A VERY LATE NIGHT FOR CULTURE VULTURES
The annual celebration of our arts hits all parts of the country once more
TONIGHT is a big one for lovers of the arts all over the country as venues and cinemas welcome the return of Culture Night. Over 1,700 events are taking place in towns, cities and villages as everyone is invited to celebrate the rich tapestry of Irish culture today.
From art to architecture, culture to comedy, music to museums, handcrafting to heritage, sport to science, film to fashion, dance, literature and much more, there’s something for all ages and interests to enjoy.
A welcome addition to this year’s celebrations is Culture Night Late, a range of specially programmed events running later into the night than previous years and many into the early hours. In Dublin, Natives see Black Canvas curate an event that showcases the rich and underground culture of today’s Ireland with a healthy blend of Irish, UK, West-African and American work including dance cyphers and performances by Abi Coullibaly and Sello.
Fíbín sa Taibhdhearc will transform Galway’s Middle Street into a dreamlike pop-up Gaeltacht with a brass band leading audiences to a series of surreal performance art pieces on every corner.
Tralee will celebrate the Autumn Equinox with a concert full of druids, DJs, fire and music including the Dingle Druid, Oracle, The Rising and Aftershock, culminating in the Awaken Mabon Fire Spectacle.
Sionna at King John’s Castle in Limerick hosts a night of the best live electronic music acts and DJs from around Ireland with live mural paintings and art installations by local skilled artists and collectives.
‘Culture Night 2022 offers something for every cultural taste and interest,’ says Maureen Kennelly, director of the Arts Council which is behind the national event. ‘There are over 1,700 events across the country to choose from, ranging from arts and cultural organisations, community groups, heritage and visitor attractions, businesses and healthcare settings. The diversity of the programme is testament to the diversity of the organisers and the volunteers who make it happen. Culture Night is about openness, discovery, surprise and joy and I encourage everyone to come out and enjoy the night.’
Other new additions to the programme include The Post Box Project & Exhibition at The Red Door Gallery in Limerick’s Newcastle West, where visitors can enjoy works created by young people for a street art exhibition,
RTÉ will join in the fun with specially commissioned programming, content and reports across television, radio, and online platforms. Live from the edge of Lough Boora in County Offaly, RTÉ will present a Culture Night celebration of Ireland’s unique boglands to the heart of the midlands. Hosted by Annie Mac and featuring the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, the programme will showcase a range of special guests, including Offaly’s own Tolu Makay (pictured left), Felispeaks, Damien Dempsey, Jack O’Rourke, Martin Hayes, Elaine Mai, Maykay, Loah, Ailbhe Reddy and Sinead White.
There are too many events to mention so we’ve picked a few highlights but for the full programme and what’s happening in your area, see culturenight.ie
MUSIC
Spencer Dock Zeztra (Dublin)
Dublin born singer/ songwriters Avril and Lorna Meade form the powerful sister duo called Zeztra. Their unique captivating harmonies are the driving force behind their sound. Of course, being sisters, they have been singing and creating music together from a very young age but only formed their band in 2019. They have already supported Maverick Sabre and are fast making a name for themselves.
Cork City Hall: Magic Nights by the Lee
MAGIC NIGHTS by the Lee at Cork City Hall brings together some of Cork’s most legendary artists with some of the freshest sounds by contemporary artists from the city and county including John Spillane, poet Doireann Ní Ghríofa, Brian Deady and more.
FILM Halted – A showcase of Traveller Culture (Wexford)
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 a film 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.
TENI Late Night Film Screenings: ‘Punch Line’ & ‘Major!’ (Dublin)
THE Transgender Equality Network of Ireland will host an open screening of the award winning Irish short film Punch Line directed and co-written by comedian Becky Cheatle. This will be followed by a screening of the feature length documentary ‘Major!’ which explores the life and campaigns of Miss Major Griffin-Gracy, a formerly incarcerated Black transgender elder and activist who has been fighting for the rights of trans women of colour for over 40 years.
FAMILY/KIDS Children’s Books Ireland Book Clinic (Dublin)
THE perfect tonic for young readers who are looking for some inspiration and new books for their shelves. Bring your bookworms into the Children’s Books Ireland Book Clinic at St Andrew’s Street Post Office proudly supported by An Post.
Young readers and their families are invited to drop in for an informal consultation with one of Children’s Books Ireland’s friendly Book Doctors, who are ready to offer the best advice for young readers.
The consultation begins with some questions about books the young reader previously read as well as activities, movies, TV shows and video games they enjoy. This lets the Book Doctor know a little bit more about the patient so they can write a book prescription, which is a personalised list of books recommended for the individual patient.
Every patient leaves the Book Clinic with a book prescription to take to their local library or bookshop to have filled.
Hands-on History: Create A Train at Castlerea Railway Museum. (Roscommon)
ALL aboard for a special craft workshop to create and decorate your own toy train. Join Scéal Heritage Consultancy to build, paint, and decorate your own small locomotive train cab, and learn about the story of the first trains. During the workshop, participants can step on board a real train in the museum where they can experience what it was like to be the train driver, pretend to be a passenger, and discover the exciting history of trains in Ireland. The workshop is suitable for children aged seven to twelve years old. Participation in the workshop is free, but places are limited, so advance booking is essential.
CULTURE NIGHT LATE PARADISE CABARET (Tralee)
PARADISE Cabaret, a whirlwind journey into a comically absurd, skilfully slick and ridiculously entertaining cabaret. It will be a night of comedy, circus, dance and music with a fun troupe.
The gang will be transorming the Greyhound Bar, Pembroke Street, in Tralee with some comedy and song that will brighten up Friday night from 8pm.
ART In Conversation: Array Collective at Galway Arts Centre
TURNER Prizewinners Array Collective will be in conversation in what promises to be a lively session about their award-winning work The Druthaib’s Ball currently on exhibit in the centre.
Array Collective is a group of 11 artists rooted in Belfast who create collaborative actions in response to socio-political issues affecting Northern Ireland, questioning traditional identities in the North of Ireland using humour and DIY approaches. They playfully merge performance, protest, ancient mythology, photography, installation, and video.
BOOKS/LITERATURE Read Mór (Nationwide)
LITERATURE lovers travelling on Irish Rail Intercity and Bus Éireann Expressway services on Culture Night should keep an eye out for Read Mór Book Conductors. As part of the Arts Council 70th anniversary programme, they’ll be gifting passengers one of 21 different books by Irish-based authors and publishers, including Colm Tóibín; Claire Keegan; Doireann Ní Ghríofra (pictured left), Marian Keyes, Annie West and David O’Doherty.
POP-UP PERFORMANCES Culture Night Dublin X Dublin Bus (Dublin)
DUBLIN Bus is the official transport partner of Culture Night Dublin. To help attendees navigate the city on the night, a number of free Culture Night Buses will be in operation across three tailored routes. Visitors can hop on and off at each of the stops and drop into their favourite venues.
To keep you entertained throughout your journey, a number of pop-up performances will take place on the routes with performances from: the Black Canvas collective; a brass trio from high-energy funk, hip-hop, jazz and soul groups Cooks But We’re Chefs and a selection of super ceoltoirí on
pipes, fiddle and more.