SUMMER SIZZLERS

June’s culture hit list

June marks the official start of summer, with the solstace on the 21st leading children in Ireland to wonder why they ever need to go to bed, and adults raising their hands in thanks to whoever’s in charge of the neverending daylight. So here’s to long summer nights outside, and a host of arts events to enjoy when the clouds tell you it’s time to come in... 1 The Birth of Modernism in Irish Art 1920-1960 is an exhibition exploring the development of modernism in Ireland, featuring works by an extensive list of Irish greats, from Colin Middleton (whose 1938 painting, “The Bride”, is pictured) and Mainie Jellett to Louis le Brocquy and Norah McGuinness, and just about everyone else in between. It’s running until August 18 in The State Apartment Galleries, Dublin Castle, dublincastle.ie. 2 Body & Soul returns to Ballinlough Castle June 21-23, and this year, Hennessy collaborated with Body & Soul to present the Midnight Circus stage on Friday, June 21, with a line-up curated by DJ and producer Adam Fogarty, aka Mathman, featuring renowned and up-and-coming hip-hop and rap artists, including Manchester songstress IAMDDB (pictured), bodyandsoul.ie. 3 The Cinemagic Film & Television Festival for Young People returns to Dublin May 28 to June 9, with a programme full of opportunities to inspire and motivate young ones, including world cinema (pictured is Ötzi and the Mystery of Time), film and TV masterclasses, and the new Talking Pictures series, featuring Irish film screenings with talks from the filmmakers, cinemagic.ie. 4 Sea Sessions Surf & Music Festival returns to Donegal’s Bundoran June 21-23 with Sigrid, Clean Bandit, Two Door Cinema Club and Dermot Kennedy headlining what promises to be an even bigger party than ever before, seasessions.com. 5 Yes, Madonna is back, this time with Madame X, a collection of 15 new songs that celebrate her career-long affair with Latin music and culture and other global influences, out June 14. ▪