Oíche Chultúr Mhaigh Eo - Mayo Culture Night
Mayo Culture Night - Free, fun, family-friendly events throughout the county.
On Friday September 25th 2009, a number of Mayo venues will keep their doors open later than usual. Why? Well on the last Friday in September, along with ten other counties, Mayo is hosting Culture Night. This is Mayo’s first Culture Night and provides an unprecedented opportunity for Mayo people to go along to their local arts or cultural venue and see what really goes on behind the scenes. In a unique take on Culture Night, a number of arts and culture venues in County Mayo are enthusiastically participating, so the event will be county wide. Busily finalising their programmes for the night are Áras Inis Gluaire in Belmullet, Ballina Arts Centre, Ballinglen Arts Foundation in Ballycastle, Custom House Studios in Westport, Linenhall Arts Centre in Castlebar and the National Museum of Ireland – Country Life, in Turlough. The varied programme includes workshops, exhibitions, film screenings, open mic sessions, tours of the venues and studios, music and much, much more.
Ever wondered what an artist’s studio is like, what kind of materials and activities go on there and how is this connected to the wonderful artworks we see in public spaces? Well if this is your cup of tea why not go along to the Customs House Studios in Westport or Ballinglen Arts Foundation in Ballycastle and investigate the activity that goes on in their studios. Both venues have workshops where you can make you own prints as well as exhibitions of artwork on the evening.
Speaking of cups of tea, the Linenhall Arts Centre, Castlebar are asking visitors to the centre on Culture Night to Sing for their Supper – so call in, sing and come away with a free cup of coffee, tea, hot chocolate or a glass of wine. Also on the night Oisín Heraghty will take you behind the scenes of a working arts centre for a glimpse into the controls room. To capture the atmosphere of the evening, roving reporter Ian will dip in and out of the workshops to document some of the goings-on and project stunning images somewhere on the building. There will also be an opportunity for local arts groups to display their wares on the night, providing an opportunity for the public to find out what the Mayo arts community have to offer the citizens of Castlebar.
Films, films and more films; on Culture Night Ballina Arts Centre will be running a drop in, drop out short films screening throughout the evening – the films were made through the Filmbase Shorts scheme. And while you’re taking a break from the screenings why not visit the Altered Images Exhibition, the first exhibition of its kind in Ireland, which aims to be accessible to all sections of the community, particularly disabled people. Each work will be displayed by conventional means and accompanied by audio descriptions and relief models. As part of the exhibition, there will be an Exhibition Response workshop room running a variety of interactive workshop activities for children and adults.
In north Mayo Áras Inis Gluaire are celebrating its maritime culture with a special screening of the R.W. Paul short film Whaling Afloat and Ashore. This is thought to be the last of his films to survive, and exists only in an incomplete copy. Filmed in Ireland (along with several other films, now lost), it was made to commemorate the opening of the Arranmore Whaling Company at South Iniskea, an island off the Mayo coast, close to Belmullet. There will also be a screening of ‘Idealny facet dla mojej dziewczyny’ a 2009 film by polish director Tomasz Konecki. The centre will also have music by Craobh Chlann Lir, the Comhaltas branch in Erris and a recital by well known English mezzo-soprano Margaret Probyn entitled ‘ Dreams & Wishes’.
The Museum of County Life in Turlough will also remain open late on the night. Ever wondered what a blacksmiths forge looks like or what games our grandparents played? Well if your curiosity for such things is rife, why not join the guided tour of the Museum at 7.45pm on the night. Likewise you can take a look round the museum and explore the collection for yourself. On the night you can experience first hand some of the practices of our ancestors, from a Harvest Knot workshop to a Rush Basket demonstration. There is plenty to see and do at the Museum of Country Life.
With another glimpse of the past in store, this time the 1950’s and 1960’s , The Jackie Clarke Library and Archives, Ballina in association with the Irish Film Institute will premiere a screening of films from the the Jackie Clarke Film Collection at the Icehouse Hotel from 9pm to midnight on Culture Night. This film collection contains footage of a people and a way of life that is now gone forever and include local as well as national material. The perfect end to Mayo Culture Night 2009.
Culture Night is an initiative co-ordinated by Temple Bar Cultural Trust and supported by the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism in partnership with Mayo County Council. The main focus of Culture Night is on access, and venues will extend opening hours, organise events which are free of charge and open to the public. This event provides a unique opportunity for Mayo audiences to engage with and investigate arts activity in their locality while providing venues with an occasion to showcase to local communities the wealth and variety of cultural activity that exists on their doorsteps. Culture Night is also a wonderful chance to promote Mayo’s contribution to the arts on a national level.
This is merely a glimpse of what’s on offer in the county on Culture Night. Brochures with full details of events in Mayo will be available from the Arts Office and participating venues in early August. If you would like to receive one please contact the Arts Office on 094-9024444 Ext 7558, 7560 or email mayoarts@mayococo.ie .
Culture Night is an initiative co-ordinated by Temple Bar Cultural Trust and supported by the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism in partnership with Mayo County Council.