Celebration of arts, heritage and culture
CULTURE Night will take place throughout the county on Friday, September 21, offering a rich programme of free arts and cultural events.
Every year Wicklow County Council Arts Office participates in the national Culture Night programme – an all-island celebration of arts, heritage and culture, where venues and public spaces throw open their doors to host free late-night entertainment.
Highlights include a musical extravaganza in Nun’s Cross Church, Ashford from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. with performances from award-winning singer-songwriter Luan Parle and Eamon Sweeney in the company of Jessica Harris and James Mahon of Kila and Afro-Celt Soundsystem on traditional music on pipes and flute.
Listen the award winning pianist Fiachra Garvey and mezzo soprano Rachel Kelly in concert from 8 p.m. at the beautiful surroundings of Russborough House, Blessington. Their performance will explore French songs, popular opera arias and Irish songs.
The Oscar nominated film ‘The Breadwinner’ from Irish animation studio Cartoon Saloon will be screened at the Mermaid Arts Centre in Bray at 5 p.m. Based on the Deborah Ellis novel and directed by Nora Twomey, ‘The Breadwinner’ tells the extraordinary story of an 11-year-old Afghan girl who finds strength in the love of her family and the power of storytelling.
Greystones Library welcomes Karl Henry as one of Ireland’s leading personal trainers and overall wellbeing experts. From 6.30 p.m. you can hear all about healthy living from Karl, based on his book the Healthy Living Handbook in which he offers an encouraging, practical, affordable and sustainable plan that will help you achieve lasting changes in your well-being.
There will be an open day at Tinahely Courthouse Arts Centre from 11 a.m., including Run Away with the Circus: An Open Arial Studio with Katie Holmes and Emily Aoibheann from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. Katie Holmes and Emily Aoibheann are multidisciplinary artists whose mediums collectively span across aerial, poetry, dance, sculpture and movement. They teach and train in Creation Aerial: the studio and home of contemporary, dynamic circus and movement practises in Dublin. Katie and Emily will transpose their studio space to Tinahely for Culture Night.
You can join The Boathouse Comhaltas group for an evening of music, dance, song and poetry at St Patrick’s National School in Wicklow town from 6.30 p.m. to 8.30 p.m.. There will be refreshments afterwards and space is limited so come early.
Bray Town Hall will host the Bray Literary Festival from 7.30 p.m. to 8.30 p.m. Traditional story-teller John Carew will regale his audience with his dark and humorous tales, while local harpist Rachel Duffy is set to perform some haunting melodies. Also, on the night visitors will hear the winning poems and stories from the Bray Literary Festival competition winners, along with readings from young writers from the local Fighting Words group.
One of Ireland’s leading chefs, Catherine Fulvio of Ballyknocken House and Cookery School, will be present in Blessington Library from 7.45 p.m. to 8.45 p.m. to talk you through some of these wonderful recipes, highlighting some quick, easy and tasty meals that will get you through the Autumn weeks ahead. She will be on hand to answer your culinary queries also.
Join Bray Literary Festival this Culture Night for an evening of poetry, stories and song. Traditional story-teller John Carew will regale his audience with his dark and humorous tales, while local harpist Rachel Duffy is set to perform some haunting melodies.
Enniskerry Library will be showcasing their ‘Yarn Bomb’ installation. The knitting project is the conception of The Enniskery Knitters, and all members of the local community will contribute. There will be music in the library in the afternoon, provided by local musician Mary Fogarty, who will be playing an eclectic mix of tunes for all to enjoy. It runs from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.
The launch if Arklow’s new Secret Film Club takes place at 6.30 p.m. in Arklow Library, offering a chance to see movies more regularly in your local library.
Sacred Sounds, under the direction of Bridget Kenny, will serenade everyone at Arklow Library with ‘Songs from the Movies’ to complement the movie club launch. All are welcome to Songs from the Movies and please feel free to sing along from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Leading poet Jane Clarke will be a guest of Bridge Street Books in Wicklow town where she will reading poetry from Heaney, Synge and from her own collections. She will be accompanied by Eamon Sweeney on guitar and lute, who will perform music connected to Wicklow from across the 17 th century to the present day.
This year the theme for Culture Night at the Signal Arts Centre in Bray is the circus. Art works will be installed in the morning including contributions from local community groups and events kick off at 3 p.m. with children’s workshops and events in the gallery that include a hall of mirrors at the back of Signal, continuing into the evening with music and poetry.
From 6 p.m. in the intimate Whale Theatre, Greystones, you can discover an engaging and innovative programme of trad-fusion music with some of Ireland’s finest traditional and experimental musicians.
First up is an enchanting recital on the beautiful traditional harp, played by Rachel Duffy. Other performers and events will include Music Generation Rithim Orchestra, a bodhrán workshop, contemporary Irish music group Strung and ‘Pause’ by award-winning young Irish composer Sam Perkin.
You will also get an opportunity to Immerse yourself in a ‘Trad Sound Bath’ which explores a multitude of soundscapes including traditional, world music, classical and jazz and features a multitude of percussion and other musical instruments.