GET UP off the chair, get out of your routine, leave the house, and enjoy a host of free events - exhibitions, concerts, readings, and all manner of arts related happenings on Culture Night, which takes place this Friday.
There are 80 events taking place in 27 areas around County Galway and below is a selection of some of what you can look forward to.
Events in the city
Music
Galway City Culture Night will be launched at 4.30pm in the Orbsen Building, NUI Galway by the Mayor of Galway Donal Lyons and the ‘Creative Campus’ originator Chris Coughlan, followed by the magnificent ConTempo Quartet performing Alec Roth’s ‘Great Emperor Going To War’, Bartok’s ‘Romanian Dances’, and a movement from Dvorák’s ‘The American Quartet’. There will also be a first showing of the Banbha warrior sculpture, by the late James McKenna, the latest addition to the NUIG Cultural Campus Trail.
St Patrick’s Brass Band will hold a Mass for deceased members and friends in the Bandroom, beside Ceannt Station, at 7.30pm, followed by a short concert
Literature
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WEST OF Ireland writers will be reading in Easons and Dubrays for Culture Night. The readings, hosted by Arlen House, the Galway based publisher, will feature Aideen Henry, Alan Caden, Orfhlaith Foyle and Susan Millar DuMars, reading from the short story anthology, Noir by Noir West; while Mayo poet Martin Dyar (pictured above ) will read from his acclaimed collection Maiden Names. The reading in Easons is at 6pm and the Dubrays reading is at 7pm. Admission is free and all are welcome.
The Image Of A Writer, a reading and discussion by emerging Irish writers Sara Baume and Maeve Mulrennan, takes place in the library of the GMIT Centre for Creative Arts + Media, Cluain Mhuire Campus, at 5pm.
Sara Baume is a fine art graduate and winner of the 2014 Davy Byrne’s Short Story Award and her fiction, reviews, and articles have been widely published. Maeve Mulrennan's short stories feature in Wordlegs and The Galway Review. She is also the visual arts officer of the Galway Arts Centre. Places are limited and booking is essential through ccam@gmit.
Writers from the Travelling community will share their stories at a special event organised by the Western Writers’ Centre in the Galway People’s Resource Centre, Hynes Building, St Clare’s Walk, off Merchants Road, at 2pm. The MC will be Martin Ward. Taking part will be writer Julia Sweeney, poets Fred Johnston and Mary Ellen Fean, and uilleann piper Siobhan Hogan. For more information contact [email protected] or 087 - 2178138.
Exhibitions
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Galway graffiti artist FACT (pictured above ) will exhibit his latest works in Reality vs Madness, which opens at the Town Hall Theatre gallery at 5pm.
To highlight the daily struggle which many people, including FACT himself, deal with when fighting the stigma attached to mental health as an illness, he has created 20 pieces to tell his story and to inspire others to do the same. The exhibition runs for four weeks.
A ‘sonic art’, improvised sound installation will be seen and heard in the Galway City Library, St Augustine Street. The installation, entitled bookscape, is described by the composer Francis Heery as a “lowercase music event”, intended to “integrate with the library space”.
“With bookscape the music I’ll be creating will be deliberately low-key,” says Heery. “a sort of abstract sonic backdrop to the day-to-day goings on in the library. It’s possible that many of the people who come into the library might not even be immediately aware that I am present there, creating the sounds. This idea of a hidden sonic event, that is situated somewhere between foreground and background, appeals to me a great deal.”
Dr Sketchy’s Anti-Art School, a world-wide movement of cabaret and life drawing sessions, will be taking place in the Galway Arts Centre. Art materials will be provided. Dr Sketchy’s will run for 30 minute sessions at 6pm, 7pm, 8pm, and 9pm. See drsketchygalway.com
Dance
The Galway Dance Project will host an evening of free dance shows in The Mick Lally Theatre, Druid Lane, from 6pm to 8pm.
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Dancer Magdalena Hylak (pictured above ) will show Two Years Later, a solo piece exploring themes of possibilities and predictability within a structured period of time. Off Beaten Path Dance will perform Clocks, based on ideas of manipulation and anxiety, with live musical accompaniment provided by Mister Ebby.
Berni Divilly will run her Walking Wisdom project at Woodquay Park from 5pm with walking dance dates and an open stall for the evening. The Galway Dance Project will also be announcing its forthcoming programme. Refreshments will be provided in the foyer of the Mick Lally Theatre.
Events in the county
Oughterard
Oughterard’s Culture Night starts early with a ‘cultured’ coffee morning featuring writer and musician Pete Mullineaux reading his poems and singing songs. The uachtarARTS Gallery, beside the Thatch Bar, will feature an exhibition of works by uachtarARTS artists and friends.
The Boat Inn Restaurant will hold free drop-in workshops and events. There will be ‘Move to the Music and Dance’ with Caroline McFadden; a community sing-along celebrating Pete Seeger with Denis Geoghegan and Patrick Conneely; Leah Beggs, Cormac O’Neill, Renske Boef and Kay Synott will show you how to make ocarinas and pom pom; and Anja and Pete Sammon will host the Shakers and Music Makers Workshop (to book contact 087 - 2446542 ).
The Boat Inn will also host the Open Mic on Culture Night. To take part contact 086 - 8190908. The night concludes with an open trad session. All welcome to join in, sing a song, or play a tune.
Also watch out for Museum On The Street, a music related art and heritage trail curated by Kathleen Furey, displayed in windows around town.
Camus
Pobal sa bPuball will hold more than 15 events for Culture Night in the village community centre and pitch, while Fíbín has offered its new marquee for use. Events will run from 4pm onwards.
There will also be music from young musicians; Cor Chois Fharraige; Breandan Ó hEadhra and friends; sean-nós singer Sarah Ghriallis; and the launch of Neansaí Ní Choisdealbha’s new album Draíocht na Feadóige.
In the community centre, Fíle go Fuil, hosted by Rónán Mac Con Iomaire and singer/musician Rónán Ó Snodaigh, from 1pm. There will be a chance to try out boxing skills with Club Dornalaíochta Chonamara, shot put with Sean Breathnach, or see local youth football team CLG na Piarsaigh in action.
Tulach na Éigse (Sean Scoil Chamuis ) will host the exhibition, Idir Aite, curated by Andrew Duggan, and featuring newly commissioned works by Nuala Ní Fhlatúin, Eoghan MacGiolla Bhfíde, and Andrew Duggan with Olwen Fouéré and Siobhán Dempsey.
There will be a screening of the documentary Dubh ina Gheal, introduced by Paula Kehoe of Saoi Media and Claddai Chonamara, with Donncha Mac Con Iomaire of DCMI.
Local schools will compete for the best newly composed tongue twister, judged by Ealain na Gaeltachta’s Muireann Ní Dhroighneáin.
All are welcome and admission to all the above events are free. For more information see galwayculturenight.com
