'Northern Soul' exhibition coming to Carrick-on-Shannon

The Dock in Carrick-on-Shannon will host the Northern Soul exhibition which will open late for two weekends and have guided tours, a film screening and a DJ set as part of a scheme that aims to support museums and galleries to open their doors later by hosting innovative events to encourage people to enjoy a more diverse nightlife in our towns and cities across the country. The Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin T.D., this week allocated awards of just over €620,000 to museums and galleries under the After Hours at the Museum Grant Scheme announced earlier this year.This funding allocation will support 51 organisations and well over 220 events spread across the country, covering poetry, film, dance, literature, music, theatre, visual arts and multidisciplinary projects including at the Glucksman in Cork, which will host five evenings of art, poetry, music and DJs from Sep 28-Oct 26, running on Thursday evenings.
The UCD Classical Museum, in Dublin, will host six events including poetry, storytelling, art, and music until mid-November while the Hunt Museum Limerick, is running nine nights of secret events, where clues will be left through their social media in the week coming up to the events.
14 Henrietta Street, in Dublin City, will provide tours, live drawing, music from all eras of the house's life, a journey through the city's poetry and tenement plays with Russborough House in Co. Wicklow, hosting a performance of Firestorm by Rogu. The Dark Maze will run for four nights and they will host a Halloween storytelling evening and Dublin Castle will host a ball in November and will also run 6 late night tours.
Meanwhile, Joyce Tower Museum in Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin are to run a week of late night events in September, including readings and musical performances and the the National Famine Museum in Strokestown, Co. Roscommon, will host a Samhain Ecotherapy Workshop and also Murder Mystery Nights.

Funding was also made available to the National Cultural institutions to support new initiatives and build on some of the pilots initiated from last year. The National Concert Hall, in partnership with independent promoter Foggy Notions, will further develop last year’s successful Haunted Dancehall event and the National Gallery of Ireland will run a series of events on Thursday evenings from October to December aimed primarily at 20 to 35 year olds. Bespoke tours of the National Collection and diverse events with music, DJs and creative experience will help to drive footfall. The Café and shop will also open late.Announcing the funding awards, Minister Martin said: “I hope this will attract new audiences and give people an opportunity to attend their local museum which they may not be able to do during the day. There is something for everyone here to enjoy and I would encourage people to head out and explore and experience what is on offer at these venues.   I hope that the organisations see the value in opening up their spaces later into the night to support a more vibrant night-time economy and provide opportunities for local artists and DJs.”In support of the recommendations from the Night-Time Economy Report, which highlighted the need to increase opportunities for young people to engage in the Night-Time Economy, and specifically those activities which are not alcohol-based, the Minister also announced a new pilot Night-Time Economy youth initiative. The pilot will support over 70 night-time events around the country by young people, for young people, in the 14 - 24-year-old age bracket. The initiative aims to provide young and upcoming artists with authentic performance spaces, allowing them the experience of being in the environment of ‘real gigs’ with professional stage, lighting, camera and sound crew. It also provides those much needed spaces for young people to socialise together safely at night. The funding of just over €119,000 was awarded to organisations that have a proven track record of working with young people and venues to create those important opportunities and cultural experiences in the Night-Time Economy. Events are due to take place from September to December and will include open mic nights, improv, comedy, DJ workshops and sets and singer/songwriter nights.