Following on from the success of Carousel and Phantom of the Opera, don’t miss Theatre at The Mill’s big summer musical production West Side Story from Tuesday 31 July– Saturday 4 August.

Bringing to life the tale of two young lovers caught between prejudice and warring street gangs in one of the most memorable and greatest love stories of all time.

This powerful interpretation of Romeo and Juliet proves to be as poignant and timely as ever bringing together two masters, Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim in a score regarded as the best ever written.

Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is transported to modern-day New York City, as two young idealistic lovers find themselves caught between warring street gangs, the “American” Jets and the Peurto Rican Sharks.  Their struggle to survive in a world of hate, violence and prejudice is one of the most innovative, heart-wrenching and relevant musical dramas of our time.

With nightly performances at 7pm, this is a production not to be missed.  Tickets £15 & £13 (Concession) Group Discount Available. Call Box Office T: 028 9034 0202 or online  www.theatreatthemill.com.

Hundreds of kids flocked to Antrim Lough Shore Park yesterday (9 July) to help celebrate the official opening of the fantastic new play park.

Opened by Her Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant for County Antrim, Mrs Joan Christie CVO OBE and the Mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey, Councillor Paul Michael, the new nautical themed play park is a fantastic asset for everyone in the Borough, as it includes a wheelchair accessible boat.  Some elements of the play park were designed by school pupils from across the Borough.

Speaking at the official opening, the Mayor commented, “I am delighted to officially open this new play park. The investment of £250,000 by the Council has made our beautiful park even more attractive to residents and visitors. The new play park also complements the future plans to develop a new Gateway Visitor Centre here in Antrim Lough Shore Park.”

For more information, please T. 028 9034 0069 or email Lindsay.Houston@antrimandnewtownabbey.gov.uk

On Saturday 14^th July, Castlewellan Show promises a great array of activities showing off the best of local agriculture, food, crafts and rural pursuits.

With dog agility, show jumping, cattle, sheep, goats, poultry, rabbits, pigs and home industries spread across fifty acres of Castlewellan Forest Park we are all set to offer a great day out for all the family.

The Show offers a wonderful opportunity to enable children to get close to a range of animals with kid goats, lambs, kune kune pigs, NI Rabbit Club, hens and alpacas as well as an array of livestock.  The goats will be occupying their usual location and again features the incredible cute pygmy pigs   The pig section offers an opportunity to see some of the rare breeds and less familiar pigs. The rabbit and poultry tents are always busy and children can pet and hold the rabbits.

Visitors will get a chance to try out felt making, weaving, straw making and watch demonstrations of threshing and stick making.   The County Down Young Farmers are holding the final of the Build It competition alongside tug of war, tractor driving and water games.  This year we have scheduled entertainment in one of the main rings with the Castlewellan Interchurch Choir and displays from Silverstream sheepdogs and East Down hunt.  There will also be a live auction for a stay at the Kilmorey Arms, Kilkeel.

The Mayobridge farm model display is back again along with the very popular Grass Lads miniature working farm machinery and the Seaforde Vintage Club which always attracts the young and not so young.  Judges will be circulating for the Most Appropriately Dressed Lady and Gentleman with great prizes.   There is a small pet competition with entries on the day.  The Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service along with the PSNI will have their engines, liveried tractor, mobile police station and be putting on accident rescue displays as well as advising visitors on farm safety and crime prevention.  The Farm Families Health Check unit will be on site and visitors can get on-the-spot Blood Pressure monitoring, BMI, cholesterol check and diabetic screening.

Every year over 100 dogs take part in the dog agility classes, so bring a seat along and grab a good spot beside the ring.   Then head over to the Home Industries tent where you can peruse home baking, jams, crafts, photography, art and the scarecrows.  We received over 1600 entries in our schools section including lots of Unicorns made from recycled material many of which will be on display. If all that makes you thirsty you can have a tea and scone in the Save The Children vintage tea tent or a stronger tipple at the bar

Over 150 traders will be promoting agricultural machinery, environmental initiatives, livestock products, outdoor furniture, garden plants, farm toys, clothing and local crafts.  This year we are delighted to have continuing support from DAERA NI Regional Food Programme and our local gourmet food tent includes producers of hand churned butter, cider, jams, chutneys, honey, tray bakes, infused vinegars, sauces and ice cream.  It will also host a qualifier for the ISA Young Home Cook championship.  The craft and information tent is packed with over 40 stalls selling jewellery, handmade cushions, clothes, wooden toys, paintings, baby items, skin products, pottery and stationery.

Mossvale Riding Club are providing the unaffiliated show jumping with entries on the day.  The main horse, pony and donkey classes have attracted in excess of 425 entries of high calibre with riders from throughout the island.

Castlewellan Show is renowned for the quality of livestock with cattle, sheep, goat and pig sections.  We are delighted to once again host the Danske Bank NISA Sheep champion final and we have a new Britmilk Beef Calf championship.

We have over 750 sheep registered, 350 cattle, 60 rabbits and our largest ever entry of poultry with in excess of 400 birds so a competitive day is anticipated and a wonderful spectacle for those looking on.

This year we will greet 40 visitors from Virginia Show as part of a cross border initiative and we look forward to showing them the best of Co. Down hospitality.   The Show appreciates the ongoing support from EDA Media, Newry Mourne & Down District Council  and Tourism Northern Ireland along with all our other sponsors and aims to attract people from throughout the island to enjoy the Mournes area.  The Show runs from 9am – 5pm, admission is £10 for adults, £5 for Young Farmers (with their card), Under 16s go free and there is no charge for parking.   For a full list of trade stands and attractions, go to the website www.castlewellanshow.com

EastSide Arts Festival is back with an exciting programme for everyone to enjoy, supported by Arts Council of Northern Ireland.

From 2-12 August, places and spaces across east Belfast will come alive with a wide range of arts activities celebrating the creative energy of the eastside. Offering new experiences and little surprises along the way, make sure you don’t miss the chance to be part of something very special! Here’s a taster of what’s in store this year:

Parkfest – Two days (4&5 August), two parks and lots of FREE fun for families to enjoy. Take part in the first ever Parkfest at C.S. Lewis Square and Orangefield Park, featuring arts, crafts, performances, tandem bikes plus lots more!

Music and Words – Across the festival enjoy a wide range of live music, storytelling, poetry and literature from well-known Northern Ireland artists and east Belfast residents such as Anthony Toner, Jan Carson, Ken Haddock, Stuart Bailie, and Andrea Montgomery.

Theatre – Lots of exciting and interesting performances are on offer including a special rehearsed reading of Jimmy Ellis: Home Again, an autobiography by the late east Belfast actor James Ellis, of his childhood years spent in Park Avenue (2&4 August). Look out for other gems including Jade City (3-5 August) and East Belfast Boy (7 & 8 August).

Comedy – Back by popular demand is the hugely popular Murder She Got Wrote off, budding Jessica Fletchers required (10 August)!  Plus check out Ruairi Woods live at Strand Arts Centre (10 August) and Those Who Can’t comedy trio (3 August).

Events at the Big Top – A big hit last year and back for 5 days this year is the Big Top at C.S. Lewis Square. Lots of great family fun events include circus workshops, performances (8,9,11 &12 August) and the Big Fish Little Fish family rave (11 August)! Featured music includes Celtic Soul, the definitive Van Morrison tribute, playing the iconic album Astral Weeks (8^th August), Hothouse Flowers (9 August) and Camille O’Sullivan (11 August). Also look out for a special screening of The Rocky Horror Picture Show (12 August) and a late-night Circus Cabaret celebrating 250 years of Circus (10 August).

Visual Art –  Visit a wide range of venues including Framewerk, EastSide Gallery and Old Belfast Met Tower Street were you will be treated to some extraordinary visual art experiences from a range of local artists. A key highlight is a sleepover at St Martin’s Church, Ballymacarrett, hosted by Framewerk (11 August).

Film – As well as hosting theatre and music events the iconic Strand Arts Centre will show a range of  film screenings such as G.I. Blues featuring Elvis Presley ( 2 August) and The Court Jester featuring Angela Lansbury (9  August).

Workshop & Classes – If you’ve been itching try something creative, here’s your chance! Come to one of the art-themed workshops with Maitri Studio (2-12 August) or join east Belfast based writer Jan Carson and write your own piece of magical realism fiction (6 August).

Tours & Talks – Whether it’s by bus, foot or bike there is a tour to suit all interests. From photos of days gone by to musical and literary icons to walks in glens or greenways, or a visit to well know places, you will be surprised by what you see and hear. Back by popular demand is the Translink East West Bus Trip with Stephen Beggs and Paddy McDonnell (5&12 August). New for this year is a unique and entertaining trip on the new Glider (6, 7 &9 August), a partnership with Culturlann and Feile 30, which offers you the chance to be entertained by artists and storytellers and nourished by delicious food from across the city, all from the comfort of your Glider seat.

EastSide Emerging –  As part of EastSide Arts commitment to new and upcoming talent we invite you to come along and support our young musicians and producers (3 & 9 August).

Special events –  From a special film screening of Cocoon at Knockanagoney Community Centre (8 August) to Artful Ageing Exhibition (2-12 August) featuring creations from older east Belfast residents, to performances from artists involved in the Home Project 2018 (8 August), you are guaranteed to uncover something new about the eastside.

Roisin McDonough, Chief Executive Arts Council of Northern Ireland, said:

“Once again the team at EastSide Arts Festival has delivered an excellent programme of arts activities, bringing the arts direct to the communities of east Belfast and encouraging local artists, writers, musicians and performers to develop and promote their talent. The eclectic range of arts events this year – from story-telling to drama to dance, from song to parks to pastries – reflects a new confidence in the city’s east. As principal funder, through our Exchequer and National Lottery funds, the Arts Council is proud to be associated with a programme which so successfully provides opportunities for people to participate in high-quality arts, in what is a key element now in the creative, cultural and economic life of the city as a whole.”

 

EastSide Arts Festival Director, Rachel Kennedy added:

“ We are delighted to be back with yet another fantastic programme for the EastSide Arts Festival 2018.  This really is an exciting time for east Belfast.   We invite everyone from across east Belfast and beyond to join us to celebrate and enjoy the creative energy flowing from this part of the city. The programme offers excitement, entertainment as well as a few little surprises along the way. We would like to thank our principal funder, Arts Council of Northern Ireland and funders Belfast City Council and Arts & Business Northern Ireland for their vital continuing support. Sincere thanks also to our key sponsors, Translink, Hewitt & Gilpin, The British Council, Connswater Shopping Centre and Retail Park, Forestside Shopping Centre and Ulster Bank for their invaluable contribution to the festival and ongoing commitment to the creative regeneration of east Belfast.”

For the full festival programme visit www.eastsidearts.net and follow the Festival on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram #ESAFest18.

A steam engine built almost 100 years ago will be the star of the show this summer at Whitehead Railway Museum when it hauls train rides every Saturday in July and August.

The No. 3BG Guinness, named after the Guinness brewery in Dublin, will be providing steam train rides as part of the Whitehead Railway Museum’s  Summer Steam season.

RPSI General Manager Siobhan Dillon said: “We are delighted to be able to offer this extra attraction at Whitehead Railway Museum over the summer. The steam train ride is always very popular for our visitors young and old as the sound, smell and sight of the locomotive creates a magical atmosphere.”

Visitors will have the chance to see The Railway Preservation Society of Ireland (RPSI) footplate crew at work shovelling coal into the firebox and preparing the engine for each of its runs.

The heritage train rides will operate on Saturdays from 12 midday to 4pm, departing from Whitehead Railway Museum platform every 15 minutes.

The award-winning Whitehead Railway Museum is open from 10am to 4pm, Thursday to Saturday and guided tours are at 11am, 1pm and 2.30pm. On summer Sundays the Museum is open from 12.30pm to 4pm.

Tickets for the Museum cost £7 for adults, £6 for concession and £5 for children and a ride on the steam train costs £1.50 per person.  For further details about Whitehead Railway Museum opening times and the steam train rides, visit www.steamtrainsireland.com.

The unmistakable sight and sound of an international jazz crew who have sailed from the Azores to perform at Ireland’s biggest maritime festival will literally be music to the ears of visitors attending the major summer event in Derry this month.

Honky Tonk Sail, a 42ft catamaran hosting a full jazz band, will be one of the most unique musical attractions during the Foyle Maritime Festival when Derry is host port for the LegenDerry Finale Leg of the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race from July 14^th-22nd.

The nautical jazz ensemble which is visiting Northern Ireland for the first time will be making rhythm and blues style waves during nine days of maritime magic organised by Derry City and Strabane District Council.

Event co-ordinator Helena Hasson said: “We are thrilled to be welcoming the Honky Tonk Sail to Derry for the first time ever and when better than during our Foyle Maritime Festival! The music from the catamaran will really add to the atmosphere as the quay will be thronged with visitors and crews from the Clipper 2017-18 Race fleet.”

Tom Beeckman, captain of the Honky Tonk Sail better known as Bots, is certainly excited about making his first visit to Derry and the opportunity to meet the Clipper 2017-2018 Race crews en route to the jazz band’s next big gig in France.

A native of Belgium, he’s hoping to swap seafaring stories with Gaëtan Thomas who is making history as the first Belgian Skipper to lead a team in the world’s greatest ocean challenge, a record breaking 40,000 nautical miles in eleven months.

Beeckham, who plays trumpet and tuba, has been to Ireland before to perform in Cork and Dublin but is really looking forward to sailing the whole west coast and finally getting the opportunity to visit the historic Walled City where the Wild Atlantic Way meets the Causeway Coastal Route.

Odhran Dunne, General Manager of Visit Derry, said it was great to see the international jazz boat taking part in the Foyle Maritime Festival which is aptly themed “Voyages” this year focusing on Derry’s rich maritime history.

He added: “International jazz has become synonymous with the city through the success of our annual City of Derry Jazz and Big Band Festival and we are expecting record numbers of visitors arriving from around the world to experience the sights, sounds and sails of our unique international maritime festival on the Foyle.

“This is one of Ireland’s top festivals this summer; it has something for all the family, and added to this the LegenDerry welcome, it’s an event not to be missed.”

Speaking from the port of Horta in The Azores during a two-week stopover in the Portuguese islands before beginning the next stage of their voyage across the Atlantic, Beeckham explained: “Honky Tonk is a project with an ever changing crew/band which will consist of about six musicians for our trip to Derry and we can’t wait to get there and meet everyone!”

Beeckham is the only crew member who permanently lives on board the catamaran and he will be joined by musicians from the UK, France, Spain and Sweden. Other band members to date have also hailed from the USA, Germany and the Czech Republic.

He recalled: “Thirteen years ago I started travelling with a street performance group called the Cyclown Circus. They were part of a big international network of travelling musicians playing trad jazz and swing, lots of them coming from New Orleans and Berlin.

“In 2012 I bought my first boat with the dream of constantly having a band on board and sailing from port to port and festival to festival. We travelled all over the Mediterranean and the Atlantic stopping off in The Canaries, Madeira, Azores, Ireland, Belgium, France, Holland, Spain and Portugal. But the boat was quite small and more than three musicians on board quickly became uncomfortable.

“Last October I was very fortunate to become the owner of a 42ft catamaran in Martinique which is now big enough to host a 6-7 piece band for longer periods. So far the first year of Honky Tonk Sail has kicked off with a strong start, we sailed and played many gigs in Martinique, Guadeloupe, St-Barthelemy, British Virgin Islands, New Orleans (we took an airplane) and we have just crossed the Atlantic Ocean to play several festivals in The Azores islands and then to Ireland for the Foyle Maritime Festival.”

With gigs mainly outdoors, Beeckham is hoping for “blue skies and hot sunny days” during the Derry festival and he has no doubt the city known throughout the world as LegenDerry will create a lasting impression for its huge influx of international visitors including the jazz musicians.

“There are lots of places we have been to that leave a great impression for different reasons, the Caribbean because boat life is so easy with the climate and you can still find remote and beautiful nature and The Azores, because people are so welcoming and the islands are a beautiful paradise.

“Usually if people like our music and support our project, the place gains quite a high rating in our books and we really hope that Derry will enjoy our music too,” he added.

Citing his main musical influences as King Oliver, Bix Beiderbecke, Jelly Roll Morton, Louis Armstrong, Bessie Smith, Memphis Jug Band and Lead Belly, Beeckham gave a flavour of what festival-goers can expect on and off the water on the banks of the River Foyle.

“We are an international band of buddies who will be playing century old music with fresh fire and energy. Our performances take place wherever there’s enough space for an audience (preferably bigger than the band, but not absolutely necessary)!”

And in time-honoured Derry fashion, there will definitely be an opportunity for the public to join in the maritime melodies. “If there are musicians that share the same passion for this style of music, it will be very nice to meet them and for sure they can sit in on a song or two!”

For the full Foyle Maritime Festival programme taking place from July 14^th-22^nd visit www.foylemaritimefestival.com

An exciting new event is taking place in Donaghadee this August.

Operation Elsewhere is a rip-roaring mission of otherworldly encounters and fun. A cross between an extreme treasure hunt and an extraordinary adventure, the audience become part of a madcap world hidden in plain sight, right in the middle of the ordinary, everyday life set across locations in Donaghadee town centre.

Presented by Big Telly, Ards and North Down Borough Council and the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Operation Elsewhere is currently seeking operatives to take part. Interest in saving others desirable. Inter-world travel opportunities guaranteed. Full training provided. Craic included in terms & conditions. Further details on application. Look out for Big Telly’s portable theatre on your journey!

Speaking about the event, Emily Crawford from Ards and North Down Borough Council said: “We are delighted to host Operation Elsewhere as part of Donaghadee Community Festival. This fun, interactive quest will send participants on an adventure around the town which will offer a unique entertainment experience and we would encourage people to sign up and take part.”

Teams depart from Donaghadee Community Centre on Friday 3 and Saturday 4 August: 1.30pm – 7.15pm | Time slots available at 15minute intervals. Cost is £10 per team. A team must be a minimum of four people and a maximum of eight people and must include one adult.

Please dress appropriately for this outdoor quest as it is navigated by foot.

Booking essential – only one team per time slot. To book phone Ards Arts Centre: 028 9181 0803