One night for all this Culture Night Friday September 23
This Culture Night promises to be ‘one night for all’ as venues and public spaces across Offaly open their doors to host a programme of FREE entertainment for Culture Night 2022 – an island-wide celebration of arts, heritage and culture. Now in its twelfth year, Offaly Culture Night brings you a packed programme of events reflecting the eclectic cultural exuberance within the county - a great night out for you, your friends and all the family. Events are fully in-person this year, with a rich range of cultural treats to choose from, across the perimeters of the County from Edenderry to Birr. The programme of activities in Offaly is now available to download at www.offaly.ie/arts , go to the news section.
Commenting on this year’s programme of events, Arts Officer, Sally O’Leary of Offaly County Council said:'
''Once again we have been delighted by the range and talent of Offaly artists, venues, communities and organisations who are coming together to ensure that Culture Night 2022 will be another night to remember. We hope the diversity of high quality events taking place in venues across the county will mean there is something for everyone to experience and enjoy.''
Enjoy free Entertainment around Offaly. You can engage with events in Banagher, Belmont, Birr, Clara, Edenderry and Tullamore. Offaly’s creative and cultural sector comes alive with a showcase of art, music, talks, film, poetry, dance and photography.
Highlight events taking place across Offaly include:
Donlon Dance Company Presents: – ‘Follow The Leader’
Time: 4.30 pm
Place: Tullamore Library
This Commission funded by Offaly County Council Arts Office, in anticipation of the soon to be opened new Arts Centre for Tullamore, Esker Arts, explores the power of celebrities on social media examining how they influence our fashion, body image and our sense of self. This Contemporary dance highlights the negative impact social media has on young people, giving the young women involved a platform to express their feelings through the art of movement.
Audiences can continue on their cultural trail with a visit to Tullamore’s newest art space; Split Space Art Joint.
Francesca Hutchinson – ‘Beady Pockets’ Exhibition
Time: 5 – 6.30 pm
Place: Split Space Art Joint, 44 Church Street, Tullamore
This Beady Pocket exhibition by members of Offaly Traveller Movement highlights the significance within the Traveller community, particularly for the older generation of a traditional craft. Visitors can experience the beautiful hand-crafted pockets on display, while a short film of the process, which will feature on upcoming TG4 documentary Imeall will be on loop upstairs in the gallery. Artist Francesca Hutchinson will be present to give her insights.
Eileen Casey & Emma Barone: ‘Palimpsest’ Exhibition
Time: 6.30pm
Place: Birr Theatre & Arts Centre
Culture Night in Birr kicks off with a collaborative exhibition from local artists Eileen Casey and Emma Barone. This commission funded by Offaly County Council Arts Office, sees the artists applying the term “Palimpsest” to shop-fronts in Birr. Poet Eileen Casey’s work features alongside Visual Artist Emma Barone’s interpretation of the lyrical text.
Audiences in Birr can continue their cultural trail with an evening light photography workshop in association with PPAI from 7pm to by 9pm hosted by Birr Theatre & Arts Centre, and a candle-lit reflection at Birr Growery; for ‘Growing Local Culture’ from 7.30 pm.
The evening in Birr rounds off with one of the programme highlights, funded by Creative Ireland Late Night at the Courthouse: An Audio Visual Sensory Feast
Time: 8.30 pm until 10.30 pm
Place: Birr Courthouse Courtyard
Audiences are invited to the Courthouse Yard for live music from winners of the Vintage Week Busking competition and the presentation of the Mick Egan Memorial Cup to this year’s winner. This will be followed by immersive audio-visual dive into the natural world, with films from Tina Claffey, Finn Nichol and Caroline Conway. These films are part of Vintage Luminaries and will run on a loop till 10.30pm. Supported by Offaly’s Creative Ireland programme. A brief overview of the ongoing work to bring the Courthouse back into use will be given.
Another Culture Night highlight is Neart Fir | Strength of Men - with Eugene O’ Brien and guests
Time: 8pm
Place: Acorn Youth Café, Edenderry
An evening celebrating the mental strength of men through song, verse, film and readings. A unique way of focusing on the resilience of men of all generations. Male artists from a cross-section of generations will approach the theme through the prism of artistic expression. Award-winning playwright (Irish Times Theatre Awards, Stewart Parker Award, Rooney Prize for Literature) Eugene O Brien will headline the event with a reading and observations on the theme, following the publication of his first novel Going Back by Gill this September. Live music from upcoming singer-songwriter John Gorman and poetry from Dr. Philip Brady will round off this eclectic evening celebrating the rich diverse nature of male mental strength. All genders welcome.
Culture Night offers free entertainment right through the night and JJ Hough’s Singing Pub, Banagher is where Offaly Culture Night comes to a vibrant end with a special Culture Night Late event.
JJ Hough’s Singing Pub: ‘The Black River Of Herself’
Time: 9pm til late
Place: JJ Hough’s, Banagher
Professional artists Sheila Hough and Patrick Hough will present an evening of artists’ film, paintings, music and discussion around the subject of Offaly’s peat bog lands and their relationship to Climate Change and ecological collapse. Patrick Hough’s film, which premiered at Galway Film Fleadh in 2021, focuses on an archaeologist sent to excavate the remains of an Iron Age bog body, naturally preserved in Ireland’s peat bog lands. The evening will also see an exhibition of bog paintings by artist Sheila Hough, whose work uses the bog as a way of thinking through important sets of concerns Genre-bending, high-energy folk outfit Bog Bodies will entertain into the night with their unique “druid rock” sound, inspired by visits to megalithic tombs and other ancient sites. Commission funded by Offaly County Council Arts Office.
This culture night sees an emphasis on diversity and inclusion with all communities encouraged to come and be part of a range of multi-disciplinary events. Creative Edenderry are hosting 'Cultures of Edenderry' –a special evening celebrating the diverse cultures and nationalities of Edenderry and surrounding areas. Hosted by Creative Edenderry, in the hall of St Mary’s Primary School, from 5pm to 9pm it will be an opportunity for locals to both showcase and sample some of the distinct cultural activities and produce from Ireland and around the world.
Meanwhile, Tullamore sees Rahan Comhaltas hosting ‘Faces Of Culture & Creativity’ from 8pm in Charleville Castle.The evening will feature Indian Classical Dance Troupe Noopura Naada, followed by more of Rahan Comhaltas’ fantastic Irish dance, song and storytelling and complimentary refreshments! A Traveller culture craft is showcased at one of the highlight events Beady Pockets at Split Space Art Joint in Tullamore from 5pm.
Visual art is also a strong feature of the programme with exhibitions and workshops in Birr Theatre & Arts Centre, and an audio-visual feast curated by Caroline Conway at Birr Courthouse yard late into the night. Artist Rosemarie Langtry brings her prowess in encaustic art to life with an exhibition and demonstration at Highstreet Community Hall, Belmont from 7pm to 9pm.
Music will also take centre-stage this year. Clara Musical Society hosts ‘A Night at the Musicals – Karaoke Style’ at Friends Meeting House, Clara at 8pm and there are choral delights in Edenderry with Eden Chorale’s : ‘Joy – A Choral Celebration at Edenderry Library at 6.15pm as well as a community Sing! hosted by Birr School Of Music at St. Brendan’s Hall Birr at 8.30pm. Live music also features at headline events in JJ Hough’s Banagher. While at Neart Fir in Edenderry, musicians will take on the theme of male mental strength through music and other mediums. Music Generation Offaly Westmeath in partnership with Youth Work Ireland (Midlands) and the Edenderry Youth Café present Inside Track an open mic showcasing the work of young Edenderry musicians. Music Generation are also planning an exciting programme of events that we will reveal over the coming weeks – so keep a watch out for media alerts on same!
Culture Night has something for everyone. Download a brochure from www.offaly.ie/arts, see our social channels go to www.culturenight.ie/offaly and Offaly Culture Night on Facebook. *Booking required for some events.
Culture Night is brought to you by the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht and the Creative Ireland Programme in partnership with Offaly County Council.