Month: January 2019

NINJA WARRIOR-INSPIRED ASSAULT COURSE set TO bring adventure to The Boulevard

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The new facility is set to create up to 20 full and part-time jobs

A brand new ninja warrior-inspired assault course is set to open at The Boulevard in Banbridge, bringing a sense of adventure to family fitness. Ninja Boxx will celebrate its opening weekend on 19 January, occupying a 7265 sq ft unit at The Boulevard. This significant £200,000 investment will be the first of its kind in the area and is expected to create up to 20 new jobs. Suitable for everyone from 6 years of age, the new adventure centre encourages children and adults of all ages to reap the benefits of exercise, with 25 unique obstacle style challenges designed to put balance, coordination, speed and agility to the test.

A brand new ninja warrior-inspired assault course is set to open at The Boulevard in Banbridge, bringing a sense of adventure to family fitness.

Ninja Boxx will celebrate its opening weekend on 19 January, occupying a 7265 sq ft unit at The Boulevard.  The new adventure centre will be the first of its kind in the area and is expected to create up to 20 new jobs.

The significant £200,000 investment will welcome the latest evolution of family fitness to the shopping centre, encouraging children and adults of all ages to reap the benefits of exercise whilst challenging budding ninjas. 25 unique obstacle-style challenges will put balance, coordination, speed and agility to the test in a stimulating and safe environment.

Ninja Boxx is the sister venture of the popular Jump Boxx, located on the Waringsford Road, Banbridge. Jump Boxx has welcomed more than 70,000 visitors since opening in 2016 and directors Scott McMillan, Lee Thompson and Robyn McClimond hope for similar success with their new enterprise at The Boulevard. Scott McMillan commented:

“Ninja Boxx is set to be a fantastic addition to our ever-growing portfolio, and we are very proud to be able to open at The Boulevard in Banbridge. The success of Jump Boxx proves the demand for an indoor family facility like this, and the fact that both adults and children can enjoy the facilities together is certain to make it a popular destination for birthday parties and family days out.”

Chris Nelmes, centre manager at The Boulevard also commented:

“We are very pleased to welcome Ninja Boxx to The Boulevard, expanding our entertainment offering and bringing something completely new to the centre. Ninja Boxx will further enhance our readily expanding portfolio, which saw considerable growth in 2018 and is set to go from strength to strength with further announcements, both in retail and food and beverage planned for 2019.”

Ninja Boxx is suitable for children from 6 years of age through to adults and will also include a café and waiting area.

This exciting addition to The Boulevard is part of an overall £7m investment at The Boulevard, which has seen a series of other recent store openings including Guess, Adidas, Sketchers, Kurt Geiger, Asics, Jack Wills and The Beauty Outlet. All these brands join existing outlet retailers including Nike, Timberland, Calvin Klein, LK Bennett, Paul Costelloe and Jaeger, with more food outlets and retailers due to be announced this year.

For more information on The Boulevard and its many leading brands visit www.the-boulevard.co.uk, facebook.com/theboulevardbanbridge, instagram.com/theboulevardbanbridge or follow @theboulevardni on Twitter.

Your Little Tiny Welcome – Free Event at Ards Arts Centre

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Come along to Ards Arts Centre, this Saturday 19 January, and take a closer look and listen to ‘Your Little Tiny Welcome’, a wonderfully touching introduction to our world for babies, children, parents and well, everybody really!

 ‘Your Little Tiny Welcome to the Great Big Whole Wide World’ is an exhibition by Patrick Sanders (14 July 1976 – 16 January 2017). Patrick Sanders was a clown doctor, an illustrator, a performer, an artist, an activist and a loving husband. In 2015, Replay Theatre Company created the world’s first Baby Day celebrating our tiniest citizens. A day that was about hope for the future and about the family that Northern Ireland could be. As part of that celebration, Patrick was commissioned to create this exhibition and the beautiful book it celebrates.

Sadly, Patrick left his world far too soon but in this work, his extraordinary and unique world view lives on as his legacy.

This family event will give everyone a chance to view Patrick’s wonderful exhibition and listen to some songs inspired by Patrick’s intriguing illustrations, specially written and performed by Rachael McCabe.

Copies of the book containing all the illustrations from the exhibition will also be on sale.

This event will run over three sessions; 12noon, 1pm & 2pm. Admission is free but pre-booking is essential. To book a space, visit: http://www.ardsarts.com/

For more information contact Stacy Eakin on 0300 013 3333 Ext 40205 or stacy.eakin@ardsandnorthdown.gov.uk

DRAMATIC NEW SEASON AT PORTICO!

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Portico Arts & Heritage Centre in Portaferry has five fabulous theatre shows coming up in the next few weeks. ‘Years of Our Jimmy’ on Sat 19 Jan is William Caulfield’s hilarious tribute to the legendary James Young. The show combines original and new material to bring back the beloved comedy characters of Lily O’Condriac, Billy Hulk, Big Derek, Orange Lil, Willie Simpson, The Ballymena Man and wee Sammy the Schoolboy. How is Derek’s mammy? Is Emily Beattie still on the scrounge? Has Billy Hulk started any more strikes? Is Willie Simpson ever sober? To find out the answers to these questions and much more in comedy sketches and songs this is a show not to be missed.

Frank Carson: A Rebel Without A Pause arrives on Sat 9 Feb. Belfast funnyman Frank Carson blazed a comedy trail for over fifty years.

 In this acclaimed one-man show, written and performed by Dan Gordon, we journey with Frank from his Belfast boyhood – where life was so tough even the arms on the chairs had tattoos – through his adventures in the army, and into the world of showbiz where he entertained Royalty, delighted Pope John Paul II and never forgot where he came from. A whirlwind comedy drama celebrating the man, the myth and the mouth – it’s a cracker!

On Sat 23 Feb, Pip Utton brings his multi-award winning show Playing Maggie to Portico. “Master of the self-written character monologue, Pip Utton lifts the genre onto a new plane with his embodiment of Margaret Thatcher” (The Stage). A fascinating exploration of an actor facing the challenge of Playing Maggie. The show includes an in-character Q&A. What would you like to ask Maggie?

Centre Stage Theatre Company brings its new show The Trials of Oscar Wilde on Sat 2 Mar. From the actual transcript of Edward Carson’s brilliant cross-examination, Wilde’s only surviving grandson, and international director John O’Connor, have collected and dramatised Court records, journalist’s notes and newspaper reports of the three trials involving the flawed genius, Oscar Wilde. The review in The Independent stated ‘…the result is as good as being in the gallery.’

Last of the five is Freak Show by Big Telly Theatre Productions on Fri 15 Mar. Freak Show is a highly inventive blast of theatre which collides comedy, visuals and taut poetic text with true stories of people who were displayed as freaks in the 18th Century. Fast talking eejits are hell bent to get rich quick with their bizarre bazaar of curiosities and the unexpected, but they get more than they bargained for in this radical roadshow of revenge.

Music fans are, of course, also catered for. January brings country’s finest Derek Ryan, February sees The Lonesome Ace Stringband from Canada and March features the world’s number one guitarist Don Alder, the splendid Chamber Philharmonic of Europe and the fABBAulous Bjorn Identity.

For further information or to buy tickets visit www.porticoards.com. All concerts always finish in good time for the last ferry. Portico is supported by Ards and North Down Borough Council and the Arts Council of Northern Ireland.

10 thing to do this week in NI

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10 things to do in Northern Ireland

DiscoverNorthernIreland.com has stacks of fun things to do across NI, from family days out to gigs and cultural events. Here are ten exciting things taking place this week (14 – 20 January)

1.       Out to Lunch Festival, Belfast, 4 – 27 January. Now in its fourteenth year this festival specialises in lunch-based art solutions in the Cathedral Quarter and beyond. This year’s festival boasts a jam-packed line-up including Britain’s Got Talent’s Lost Voice Guy and DJ Terri Hooley. To see the full line-up visit CQAF.com.

2.       Tutored Whiskey Tasting Evening, Belfast, 17 January. Learn more about Northern Ireland’s oldest whiskey producer Bushmills with a tutored tasting session at the Crown Bar, sampling Old Bushmills original, Black Bush, 10yr single malt, 16yr single malt and 21yr single malt as well as their latest whiskey The Sexton. 

3.       Art in the Orchard, Portadown, 19 January. Join professional visual artist Deborah Malcomson for a unique day of creativity at Long Meadow Farm. This will be a unique opportunity to get out into the orchards and enjoy the challenge of producing your own creative response to the surrounding apple trees.

4.       Coming Home: Art and the Great Hunger, Derry~Londonderry, 19 January – 16 March. Coming Home: Art and the Great Hunger, the acclaimed Famine art collection, currently on loan from Ireland’s Great Hunger Museum at Quinnipiac University will be on display at Cultúrlann Uí Chanáin.

5.       ‘If You Can Find Me’ : A celebration of the music of Stephen Sondheim, Newry, 17 January.  A celebration of the music of Stephen Sondheim. Newry Chamber Music continues its 2018/19 season with a concert featuring rising stars from the Northern Ireland Opera Studio Artists programme.

6.       Brahms’s 2nd Piano Concerto, Belfast, 18 January. Performed by soloist pianist Boris Giltburg, Brahms’s Second Piano Concerto opens gently, but as it unfolds and expands it brings the impressive concert to a richly romantic close at the Ulster Hall.

7.       I Love Burns Night!, Belfast, 19 January. Join the Ulster Orchestra and friends at the Waterfront Hall for a ceilidh’s-worth of toe-tapping jigs, reels and, of course, the songs and poetry of ‘The Bard’ himself, Robert Burns! The Orchestra’s annual Burns Night concert is the ultimate celebration of the cultural links between Scotland and Northern Ireland.

8.       Traditional Irish Bread Making, Killinchy, 19 January. Join NI Food Tours in an 18th century thatched cottage on the shores of Strangford Lough for a truly authentic traditional Irish bread making experience.

9.       A Costume Cavalcade, Armagh, until 2 March 2019.  This exhibition at the Armagh County Museum tells the story of dress over the last three hundred years showcasing some of the most important examples in the collection.

10.   Close To Home, Limavady, until 25 January. Roe Valley Arts hosts this exhibition of work by artists of the Puffin Artists Group CIC co-ordinated by the lovely Puffin Gallery in Ballycastle and including works in ceramics, glass, paintings, jewellery and more.

For more information on these events or to plan a short break in Northern Ireland, visit www.DiscoverNorthernIreland.com.

Jacqueline shares her pick of what’s on this week across NI

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Down

Would you like to learn how to make local Irish breads in a very relaxed atmosphere within a small group?  If so, join Tracey Jeffrey in her thatched barn, The Stables,  10 steps away from the edge of the Lough in an area of outstanding natural beauty in Killinchy, County Down. You will take home a bag of breads that you have made along with a copy of all of the recipes used. No doubt you will also have made some friends throughout the duration of the session which runs from 10.30am – 1.00pm on Saturday 19th January.

Armagh

After playing the character Mark Halpin in RTE’s long running TV soap Fair City, Dublin-born Ryan O’Shaughnessy then went on to compete in TV shows such as The Voice of Ireland, Britain’s Got Talent and The Hit.   See Ryan perform live at the Market Place Theatre this Thursday 17th January.

Fermanagh

Join Carrybridge Lakeside Lodge & Marina for Burns Night this Friday 18th January.  For only £15 per person enjoy whiskey on arrival & supper (haggis or savoury mince, neeps & tatties), and live entertainment.   Guest artists include the Ulster Scots Agency Juvenile Pipers, Erne Highland Dancers and a Ceilidh Band.   Remember to wear a touch of tartan to this Burns Supper & Dance.  For tickets contact the Carrybridge Hotel directly.

Tyrone

You can also celebrate Burns night this Friday 18th January at the Royal Hotel Cookstown.  Join the Alastair Scott Ceilidh Band in celebrating the Life of Scotland’s Greatest Poet.  Back by popular demand this Burns Night includes all the traditional elements of a Burns Night. Tickets are available from The Royal Hotel, Cookstown 028 8676 2224 or from the Alastair Scott Ceilidh Band.

Derry

The IMBOLC Festival 2019, which runs from Friday 18th January through to 16th March, features an eclectic mix of concerts, workshops, talks, visual art and films. All in a range of locations spread throughout the city – from state-of-the art concert halls and historic buildings, to churches, cafés and bars. It features some of the world’s finest musicians from Ireland, Scotland, England, Scandinavia and America, with music from a wide range of genres including Irish traditional, roots, world, folk and classical. View the full programme of events at imbolcfestival.com.

Antrim

Ireland’s No.1 Rod Stewart Tribute show “Tonight’s the Night” have been wowing audiences far and wide. A seven-piece live show complete with backing singers, Richie Lee is a very well respected frontman and knows how to connect with a live audience. See Tonight’s the Night live at the Theatre at The Mill in Newtownabbey this Saturday 19th January, for a two hour roller coaster of Rod Stewart’s greatest songs!

Belfast

This Saturday evening at the Crescent Arts Centre you can Sing-A- Long Dirty Dancing with the movie projected onto a huge screen!  There will be performers throughout show to help show you recreate those famous dance moves, as well as a FREE prop bag with everything to need to celebrate one of the best movies ever made!  They’ll be popcorn on offer and even a chance to have your snaps taken with the look-a-likes!  Fancy dress and audience participation are strongly encouraged!

For more details on these events and to add your events free go to whatsonni.com. Follow us on twitter @whatsonNI and on facebook at fb.com/www.whatsonni.com for news, competitions and what’s on near you.  

Jacqueline McGonigle

MARKET PLACE APPEARANCE FOR RYAN O’SHAUGHNESSY

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Ryan O’Shaughnessy takes to the stage at The Market Place Theatre in Armagh on 17 January.

Ryan has competed in TV shows such as The Voice of Ireland, Britain’s Got Talent and The Hit. He was signed to Sony RCA in the UK and produced his debut EP that reached No.1 in Ireland for two consecutive months. His latest album ‘Back to Square One’ shows a clear maturity in his songwriting and musical taste. Ryan is a YouTube sensation having received over 45 million hits for his self-penned song ‘No Name’.

Ryan previously played the character Mark Halpin in RTE’s long running TV soap Fair City.  But since then his music career has taken off and has seen him tour Ireland, UK, USA and Canada releasing his own music and working on collaborations with other artists.  He has just released his brand new single ‘Civil War’.

Ryan O’Shaughnessy will play at The Market Place on Thursday 17 January at 8.00pm. Tickets priced £15 each are available from the Theatre Box Office on [028] 3752 1821, or online at www.visitarmagh.com/marketplacetheatre. To keep up-to-date with the latest news at the Market Place Theatre, you can follow us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/marketplacearmagh) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/mptarmagh) where you will find all the latest information, special offers and video previews.

10 things to do in NI this week!

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DiscoverNorthernIreland.com has stacks of fun things to do across NI, from family days out to gigs and cultural events. Here are ten exciting things taking place this week (7 – 13 January)

  1. The Fureys, Belfast, 12 January.  See the The Fureys perform at the Waterfront Hall. Entertaining audiences worldwide for 41 years – including former Irish President Mary McAleese and the late Pope John Paul, while Tony Blair has publicly stated his favourite peace song of all time is The Furey’s ‘Green Fields of France.’
  2. Out to Lunch Festival, Belfast, 4 – 27 January. Now in its fourteenth year this festival specialises in lunch-based art solutions in the Cathedral Quarter and beyond. This year’s festival boasts a jam-packed lined-up including Britain’s Got Talent’s Lost Voice Guy and DJ Terri Hooley. To see the full line-up visit CQAF.com.
  3. Birds on the Bann Boat Trips, Coleraine, 6 and 20 January. Join Causeway Lass to explore the River Bann Estuary from Coleraine to the Barmouth. The trips are timed for low tide giving the best opportunity to see some of the 220 bird species recorded in the area and if you are lucky, the local seals and otters. There are two trips scheduled each day, at 10am and 1pm.
  4. Lisburn Light Festival, Lisburn, until 25 January.  Share the magic of the Season at Lisburn Light Festival. Over one million lights illuminate the City Centre with a spectacular light canopy, glimmering the length of Bow Street. Experience the dazzling 40-foot Christmas tree in Market Square and get into the festive spirit by dancing on the interactive light floor below glistening disco balls.
  5. Lyric Lounge: Miscast, Belfast, 12 January. Miscast Belfast are back for another night of Miscast madness at The Lyric. As usual, they (and you) will be performing a whole range of inappropriately cast numbers, open mic style.
  6. A Step Back In Time, Omagh, until 14 June 2019. This exhibition at the Ulster American Folk Park includes almost 100 objects, ranging in date from a medieval brooch to a contemporary diamante embroidered costume for solo dance. Embroidered costumes, medals, and certificates will tell the story of the development of dance schools and the governing bodies for Irish Dance.
  7. A Costume Cavalcade, Armagh, until 2 March 2019.  This exhibition at the Armagh County Museum tells the story of dress over the last three hundred years showcasing some of the most important examples in the collection.
  8. Close To Home, Limavady, until 25 January. Roe Valley Arts hosts this exhibition of work by artists of the Puffin Artists Group CIC co-ordinated by the lovely Puffin Gallery in Ballycastle and including works in ceramics, glass, paintings, jewellery and more.
  9. MAC International, Belfast, until 31 March. MAC International presents a snapshot of the most exciting and ambitious art practices from across the world. It is the largest arts prize in Ireland and one of the few major art prizes in the UK, offering artists from around the world an opportunity to exhibit at the MAC in Belfast.
  10. Mastodon, Belfast, 14 January. Grammy-Award-winning hard rock quartet Mastodon return to live action with an extensive tour of the U.K. and Europe beginning in Belfast at The Ulster Hall with special guests Kvelertak and Mutoid Man.

For more information on these events or to plan a short break in Northern Ireland, visit www.DiscoverNorthernIreland.com.

Jacqueline shares her pick of what’s on this weekend across NI

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Down

Mixed Feelings at Ards Arts Centre  is an exhibition of sculpture by Katrina Cobain, with glazed expressions, dysfunctional properties and stories to tell. By displaying a range of objects from various performances or contexts, in their own right, they communicate another time, place or narrative. These objects have a sense of error about them: there is something off-kilter, not quite right, that puts you off. Whether you laugh, smile or grimace – Mixed Feelings has something to show you. Runs until 26th January.

Armagh

Portadown Pantomime presents Sleeping Beauty at Portadown Town Hall.  Shows run from Thursday 10th January until Saturday 26th January.  Curtain up at 7.30pm with the show concluding at approximately 10.15pm.  Tickets cost only £8.

Fermanagh

Exhibition :  When the Wind Blows, A Decade of Fermanagh Photographs from the Kite. Enniskillen Castle, Enniskillen until 19th  January 2019.  This exhibition highlights a selection of chosen images by Fermanagh photographer Ciarán May.  For almost a decade, Ciarán has uniquely captured the beauty and charm of his native county using a Kite to lift a camera. The display showcases the beautiful idyllic settings in Fermanagh and it gives us an insight into the techniques used by Ciarán to capture the perfect image!

Tyrone

Singalong with Goldilocks and The Three Bears this Saturday afternoon at the Alley Theatre in Strabane.  The much loved fairytale returns to the stage in a live show of song and laughter.  With plenty of audience participation and action, perfect for all the family!   Tickets are priced at  £9 or £40 for a family of five.

Derry/Londonderry

Following on from the success of last year’s sell-out show, Anne Tracey and friends return to The Helicon at Heaney Homeplace Bellaghy to start the New Year with words, wit and warmth.  This Saturday afternoon join some of Mid-Ulster’s finest talent for an afternoon of song, music and poetry exploring the emotional pull of home. Words and music that spring from their home place promise nourishment for both heart and soul.

Antrim

Portrush Theatre Company presents The Wonderful Wizard of Oz for its January 2019 Pantomime from 11th to 19th January at Portrush Town Hall.   Join Dorothy and Aunt Em on their journey down the yellow brick road; sing along with the Lion, Tin man and Scarecrow as they join in the adventure; and help defeat the Wicked Witch of the West!  Tickets prices at £10.  (Matinees £7). Curtain up at 7.30pm.

Belfast

The Crescent Arts Centre present the incredible Charlton Wood’s Cabaret Cruises: Terminal Divertissement this Friday evening. Belly-ache, screaming, roaring, laughter. Never to be missed, the last show you’ll ever want to watch!  Having spent most of his life on cruises, Mr Woods is offering you the chance to see one of his famous cruise cabarets, on dry(ish) land.   Charlton offers his condolences and sincerely welcomes you to this, THE show. His satirical musings have sated the pleasure seeking appetites of Sultans, Noble Born, Kings, Celebrities, plebs and luddites. Drawing from a rich pool of human experience Charlton Woods will ponder, live, and ask you to do the same. Now finally you can join him, and be at peace, or whatever you find yourself doing.

NEW YEAR ENTERTAINMENT AT THE MARKET PLACE

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The Market Place Theatre in Armagh is keeping the excitement going with a range of fabulous entertainment throughout January.

Get ready for an upbeat night of solid gold 60s hits and 80s contemporary genius as Barry Steel celebrates the musical legacy of the Roy Orbison in ‘The Roy Orbinson Story’.  Barry has been stunning audiences with his uncanny ability to recreate the vocal talents of the legendary Roy Orbison, winning rave reviews across the globe.  Barry Steele will perform The Roy Orbinson Story on Saturday 11 January. 

On 17 January, Dublin-born Ryan O’Shaughnessy takes to the stage. After playing the character Mark Halpin in RTE’s long running TV soap Fair City, Ryan began a career in music, going on to compete in TV shows such as The Voice of Ireland, Britain’s Got Talent and The Hit. During this time, Ryan’s self-penned song ‘No Name’ accumulated over 45 million hits on YouTube. He was then signed to Sony RCA in the UK, where he worked on his debut EP that reached No.1 in Ireland for two consecutive month.  His latest album ‘Back to Square One’ shows a clear maturity in his songwriting and musical taste, and he has just released his brand new single ‘Civil War’.

New for 2019, we bring you the magic of the big screen with a series of monthly film screenings, starting off with Lost in Translation on 24 January. See website for details of upcoming film screenings.

On 25 January, Kabosh Productions presents The Box, which reveals the incredible story of Olive Swanzy, a nurse from Co. Down who served during World War I. During her time in service, Olive kept autograph books that documented her time and those she encountered.   Watch as ‘The Box’ comes to life and tells the story of the men and women who placed their thoughts, hopes and dreams in the care of Olive’s autograph books.

Then to end the month on a high note we have the acclaimed one-man show, Frank Carson:  Rebel without a Pause, written and performed by Dan Gordon. The show takes us on a journey with Frank from his Belfast boyhood – where life was so tough even the arms on the chairs had tattoos – through his adventures in the army, and into the world of showbiz where he entertained Royalty, delighted Pope John Paul II and never forgot where he came from. A whirlwind comedy drama celebrating the man, the myth and the mouth – it’s a cracker!

Further details of events can be found online at www.marketplacearmagh.com, and tickets can be booked at Box Office on [028] 3752 1821.

And to keep up-to-date with the latest news at the Market Place Theatre, you can follow us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/marketplacearmagh) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/mptarmagh) where you will find all the latest information, special offers and video previews.

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