THE 17TH EDITION of Culture Night will take place next Friday – an evening of free arts and culture all across the island of Ireland.
Wherever you are in the country, you can find something fun to do, whether it’s art, dance, theatre, history and heritage or literary events. Every event is free, and it’s a great night to check out some of the parts of your community that you don’t know very well.
Maureen Kennelly from the Arts Council told The Journal: “There truly is something for everyone this Culture Night. The diversity of the programme is down to the diversity of organisers, which range from arts and cultural organisations, community groups, heritage and visitor attractions, businesses and healthcare settings. Culture Night is about open-ness, discovery, surprise and joy and with 1,700 events we will be spoiled for choice as the richness, diversity and variety of culture in Ireland today, comes out to play.”
You can find the full line-up at the Culture Night website, but if you’re wondering what to check out on the night, here are some highlights:
Night Moves is a celebration of Dublin’s current cross-generational club culture while looking forward to the future of clubbing in the city. Set in the historic Fruit and Veg Market, Night Moves presents possibilities for the late-night economy rooted in the past and present, showcasing diverse live DJ performances from the Irish electronic community, while providing time and space for the development of ideas, through early night panel discussions on strengthening the inclusion and safety of Dublin’s nightlife of the future. (Line up to be announced.)
Galway City of Film, facilitated by Ardán, and with the support of Galway City Council, will be celebrating Culture Night with a special public screening in Eyre Square from 8pm to 10pm. This screening will be completely free and open to the public and will show a programme of short films made as part of Galway City of Film activities over the last two years.
The first of two free Culture Night performances at The Avon features two of Ireland’s most accomplished percussionists, Caitríona Frost and Paddy Nolan. A perfect way to get to know the different instruments that make up the percussion family including marimba, vibraphone, drums, and tambourines.The concert will include music by Elliot Cole, Philip Glass and Casey Cangelosi as well as an original composition from Caitríona based on techniques normally found in traditional Irish music. This event takes place in a weather-proof marquee, and the Avon Food Court will be open until 9pm on the night.
Some of Ireland’s most incredible contemporary circus and street theatre companies will take to the streets of Cavan for Culture Night 2022. Flips and Fleas, incredible feats of human physical skill, sense defying silliness and some very opinionated puppets. The organisers promise “five awe inspiring shows to make your jaw drop and your eyes pop”. Starring Cikada Circus, Currach Circus, Yer Man’s Puppets, Mr H & Pignuts Dazzling & Spectacular Flea Circus featuring Ireland’s most highly trained Fleas. 4pm-9pm
Experience the English Market Cork at night. Soak up the ambience and sample tasty local dishes as you ‘stall crawl’, accompanied by the sweet sounds of traditional music live on-site. Expect a very busy and buzzy environment on the night, with lots to eat and drink in the centre of the city.
Hear music that would have entertained the earls of Ormond from the sixteenth to the eighteenth century. The special musical guest for Culture Night is Siobhan Armstrong, who will be playing evocative mediaeval and Renaissance music on copies of ancient harps from Ireland and Europe. Dr Armstrong is Ireland’s foremost exponent of historical music on the early Irish (wire-strung) harp and one of Europe’s best-known early harpists. This will be a staggered performance in the picture gallery and can be enjoyed as part of a visit to the period rooms.
A musical journey of songs and stories, from Africa and Ireland. Kampala to Killarney is a live folk concert, a journey of music, song and fusion with Samuel Kiwanuka (Uganda) on vocals and drums, Tim O’Shea (Killarney) on guitar, vocals & drums and Rosie Healy (Killarney) on flute, vocals and tin whistle. The performance will include a mix of Irish and Ugandan music, stories and folk songs.
One for the fans of all things spooky: Cobh Supernatural Investigators will conduct a night-time enquiry into Sirius Arts Centre, which seems to have a background of mysterious, unexplained occurrences. Guests accompany them as they gather information with special equipment, eventually learning about the former occupants and past experiences within the building.
Have you ever heard about the gay brothel in Rathmines that threatened to topple the British Monarchy? Did you know there was a lesbian couple on Belgrave Road who fought for women’s suffrage, ran field hospitals during the 1916 Rising and later founded an infants hospital? Or about the trade unionist who founded Ireland’s first feminist publishing house? And what about the quiet leafy park that was one of the busiest gay cruising spots in Dublin? – Oh, the scandals these streets could tell. Join artist and archivist Han Tiernan on a walking tour of Ranelagh and Rathmines to learn about the hidden histories of the queer characters and spaces that spanned a century to make the area the colourful place it is today.
Be among the first to experience the Life Centre Limerick’s newly repurposed community space: the Garden, a respite from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. On Culture Night, join in celebrating a diverse range of artistic expression, from tasty treats and music to an inspiring exhibition and demonstration by Limerick artist Cait Osborne. It will truly be a feast for all the senses.
Take part in this fun, interactive outdoor digital art installation presented by the French Embassy in association with the National Gallery of Ireland. A real-time digital exhibition that puts you in the frame of your own masterpiece on a grand scale as your portrait or landscape is projected onto the historical Merrion Square façade. Kids and adults alike can have their photo taken and mirrored on the walls in the style of Claude Monet, Mainie Jellett or other masters. You can also view the live projection on the Facebook Live, or participate by sending your landscape photo in advance.
Wexford Filmmakers Robert Tyrrell and Joanne Heffernan in conjunction with Screen Wexford, FDYS, Wexford Arts Office, and the Presentation Arts Centre present a showcase of Traveller arts, crafts and film. Fresh from its premiere at the Galway Film Fleadh, Robert Tyrrell and Joanne Heffernan’s short documentary, Halted, is about the everyday lives of the Travelling community in Enniscorthy. Halted was shot last year after the filmmaking duo received funding through Wexford County Council’s New Voices bursary. It will be accompanied by an hour-long programme of short films about traveller culture.
An evening celebrating the mental strength of men through song, verse, film and readings. It will include male artists from a cross-section of generations who will approach the theme through the prism of artistic expression. Award-winning playwright (Irish Times Theatre Awards, Stewart Parker Award, Rooney Prize for Literature) Eugene O’Brien will headline the event with a reading and observations on the theme, following the publication of his first novel Going Back by Gill this September. Live music from upcoming singer-songwriter John Gorman and poetry from Dr Philip Brady will round off this eclectic evening celebrating the rich diverse nature of male mental strength. All genders welcome. Time: 8pm. Place: Acorn Youth Café
This is a music and dance collaboration between Go Dance for Change and some of the leading female hip hop and RnB artists in Ireland (AIS, Alicia Raye and Celaviedmai), who are also part of NOISE Music Collective. “’Breaking Codes’ is a celebration of the transformative power of dance & music to unite people and collectively build the kind of society we want to live in highlighting Ireland’s prominent music and dance artists,” according to one of the participants, Karen Aguiar.
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