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What’s on in the Arts

15th July, 2022

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MUSIC

Ulster Youth Orchestra: presents their summer concert, Scheherazade on 19-20 August. The programme includes:

Smetana: Sarka
Korngold: Violin Concerto
Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade
Conductor: Jac Van Steen
Violin: Ciaran McCabe
Friday 19 August, 7:45pm, Guildhall, Derry-Londonderry
Saturday 20 August, 7:45pm, Ulster Hall, Belfast
Visit www.uyo.org.uk

Ulster Orchestra: presents their new Season opening concert, 23 September, 7:45pm. As a single horn sounds a fanfare that calls together the musicians of the orchestra, Ulster Orchestra invite you to join us them the opening of the 2022/23 Season in the company of Music Director Daniele Rustioni and phenomenal pianist, Stephen Hough.

The musical programme for the evening includes:

Brahms Piano Concerto No. 2
R Strauss Ein Heldenleben

DANIELE RUSTIONI CONDUCTOR
STEPHEN HOUGH PIANO

Lose yourself in the tempestuous drama of Brahms’s Second Piano Concerto, with all of Stephen Hough’s dazzling virtuosity and warmth, and meet Richard Strauss’s (autobiographical?) ‘hero’ in a musical narration of A Hero’s Life (Ein Heldenleben).

Through depictions of the protagonist’s moods, enemies and his beloved companion, Strauss paints a kaleidoscopic picture of the trials, tribulations and triumphs of life. This fascinating depiction of humanity is a welcome start to the new Season!

The Ulster Orchestra also presents Salon Sessions. With the aim to expand their support of and collaboration with local music artists, the Ulster Orchestra is launched an exciting new digital series, Salon Sessions, which is available to watch on their YouTube channel. Salon Sessions is free to view.

For further information on Salon Sessions and to view the new Season programme please visit www.ulsterorchestra.org.uk.

The National Youth Choir of Northern Ireland: presents the following summer conerts:

Junior Choir Concert Friday 22nd July @4pm in Campbell College main hall.
Training Choir Concert Friday 22nd July @7.30pm also in Campbell College main hall.
Senior Choir Concert Friday 29th July @ 7:30pm in St George's Church, Hill St, Belfast.

Visit www.nycni.org

The MAC: presents

Colin Reid in Concert, 16 September 2022. his performance marks a welcome return to the local live scene of Colin Reid, finger-style guitarist.

Expect to hear original music from his four studio albums and a few choice covers. Colin has been on hiatus from guitar performance to concentrate on creating new music for various ensembles and situations and is now back for a rare performance at the MAC for one night only.

Once described by the great Bert Jansch as “a cross between me and John Renbourne” and by The Irish Times as “a stunning finger-style guitarist”, Colin will be joined onstage by special (mystery) guests.

Come along if you want to hear accessible, engaging, melodic, original music. www.themaclive.com

Duncairn: presents a series of live music including:

Honeyfeet, Saturday 16 July
Still residing as BBC Radio 2 Folk Singer of the Year, Ríoghnach Connolly’s taste for musical adventure is eclectic. Along with her companion players, as Honeyfeet, they collectively drive a broad terrain of musical textures from esoteric protest songs to foot tapping, and floor thumping, dance rhythms.

Alongside Ríoghnach the Honeyfeet line up is; Lorien Garth Edwards, bass; Ellis Davies, guitar; John Ellis, keyboards; Biff Roxby, brass; and Phil Howley, drums. An eclectic troupe, all now based in Manchester, Honeyfeet’s brass heavy sound spans from the bountiful to the subtle, with everything from big-band swing to Alabama blues-tinged folk, all held together by the powerful vocals and flute from Ríoghnach.

The Philippine Kultura Fest, Sunday July 31
Everyone is invited to immerse yourself in an afternoon of Filipino culture, with an array of food and craft vendors, outdoor BBQ and AMAZING Filipino musicians and cultural dances!

The Duncairn will be fundraising for Ten Foundation, an amazing Belfast based charity looking to change the lives of poverty-stricken families in the Philippines.

Visit www.theduncairn.com

Oh Yeah Music Centre: 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 a series of concerts including:

Les Filles de Illighadad, 6 Sep, Black Box
As the name suggests, Les Filles de Illighadad (daughters of Illighadad) hail from the small, secluded village in central Niger. Only accessible via a grueling drive through the open desert, there is little infrastructure and no electricity or running water. But what the nomadic zone lacks in material wealth it makes up for deep and strong identity and tradition.

Their music draws from two distinct styles of regional sound, ancient village choral chants and desert guitar. The result is a ground-breaking new direction for Tuareg folk music and a sound that resonates far beyond their village.

At the heart of the music is the percussion and poetry of ‘Tende’ – a term used for both the instrument and the type of music – whereby a mortar and pestle are transformed into a drum, and women join together in a circle, in a chorus of singing, chanting, and clapping. Sometimes for celebration, sometimes to heal the sick, sometimes it’s poetry of love, and always a space where the wall between performer and spectator disintegrates.

For further info visit www.movingonmusic.com

Northern Ireland Opera: presents one of the most beautiful operas ever written, La Traviata, which returns to The Grand Opera House on 10, 13, 15 and 17 September 2022. Join Northern Ireland Opera as they present a brand-new production of one of the most popular operas of all time: the much-loved and cherished La Traviata by Giuseppe Verdi.

This stunning new production comprising four performances is sure to delight and move audiences of all ages. It is perfect for anyone looking to experience an opera for the first time as well as for existing opera fans. Northern Ireland Opera is delighted to engage with the Ulster Orchestra to bring this masterpiece with its gloriously romantic score to life. Visit www.niopera.com

The Black Box: presents a series of concerts this spring. For further information visit www.blackboxbelfast.com

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

Portico of Ards: presents a new programme of events for 2022 visit porticoards.com

Another major highlights features Arts Council Major Individual Artist award recipient, Ian Wilson.

MLADENOVIĆ & WILSON : VIOLIN & PIANO, 17 JULY 2022, 3PM

The Mladenović-Wilson duo bring together an outstanding Serbian violinist with one of Ireland’s leading composers, also a pianist in his own right. As a duo, Dušica Mladenović and Ian Wilson explore a wide range of music from classical greats such as Schubert and musical mavericks like Erik Satie to more contemporary work by the likes of Arvo Pärt and Wilson himself. The programme includes:

Sonata in A minor, op.137 (1816, 23’) Franz SCHUBERT (1797-1828)
Fratres (1977, 11’) Arvo PÄRT (b.1935)
from the Book of Longing (1996, 12’) Ian WILSON (b.1964)
Socrates Ungraved (1918/2016, 27’) Erik SATIE (1866-1925) / Ian WILSON

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

Phil Taggart: ChillDaBeats is the brand new show from NI DJ, Phil Taggart. Every week he brings you a soft focus selection of the best alternative chill sounds along with the biggest guests picking some brain soothers in the Soul Food Selection. ChillDaBeats goes live every Sunday. Listen on Spotify at https://open.spotify.com/show/0M2IpL7ldc1Rui2aa9meX3 This podcast series is supported by emergency funding through the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and Department for Communities.

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)

Cultúrlann McAdam Ó Fiaich: presents Music Corner, the best of traditional music with great traditional musicians every Saturday. Visit https://www.facebook.com/AnChulturlann/

FILM, LITERATURE, DANCE & DRAMA

Strand Arts Centre:

JULY


AUGUST

  • Silver Screenings - Smokey and the Bandit. Thursday 4th August, 2pm < with free tea/coffee, carers free, taxies for nursing homes - Evening event with host and a free Coors beer. Thursday 11th August, 8pm
  • Hairspray (2007) with live dance intro with resident dance and drama group NiStars, Thursday 4th August, 8.15pm
  • Global Film Screenings: Crash (2004) with discussion. Tuesday 9th August, 8.15pm -with online discussion on Facebook live.
  • Figure This - Life drawing class. Tuesday 9th August 7-9pm.
  • Strand Variety presents... Roy Walker, Clubsound, Trevor Kelly and Janet McCartney. Friday 12th August, 2pm and 7.30pm.
  • Stranded! Shit Show Shambles (Emily McDonagh), Friday 26th August, 8pm
  • André Rieu's Summer Concert- streamed concert, Sat 27th 7.30pm or Sun 28th 4.30pm August

For more information visit www.strandartscentre.com

The John Hewitt International Summer School and Festival: will take place from 25-30 July at their festival base in the Market Place Theatre and Arts Centre Armagh for a full week of culture, entertainment, discussion and collective celebration of literature and the arts. The opening address will be presented by Professor Olivette Otele of the University of Bristol. Professor Otele, the UK’s first black female Professor of History, and she will explore the links between history, collective memory and geopolitics and how questions of citizenship, race and identity are addressed.

THE MAC: presents, On The Shelf, 9 – 23 December, various times, £12.50 - £20

A Christmas show that’s strictly for grown-ups. Starring Tara Lynne O’Neill (Ma Mary from Derry Girls) as Paula who, this Christmas Eve, finds herself firmly back on the shelf. Following its sold-out run in 2018, this smash-hit comedy is back with an updated version for the MAC that’s bigger and better than ever.

It’s Christmas Eve. Paula has a list and she’s checked it twice. She has the flat, the car and the career. Now all she wants for Christmas is the ring! Her boyfriend has other ideas though and she ends up back On The Shelf.

Faced with spending a lifetime of Christmases alone, she decides to peel off the spanx, pour a drink or twelve and dish the dirt on love, life and turning 40. Like the rest of Paula’s night though, things don’t quite go to plan with the arrival of an unusual and unwanted house guest (Chris Robinson (Bouncers).

Join The MAC for a laugh-out-loud cracker. Time to get together for a guaranteed great night out this Christmas. https://themaclive.com/event/on-the-shelf

Tinderbox: In August 2022, Tinderbox will premiere award-winning writer Kat Woods’ astonishing new play as part of Edinburgh Fringe followed by a two-week production at the Duncairn Arts Centre. The one woman play will feature animation and incredible sound design that will reveal the theme of shame and trans-generational trauma through powerful and rich storytelling. Birds of Passage in the Half Light will work in partnership with Alliance for Choice and Nexus NI in the delivery of a unique participatory programme. Kat Woods previous plays Mule, Belfast Boy and Killymuck received huge critical acclaim at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in previous years and we are delighted to present this powerful tour de force at the Gilded Balloon this August. For more information visit www.tinderbox.org.uk

Grand Opera House: presents a series of shows including the highlights below:

  • In the Name of the Son, The Gerry Conlon Story, Mon 25 Jul 2022 - Sat 30 Jul 2022 – see details below under Millennium Forum
  • La Traviata, 10,13,15,17 September – see details above under Northern Ireland Opera

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

Lyric Theatre: presents a new programme for 2022 with summer highlights including,

The Border Game, a Prime Cut and Lyric Theatre Production, directed by Emma Jordan 25-27 August
From the award-winning writers Michael Patrick & Oisín Kearney (My Left Nut and The Alternative), and Irish Times Theatre Award-winning director Emma Jordan (Red and A Streetcar Named Desire); The Border Game is a timely and powerful reflection on 100 years of the border and how it has impacted those who live along it. Inspired by 100 testimonies collected by the writers with real people living all over the 300-miles of the border. This show contains very strong language throughout.

Muldoon’s Picnic, 13 August, Lyric Theatre
Muldoon's Picnic is a cabaret-style evening hosted by Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Paul Muldoon with his house band Rogue Oliphant. After ten sold out seasons at the Irish Arts Center in New York and two highly successful Irish tours, Muldoon’s Picnic comes to the Lyric for one night only.

An omnium-gatherum of poetry, prose and music, Muldoon's Picnic is hosted by Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Paul Muldoon joined by house band Rogue Oliphant, a collective of musicians and composers including Cait O’Riordan (The Pogues). Special musical and literary guests include Roddy Doyle, Eileann Ni Chuilleanain, Zoe Conway and John McIntire. This tour is produced by Poetry Ireland and supported by an Arts Council / An Chomhairle Ealaíon and Arts Council of Northern Ireland Touring Grant.

Roshini, 22 August, presented by ArtsEkta as part of the Belfast Mela, Lyric Theatre
Roshni (from the Persian word meaning light or brilliance) is a beautifully intimate crafting of dance and live music, transporting and uplifting the audience on a journey of joy.

In our uncertain world, when everything around us can feel full of pessimism and doubt, Roshni provides us with a ray of light, to put a spring in our step and a warmth in our hearts! World-class artists Sonia Sabri and Sarvar Sabri, alongside an ensemble of skilled musicians, take us on a path to repair and heal.

This soul-stirring performance is a captivating combination of Kathak dance, with live music and vocals from a global palette of styles, driven by the bold rhythms of Tabla percussion. Kathak is a striking movement language of virtuosic foot percussion, rapid spins, geometrical patterns, with poignant mime and gesture, all intricately woven with the live music.

Roshni brings together Sonia’s distinctive style of dance, rooted in the traditions of Kathak from Northern India, yet reimagined in the context of her lived British experience, with diverse musical genres and artists, ranging from South Asia, Middle East and Eastern Europe, celebrating the rich diversity of our global community.

Green and Blue by Kabosh Theatre Company, 14-18 September
The award-winning Green & Blue explores the painful and humorous realities faced by the individuals who patrolled the border during the height of the conflict. An officer from the Royal Ulster Constabulary in his green uniform and Eddie from An Garda Síochána, resplendent in blue, communicate via crackly radios until an explosive incident forces them to meet across a field only farmers know the location of.

Focusing on what it’s like to be hunted when you’re protecting a man-made line on the ground, the play looks at the societal and human cost of borders. ‘Green & Blue’ is based on real-life interviews with former serving officers. Winner of The Lustrum Award for Best Theatrical Moment at the 2019 Edinburgh Fringe. Presented by Summerhall.

For further details on all events and to buy tickets visit www.lyrictheatre.co.uk

Millennium Forum Derry-Londonderry: presents In The Name of the Son, The Gerry Conlon Story, 8pm, 23rd July from Green Shoot Productions, by Richard O’Rawe and Martin Lynch.

IN THE NAME OF THE SON is an exciting play chronicling the extraordinary life of The Guildford 4’s Gerry Conlon following his release from prison in 1989. Who will ever forget the TV images of a wild-eyed, fist-pumping man, storming up to a bank of microphones outside The Old Bailey, proclaiming to the world, “I am a totally innocent man!” The story of what happened next and what kind of man that emerged from 14 years of soul-destroying imprisonment is simply the stuff of legend.

IN THE NAME OF THE SON charts Conlon’s remarkable journey into ‘freedom’ as he received and spent over £1million pounds, became a cause-celebre at the Hollywood Oscars and ran in the same circles as Johnny Depp, Shane McGowan and Daniel Day Lewis. Conlon seemed to have it all but away from the glamour, fuelled by an addiction to crack-cocaine, his life was spiralling out of control.

Plagued with the guilt of believing he was responsible for the death of his father, Guiseppe in prison, Gerry Conlon struggled with powerful self-loathing. When he found himself searching bins in the backstreets of London for food, he knew he had to do something. What emerges from the darkness is Conlon’s resilience and his eventual life-changing recovery to beat his demons and become a world-renowned Human Rights campaigner against miscarriages of justice, similar to his own.

Written by Gerry’s lifelong friend Richard O’Rawe and Martin Lynch the play explores triumph of the human spirit over extreme adversity. A great story of hope. Visit www.millenniumforum.co.uk

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

Echo Echo: presents Introduction to Body Wisdom Movement for Over 50s on Tuesday evenings 7pm - 9pm at Echo Echo's studios on Magazine Street, Derry-Londonderry. Join Echo Echo for a short introductory evening course in Body Wisdom Movement and Dance for the over 50s led by Echo Echo's Artistic Director Steve Batts.

Of course moving is healthy, physically and psychologically but we aren't striving for those benefits. In our experience they come best as a by-product of exploring movement as a shared, poetic artistic process. The approach Echo Echo take is that older people have enormous poetic potential embedded in their movement lives. Echo Echo take away the expectations that are usually attached to dance as an art - extreme mobility, athleticism, agility - and begin from where people are.

Any men and women 50 years and upwards can join, no matter the level of physical ability or experience. To register please visit https://www.echoechodance.com/whatson/introduction-to-body-wisdom-movement-dance

For more details on al of Echo Echo’s classes and events visit www.echoechodance.com

Cultúrlann McAdam Ó Fiaich and Quotidian: 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 https://www.culturlann.ie/en

BBC Dance Passion: Don’t miss Flight, a short dance film about that universal desire to fly, led by Northern Ireland choreographer/Co-Director, Jennifer Rooney and Co-Director, Ciarán Haggerty, commissioned by BBC Dance Passion. Flight is part of the BBC series A Season of Arts and available to view now on BBC iPlayer. The film explores that most universal theme - a child’s desire to fly. To watch Flight visit https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0014fqd

Crescent Arts Centre: has launched a new season of the Crescent’s Creative Learning Programme where you can explore a hobby, brush up on your creative talents, or have a go at something new. Visit https://crescentarts.org/courses

Seamus Heaney HomePlace: has released details of their new winter-spring 2022 seasonal programme of events. Visit www.seamusheaneyhome.com for tickets and information.

Millennium Forum: presents a new programme for 2022 .Visit www.millenniumforum.co.uk for tickets and to view the full performance programme.

Declan McConaghy Show: Newry based former BBC broadcaster, Declan McConaghy has created a new serfies 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

COMMUNITY ARTS

Accidental Theatre: presents

Tea & Jam, 6pm Tuesday 19th July
Free event (donations welcome), https://accidentaltheatre.co.uk/box-office/tea-and-jam

Headwreck Quiz Night, 8pm Thursday 21st July, £6 each or table of 4 £24, table of 6 £42
https://accidentaltheatre.co.uk/box-office/headwreck-july

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: has released details of their new programme of theatre, music and digital classes. To book visit www.theduncairn.com

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

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 Podcast has a strong focus on mental health as part of the EA Health & Wellbeing programme this month. 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 Mammybanter. 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.

As well as having a voice the young people are developing their communication skills, confidence and self-awareness as well as learning skills in sound engineering and digital editing, skills they can take with them into their future career paths. You can find the podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcast but also by clicking this link below.

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

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

Wheelworks: unique to WheelWorks Arts is their state of the art ArtCart — a mobile arts studio that travels to your venue and opens up to provide an additional studio space for workshops and is packed full to the brim with digital equipment such as ipads, music and film making technology.

Virtual ArtCart activities take place at your own venue. Where outdoor space is limited, Wheelworks bring the ArtCart creativity inside your centre. They also come with a full outdoor suite — marquees, stage sound, lighting and outdoor heaters.

This unique space allows your young people the opportunity to experience professional equipment in a custom-made studio. It allows your centre to offer a range of socially distance spaces and utilises outdoor space. To book your perfect digital and arts activities just email www.wheelworksarts.com

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

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

VISUAL ARTS 

The MAC: presents

Ron Mueck, 29 July – 20 Nov, The MAC. Free, booking advised. Suggested donation: £5

This is the first exhibition of Mueck’s work in Ireland and brings together seven of his key works including Dead Dad, 1997 and his monumental work In Bed, 2005. Book now for the opening weekend (29 - 31 July) of what will be a powerful exhibition of Mueck's meticulously sculpted figures, from mini to mammoth, that act as psychological reflections of the human condition. https://themaclive.com/exhibition/ron-mueck-2

Craft Northern Ireland: presents presents ‘WOOL WORKS’, an exhibition of contemporary textile design.

Craft NI Gallery, 115-119 Royal Avenue, Belfast.
Dates: Thursday 7 July – 5 August 2022

CRAFT NI is delighted to welcome you to their upcoming event - ‘Wool Works’, an exhibition of contemporary textile design. Co. Down textile expert professor Jane McCann is behind this innovative exhibition bringing together Welsh, Finnish and Northern Irish textile artists, who have been working together since 2001.

Exhibiting artists: Sue Shields, Mandy Nash, Lynda Shell, Elspeth Thomas, Alison Moger, Jane McCann, Sirpa Mörsky, Susan Smith, Claire Cawte, Alison Taylor; local collaborator: Cecilia Stephens.

Talks and Workshops Programme: workshops will take place either at Craft NI Gallery or Landsend, Donaghadee For full details of these events, please check out Craft NI's website www.craftni.org

CCA: presents Ballads of Rhinestones and Newcomers, which runs from 20 July-24 September 2022. They will launch the exhibition on 19 July, with a preview event taking place from 7-9pm.

Ballads of Rhinestones and Newcomers features work by Frank Sweeney and Tom O'Dea, and Bojana Janković, an Eastern European artist based in Belfast. The exhibition brings together two counterpointing experiences of the border between the UK and Republic of Ireland at a time when the realities of Brexit are playing out. The work included in the exhibition refers to the history of analogue radio and TV signals, as well as the migrant experience of the border.

Visit www.ccadld.org for further details and background.

Cultúrlann McAdam Ó Fiaich: presents new visual arts exhibitions by Dan O'Neill, Patrick Hickey & Farhad O'Neill from 16 June – 14 August.

The exhibition by Dan O’Neill is the artist’s first exhibition in Belfast in 35 years. His works are included in the collections of the following galleries in Ireland: the National Gallery of Ireland, IMMA, Ulster Museum, Crawford Art Gallery, Waterford Municipal Art Gallery, Limerick University, Dublin City Gallery The Hugh Lane, Queen’s University Belfast, and Down County Museum.

Looking for a Home, a Place to call our Own, a Place where we can be Alone is an exhibition of paintings Patrick Hickey has produced as a part of his practice-based PhD research at Ulster University, Belfast. The exhibition explores queer Irish identity and masculinity through the exploration of the nude male figure in a fantasy version of the Irish landscape.

The exhibition by Farhad O'Neill entitled, Speaking through the Veil, comprises of 16 illustrations inspired by medieval narratives and natural philosophy.

For further details visit www.culturlann.ie

VOID: Void Gallery presents their next exhibition, Above Us the Milky Way, from 25 June – 27 August, which features work from artists Orna Kazimi, Kubra Khademi, Mario García Torres and Erkan Özgen. The title of the exhibition is taken from a novel by Fowzin Karimi that explores the complexities and the impact of war through memories, loss and notions of home.

Many who are forced into exile face forced migration, and the burden of carrying the past into the present and future. The legacy of war, the repression of minorities and women, and the trauma that seeps through the generations forms the focal point of this exhibition.

Join VOID for a series of children and family events this summer with Void Engage as part of their current exhibition Above Us the Milky Way.

Visit www.derryvoid.com

UNBOXED: Thousands of participants aka Lumenators are being recruited from across Northern Ireland, by outdoor art experts Walk the Plank, to help create large-scale outdoor artworks in some of the region's Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) for Green Space Dark Skies, part of UNBOXED: Creativity in the UK, from April to September 2022.

Gathering at designated Northern Ireland locations at dusk, Lumenators will be guided along pathways or waterways carrying smart lights that will enable digital choreography captured on film, while also being sensitive to the night-time environment. To protect these amazing places, the exact locations will only be revealed to the Lumenators who have registered to take part. There will be no spectators, but anyone can take part for free as long as they sign up in advance.

UNBOXED: Creativity in the UK is funded and supported by the four governments of the UK and is commissioned and delivered in partnership with Belfast City Council, Creative Wales and EventScotland. If you would like to take part in Green Space Dark Skies register at https://greenspacedarkskies.uk/get-involved/

Golden Thread Gallery: presents AN OBJECT OF VISION Alexandra Lethbridge, part of Belfast Photo Festival 2022.

Thursday 2nd June to Saturday 20th August, Project Space.

‘You’re seeing less than half the picture without the vision of women artists and women of colour.’ This was the message delivered by the Guerrilla Girls in 1984. Not much has changed since then. The line was used in a poster campaign to rebel against the International Survey of Painting and Sculpture held at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. The exhibition included the work of 169 artists, less than 10% of whom were women.

Today, of the 2,300 artworks held by the National Gallery, only 21 of these are by women artists. Without women artists and female perspectives, we lose half the story.

An Object of Vision charts the exclusion of women from historical narratives through a series of still lives and collages constructed to position women in the picture. This series asks what is lost when the stories and perspectives of women are eliminated from history? The work sets out to respond to this by reconstructing and creating new alternative images.

Historically, images of women have been used to contain and limit them. Women have been hidden, suppressed, veiled, covered, or shrouded. Women have largely been depicted as they were seen by others. Always seen or watched and constantly aware of the image of themselves. As John Berger describes in Ways of Seeing, women watch themselves being looked at, they are turned into a sight, a spectacle, an object of vision.

In this series by Alexandra Lethbridge, the images of women are fragmented, dislocated, but reassembled again. The process exposes the disjunctions between the individual being and the form, the sight and the expectations, the truth and the fabrication. Visit www.goldenthreadgallery.co.uk

Belfast Exposed: Presents the following exhibitions:

Gallery 1: Belfast Exposed is delighted to present a selection of three bodies of work by Vienna-based conceptual artist Thomas Albdorf, 2 June – 16 July. This exhibition forms part of the Belfast Photo Festival 2022.

Albdorf’s work sits at the intersection between photography and sculpture. The narratives behind the works are like shifting perceptions, and a decontextualisation caused by internet interference. He conceives photography as a chain of decisions that range from the objects or subject’s staging to post-processing and a potentially final print, creating a space of possibilities and probabilities, primarily enabled via digital post-production.

Albdorf combines classic photographic genres with contemporary visual techniques. His landscapes and still-lifes are boldly aesthetic, but his use of the photographic medium is highly conceptual. Using both analogue and digital technology, Albdorf constructs fictional realities from photographs of persistent visual clichés found online. Albdorf typically submits his constructions to image recognition software to see if the program could be tricked into identifying his fictions as ‘real’. For further details visit www.belfastexposed.org

ArtisAnn:
ArtisAnn Gallery, 70 Bloomfield Avenue, Belfast, BT5 5AE
Tue – Fri: 11am to 6pm ; Sat: Noon to 5pm

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


FESTIVALS

The John Hewitt International Summer School and Festival: will take place from 25-30 July at their festival base in the Market Place Theatre and Arts Centre Armagh for a full week of culture, entertainment, discussion and collective celebration of literature and the arts. The opening address will be presented by Professor Olivette Otele of the University of Bristol. Professor Otele, the UK’s first black female Professor of History, and she will explore the links between history, collective memory and geopolitics and how questions of citizenship, race and identity are addressed.

Fiction highlights will feature authors Jan Carson, David Park, Audrey Magee, Louise Kennedy and Una Mannion. Bernie McGill and Wendy Erskine will celebrate the short story, while Kerri ní Dochartaigh, Suad Aldarra, Kevin Doherty, Olivia Fitzsimons and Kathleen Murray will discuss their recent books. Well known local crime writer Stuart Neville will host a Crime Fiction Special with celebrated crime writers Val McDermid and Mark Billingham, and BBC presenter William Crawley will interview Ardal O’Hanlon about his latest crime fiction novel, “Brouhaha”. For full programme details visit johnhewittsociety.org

Belfast Tradfest: returns from 23-29 July 2022 with a jam-packed week full of traditional music, song and dance, featuring some of the best trad musicians from across these islands. Join us this summer for a series of concerts, workshops, talks, lectures, sessions, ceilí & festival club!

Concert highlight:

Date | Friday 29th July 2022
Venue | Ulster Hall
Doors |19:30

Belfast TradFest are pleased to welcome Sharon Shannon to the Ulster Hall for what will surely be one of those ‘I was there’ evenings. Opening the show will be Hothouse Flower’s frontman Liam Ó Maonlaí performing a rare solo set with Grand Piano, Bodhrán & Tin Whistle followed by Sharon Shannon’s eclectic 6 piece band. Visit www.belfasttraditionalmusic.com

Clandeboye Festival: 20-27 August 2022, Clandeboye Estate Co.Down. At this moment of new hope and normality, the Clandeboye Festival will bring everyone back together for a celebration of great music, great performances and an amazing new chapter. Camerata Ireland proudly presents the 2022 Clandeboye Festival – its 21st birthday!

The Clandeboye Festival takes place from Saturday 20th to Saturday 27th August in the historic surroundings of the Clandeboye Estate, Bangor, Co. Down. Over 13 concerts, the Festival will showcase the very best of well-loved music by Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms and more, with performances from world-class musicians, including our regular artists Michael d’Arcy and Elina Vähälä (violin), Ed Creedon (viola), Henri Demarquette (cello), Ailish Tynan (soprano), Michel Lethiec (clarinet), Richard Watkins (horn), Eimear McGeown (flute), Justine Gormley (piano), and all-Ireland orchestra Camerata Ireland, along with many special guests. The Festival is, as always, led by Artistic Director Barry Douglas (piano). https://www.goh.co.uk/whats-on/clandeboye-festival/

Cultúrlann McAdam Ó Fiaich: is delighted to bring a plethora of new events and programmes for the coming months as we transition from Spring to Summer. This year’s Bealtaine programme got off to a brilliant start with a book launch ‘Bone and Marrow | Cnámh agus Smior’ by Samuel K. Fisher and Brian Ó Conchubhair. For the youth there will be Na Bopóga, Fall’s Road Youth Club and Aisling Óg and for the rest there will be a mixture of new Irish languages classes, Áine Ní Bhreisleáin will be coming with her show ‘Bladhaire’, an album launch with Kevin Meehan and much much more! However this is only a taster of what they have to offer. Be sure to have a look at the full programme of events available at www.culturlann.ie

Open House Festival at The Walled Garden: Open House Festival returns to the stunning setting of Bangor Castle Walled Garden 11-29 August, with an exciting line-up of music, comedy, theatre, classic film and spoken word events. Headline acts include Beth Orton, Martha Wainwright, Paul Brady, Paddy Raff, Eddi Reader, Villagers, Duke Special and the Hothouse Flowers, as well as festival favourites Celtic Soul, Ronnie Greer and Manukahunney. Specially commissioned events include Berts To Bangor, recreating the amazing jazz music performed at Berts Jazz Bar in the Merchant Hotel, Belfast. This year’s Classic Film screenings include Thelma and Louise and Chicago. More acts will be announced in the coming weeks. Vie the current Walled Garden programme at www.openhousefestival.com

Féile an Phobail: Ireland’s largest community arts festival return from 4-14 August 2022. The team at Féile is delighted this year to once again welcome live audiences back to world class arts, cultural and community events. They are also delighted to be welcoming back their world-renowned Debates and Discussion programme where live audiences will once again listen, learn, engage in and digest world class talks in St Marys University College. To download the full programme visit www.feilebelfast.com

EastSide Arts Festival: EastSide Arts Festival celebrates its 10th birthday this summer, 4th–14th August and everyone is invited! Packed full of unique, exciting events, festival goers will enjoy music, theatre, film, literature, walks, talks & tours, comedy & cabaret, family focused and community events for all ages.

The celebrations will feature over 100 artists across more than 80 events taking place in a range of venues in east Belfast including: Strand Arts Centre, Vault Artist Studios, The Ballyhackamore Social Club, Banana Block (Portview Trade Centre), C.S. Lewis Square and many more. For the full festival programme and ticket information visit www.eastsidearts.net

Northern Ireland Opera: present the 12th Glenarm Festival of Voice, 26-28 August 2022. Join Northern Ireland Opera and BBC Radio 3 in the beautiful coastal village of Glenarm this August for our annual celebration of song: The Glenarm Festival of Voice. Now in its twelfth year, this much-loved event brings together BBC Radio 3 recitals, outreach events, performances their Artist Development Programme and culminates in the Competition Finale 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 Voice of 2022. Applications to enter the vocal competition are now open – if you are between the ages of 18-28, born on the island of Ireland and either a singer pursuing career in opera or as a professional pianist. Visit www.niopera.com