Alleviate Awards launched

Thu, Aug 25, 2011

ALLEVIATE PUBLICATIONS has launched the Alleviate Awards 2011, an opportunity for all writers, artists, and photographers in Ireland to showcase their talent in a published format to an international audience.

Art exhibition in Monivea

Thu, Aug 25, 2011

An exhibition featuring almost 50 original works by a selection of 10 local artists will take place in Cooke’s Yard, Monivea, from 12 noon to 5pm on Sunday August 28.

Over The Edge reading takes place tonight

Thu, Aug 25, 2011

THE AUGUST Over The Edge open reading takes place in Galway City Library, St Augustine Street, this evening from 6.30pm to 8pm.

Róisín Dubh Comedy presents Foil, Arms and Hog

Thu, Aug 25, 2011

Foil, Arms and Hog’s blend of bizarre, ridiculous and surreal sketches have made them one of the country’s most popular ensembles. The all-male, three piece, Dublin based, cymbal smashing sketch group are now an established act at festivals around Ireland and the UK.

Trad music concerts in St Nicholas’

Thu, Aug 25, 2011

THE FINAL Tunes In The Church gigs take place in St Nicholas’ Collegiate Church from 8pm to 9.30pm tomorrow, Monday, and Wednesday,

Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Thu, Aug 25, 2011

Forget the monkey suits from the 1970’s original, even the 2001 remake has not a patch on this newest offering which I found not just surprisingly entertaining but also emotionally touching in places. I never thought I’d say this but the Rise of the Planet of the Apes is a great watch.

From bouncing baby to perky Teddy

Thu, Aug 18, 2011

Arriving at the Town Hall theatre to meet Rod Goodall for this interview, I find him hunkered on the steps outside and feeding bits of sandwich to a hungry young gull flapping eagerly around his feet. It could easily be an image of Faith Healer’s Teddy, the cockney showbiz agent who Goodall portrays in the play, auditioning a new performer. Teddy, after all, informs the audience that his roster of talent has included a bagpipe-playing whippet and a woman who can speak to pigeons, so a sassy seagull would fit right in. And Goodall’s convivial ease with the bird mirrors the sociable warmth of Teddy’s character.

Clifden Arts Week launches on Monday

Thu, Aug 18, 2011

Clifden Community Arts Week, the west of Ireland’s most prominent and longest running community arts festival, will return this September for its 34th year of artistic celebration. Taking place from September 15 to 25, the festival boasts an impressive line up of national and international talent with a jam-packed programme that covers all spectrums of the arts from literature and music to theatre, film, and comedy, as well as inspirational talks and lectures and a dedicated schools’ programme.

Weekend concerts on Inis Óirr

Thu, Aug 18, 2011

LEADING IRISH figures in blues, trad, and folk, will be heading to the Aran Islands this month to play the Inis Oírr Music Festival.

‘And poured out the imagined shapes, observed that place and made it familiar’ –the short stories of Jim Mullarkey

Thu, Aug 18, 2011

THE ABOVE quote comes from the preface to And, the debut collection of short stories from Galway-based author Jim Mullarkey which will be published next month by the Doire Press. It’s a quote that accurately reflects what Mullarkey achieves with the stories, in which the reader is frequently immersed in the fluid thoughts and sense-impressions of his various characters, creating distinctive and vivid portraits of their lives and predicaments.

A native of Donegal, Mullarkey has long lived in Galway, where he served as a Labour member of the City Council from 1993 to 1999. He currently works as a psychotherapist and teacher and has been writing fiction for the past 10 years. His story Heaven was runner-up in the 2002 RTE Francis McManus Award. Mary up in Donegal was shortlisted in the same competition in 2005 and First Love was longlisted in the Raymond Carver short story award in 2004. All three stories feature in And.

Children’s workshop at Galway Arts Centre

Thu, Aug 18, 2011

GALWAY ARTS Centre will take to the skiess next week with an aeronautical extravaganza children’s workshop. Filled with birds, butterflies, spaceships, angels, fairies, mythical creatures, monsters and anything else that can be scattered by the four winds and the imagination.

Concert to celebrate the songs of Gillian Welch

Thu, Aug 18, 2011

THE GREAT American country and folk singer-songwriter Gillian Welch recently released her new album The Harrow & The Harvest.

Actors wanted for Bo Leictreach

Thu, Aug 18, 2011

Bo Leictreach debuts at Birr Theatre and Arts Centre, Co Offaly from September 9 to 11 and is looking for actors to perform in a rehearsed reading of new 10 minute greenplays on Saturday September 10 at 8pm. The auditions take place at the theatre on Monday and Tuesday from 7pm to 9pm. Auditions are open to all ages and CVs and headshots are welcomed but not required.

The festival is also looking for 10 minute plays and will be holding classes for budding actors and writers. For more information, contact [email protected]. Also see www.birrtheatre.com, www.selkietheatre.org and www.jasangotheatre.com. All three are on Facebook and Bo Leictreach and Electric Cow have Facebook pages as well so follow or like for festival updates.

Pavlov’s Dogs @ Monroe’s Live

Thu, Aug 18, 2011

PAVLOV’S DOGS, named after the celebrated experiments of Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov, play Monroe’s Live tomorrow at 10pm.

Cherish The Ladies @ Monroe’s Live

Thu, Aug 18, 2011

CHERISH THE Ladies, whose take on Irish trad The New York Times has described as “passionate, tender, and rambunctious” play Monroe’s Live on Wednesday.

Poetry workshops with Kevin Higgins at Galway Arts Centre

Thu, Aug 18, 2011

STARTING IN September, Galway Arts Centre is offering aspiring poets a choice of three poetry workshops, all facilitated by poet Kevin Higgins, whose best-selling first collections have been shortlisted for awards and discussed in The Cambridge Introduction to Modern Irish Poetry.

Kevin is an experienced workshop facilitator and several of his students have gone on to achieve publication success. One of his workshop participants at Galway Arts Centre won the prestigious Hennessy Award for New Irish Poetry, another the Cúirt New Writing Prize, and yet another the Cúirt Poetry Grand Slam, while several have published collections of their poems. Kevin is also co-organiser of the successful Over The Edge reading series which specialises in promoting new writers.

Stop/Run: Galway - an experimental music night

Thu, Aug 18, 2011

GIVE A group of musicians a diverse range of hand made instruments and let them freely explore the instrument and the sound it makes - this is the idea behind Stop/Run: Galway.

Belfast artists respond to the experience of Galway

Thu, Aug 18, 2011

FIELD WORK is the title of a new group exhibition - based on the experience of coming to Galway - which opens at The Niland Gallery, Lower Merchants Road, this evening at 6pm.

Galway Youth Theatre wants you

Thu, Aug 18, 2011

GALWAY YOUTH Theatre is recruiting new members for its one year part time performance course starting in September.

If you would like to take to the stage during the Cúirt International Festival Of Literature, the Galway Arts Festival, or the Galway Theatre Festival, love theatre, want to meet new people, build self confidence, have fun, and are between the ages of 15 and 26, then this course could be for you.