gather was the national representation of Ireland at the 59th International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia, curated by Temple Bar Gallery + Studios. The exhibition for the Golden Thread Gallery is informed by O’Malley’s work for Gather and will explore the breadth of her current practice.

O’Malley’s work has often been described as ‘a call to gather’. As her work makes its way around the island, this call to gather invites a communality. O’Malley’s sculpture and moving image works are intended to hold us in the space for which they are made. She uses steel, limestone, wood, and glass, and shapes and assembles objects to create a purposeful landscape of forms in the gallery space. Her sculptures, tall and free-standing, ground-bearing and cantilevered, with paced and looped moving image, inhabit and animate the gallery.

The work in the exhibition splits the space with sculptural interventions. Steels rods which support sculptural objects have to be navigated, forcing us to move around, and in-between. These interventions encourage us to consider the space again, from new angles and through different, considered, frames.

Golden Thread Gallery also presents: Charys Wilson Exhibition from 3rd June – 22nd July 2023.

Charys Wilson was the recipient of the Golden Thread Gallery Mentoring & Exhibition Award 2023 and GTG is delighted to show her new work in the Project Space.

Wilson is a visual artist from the north coast of Northern Ireland who completed her BA Hons Fine Art from Aberystwyth University, Wales in 2015. Working most recently in installation, she looks to challenge our relationship and perception of the natural world. Her background in printmaking has influenced her current practice and recent MFA end of year exhibition.

As part of her award, Wilson received mentoring and professional support over the 12 months from GTG Director Peter Richards and Deputy Director Sarah McAvera, building to this solo exhibition in the Golden Thread Gallery Project Space in June 2023.

For further information visit www.goldenthreadgallery.co.uk

Cultúrlann McAdam Ó Fiaich: presents,

• Lane Shipsey – Homing exhibition, from 1 June – 27 July.

Does the word HOMING (a) mean to make a home (verb) or (b) describe a missile locked on to a target (adj.) — in which case it could be a way to destroy or unmake a home? The photographs in Lane Shipsey’s first solo show HOMING seek answers to these questions, taking an idiosyncratic, personal, and occasionally humorous look at home, homing and ways we think about home. These photographs, made on a journey, offer the viewer a journey. Along the way, more questions... What do we mean when we say we feel at home? And what do we feel when the place we live in could easily be someplace else? Is the answer all in the eye of the beholder? Come see the show, and write a line in the HOMING notebook with your answers.

• Tomas Monteiro: Chains of Memories exhibition, from 1 June – 27 July.

Tomas Monteiro is a ceramic artist based in Belfast. His practice examines the exploration of personal experience and his identity as a queer person. He approaches work as a syncretic experience of his life and expressions of his interests. He works with processes of mould-making, performance, sculpture, installation, and grounds his practice in ceramics. His recent work traverses the experience of a young queer artist who is self-examining ideas of queerness alongside simultaneously trying to make sense of personal traumatic experiences he has experienced as a young queer artist.

For more information visit www.culturlann.ie

Queen Street Studios (QSS): Visit www.queenstreetstudios.net

VOID Gallery: presents

Shezad Dawood Leviathan: We go elsewhere, 17 June - 19 August 2023. Exhibition preview: 17 June, 6-8pm, in conversation: 5:30pm.

Shezad Dawood’s Leviathan film series is an episodic exploration of the current challenges we face in the intersection between climate change, migration, and mental health. The film series envisages a future eerily like our present, whose inhabitants are the survivors of a cataclysmic solar event. Each film is written from the point of view of an individual character, providing insight into their trauma and pathological traits and giving each episode its own personality, visual language and rhythm. At Void Gallery we are premiering Episode 8 of the series that elucidates the indigenous perspective on the impact of climate change and the nature of the universe according to their culture. The film looks at the interconnections between nature and the indigenous community.

Visit www.derryvoid.com

CCA, Derry-Londonderry: presents, Sam’s Eden, 1 July – 9 September, 2023.

Artists: Michaela Nash, Yarli Allison, Suds McKenna.

Curated by Thomas Wells, Sam’s Eden, features newly produced and pre-existing work by artists Yarli Allison, Suds McKenna and Michaela Nash. The exhibition will investigate three different responses to the queer body occupying the physical and virtual realms, and reflect on the importance of sanctuary.

The theme of sanctuary references the need for queer bodies to seek safety in community; this is evident throughout history with physical spaces; clubs, bars, ball rooms, cottages, but also in the virtual realms through social media, online gaming and others. Queer spaces are often found in the marginalia of books, in the lyrics of music and in the symbolism of film. Queer spaces have historically been of great importance for a community often shunted from domestic and workplaces, finding solace and security elsewhere. Sam’s Eden refers to Derek Jarman's prospect cottage Eden- based in Folkestone, England as a space of queer sanctuary for the artist and filmmaker. Sam’s Eden began as a queer arts publication founded by Thomas Wells in Belfast in 2020; this exhibition sees the move out of printed matter into the physical realm, forming the exhibition at CCA Derry~Londonderry with new and reimagined work by Yarli Allison, Suds McKenna and Michaela Nash. Visit www.ccadld.org

ArtisAnn:

ArtisAnn Gallery, 70 Bloomfield Avenue, Belfast, BT5 5AE
www.artisann.org

Tue – Fri: 11am to 6pm ; Sat: Noon to 5pm

• Young Belfast Artists Exhibition, Wed 7^th June to Sat 1^st July 2023. Celebrating the 7^th birthday of the ArtisAnn Gallery with an exhibition by nine of the most exciting artists who have appeared in their annual Emerging Artists shows. Artists include: Leah Davis, Trina Hobson, Santa Leimane, Aimee Melaugh, Saffron Monks-Smith, Aimée Nelson, Lauren Reynolds, Amber Rossi and Irene Sweeney. These young female artists are just at the start of their careers, and they have already been making waves with their work being shown internationally to great acclaim.
• The Name of the Water by Karen Daye-Hutchinson and Déirdre Kelly, Wed 5^th July to Sat 26^th August 2023. The works made in Venice & Ireland, are an ongoing dialogue with the symbolic language of maps, using the aesthetics of cartography. Karen Daye-Hutchinson shows print and bookworks made while on residency at Scuola Internazionale di Grafica Venezia recipient of the RE Fellowship. Déirdre Kelly shows shifting floating worlds, collage works on paper created while on residency at the Ballinglen Visual Arts Foundation in the West of Ireland.

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