VISUAL ARTS MUSIC & DANCE ISSUE & FILM THEATRE FREE THE WRITTEN WORD A REVIEW OF THE ARTS IN LAOIS, LONGFORD, OFFALY AND WESTMEATH SUMMER 2011 14 Face to Face Chieftain’s harpist Triona Marshall Longford man Peter Carberry releases CD Ceara Conway Works with residents of Killane Drive, Edenderry Festival of the Fires on Hill of Uisneach Midland Arts and Culture Magazine | WINTER 2010 A Word from the MidlandsArts Editor andCultureMagazine We need the arts even more during the tough times Sometimes the things we need the most at a time when we need them the most are suddenly less accessible or 8 EMO NS ART Online Community TV Station for Crinkle less available. It’s only when we go Gospel Rising Music Festival comes to Laois ....Page 3 looking for them that we realise they are COMMISSION SET FOR Vincent Kennedy makes music in Kilcormac no longer there – that ‘cuts’ have resulted Major coup for Birr Theatre and Arts Centre in services no longer being available. LAUNCH: Emo National School Synergy and Light – The Athlone Dance Festival ...Page 4 This is the challenge that our Arts officers Per Cent for Art commission is Laois Youth Theatre Ages 15 Years.............Page 5 and all those involved actively in the arts scheduled for completion by the face at a time of economic downturn. It Hugging Huggables Write On! ........................Page 6 end of May 2011. may seem like an easy option to cut The End of the Reel catches imagination funding for the arts when every penny New Photography Education Programme counts. But, the reality is that it is actually 16/17 FACE for Longford ........................................................Page 7 at times like these that we need to TO FACE: Saturday morning music club a big hit increase support for creativity and at Offaly celebrates eighth Bealtaine times like these that we all can benefit Midlands Arts and Emo NS Art Commission set for launch .......Page 8 from the escapism the arts can offer. Culture Magazine goes Longford man releases CD After all, it is often noted how challenging face to face with Summer Arts Programme 2011.....................Page 9 times actually spawn creativity and force us to look at the world in a different way. harpist Triona Marshall Making their mark................................................Page 10/11 It is also remarkable how many events, about life with, during and after the Successful First Year for the Gallery workshops and festivals our Arts officers Chieftains MULLINGART for arts sake............................Page 12 in the Midlands run for free as they View on Cambodia by Aishling Muller endeavour to ensure that arts are relevant 15 Surburban Laois School of Music Orpheus Orchestra......Page 13 and accessible to all. Credit has to be The Garden Art Gallery grows support given to the arts officers and those in Hotchpotch from Kilbeggan All the street’s a stage....................................Page 14 the local communities in Longford, Westmeath, Offaly and Laois who together work so and Portlaoise to Beijing. Freedom To Create Project hard to maintain a vast array of events Suburban Hotchpotch ....................................Page 15 while their budgets shrink. Face to Face with Triona Marshall....Page 16/17 19 52 WEEKS of creation to It is worth pointing out that while the arts go on display in Moate At the very Art of rural life is all about freedom of expression in Bealtaine Festival celebrated in style in Laois ..Page 18 whatever form captures your imagination Clowning around at The Dunamaise Arts Centre it also contributes significantly to the coffers. 52 weeks of creation......................................Page 19 For example, Arts Council Funded School of Rock Organisations support some 3000 jobs, € St Mel’s Musical Society on note for decades....Page 20 generates a turnover of 192 million and sends some €54 million back to the Athlone Literary Festival 2011 Exchequer, according to the Assessment Birrs 43rd Vintage Week & Arts Festival....Page 21 25 SONGSTRESS of Economic Impact of the Arts in Ireland, Stacia Blake, Irish Visual Artist ................Page 22 Arts and Culture Scoping Research BRINGING IRISH Ceara Conway commissioned Project, submitted to The Arts Council by Arts utilised at St Christopher’s ...................Page 23 Indecon International Economic MUSIC TO A WIDER Consultants. Midland Masterclasses AUDIENCE Emer Dunne & Castlepalooza turns six..................................Page 24 Then we look at the wider Arts Sector we suddenly discover that it supports 96,000 Drua bring a diverse musical Songstress bringing Irish Music to a wider audience jobs, generates a turnover of €1.8 billion News from Belmont Mill .............................Page 25 experience to their audience. and a tax revenue of €352 million. Festival of the Fires to reignite passion We need the arts today more than ever for arts, culture and heritage..............Page 26/27 COVER STORY and, while it is unfortunate that we need The Free Art Society grand opening to consider the sector in terms of cents 4 MAJOR COUP FOR Rural Dance Residencies ..............................Page 28 and euros, it may be that the reality that BIRR THEATRE & ARTS Taking Shape with Sculptor Mel French arts equals jobs equals tax take may Not just for laughs at The Wren’s Nest.......Page 29 just be the argument we need to make CENTRE EDge, the performance to ensure no future cuts are made to Harping on – Music in the Family this sector which can truly boast that it company of the London Contemporary Edel Loftus ........................................................Page 30 offers something for everyone. A lookDance inside School, will take in Birr Meet the Midlands Arts and Culture on the final date of its 2011 Magazine Team...............................................Page 31 Angela Madden European Tour Cover pic: Fidget Feet Flying High at Athlone Dance Festival Editor YOUR LOCAL ARTS OFFICERS County Offaly County Westmeath County Laois County Longford WHO: Sinead O'Reilly, WHO: Catherine Kelly WHO: Muireann Ní Chonaill WHO: Fergus Kennedy WHERE: Offaly County Council, WHERE: Westmeath County Council WHERE: Laois County Council, WHERE: Longford County Council, Charleville Road, Tullamore County Buildings, Mullingar Portlaoise, Co Laois Great Water St. Longford. CONTACT: Telephone 057 9357400 CONTACT: Telephone 044 9332140 CONTACT: Tel: 057 8674342/44 CONTACT: Tel: 043 3346231 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] www.offaly.ie/arts www.westmeathcoco.ie/arts www.laois.ie/arts www.longfordcoco.ie/arts_office.html 2 Online Community Briefs FIND IT ALL FOR FREE TV Station for Crinkle AT WESTMEATH Michael Fortune has been Street to take the opportunity their community and their lives. CULTURE NIGHT to take a reflective look at CULTURE Night commissioned by Offaly County The artist will work with the themselves and the place in 2011 is coming Council to undertake a project community up to the end of the which they live through digital back to Westmeath in Crinkle, Birr called Grove summer 2011 – but the project media.” for the second Street TV which aims to create will not end there as Michael year in a bid to an online community TV station Workshops are underway in the intends to keep Grove Street TV showcase the through a process of workshops handball alley in Crinkle and on line for at least three years county’s talent by offering locals a vast selection of young people are already hard with young people who will and the young people can events for free and Westmeath learn to film and edit news at work learning how to use continue to submit new material County Council are hoping this items, animations, short cameras, edit footage and upload to upload onto the site. year will be even bigger and projects online as well as coming Check out www.grovestreet.tv. better! Only Dublin offered more documentaries and dramas. events than Westmeath last year. up with creative ideas to reflect M The artist who has been As Westmeath gears up for commissioned under the Per Culture Night 2011 the mix of Cent for Art scheme introduced events from drama to music and performance art to exhibitions himself to the community by will transform the county into a distributing promotional mugs cultural hive of activity in the with the website address and hope that everyone will open details. their eyes to what is on offer around them. Michael claims that “since the The idea is that the one day event advent of the internet, access to on Friday, September 23 will turn produce and present the moving each town in the county into an image has been transformed, accessible cultural venue and offer and conventional TV stations people of all ages and persuasions now compete for viewers the chance to experience culture online". in various forms including dancing, family fun, music, poetry, lectures, He explained: “Grovestreet.tv art, drama and sport to name allows the residents of Grove only a few – for free. Michael Forturn working with traditional singers on the Wild Bees Nest project. Catherine Kelly, Westmeath County Council Arts Officer said: “This is the second time that ABOUT THE ARTIST Culture Night will take place in Michael Fortune was born in rural extensively both nationally and his video work An Anthology of Others to County Westmeath and so we are County Wexford in 1975. His work internationally in galleries, off-site eleven art spaces throughout Ireland. very excited about the event as borrows from the popular conventions presentations and as single-screen last year we had the largest He is currently working with artist of home video and snap photography presentations in film and video art number of events outside Dublin. Aileen Lambert on a new project We really hope that as many and in many ways his work can be festivals. entitled The Wild Bees Nest which is people as possible take advantage seen as growing out of a tradition He has been the recipient of many being supported by The Arts Council of the occasion to check out arts of social documentary and awards and commissions including of Ireland in conjunction with The and culture activities which are anthropological film.