CULTURE NIGHT KICKS off tonight, with free entertainment organised in venues across 30 towns and cities in Ireland.

Culture Night, organised by the Temple Bar Cultural Trust, has been running since 2006. Each year, cultural sites  such as churches, museums, and galleries open their doors late into the evening to allow visitors to experience what they have to offer.

Organisers say that this year’s event will be the largest ever – with workshops, film screenings, visual arts, music, dance, drama, literature, tours, and much more to be experienced.

• Dublin alone will see more than 156 venues open their doors up to 10pm. Some of the street highlights in Dublin’s Temple Bar include the MaSamba Samba Dancers and Drummers performing the Thin Lizzy classic Jail Break  (5 -5.30pm); the Marching Vikings brass band on walkabout (7pm – 8pm); and the Children’s Art Jam, allowing kids to create their own masterpieces (5pm – 7pm).

Adults will also have an opportunity to tune into their artistic spirits in the outdoor street installation Solus Street Art, on Wexford Street, where the public will be invited to make their own mark on a communal street art piece with stencils and spray paint.

• Cork will be offering a range of events across the county, with events at The Grain Store in Ballymaloe, the Midleton Distillery and the Kinsale Art Gallery, to name a few.

In the city, Plazapalooza will take place at the City Hall from 7pm: a treat for music lovers, the event will feature a mix of soul, funk and easy listening. Also at City Hall, the Damian Drohan Exhibition and Project will present visitors with a collection of war memories from Irish veterans.

• In Limerick city, children and adults will be given a chance to try their hands at silk printing at the Limerick Printmakers Studio and Gallery, while an exhibition of visual arts at the University of Limerick will provide the backdrop to an afternoon of free life drawing classes.
• In Waterford city, the Garter Lane Arts Centre will be screening a new Win Wenders film, Pina, as well as offering tours of the Gallery Studios at 7pm and 8pm.

Independent shops and businesses will display the works of local artists on Art Stroll, Michael Street. The walk leads to the Bishop’s Palace, Theatre Royal and Hive Studios where other events are taking place.

Fianna Fáil’s Spokesperson on Arts and Heritage Robert Troy today announced plans to propose that Culture Night “go global” from next year, as a way for Ireland to promote itself on the world stage by showcasing what it is “most famous” for – it’s artists, poets, musicians and writers.

Find out more about the free events taking place across the country tonight by checking out the full Culture Night programme:

Culture Night 2011>