WE may be in the middle of the Rose Festival, but it’s worth remembering Culture Night this year takes place on Friday, September 22 and Tralee has a whole host of events for all tastes.
With the national catchphrase ‘Switch On Culture Night’, venues and public spaces across Kerry will open their doors to host a programme of arts entertainment late into the night.
Tralee is host to a wide variety of events with dance, DJ, circus and live bands in the Square from 5pm onwards.
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Meanwhile Kerry County Museum is host to traditional music, a medieval family fun night and an ancient pottery workshop with ceramic artist Lone Bieter O’Reilly.
Tours of their collections and exhibitions are open late into the night and to the echo of the wonderful sounds of Sliabh Mish Comhaltas.
A programme highlight in Tralee is an evening performance at Siamsa Tíre of It Takes A Village, the premiere of Catherine Young’s new dance work, with an international cast of dancers and musicians.
Young has engaged with Ireland’s new communities to create a show that looks at the importance of traditional values dwindling in Today’s world and how resilience and community are critical to our survival.
Culture Night is an all-Kerry celebration of arts, heritage and culture. The event is in its thirteenth year and the choice across Kerry is one of the best to date.
John Sheahan, Mayor of Kerry, along with Charlie O’Sullivan, Deputy CE of Kerry County Council were in Tralee this week and marked the printed programme launch and approaching events in the company of Aidan O’Mahony, Kerry’s Culture Night Ambassador and Kate Kennelly, Arts Officer and Sharon O’Keeffe, Arts Office.
The Arts Office at Kerry County Council has been busy co-ordinating events, along with arts groups and organisations “who are happy to give a free night of cultural events to their communities”, Charlie O’Sullivan mentioned.
A total of seventeen towns and villages are involved across Kerry, offering fifty seven events, in forty two venues.
“It’s a wonderful night, and a great platform for artists and arts venues to welcome new audiences.” Cathaoirleach John Sheahan believes.
Aidan O’Mahony is encouraging everyone to get involved and to check out the programme which is available online and will be distributed across the County in the coming weeks.
Highlights from the programme are many and events start as early as 8am in Killorglin with K-Fest’s Verse to Work public poetry readings.
At 5pm the annual Kerry Visual Artists Showcase has its official opening at Government Buildings in Killarney and is a significant event for artists in Kerry.
The Creative Ireland Kerry programme has open evenings for young people interested in singing in Killarney, Tralee, Cahirciveen and Listowel, while Killarney House is conducting tours of the 18th Century Manor throughout the evening.
Kerry Film Festival features at Cinema Killarney this year with a screening of the first Irish Short film to be nominated for an Academy Award.
‘Return To Glennascaul’ with Orson Welles screens at 7pm. The Killarney Cultural Centre venue is open this year with events from DB O’Connor, Killarney Comhaltas and St. John’s Mill Theatre.
Donal Lunny & Andy Irvine are live in Concert at Muckross Farms and meanwhile the Launch of the 2018 ‘Handed Down Series’ as part of the Sliabh Luachra Music Trail kicks off at 7.30pm in the Heritage Centre in Scartaglin.
Making headlines in Listowel is a Writers Week event called ‘Poetry in Locomotion on the Lartigue Monorail’ with a host of writers from Kerry featuring, while the Olive Stack Gallery is having an open night with studio visits and art demonstrations.
One to note also in Listowel is that both John B’s Bar and Christy’s The Well have theatre, poetry, music and song this year.
Meanwhile in Finuge fifty years of life in the village has been captured by local film makers, an event which will bring the entire village together as a community event.
Dingle offers up a very varied programme this year with film, visual art, music an dance featuring strongly.
Artist Áine Ní Chiobháin will mix it up with live music, art, and sean-nós while her audience will also sketch the events of Culture Night into an exhibition at Nelliefreds at 9pm.
In Ballinskelligs Dr. Noelle Campbell Sharpe is organising a tour of Cill Rialaig village and a gathering at the house once lived in by Seanchaí Sean Ó Connaill.
Remember ‘Switch On Culture Night’ is on Friday 22nd September. All events are free to enjoy. For full programme details go to www.culturenight.ie or phone 066 7183541.
Culture Night Kerry is brought to you by the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht and the Creative Ireland programme in partnership with Kerry County Council.