ALL SYSTEMS GO FOR THE DROGHEDA ARTS FESTIVAL
John Connors, of Love/Hate fame, will take the hot-seat for Dissenters
“ACTION packed and full of fun” declared Dep. Mayor of Drogheda Richie Culhane “it really has something for everyone.”
He was speaking this week as he officially launched the programme for the Drogheda Arts Festival 2018 at the d hotel. The Festival will take place from 1-7th May in venues right across Drogheda.
The 2018 Festival offers a diverse programme of music, theatre, visual arts, discussion, spoken word poetry and even a musical walking tour. It also specialises in family friendly events. The full line-up of free and ticketed events is available to view on www.DroghedaArtsFestival.ie.
“Every autumn when we start the planning process for the festival, we consider our audience and what they might enjoy. We look for new pieces that will challenge how people think. We look for events that will encourage people to try something new. We work with local artists to produce new shows. And we also weave in old favourites that we know will be welcomed back to the Festival. We are thrilled to officially launch the programme for the Drogheda Arts Festival 2018 and look forward to welcoming visitors from near and far” explained Elaine Cronin, co-chair of the Festival organising committee.
One of the highlights for 2018 will be when John Connors, of Love/Hate fame, takes the hot-seat for Dissenters. This annual event invites artists with strong personal and political convictions to share their opinions. John has spoken openly about his own struggle with depression and has been fiercely critical of government policy relating to Travellers, Homelessness and film funding. Hosted by BBC’s Marie-Louise Muir, Dissenters 2018 promises to be an evening of lively debate.
Theatre always plays a big part in the Drogheda Arts Festival. Co-chair Collette Farrell explains, “This year we are proud to re-introduce the Drogheda Arts Festival Commission, a competition that invited local artists from the North East Region to create new work especially for the Festival. The result is The Star of Chester’s Lane a wonderful new play by Quintessence Theatre that tells the story of Drogheda’s legendary “Kate The Navvy”. This will premiere at the Festival on Sunday 6th May.
Other theatre offerings include Take off your Cornflakes, - a moving two-hander by Rose Henderson and Pat Nolan that explores the nature of relationships when dementia and memory loss takes hold. Lysis, a docu-drama tracing the experiences of 5 people with mental health issuesproduced by Upstate Theatre Project in conjunction with Shine, a mental health support group. Finally, take a trip in to the “Drawda” psyche with Upstate Theatre’s production The Immortals at The Chocolate Factory.
Dinner theatre takes place in An Grianán with a performance of A Midsummer Night’s Murder, directed by Paul Hayes and performed by Catastrophe Theatre Company.
Music, always a highlight of the Drogheda Arts Festival, will hit new heights this year as Pete “Sonic Boom” Kember will perform live in Droichead Arts Centre, produced by thirty three45. Irish music lovers and families will love Zoe Conway and John McIntyre in concert at Gerrard’s Church, Mary Street on Sunday. Louth Contemporary Music Society will feature a stunning performance of John Luther Adams’ Four Thousand Holes with Japanese pianist Taka Kigawa and percussionist Russell Greenberg.
If you prefer music on the move, Songtrail will take you on a walking tour of Drogheda blending music recordings, stories and the local knowledge of local musicians and singers. The tour takes place 4 times daily from Thursday 3rd to Monday 7th May.
Visual arts are well represented in the 2018 programme. The Festival opens on Tuesday 1st May at the Droichead Arts Centre with the launch of Xenophon, an installation of medical and cultural artefacts exploring the future of the human species. Highlanes Gallery presents An Act of Hospitality can only be Poetic, an exhibition that scrutinises the migration caused by geo-political crises and what the true meaning of hospitality is in modern society. Both exhibitions will continue into June.
Elaine continues “Join us in the Living Room at Sarsfield’s for an unmissable evening with Ireland’s foremost performance poets. Spoken word is a really powerful way to bring poetry, ideas and opinions to life and this event, curated by Linda Devlin, will feature the fabulous Colm Keegan, Abby Oliveira and Dagogo Hart. It’s not to be missed.”
Family fun is always a key part of the Drogheda Arts Festival. This year St Dominic’s Park plays host to lots of free family fun on Saturday from 12.305.00pm. Visit the Big Top, the Imagination Playground and the kids’ comedy extravaganza Busy Ness.
Collette concludes “And just when you think that it’s all over, the annual Drogheda Arts Festival at Beaulieu on bank holiday Monday offers more family fun, music and games plus the return of the popular Woodland Stage as well as SOLO curated by SJ McArdle which features exclusive performances by Carl Corcoran and others in the chapel at Beaulieu House and Gardens. The Festival draws to a close with a performance by Goitse members, Áine McGeeney, Colm Phelan and Conal O’Kane in the Great Hall in Beaulieu House.”
Tickets are on sale now for all events. Visit www.DroghedaArtsFestival.ie to book your tickets or pop into the box office at the Droichead Arts Centre in Stockwell Street.