Holywood’s annual May Day event on Monday 7 May will resound with music and dance thanks to some very special guests, the Watoto Children’s Choir.

The Ugandan choir will brighten the town centre with their vibrant performance during the afternoon of the day-long event.  Holywood is one stop on the Choir’s 12 day tour of Northern Ireland.

Each child in the Watoto Children’s Choir has suffered the loss of one or both parents and now lives in a Watoto village.  The Choir has travelled the world, taking the opportunity to share the children’s’ talents and their plight with enthralled audiences; Ards and North Down Borough Council is delighted to welcome the choir to Holywood.

This year Merry May Day has an enchanting spring and floral theme and although Watoto Children’s Choir is a highlight, the full day programme offers fun for all ages.  Bringing the spring theme to life, Floris the mystical flower nymph will be gliding through the crowds in her beautifully adorned globe – this captivating display will be a first for Northern Ireland!

Working in partnership with Holywood District Community Council, the event will see a number of much loved favourites returning: the crowning of the May Queen, the Bonny Baby competition and of course the fancy dress competition, which always sees fantastic displays of effort. This year children are invited to come along as mini Kings and Queens, Super Heroes and their favourite storybook characters.

Local school children will be taking part in choreographed dancing around Ireland’s only maypole and for any little ones inspired to do their own dance, ‘Jump, Jiggle and Jive’ will be on hand with their mini maypole and exciting games, plus so much more that is sure to entertain the whole family.

Edible treats and those who love a bargain will enjoy the market and stalls on offer in the town, housed between the wonderful eateries and boutiques that Holywood has to offer.

This free event is the perfect way to spend the day so make it Holywood this May Day, 10am-4pm.

More details on Merry May Day can be found on visitardsandnorthdown.com, or call 028 9127 0069.

 

New Exhibition – Lindsay Seers – Every Thought There Ever Was

4 May – 29 July 2018

The MAC are delighted to be the first venue for Every Thought There Ever Was, a major new touring exhibition by artist Lindsay Seers. Through digital animation, special effects, drawing and sound design, Every Thought There Ever Was explores the extraordinary brain functioning that occurs in the condition of schizophrenia. Incorporating industrial robotics in conjunction with a three-screen video projection, the work is shaped by philosophical ideas and scientific research concerned with the phenomenon of consciousness.

The work draws on an experimental treatment known as Avatar Therapy, in which those living with schizophrenia can speak to their persecutors in a digital world. Guided by first person accounts and a collaborative drawing exchange, Seers’ work has been shaped by conversations with scientific partners including Anil Seth at The Sackler Centre for Consciousness Science and Chris Frith, Emeritus and Professor of Neuropsychology, UCL to explore the current studies and thinking on the condition.

Pursuing her on-going fascination with how an individual’s biography embodies history, Seers takes Victorian surgeon James Miranda Barry as her narrator. Barry transcends time through a connection with the offspring she gave life to, by performing a ground-breaking emergency Caesarean section operation. Barry’s future life sees her manifest as an Avatar with an ability to cure.

Hugh Mulholland, Senior Curator at the MAC says: “This major new work is the result of extensive research with leading practitioners who are working to develop new treatments for and understanding of schizophrenia.  Into this research Lindsay weaves the experiences of those living with the condition and presents us with a powerful, compelling and complex work”.

The exhibition will premiere at the MAC, Belfast from May 4th to July 29th, 2018. Following this it will tour to Focal Point Gallery, Southend-On-Sea, from September 8th to December 23rd, 2018.  In 2019 it will tour to Hospitalfield and in 2020 to John Hansard Gallery.

Every Thought There Ever Was is supported by Wellcome and is co-commissioned by Matt’s Gallery, London; The MAC, Belfast; Focal Point Gallery, Southend-On-Sea; Hospitalfield, Arbroath; and John Hansard Gallery, Southampton.

This exhibition has been supported by National Lottery funding through the Arts Council of Northern Ireland.

The North Armagh Off Road Section promotion of the opening round of the 2018 Maxxis British Sidecarcross Championship, supported by Lisburn Bitmac & Asphalt, has been given an International boost by the late entry of Dutch Crew Joarno van den Boomen & Kenny van Gaalens, multi European OMBA Champion and a top ten World Championship crew.

 

Van Boomen has finished as high a fourth in Grands Prix, and his experienced passenger has crewed Koel Hermans and 10 time World Champion Daniel Willemsen at World Championship level.

 

Their R2R WSP KTM 600 will be an unusual specification for the British Championship as this will be the only right hand chair in the race, but this crew are used to running with left & right hand chairs as this is common in the World Championships.

 

They will face tough opposition with 18 times British Champion Stuart Brown heading the entry with Joe Millard on board the AMS engine WSP, a change from his usual Zabel two stroke.

 

Another regular GP runner is Brett Wilkinson and his passenger Dan Chamberlain, mounted on their usual Zabel 700 two stroke WSP, the runner up for the past few years will be hoping for a better day this year in the sand of Desertmartin as he had some bad starts last year.

 

Local interest centres on Lisburn crews Gary Moulds with new passenger Niki Adair on their CMV AMS 665 supported by local Hillsborough firm Grahams Fit Out, Gary of course, made his debut win here last year with GP passenger Steve Kirwin on board, but new passenger Niki Adair has stepped manfully into the chair, and they currently lie second in the Ulster & Irish Championships although lack of practice over the wet winter may hamper their performance.

 

Their perennial rival, multi Ulster Champion Neil Campbell with English passenger Craig Parmenter on board will be hoping to repeat Gary’s local win last year, and with 91 Ulster & Irish wins, and an unbeaten run so far, this could be their year on the Lewis Tower Cranes entered, WSP &00 Zabel.

 

The starts will be crucial over the three races, and there is lots of local talent in the field to make it interesting for the spectators with the Ingram cousins Geoff & David, our only female driver Emma Moulds with her new passenger Alan Gardner and Dean Faulkner & Gordon Ringland all out to use their local knowledge against some of the best in the World.

 

Racing starts at 11.00 with practice and qualifying from 0900, and Desertmartin Motocross circuit is off the main Desertmartin to Maghera main road and will be signposted,  entry is only £5.00 for a day of top class entertainment.

Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council has launched a free programme which has been designed to help the growth of local businesses by helping them learn new skills and develop confidence to make the most of the vast digital retail opportunities available.

The Digital Retail Therapy Programme is the first of its kind in Northern Ireland and will be delivered by a host of industry experts. It will include four events giving helpful insights to develop knowledge and skills and a digital mentoring programme providing an in-depth diagnostic audit for businesses of their digital capabilities and 15 hours of free one-to-one mentoring across a range of topics including website and social media marketing, data and analytics, geo-marketing tactics and search engine optimisation.

The first free event, ‘Inspire, Innovate and Invest with New Opportunities in Digital Retail’ takes place on Tuesday 24 April from 9am – 1pm in Armagh City Hotel and topics being covered will include making the most of your website, digital storefronts, retailer marketplaces and how to drive retail through social media.

Attendees will have the chance to hear from digital experts who have helped local and global businesses achieve success including multi-award winning digital marketing consultant Niamh Taylor, Kirsty Nixon who has worked with brands including Sliderobes, the Financial Times and Chain Reaction Cycles and Stephen Kinkaid from website design company, Kobault. A local company will share the benefits they have found since bringing retailing across to digital platforms.

Lord Mayor of Armagh City, Banbridge, Craigavon Borough, Alderman Gareth Wilson said: “With a wealth of opportunities on offer in the digital sector, it is important to us that our local businesses are equipped with the right skills and knowledge to tap into this potential. The Digital Retail Therapy Programme will allow local businesses to benefit from insightful events and a mentoring programme providing them with invaluable support and guidance. With the ability to drive long term success for local businesses – this free programme is one not to be missed.”

Niamh Taylor, director of Digital 24 said: “There are over one billion websites on Google alone with the search engine processing approximately 64,000 searches per second, which is why it is vital for businesses, big and small, to have a better understanding of the fundamental concepts of digital marketing. The Digital Retail Therapy Programme is an excellent opportunity for local businesses to achieve this and to gain the knowledge on how to develop and implement a successful digital retail strategy.”

For further information visit www.digitalretailtherapyprogramme.com or to sign up for the first FREE event go to https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/inspire-innovate-and-invest-with-new-opportunities-in-digital-retail-tickets-44833518260. Call 07737 122955 or email hello@digitalretailtherapyprogramme.com to find out more.

A new exhibition which commemorates the centenary of the Royal Air Force opens in Ballymoney this month.

Curated by Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council’s Museum Services, it allows visitors to explore the development of the RAF from its formation on 1^st April 1918 until recent times. The exhibition examines its connection to this region, including Coastal Command Airbases occupied during World War II at Limavady and Ballykelly along with Mullaghmore.

The Mayor of Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council Councillor Joan Baird OBE said: “The Causeway Coast and Glens has played a considerable role in the 100-year-old story of the RAF, with many local people making an important contribution to the organisation. The exhibition will allow people to discover the operational conditions RAF personnel faced at Limavady and their continued presence in Ballykelly when the war ended. It also looks at the involvement of Mullaghmore airbase with the invasions at Normandy in 1944, providing a fascinating insight into this important part of our history.”

The exhibition is complemented by images from the Imperial War Museum, Coleraine Chronicle & Constitution Archives and Ulster Aviation Society.

Visitors are encouraged to contribute to a ‘Memory Book’ by sharing any memories or knowledge they have of local airmen who served within the RAF.

‘The Royal Air Force Centenary 1918-2018’ exhibition runs from:

April 11^th– April 28^th in Ballymoney Museum. Opening times Monday – Thursday & Saturday 9am-5pm and Friday 9am-4.30pm

June 26^th – June 30^th in Coleraine Town Hall. Opening times Tuesday – Saturday 11am-4pm

July 3^rd – September 30^th in Green Lane Museum, Limavady, Roe Valley Country Park.

Opening times June, July and August Monday-Sunday 1pm-4.45pm & September, weekends only, 1pm-4.45pm.

THE Slieve Donard Resort & Spa has reported a 20% increase in its conference and business events.

Nestling at the foot of the Mountains of Mourne it is well known as one of Northern Ireland’s finest conference hotels boasting an extensive choice of banqueting and conferencing suites suitable for events of all sizes.

Nora Hanna, business development manager of the Slieve Donard Resort & Spa said: “We have enjoyed a marked increase of 20 per cent in our conference and business events as the hotel remains first choice for local companies and organisations from around the world including USA and Canada.

“As part of this increase, the average number of bed-nights has increased from two to four. This is not only good news for us, but for the local economy as a whole. When we secure business events, especially residential conferences, the delegates have a busy itinerary including dinners and visits to the local tourist attractions which has a positive economic impact for Newcastle and Northern Ireland,” Nora continued.

“We work closely with event organisers to help ensure all their requirements are met and can assist in arranging team building activities with the local outdoor activity centre which offers everything from coasteering to bouldering, field archery and mountain biking – ultimately adding to the overall experience,” Nora added.

The Slieve Donard Resort & Spa offers the magnificent Grand Ballroom which is one of the largest function suites in Northern Ireland and the Chandelier Room which boasts stunning views over the mountains. In addition to this, business guests have the choice of six conference rooms within the purpose-built Centenary Conference Centre.

For further information on holding an event at the Slieve Donard Resort & Spa contact Nora Hanna on 028 4372 1010.