Month: August 2013

A powerful new drama by Martin Lynch will hit the Alley Theatre this September.  ‘Meeting at Menin Gate’ will be in Strabane on Saturday 27^th September.

Speaking ahead of the play’s Press launch, Lynch said, “I’ve wanted to write this play for quite a while. Whilst it’s based on a true story, some of my own experiences of Belfast in the 1970’s are in there. Consequently, I regard myself as both a victim and a perpetrator. I know people will see this as controversial but let them come along and see the play and judge for themselves.”

Based on a powerful true story, the play deals with the controversial issue of victims and survivors.

Presented by Green Shoot Productions, Meeting At Menin Gate follows Sam Millar’s Brothers In Arms and Ron Hutchinson’s Paisley & Me as the final instalment of the The Ulster Trilogy, a series of three plays exploring the state of Northern Ireland today.

Green Shoot is delighted to announce a top class team has been assembled for the production.

A rare appearance on stage in Northern Ireland has been secured for leading Dublin-based actress Andrea Irvine. Andrea has established herself as one of the very best actresses on the Dublin stage, having starring roles at The Abbey and The Gate Theatres and well as a number of leading RTE TV roles. We are delighted to have Andrea on our team.

Andrea said “I always love coming back to Northern Ireland, especially to play a meaty role like Liz in Meeting at Menin Gate.

This is an intense and powerful script, and I am really looking forward to the challenge.”

We are also delighted to have captured another leading light in the theatre worlds of New York and Dublin, Belfast man, Director, Matt Torney.

Commented Matt, “This play tackles questions that are vital to the future of peace in Northern Ireland, such as: How do we cope with the legacy of violence?  How do we define victims and perpetrators? And is forgiveness possible in the face of such grief.”

As well as Andrea, Matt will be working with the very best of Belfast actors Marty Maguire (Dancing Shoes, Chronicles Of Long Kesh), James Doran (Brothers In Arms, The Christening) and Maria Connolly (Scenes From A Big Picture, Dancing Shoes).

Meeting at Menin Gate explores the world left behind by the Troubles in which politicians endlessly debate whether Northern Ireland should have a Truth Commission.  Attending a cross-community Peace and Reconciliation tour of World War I battle sites, LIZ a protestant nurse, meets TERRY, an ex IRA gunman.  In a hotel room in Ypres, Belgium, they open a bottle of wine and confront some painful secrets from the past.   Will this be a two-person Truth Commission or simply raw, naked revenge?

Whilst this play will examine the pain of victims, it will also explore the motivations of the perpetrator in what promises to be a powerful climax to The Ulster Trilogy.

Green Shoot Productions would like to thank our funders for their support of Meeting at Menin Gate – The Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Belfast City Council, Department for Social Development, Community Relations Council. Lloyds TSB Foundation, Victims and Survivors Service and The John Hewitt.

Tickets are £12 and available from the Alley Theatre Box Office on 028 71 384444 or online www.alley-theatre.com

To launch this year’s Coleraine Borough Council’s Northern Ireland International Airshow sponsored by RSA NI which takes place on Saturday 31^st August and Sunday 1^st September, 93 year old Tom Lackey has just set a new World Record.

He completed a wing walk from Scotland to Northern Ireland as the oldest wing walker to cross the Irish Sea, as he stood on top of a 1942 fabric covered, plywood and wire biplane.

Tom was praised by onlookers and his close family as he arrived at City of Derry Airport on Thursday 29^th August 2013. Flying ona vintage 1942 Boeing Stearman biplane flown by Mr Mike Dentith, Mr Lackey spent 1 hour and 27minutes in the air as he flew over the Irish Sea, departing from Castle Kennedy in Scotland.

Both pilot and wingwalker received an emotional welcome by his daughter Anne Joynson, his 16 year old grand-daughter Verity Joynson and family friend, Wendy Greatbatch. Mayor of Coleraine Councillor David Harding was one of the first to welcome Mr Lackey to the North Coast said, “this is an amazing achievement and we are in awe of Tom completing such a daunting task, for anyone of any age! I can not thank him enough and for the support of City of Derry Airport, for supporting the launch of Coleraine Borough Council’s NI International Airshow, sponsored by RSA, which will be held in Portrush this weekend. Tom’s achievements prove to everyone that the sky really is the limit!”

Inspired by the loss of his wife, Mr Lackey has since turned to charity and fund raising work in which he has raised over £1.25 million to date and was presented with the coveted ‘Pride of Britain’ award in 2011 for all his tremendous work. This is not his first world record, as in November of last year he completed 4 crossings of the English Channel for the Guinness Book of Records, from Dover to Calais and back, twice in succession!

Tom retired from business at young age of 79, which he says, “was way too early!”.  Following his landing, he stated that, it was quite an experience although he wouldn’t do it again and he was pleased to see happy faces and his family waiting for him.

Mike Dentith will be displaying twice per day at the NI International Air Show being staged on Saturday 31st August and Sunday 1st September.  Spanish beauty and model “Ainhoa Sanchez” from Madrid, the only professional Spanish acrobatic/dancing wing-walker in the world! has come to the North Coast especially for the air show where she has been in training for this weekend’s event.

The annual NI International Airshow sponsored by RSA is set to roar over Portrush this weekend, organised by Coleraine Borough Council this year’s FREE event will feature five jet displays including the world famous Red Arrows on the Saturday.

The Airshow event opens at 11am each day with air displays from 12noon until 6pm. The flyer can be downloaded from www.niinternationalairshow.co.uk or on Facebook and Twitter (Portrush Airshow). Alternatively contact Coleraine Tourist Information Centre on 028 7034 4723 or log onto Council’s website www.colerainebc.gov.uk

Jacqueline from whatsonni.com shares her pick of family events happening across the North for the last weekend of the summer holidays.

Down

Herbert Smith Freehills in association with the National Trust and Arts & Business Northern Ireland is bringing live theatre to Rowallane Garden.  New plays (directed by Lyn Harris) inspired by real life memories of the House and Gardens will interweave with the beautiful surroundings of Rowallane and will take you on a journey of laughter and tears, perhaps when you are least expecting it!  11am – 4pm,Saturday 31 August and Sunday 1 September.

Tyrone

Design and create your very own teddy bear using recycled material then create some eatable art with Jacqueline Toal at the Strule Arts Centre on Friday 30^th August.  Finally enjoy all your hard work at a teddy bears picnic outdoors (weather permitting!).  Suitable for 5+ years.

Fermanagh

Early Life on an Island, Devenish Monastic Site – on the 1^st September 1-5pm meet the early Christian Monk St Molaise and find out how he founded the site, who was burnt in the Round Tower and who were the Augustinians who founded St Mary’s Abbey. NIEA Boat runs from Trory Point at 10am, 1pm, 3pm and 5pm.

Derry

Maghera Community Forum presents an International Dance and Music Festival on Saturday 31^st August at Maghera Leisure Centre. You are invited to a fantastic afternoon with great musicans, dancers, singers, and workshops from all around the world! Funfair, face painting, dance workshops, craft and food stalls, and much more!

Armagh

Aliens have landed at Armagh Planetarium!  We need some very brave space cadets to find these strange creatures and send them back to their own planet.  We are looking for trainees with excellent teamwork skills, expertise in thinking, a flair for problem-solving and a talent for patience and stealth.  If you think you are up to the challenge then Armagh Planetarium will equip you with a special laser gun for this important mission.  This is an event not to be missed and guaranteed fun for all the family.  The quest continues until Friday 30^th August 12 noon until 4:00pm.

Antrim

Ireland’s biggest airshow returns to the beautiful seaside setting of Portrush, on the north coast  for the eleventh time on Saturday 31^st August and Sunday 1^st September.  The spectacular West Bay of the bustling family resort is a natural amphitheatre for a 2-day programme of air displays, sea displays, ground shows, exhibitions and stalls.  The weekend regularly attracts crowds of over 100,000 and once again admission is completely free!

Belfast
The East Belfast Arts Festival is in it’s 2nd year and will again be celebrating all that East Belfast has to offer. The programme for 2013 is jam packed with local, national and international artists. In new and unusual venues across East Belfast you will be treated to an array of music, visual art, theatre, literature, heritage, film and comedy. Highlights this year include ‘sons of East’ Roy Walker and Brian Houston, Kaz Hawkins, Carrie Davenport photographic exhibition, Art in the Eastside, East Belfast Public Art Trail, Poetry Slam, Literary Tour, workshops, the list goes on. Events are priced between FREE- £15.
For more details on these and other events across Northern Ireland, news and competitions see www.whatsonni.com, follow us @whatsonni and like us at fb.com/www.whatsonni and remember to add your  events FREE OF CHARGE at www.whatsonni.

The call is out for volunteers to join the team and help create the opening event for this year’s Ulster Bank Belfast Festival at Queen’s.

The Wish project requires hundreds of volunteers to work alongside internationally acclaimed artist-in-residence Jorge Rodriguez-Gerada to transform five acres of land in the Titanic Quarter into the largest land art portrait in the UK and Ireland.

Donegal gaelic football star Karl Lacey and rugby stars of the future Joshua Skarmoutsos and Christian Orr from Bangor Rugby Club have jumped at the chance to volunteer and be part of what is set to be the most exciting and ambitious arts project ever undertaken in the city.

Work starts on the piece in September and to register to take part visit the WISH event page on www.belfastfestival.com or call 02890 971197. No artistic experience is required and everyone is welcome to give as much or as little time as they wish.

On Saturday 31 August at 2pm Castle Espie Art Gallery, will be opening the doors to a textile sculpture exhibition “Flying Solo”.

This is the inspired title of an exhibition by local artist, Emma Hall.   The exhibition will run from Saturday 31 August to Sunday 6 October and will showcase  Emma’s work who highlights, ‘I work with salvaged textiles and sheeps fleece to create unique 3 dimensional birds and animals. I will also be including my paintings and illustrations along with the textile sculptures.’

Emma went on to say, ‘After graduating from the University of Ulster with a degree in graphic design, I worked as a graphic designer for over 10 years. I started a part time textiles course a few years ago and it opened up a whole new world to me in terms of materials and techniques. I experimented (and still do) with anything I could find. I taught myself to needle felt, a process in which sharp barbed needles are poked into sheep’s fleece, binding the fibres into a firm dense mat that can be sculpted. Most of the fleece I use is from local sheep. I also get my inspiration from the countryside around me.’

Maeve Curran, Castle Espie Marketing and Communications Manager highlighted, ‘One of the aims of the gallery is to encourage fresh talent and we are delighted to showcase Emma’s work; with such a mix of mediums and quirky style celebrating our local wildlife and countryside’.

The gallery is open daily from 10am to 5pm and entry is free. For full details on the up and coming gallery exhibitions and events please visit wwt.org.uk/castleespie, email info.castle@wwt.org.uk or call 028 91 874146. Follow us on facebook and Twitter @WWTcastleespie.

Become a WWT member when you visit and not only will you get your entrance fee refunded, but you can then enjoy great days out for a full 12 months for FREE. Our centre is open 364 days a year and with annual family membership only £68 for two adults and up to six children (or just £5.67 a month, plus a free book for joining by Direct Debit) it ‘pays for itself’ after just three visits. Members also receive an exclusive quarterly magazine, Waterlife, which keeps you up to date on what’s going on at all nine WWT UK wetland centres and has information about WWT’s exciting conservation projects saving species from extinction and caring for important wetlands around the world. Ask a member of staff on your next visit.

Bio-Enviro Lough Neagh Wetlands coach tour: ‘Neagh’ture on your door step.
Sponsored by Translink
Itinerary: Saturday 24th August 2013

1000: Departure; Belfast City Centre, Europa Buscentre

1000 – 1020: Introduction to the dynamic ecosystem of Lough Neagh; on route commentary by Alastair Fenn Lough Neagh Partnership the Environmental Officer for Lough Neagh.

1040 – 1230: Arrival: Peatlands Park

1100 Visitor centre (convenience)

1120 This is Peatlands Park – guided tour

1220 Visitor centre (convenience)

1230 Board coach for next destination

1230 – 1240: Incredible native ‘Neagh’ture of the Lough Neagh Wetlands

1250 – 1445: Oxford Island; Lough Neagh Discovery Centre

1300 Lunch; bring your own picnic or utilise onsite café

1400 Discover Oxford Island – guided tour

1445 Board coach for return journey

1445 – 1455: Shaping the future of the Lough Neagh ecosystem by Alastair Fenn

1510: Return arrival; Belfast City Centre, Europa Buscentre

NB. All participants must bring comfortable walking shoes and waterproof clothing. Refreshments are not included within the price. Participants are encouraged to bring their own packed lunch, picnic or make use of café facilities at the Lough Neagh Discovery Centre at their own cost.

Booking Essential Tel 028 7941 4791

A series of decadent Fashion Teas are set to return to The Merchant Hotel, Belfast this September, serving up the hottest trends from some of Northern Ireland’s top independent boutiques and designers to launch the autumn/winter season in style.

On Saturday 28^th and Sunday 29^th September, the hotel’s Rita Duffy Suite will provide an opulent backdrop for five individual Fashion Teas, showcasing cutting edge autumn/winter collections alongside sumptuous champagne afternoon teas.

Models from Style Academy will provide a round table fashion show, allowing guests to get up close and personal to the new season collections, whilst sipping Moet et Chandon champagne and enjoying melt in the mouth patisseries.

A packed schedule of three shows will kick off the autumn/winter Fashion Teas on Saturday 28^th September with designs from luxury label, Goddess & Swift, the brainchild of Belfast based designer, Larissa Watson (12pm); stunning autumn/winter collections from designer Dungannon boutique, Edge Emporium (3pm); and show-stopping creations from Belfast designer,  Ruedi  Maguire’s REUDI Made in Belfast label (6pm).

On Sunday 29^th September, luxury Moira boutique, Diamond Dolls (2.30pm) will take to the catwalk with a stunning collection, perfect for the forthcoming party season. The grand finale, courtesy of up and coming NI designer, Nor Lisa (5.30pm), will draw this season’s Fashion Teas to a stylish close.

Following each show, guests will have the opportunity to shop the collections, hot off the catwalk with pop-up boutiques for each retailer taking up residence in The Merchant for the weekend.

The fashionably feminine Goddess & Swift collection is influenced by French impressionist artist Marie Laurencin and her portraits of pale ethereal beauties. Explored through feminine lines using drape, flow, curve and a limited edition series of hand painted pieces, the collection features luxe fabrics including leather, wool sheers and silk. The colour palette moves from the soft winter pales in pink and ice blue through to confident hues of wine, crimson and red and features eastern inspired prints.

Dungannon boutique, Edge Emporium will show a sumptuous selection of key autumn /winter looks, with a focus on new season silhouettes and fabrics. Luxury lace and soft silks combine with an on-trend palette of royal reds, navy and monochrome, presenting a chic offering for AW13. Exclusive lines from ALICE By Temperley, Circle Of Gentlemen and Custo will be amongst their selection.

The RUEDI AW13 collection consists of strong sculptural shapes, ideal for women with confidence and flare. Blending soft luxurious silks and wools with metallic leathers, red gold and black tones are key to this rich, modern collection. Guests at the RUEDI show will also get a relished sneak peak at the designer’s forthcoming SS14 collection, which features softer, more relaxed structures using fun, vivid colours including pink, yellow, orange and grass green, contrasted with shiny greys and metallic silvers.

Moira boutique, Diamond Dolls will show an inspired collection where warm earthy colours such as brown, cream, beige and olive green welcome the new season in all its autumnal splendour. A regal mix of red and navy also peppers the collection, with vibrant tartans, military inspired pieces and coats complete with tails adding to the Royal theme. Classic monochrome brings some chic finesse to this diverse collection.

For Nor Lisa Fashion, this season embraces the ‘moody blooms’ trend, which consists of lush colours in overripe hues, scattered across darker tones with elegant womanly charms.  The glamorous collection embraces a dark winter romance, using high end luxurious fabrics including silks, silk chiffon, soft cotton and stiff linen.  With this season comes the return of Nor Lisa Fashion’s custom designed in-house prints, which gives the new collection a completely unique look that won’t be found anywhere else.

Tickets to The Merchant’s Fashion Teas cost £35 per person and include an exclusive fashion show of your choice, served with champagne afternoon tea.  Tickets can be purchased by calling The Merchant Hotel’s events team on 028 9026 2717. Funds raised from a luxury ballot at the events will be donated to The Merchant’s 2013 charity partner, The Children’s MRI Scanner Appeal.  

The Northern Ireland Tourist Board (NITB) has put together a list of 10 exciting things to do in Northern Ireland over the next week (August 26 – September 1).

• Summer Kids Camp, Troggs Surf School, East Strand Watersports Centre, Portrush, Co. Antrim, Monday – Friday throughout August.  Learn how to surf and meet new friends during these fun and friendly lessons with qualified instructors.

• Ould Lammas Fair, Ballycastle, Co. Antrim, August 26 – 27.  Ireland’s oldest market fair with street entertainment, horse trading and market stalls where revellers can sample local specialties such as dulse (dried edible seaweed) and the famous and deliciously sweet chewy indigenous confectionary known as Yellow Man.

• 17^th Ards International Guitar Festival, Newtownards, Co. Down, August 26 – 29.  For guitar and music lovers, this year’s festival is guaranteed to bring you four days of plectrum plucking, finger-picking and strumming with a range of concerts, gigs and workshops.

• 50 shades of Red, White and Blue, The Market Place Theatre, Co. Armagh, August 28 & 29.  Fifty Shades of Red, White and Blue tells the story of loveable Maggie Muff and her search for love, featuring laugh-out-loud characters such as big Sally Ann, Sinead the Greener and of course, the mysterious Mr Red White and Blue himself.     

• East Belfast Arts Festival, various venues in East Belfast, August 28 – September 1.  Help celebrate all that east Belfast has to offer with a programme packed with local, national and international artists including music, visual arts, theatre, literature. Heritage, film and comedy.

• Walled City Tattoo, Ebrington, Co. Londonderry, August 28 – 31.  A blend of home and international talent with a 600-strong cast, music, song, dance and theatre including traditional favourites such as Highland and Irish dancers.

• Bat Detectives, Crom, Newtownbutler, Co. Fermanagh, August 29.  Crom is home to all bat species found in Northern Ireland and this event lets you learn more about these fascinating nocturnal creatures.  Booking essential.

• 22^nd Annual Bluegrass Music Festival, Ulster American Folk Park, Omagh, Co. Tyrone, August 30 – September 1.  There’ll be strumming on the porches of the log cabins, dancing in the cobbled streets and jamming outside the General Store during this famous festival that will be jam-packed with performances from some of the biggest names in bluegrass and old-time music.

• Laganside 10k, start/finish at Ozone Complex, Belfast, September 1.  Grab your running shoes and take part in this year’s 10k challenge in aid of the NI Children’s Hospice.  Children are also being encouraged to take part with a one mile race for six – 15 year olds.
• International Boxing Tournament, Guildhall Square, Co. Londonderry, September 1 – 30.  An international boxing tournament which will see Ireland taking on a European national team.

Down

Corries Farm Butchers will host an exciting ‘Fun on the Farm’ family day on Saturday 24th August which will see the farm transform into a myriad of fun and entertainment for all in a bid to raise funds for the Northern Ireland Children’s Hospice.   From 12-6pm, the family-run farm in Newtownards will open its gates to welcome children of all ages for a day on the farm. With vintage tractor runs, fire engines, bouncy castles, petting farms from the Ark Open Farm, face painting, helium balloons and much more the event promises to be bigger than ever.

Tyrone

Banyan Theatre Presents “The Elves & The Shoemaker” on Saturday 24th August at the Square Box Ranfurly House.  There once was a poor shoemaker, who worked very hard, but still he could not earn enough to live upon. All he had in the world was gone; he only has just enough leather to make one last pair of shoes… Just when he thinks all is lost, help comes in a very unexpected way!  An adaption of the much loved Brothers Grimm classic fairy tale, using puppetry, object theatre and original music. The story is set in a shoe-maker’s shop and is told in a playful way with gentle audience participation.

Fermanagh

The second Happy Days Enniskillen International Beckett Festival will take place 22nd-26th August 2013.   The Festival is the world’s largest annual multi-arts celebration of Irish Nobel Prize writer, Samuel Beckett, who attended Portora Royal School in the island town.  The festival will present the first major exhibition of material pertaining to Beckett’s work since 2007.

Derry

The Tales of Peter Rabbit and Benjamin Bunny will be told in the beautiful surroundings of Ballyscullion Park this Thursday 22^nd August. Bring the whole family along to enjoy this outdoor theatre experience Admission is free.  On  Friday get ready for an action packed evening at the Festival of Lights in Ballyronan with many events taking place. There will be the Lough Neagh Rescue Raft Race, Multi-Cultural food stalls, a fire-works display, taster sessions in windsurfing and canoeing, a dance and entertainment will be provided.

Armagh

Imagine a world made entirely of biscuits:  trees, houses and stars in the sky.  Into this beautiful world comes THE GINGERBREAD MAN, creating havoc wherever he goes this Saturday at the Market Place Theatre.  He meets a majestic Cow, a stubborn Goat and an opportunistic Bird. But can GINGERBREAD MAN outwit the dastardly Fox? With a foot tapping ‘Yummy Chase’ soundtrack, this is a tremendously popular story and a visual feast specially devised for younger children aged 3 +.

Antrim

Ireland’s oldest traditional market fair, the Lammas Fair in Ballycastle makes a welcome return on Monday 26^th and Tuesday 27^th August.  Its exact origin is uncertain but one theory is that it began as a result of the occupation of the area around Ballycastle by the MacDonnell’s of the Isles in the early part of the sixteenth century. At the present day fair, street entertainment and market stalls attract thousands of people to Ballycastle.
Belfast

Join Lagan Legacy over the weekend of the 23rd of August to celebrate the ten year anniversary of the charity which owns and operates the Belfast Barge.  The charity started in August of 2003, with the mission to preserve the history of the Belfast Harbour.  This goal has been achieved goal through the permanent exhibition on board the Belfast Barge, the off site archive of preserve artefacts and documents and their award winning education programme for both schools and adults.  In order to celebrate  the Lagan Legacy’s Harbour Festival was created and will be hosting a number of free events.