Down

Feeling brave? Bring your little monsters along to the WWT Castle Espie Spellbound Festival from 25th to 31st October with a packed programme of events including storytelling, arts and crafts, monster mash dance party, reptiles and creepy crawlies, fancy dress and more!

Armagh

After a successful tour of the US, and a sold-out run at the Brighton Fringe Festival, RSC veteran Tim Hardy brings his solo show ‘The Trials Of Galileo’ to the Market Place Theatre on Thursday 23rd October.  ‘The Trials Of Galileo’ focuses on the events surrounding his trial for heresy in 1633. Galileo’s tragedy was a mistaken belief that all he had to do was show the church his reasoning and his evidence and the church would fall in behind him. He understood the science better than any man alive, but never grasped the politics. Until it was too late.

Fermanagh

SHARE’S Halloween Howler is an annual event.  Guest will go on a Ghost Paddle to an island where they will be brought to Hags Hut, walk through our Haunted Forest, Carve Pumpkins along with other fun family activities. 21st to 31st October.

Tyrone

Quercus Ensemble, Northern Ireland’s exciting and dynamic chamber ensemble presents ‘Songs, Games and Dances at the Cafe de Paris’ this evening, Tuesday 21st October, at the Strule Arts Centre Omagh.  An evening of classical cabaret inspired by the world’s most romantic city. Let them transport you back to the golden age of the Parisian salon, with love songs by Faure, Saint-Saens’s gripping Danse Macabre, and Bizet’s vibrant depiction of children’s games.

Derry

Haunted Hezlett is back with all new, live action, interactive ghoulish tours from 25th to 28th October. Set in the specially themed grounds of Hezlett House, both inside and out, this is a night you won’t forget! Immerse yourself in the action if you dare. Fancy dress encouraged. Unsuitable for young children, however Mini Haunted Hezlett on 26th and 27th October will provide some  less scary daytime spookiness for the litte ones! Come along in fancy dress, create some eerie crafts and take a tour of the haunted house!. Fun for all the family.

Antrim

This Halloween why not come to Moyle, the Heart of the Causeway Coast and Glens? With so much to do to keep the family entertained from Saturday 25th to Friday 31st October. All the family can take part in pop-up art and craft workshops, face painting, Halloween selfies and attend Dracula the Panto! Finish off the week with the Spectacular fancy dress parade and fireworks in Ballycastle.

Belfast

Belfast Film and Comic Con will be taking over the Odyssey Arena in Belfast Saturday 25th and Sunday the 26th of October.  Belfast Film and Comic Con promises to bring you some of your favourite stars from TV, Film and Comics as well as a whole host of fun activities including photo shoots, panels, autograph sessions and hundreds of stalls full of TV and Film memorabilia to browse.  Show opens from 9am – 6pm on both days

Hallowe’en night will be a particularly spooktacular one in Belfast this year as the Metro Monster Mash takes place on Friday 31 October.

Metro Monster Mash is organised by Belfast City Council and sponsored by Translink Metro with the support of Cool FM.

The annual spectacle gets underway from 5.30pm-8.30pm at The Slipways, Titanic Belfast with haunting street theatre featuring fire and glow performers, children’s rides and a performance by local band Peach on stage with Cool FM’s Pete Snodden and the Cool crew. The event will close with one of the biggest fireworks displays in Northern Ireland.

A free Metro Ghostbus will be operating to The Slipways leaving Chichester Street in the city centre at regular intervals from 5.15pm-8pm with return journeys until 9pm from Queen’s Road in the Titanic Quarter.

This year, the council is holding a special #spookyselfie campaign in the run up to the event where people can send in their ‘spooky selfies’ via the council’s Facebook and Twitter pages to be in with the chance to win a prize on the night as the audience vote for the spookiest photo. Deadline for entries is Monday 27 October.

Launching the event at Titanic Belfast, Lord Mayor Councillor Nichola Mallon, said: “The Metro Monster Mash is one of the highlights of our events calendar. It’s a spooky night of fun and all for free.

“Holding the event on Hallowe’en night and on a Friday evening this year is an extra bonus for families who can come along and enjoy the night with no early start for school the next day. It’s also great for those who want to come down to enjoy the festivities before heading out in Belfast for other Hallowe’en celebrations taking place in the city.

“I would encourage all from near and far to come down and soak up the spooky atmosphere and enjoy Hallowe’en in Belfast this year.”

Damian Bannon, Translink Belfast Area Manager, said: “With large crowds expected at this excellent family event, we are pleased to once again team up with Belfast City Council and provide a free, convenient and reliable Metro ‘Ghost’ shuttle bus service between Belfast city centre and The Slipways for all those spooky characters heading to the Metro Monster Mash. We would encourage everyone to take advantage of this special service for a hassle-free journey.”

Pete Snodden said: “The Cool FM team are absolutely delighted to be involved in this year’s Belfast City Council Metro Monster Mash. It is always a great event for all the family and we can’t wait for what promises to be a ‘spooktacular’ evening.”

For more information on the Metro Monster Mash, visit www.belfastcity.gov.uk/events or call Visit Belfast on (028) 9024 6609.

In September 1939 Adolf Hitler authorised Aktion-T4 a forced euthanasia programme that led the mass murder of tens of thousands of disabled adults and children and formed the blueprint for his ‘Final Solution’ against the Jews.

This relatively little known Nazi outrage forms the backdrop for ‘Resistance’, a challenging and poignant multi-media installation, which will be open to the public  at the Titanic Drawing Offices from October 21st  to November 2nd, as part of the Ulster Bank Belfast Festival at Queen’s. This is a Northern Ireland premiere and will be the only time the work is seen here.

The piece, which combines moving images, drama, documentary and whispering voices into an immersive audio-visual experience, is by controversial, award-winning writer-director Liz Crow, whose work has been shown at Tate Modern and the British Film Institute. Resistance was showcased to 4500 visitors at Washington DC’s Kennedy Centre and won a Best Exhibition Award from the Liverpool Daily Post.

Chris Ledger, Director of the Arts and Disability Forum (ADF) has worked behind the scenes for the past two years to bring this important show to Belfast. She said the artist chose Belfast for the final booking of the tour because of a belief in the city’s vibrancy and atmosphere of hope.

She said: “We are excited to bring this wonderful project to Northern Ireland. Resistance’s starting point is the horrors of Nazism but it resonates with contemporary attitudes towards disabled people and with wider issues around marginalisation, exclusion and oppression.

“The work emerged from Liz Crow’s alarm at the direction in which she saw society heading. Rising hate crime, increased pre-natal screening and abortion and a race to assisted suicide are challenging the worth of disabled people’s lives and even their right to exist. Alongside this, Belfast has also seen an increase in racially motivated hate crime. Resistance invites the audience to reflect on how they can help to shape a society that delights in diversity. ”

At the centre of the installation is a haunting 12 minute film about Aktion-T4 that Liz made using a cast of mainly disabled actors. The cast and the writer visited two of the killing centres in Germany as research.

The film has as its lead character Elise a woman who swept the floors and the grounds of a holding centre, housing disabled people before they go to their deaths. She silently watches people disappear and plots what she can do.

Archive material is also used in the installation.

Liz Crow is well known as an activist as well as an artist. In August 2009 she was hoisted by a cherry picker to sit in her wheelchair on Anthony Gormley’s Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar, wearing an SS Uniform and brandishing the Nazi flag.This was to highlight the hidden history of Germany’s forgotten disabled victims and the resurgence of negative attitudes towards disabled people in today’s society. On September 2nd in Berlin, a new memorial was unveiled to commemorate the deaths of disabled people killed by Nazis who deemed them “useless eaters”.

The 30 minute installation has been brought to Belfast with project funds from the Community Relations Council and Belfast City Council and Children in Need are supporting the inclusive involvement of young people. The Arts Council is the Arts & Disability Forum’s principal funder and the ADF receives additional core funds from Belfast City Council and LLoyds TSB Foundation.

Liz Crow said: “This is an episode of history that is virtually hidden, yet the values that underpinned it still echo through disabled people’s lives today. It is a timely piece of work and I hope that people will be both moved and empowered by it. I want people to come away feeling inspired to get involved, be effective and find the courage to be a part of change. Resistance is about a sense of possibility.”

Available with audio description, captions, BSL interpretation and an induction loop.

Group Bookings through the Arts & Disability Forum at

www.adf.ie, info@adf.ie, tel028 9023 9450.

Significant Objects by Jim McKeever 21^st October to 28^th November 2014 at the ADF Gallery, Royal Avenue, Belfast

Part of the Ulster Bank Belfast Festival at Queen’s, this photographic exhibition by Jim McKeever is staged at the Arts & Disability Forum, on the Ground Floor of Cathedral Quarter Workspaces, at 109-113 Royal Avenue in Belfast. There will be an exhibition preview on Monday 20^th October at 5-7pm.

This exhibition tells the story of John, who was placed in care with the Sisters of Nazareth at just one day old and didn’t leave the system until seventeen years later. Collaborating with John over two years, photographer Jim McKeever has created an intense narrative visualising places and objects that represent physical and mental pain.

On Tuesday 28^th October, beginning at 2pm, Jim will give a talk about his work as part of the ADF’s Conversations series. BSL communication support and audio description can be made available for both the preview and for the talk – please book this support well in advance by contacting leo@adf.ie or phoning 028 9023 9450.

The preview will be at 5-7pm on Monday 20th October at the ADF Gallery on Royal Avenue. Light refreshments will be available. Following the preview, the exhibition will be open to the public from 21^ST October until 28^th November between 11am to 3pm, Tuesday to Friday.

THE Chairman of the Northern Ireland Tourist Board has praised the organisers and sponsors of the Richhill Harvest Apple Fayre for creating an event which shows  food tourism is increasingly important to our economic growth.

Dr Howard Hastings OBE, said the Richhill Apple Harvest Fayre which celebrates the Bramley Apple, allows the people of Armagh to unlock authentic stories about the county’s heritage, culture and traditions.

The event which will take place on Saturday (October 25) is an authentic celebration of Armagh’s distinctive local food and drink and celebrates the Armagh Bramley which achieved PGI status in 2012.

Speaking ahead of the event, Dr Hastings OBE said: “This event allows the people of Armagh and beyond to reconnect with our land and to celebrate what our land produces. The Bramley Apple has got PGI status for a reason and we have to enjoy our produce so full praise goes to the organisers and sponsors for making this fayre happen.

“Events like this allow us to unlock the stories of our land and also stories about the people who work on the land. Celebrating this gives us a huge sense of civic pride and boosts our self confidence as to what can be achieved. It also gives a message to the rest of the world that we are proud of who we are and what we can produce here in Northern Ireland.”

The fayre, which is sponsored by Irwin’s Bakery, Wilsons Country and Gilfresh, features cookery demonstrations, apple peeling contests, an Armagh Bramley apple tart competition, music from local school choirs, a hog roast and tea dance.

Brian Irwin, of Irwin’s Bakery, a bakery which has been part of the Portadown community since 1912, said: “As Dr Hastings has said, celebrating Co Armagh is very important. The Richhill Apple Harvest Fayre will be a fantastic fun day out for the family and is a great message to the rest of the world that we are proud of what we produce.”

Angus Wilson, started Wilsons Country from the family farm in 1980s, said: “To have an event in Co Armagh celebrating produce from Armagh, with people from Armagh, is fantastic. We are delighted to help showcase the fruits of our labour and be part of an event which we hope is the first of an annual event in our calendars.”

Thomas Gilpin, of Gilfresh, a family run company in Loughgall which was established over 50 years ago, said: “We are all local producers supporting each other and supporting our communities. We all have a close working relationship. It’s all about local businesses supporting local businesses and local events.”

The event is free to attend and runs from 10am-6pm.

Feeling brave? This Hallowe’en half term, visitors to Castle Espie Wetland Centre can enjoy a whole host of Hallowe’en activities for little monsters at the Spellbound Festival from Saturday 25th to Friday 31st October 11am – 4pm.

For the seven days of the Spellbound Festival between 11am and 4pm, there’s the chance to get crafty making spooky spiders and happy Hallowe’en keepsakes, have a go at the hilarious games, make a creepy cockroach sandwich, lob a ghost, catch the witch or take part in traditional apple games. There’s a Beastly Trail to follow around the reserve and into the woods to learn about gruesome mythical beasts and see how many you can catch, once back inside strike a pose for a Spooky Snap.

Extra spellbinding activities over the weekend of Saturday 25th and Sunday 26th October include face painting to add the finishing touches to fancy dress costumes and spooky owls will be swooping in for Mantella Environmental’s Owl Display. On Saturday, Castle Espie Birdwatching Club will be on hand to help make a variety of garden birdfeeders at their popular Birdfeeder Workshop.

On Sunday, why not show off your monster moves at Jump Jiggle and Jive’s Broomstick Jiggle, four fun-filled, interactive dance parties between 2pm and 4pm with plenty of Hallowe’en themed props for children and adults too.

The frighteningly good fun continues on Thursday 30^th and Friday 31^st October with Hallowe’en treats including face painting, giant creepy crawlies with Mantella Environmental and Monster Mash Discos packed with spooky hits. Join the Cat in the Hat in the Crannog roundhouse for fireside storytelling and mix potions or try tree divining with the Wise Woman of the Woods.

Throughout the Spellbound Festival week there’ll be spot prizes for the best dressed little monsters and visitors to Castle Espie can enter into the Spellbound Festival prize draw to win a 2015 birthday party for up to 10 children.

Entrance to the Spellbound Festival is included in the cost of admission and free to WWT members. For a full event programme including timings for individual activities go to wwt.org.uk/castle-espie/spellbound or contact Castle Espie on 028 9187 4146. WWT Castle Espie Wetland Centre is open every day from 10am to 5.00pm, parking is free of charge.

An open evening was held at Belfast City Hall last night (20 October) for volunteers who are hoping to set sail on the opportunity of a lifetime aboard the Tall Ships next July.

80 lucky people from Belfast and the surrounding area will be given the unique opportunity to become trainee crew members as part of the Tall Ships Races 2015, one of the biggest events to come to our city.  Those selected will play a pivotal role on board the ship on the first leg of the race as it sails on its 11 day voyage from Belfast to Ålesund, Norway.

Over 300 people have registered their interest for a place on the programme, and over 100 of those attended last night’s information session to find out more about the next stage of the process and take part in a Q&A panel with event organisers.

Speaking about the trainee programme, Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Nichola Mallon said: “What a wonderful opportunity this is for people from our city to take part in one of the biggest and most exciting events to come to Belfast.

“The chance to sail on board one of the Tall Ships really is the opportunity of a lifetime.  I’d encourage anyone who is looking for a new challenge and wants to meet new people, explore new places and learn new skills, to get involved and apply today.”

The Tall Ships Races 2015 will be the third time that Belfast has hosted the races, having also welcomed the ships in 1991 and 2009.

Dr Gerard O’Hare, Chair of Belfast Tall Ships 2015 Ltd, which has been set up to manage the event, said: “It’s fantastic to see so many people have registered their interest already for what promises to be a memorable, challenging and unrivalled experience.

“The Tall Ships Races is expected to attract 500,000 people, with another 500,000 seeing the arrival and departure of the vessels along the Northern Ireland and Irish coasts and the trainee crew programme provides another fantastic outlet for the people of Belfast and Northern Ireland to get involved.”

There are only 80 places available on the scheme, but opportunities are also available to self fund the trip for those who are not selected.

Lidl Northern Ireland, host port sponsors of the Belfast Titanic Maritime Festival, which will officially welcome the ships to Belfast, will subsidise eight lucky staff members to take part.

Glen Cinnamon, Regional Director for Lidl Northern Ireland said: “As headline sponsors of this event, it’s really important for us that the communities and people of Northern Ireland are able to get involved and enjoy all aspects of the festival.  A range of free, family-fun activities will take place throughout the four days the ships are docked, but this scheme provides another level of involvement and is an opportunity people should be grasping with both hands.”

Thelma Thompson from Ocean Youth Trust Ireland said: “The huge interest we’ve received in Northern Ireland is not only testament to what a fantastic opportunity this is for our young people, but also shows the enthusiasm from our communities to be part of what will be such a massive event for Belfast.”

No previous sailing experience is necessary as full training is provided but applicants must be available for a total of two weeks which will include three separate training sessions in November, January and spring of next year.

The closing date for applications to become a trainee crew member is Friday 7 November with the selection process taking place from 24–28 November.   If you’d like to apply to be a crew member on board the Tall Ships visit www.oyti.org/belfasttallships2015

This year’s Seapark Fireworks Festival on Saturday October 25, is set to be the best yet featuring a fun fair, a food fair, live music and a spectacular fireworks display finale to finish the event in style.

This year’s screamed-themed music will be popular with all age groups ranging from Michael Jackson to Britney Spears and Will.I.Am.

The fun will kick off at 4pm with the children’s fun-fair and a fantastic food fair with everyone’s favourite foods from sausages and mash to baked potatoes, Holywood’s favourite cinnamon scones, crepes and lots more. The perfect half-term outing for the whole family and all reasonably priced!

At 6.15pm, popular local band The Jukes take to the stage to entertain the crowds with their fantastic repertoire of hits guaranteed to get everyone dancing!

The event will draw to a close after the spectacular fireworks display at 7.45pm. Prepare to be thrilled as the sky above Belfast Lough will come alive with explosions of colour and sparkle.

Commenting on the event, Alison Stobie, North Down Borough Council said, “We’re looking forward to another great night at Seapark this year – good food, good music and spectacular fireworks – perfect ingredients for a fun night for all the family. Everyone is welcome to come dressed up in your spookiest Halloween costumes but make sure you wrap up warm and bring a torch!”

So come along and join the fun on Saturday 25 October, from 4pm at the Seapark Recreational Grounds, Holywood. Admission is FREE, making this an event not to be missed!

If you fancy more Halloween fun, on the following day, Sunday 26 October, Cockle Row Cottages in Groomsport will be hosting a fun Halloween Day. This FREE event which runs from 1pm – 4pm will feature ‘Creepy Crafts,’ glitter tattoos and Casey’s Creatures will be there with a meerkat, skunk, micro hedgehog, snake and lizards.  There will also be live music by The Woodworms.

For further information, please phone our Tourist Information Centre on: 028 9127 0069 or visit www.northdowntourism.com

Passengers on the Belfast-Larne railway line had better beware this Halloween as hundreds of wizards and witches will be riding past them on Sunday 26th October!

With an 82 year old steam locomotive at the front and a train full of children (and adults) in fancy dress, it’s a moving cauldron of seasonal fun.  They will be onboard the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland’s “Broomstick Belle” steam train, this year hauled by “Merlin”.  This “Merlin” is not a magician, but a giant of steam bringing a magic all of her own.  “Merlin”, the steam locomotive, has come back into operation this year after an extensive overhaul (that took volunteers nearly 10 years to complete) and will add lots of steamy atmosphere to this ghostly fun train.

“Railways have long been associated with the paranormal, but our Broomstick Belle train is all light-hearted spooky fun” commented Mervyn Darragh, RPSI Operations Officer.

“One of our members will be bending balloons and we encourage all our passengers to wear fancy dress.  To add to the fun, we will be distributing Halloween goodie bags to all the children.”

“The Harry Potter film brought the Hogwarts Express into our homes and now all the little wizards want to be seen on a steam train, just like their hero Harry.”

Philip Lockett, RPSI Publicity Officer speculated that “This train is the (dis-) embodiment of what we are trying to achieve.  We provide the atmosphere and the parents, grandparents and children enter into the spirit with their own fancy dress.  There is plenty of time to see what apparitions might appear from the steam whilst the engine runs round its train and plenty of time to play with the goodie bags on the return journey.  A positively spiritual experience!”

“Our carriages are warm and comfortable, heated by steam from the locomotive.  One of the carriages is a Dining Car, complete with full-bar serving draught beers, hot and cold drinks and snacks.”

The trains will depart from Belfast Central station at 11:05, 13:05 and 16:05 for the 90 minute return trips.  Tickets cost £11 and are on sale (by phone or over-the-counter) from Belfast Welcome Centre (028 9024 6609) and also online from http://www.steamtrainsireland.com/.

Tickets must be purchased in advance.

Full details are available from the RPSI website at http://www.steamtrainsireland.com/

– The Railway Preservation Society of Ireland was formed in 1964 and is celebrating its Golden Anniversary in 2014. Set up to preserve and operate steam trains and associated railway heritage stock and items, the RPSI is still managed by volunteers and the majority of restoration work is carried out by volunteers in Whitehead, Dublin and Mullingar.

– The steam locomotive for the Broomstick Belle, No.85 “Merlin”, is unique, the last of 5 “V”-class, three-cylinder compound locomotives built by Beyer Peacock in Manchester for the Great Northern Railway (Ireland) in 1932. The locomotives were built to be powerful and fast, but still be small enough to be worked on inside the dimensions of the railway company workshops at Dundalk.

– The 5 locomotives were named after birds of prey: No.83 Eagle, No.84 Falcon, No.85 Merlin, No.86 Peregrine, No.87 Kestrel.

– No.85 was last steamed in about 1962 and was eventually bought by the Belfast Transport Museum. The locomotive was on display at their museum in Witham Street Belfast until 1977 when Lord Henry Dunleath provided substantial funding to have the locomotive restored.  She is still owned by the Ulster Folks and Transport Museum and is on loan to the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland.

– The locomotive’s first overhaul in preservation was largely carried out by Harland and Wolff and she operated from 1985 to 1990 before returning to the RPSI depot at Whitehead for further extensive work.

– She hauled steam trains all over Ireland from 1994 to 2004 before retiring again for overhaul. The overhauls are largely carried out by volunteers and the work on Merlin earned junior volunteer Nathan Lightowler from Moira the national award of UK Volunteer of the Year 2013.

– The RPSI is always seeking new volunteers and interested persons should first of all join the Society, details of which can be found online at Steam trains on Irish Railways with RPSI – Railway

Winner of The Voice UK 2013, Andrea Begley needs no introduction to local audiences, especially in her home village of Pomeroy.

Andrea was winner of the second series of BBC’s ‘The Voice’ performed at London’s Union Chapel in 2013, and she will headline her own concert this November 7^th at the Burnavon, Cookstown, as she brings her album ‘The Message’ to stage.

Andrea learned to play the piano when she was eight, and later on in her early twenties learned to play the guitar. Whilst studying her Master’s Degree in law, she was performing small gigs around Belfast, and building up a following of fans. Before ‘The Voice’, she had taken part in a few singing competitions but found that her sight influenced her success. The blind audition format of ‘The Voice’ was welcomed by Andrea as this meant that the judges’ decisions were made on her voice alone. As she says, the setup of the auditions stage put her “on a level playing field.” Her rendition of Evanescence’s ‘My Immortal’, won her the majority public vote, crowning her and coach Danny O’Donoghue victorious, and landing Andrea a recording contract with Universal Music.

With a combination of incredible musicianship, a phenomenal aptitude for overcoming challenges and a flawless tone to her voice, it’s no wonder that Andrea became the UK’s favourite in the competition.

Andrea is joined in concert by special guests Anthony Toner and Ben Sands. Anthony Toner has been described as ‘John Prine meets James Taylor – in a second hand book shop’. His single ‘Sailortown’ grabbed the attention of radio listeners in Northern Ireland in 2010, and his music has held public attention ever since. The song was an utterly contemporary, clear-eyed depiction of a doomed teenage romance – set against the backdrop of Belfast’s fabled Sailortown neighbourhood, now undergoing all kinds of transformations. His live performances always feature entertaining stories from the road, peerless guitar playing and thought-provoking songs that stay with you on the way home.

Ben Sands, cornerstone of the fabled The Sands Family, also appears with Andrea and Anthony. While The Sands Family continues to tour and record in their own inimitable fashion, Ben has flourished as a successful solo performer and recording artiste. To his acknowledged accomplishments as a singer, song-writer, instrumentalist, harmony vocalist and arranger, Ben brings a solid reputation as a “great singer of great songs” from a diversity of sources. These days his own compositions are most featured in his concerts as well as in the performances and recordings of a growing number of notable artistes. Ben Sands songs, music and stories paint pictures of an ongoing legacy inherited in those early, influential years on a small farm in County Down and enriched by his colourful, musical, adventure-some journeys through life.

Of course, the highlight will be the performance from Pomeroy songstress, Andrea Begley, whose new debut album ‘The Message’ entered the official chart at number 7, and whose autobiography ‘I didn’t see that coming’ is also out now.

Tickets for this memorable night of entertainment, priced at £15 (£12.50 concession) are on sale now at Burnavon Box Office on 028 8676 9949 option 1 or online www.burnavon.com.