This major exhibition, across all three of the MAC’s galleries, brings together a series of recent projects by former Turner-Prize nominee Phil Collins.

The most recent of these works, Ceremony, was commissioned in 2017 by Manchester International Festival, HOME, Manchester and 14-18 NOW, the UK’s arts programme for the First World War centenary, to coincide with the centenary of the Russian Revolution. The events in 1917 shaped the political landscape of the 20th century, the revolution took place in 1917. But it was in Manchester, not Imperial Russia, that the idea of communism was born.

Ceremony is centred around the life and work of Friedrich Engels, co-founder of communist theory with his friend Karl Marx. His philosophy was shaped by what he observed in the world’s first industrial city, Manchester, where he lived for 20 years. The film follows Collins’ search for and retrieval of a decommissioned statue of Engels from an Ukrainian village, its journey across Europe, and arrival in Manchester where it was permanently installed last summer in the city centre. In parallel, Ceremony explores Engels’ legacy and the social conditions in Britain today through the stories of people who Collins met during his year-long residency, and his collaboration with local organisations, activists and communities. Featuring Maxine Peake as the voice of Engels, live music recording by Demdike Stare and Mica Levi, and a central performance from Carla Henry, in Belfast the work will be presented as an installation specially designed for our Upper Gallery.

The Tall Gallery will host a large-scale installation Delete Beach from 2016, an anime set in the near future which tells a story of a schoolgirl who joins an anti-capitalist resistance group in a society in which carbon-based energy is outlawed. The film proposes a scenario describing the decline of the oil economy, with the prosperity of the boom years expiring and the necessity of infrastructural changes looming large.

As an art form, anime has repeatedly addressed political themes, often through the lens of complex female characters. In Delete Beach a curious paradox is at work: society has seemingly reached an advanced state of independence from carbon fuels, yet it continues to toil as before under a regime of oppression, inequality and control. Following anime’s recognisable aesthetic and storytelling, Collins’ collaboration with STUDIO4°C, one of Japan’s leading animation studios (Tekkonkinkreet), and pop auteur and film composer Mica Levi (Under the Skin, Jackie) brings to life a world at once familiar and disquietingly corroded.

In the gallery Delete Beach is conjured up as a melancholy shoreline, crashing in from another dimension to play host to an expanded animation environment. The film alternates between Japanese and English language versions, with interludes featuring specially composed music and light sequencing.

Also exhibited in the Tall Gallery is free fotolab from 2009, a slide projection with 80 images from Collins’ ongoing archive of photographs which he collects by putting out a public call for rolls of undeveloped 35mm film, which are processed and returned to participants for free, on the understanding that they relinquish the rights to the artist so he may select and present any of the images. Since 2004 the project has taken place in various locations. Images presented here come from cities as disparate as Milton Keynes, St. Gallen (Switzerland), Belgrade (Serbia), Eindhoven (Netherlands), and Banja Luka (Bosnia and Herzegovina). Bringing together scenes from anonymous, everyday lives, free fotolab is a love letter to 35mm film in the face of its demise in the digital era, and a collective family album of pictures which, despite the differences in their visual style and content, create a rare sense of solidarity.

The final work in the exhibition, the meaning of style from 2011, is presented in the MAC’s Sunken Gallery and explores ways in which subcultures circulate between different historical, ethnic, and social contexts. The film features a group of anti-fascist Malay skinheads who are part of a subculture formed in the 1990s. Filmed in Penang, Malaysia in a series of languorous scenes set in an Indian Tamil cinema, a Chinese Buddhist temple, and a colonial-era mansion, they appear to move between the imaginative and literal spaces of cinema.

The visual cues are all there: shaved heads, polo T-shirts, bomber jackets, braces, jeans, leather boots, tailor-made trousers and sweaters. But the aggression that has come to define skinheads is absent. They reinterpret the style of this typically British subculture and, bridging time and space, restore it to its original, progressive and anti-racist meaning united by community, fashion, and music within their post-colonial South-Asian context. A dreamlike soundtrack by Welsh musician Gruff Rhys and the band Y Niwl moves the film toward something that is neither a pop video nor a visual experiment but more socially and culturally compelling, connected to the universal desire to belong while staking out zones and modes of independence.

The artist Phil Collins said: “When I first arrived to Belfast I was a student on the MA course, and later part of community of artists working at Catalyst Arts. I stayed on the Antrim Road, at College Green, on the Ormeau Road, and up at the Waterworks Park, and the city bled into me. Its lyricism, melancholy and violence served to create a scene which was truly, unmistakably its own. I’m grateful to Belfast for Ski Bunny, Kelly’s, Giros, Catalyst, the North Street Arcade, the A1 Bar (the original and the later portacabin), the Hatfield, the Menagerie, Blinkers, for an ongoing political education and a commitment to the public expression of everyday struggle and resistance. I’m honoured to be coming back to a place which was for me a formative crucible, and the works presented at MAC speak to the things I learned and the conversations which started all those unforgettable moons ago.”

Hugh Mulholland Senior Curator said: “It is a great pleasure to be able to host this ambitious exhibition by Phil Collins – This Is The Day at the MAC. Phil Collins is acknowledged as being one of the most important artists of his generation. Throughout his career he has garnered major awards including Paul Hamlyn Award for Visual Arts in 2001, and was nominated for Artes Mundi Prize in 2012 and Turner Prize in 2006. His works are represented in the collections of Museum of Modern Art, Guggenheim Museum and Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York; Tate Gallery in London; Museum of Fine Arts in Boston; Irish Museum of Modern Art in Dublin; and National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa, among others. It is with some pride that we can say that his career began in Belfast where he studied at the Art College and where he had his first significant solo exhibition at Ormeau Baths Gallery, in 2003.”

Ceremony was co-commissioned by 14-18 NOW, HOME, Manchester and Manchester International Festival.

Jenny Waldman, Director from 14-18 NOW said: “At 14-18 NOW we commission artists to create new work in response to the First World War and the events of 1914-18.  It is now 100 years since the ideas from The Communist Manifesto, written by Engels and Karl Marx, changed the course of history by inspiring the Russian Revolution during the final phase of the First World War. We would like to thank Phil Collins for this powerful work that explores the impact of Engels today.”

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

Thursday night acts announced and final prep underway at Stendhal Festival

The 2018 Stendhal Festival takes place at Ballymully Cottage Farm on August 9,10 and 11 and with the countdown to opening well and truly on, organisers have announced the acts set to take the stage on their first ever Thursday night.

Opening the festival this year will be No Oil Paintings, The Henry Girls and Trucker Diablo.

The three acts will take to the Stevie Martin stage, while the Foyle Film Festival will also be screening Easy Rider and a documentary on Woodstock Festival in our Circus tent.

Festival Director Ross Parkhill said: “We are really excited about opening for an extra night this year and really pleased with how the line-up for Thursday came together.

“All three musical acts are excellent in their genres and the film screenings by Foyle Film Festival will help add to the chilled out and relaxing atmosphere we hope will develop on the Thursday night.”

Ross added: “With about a week to go until show time, we are all hands to the pumps up at the farm but everything is coming together really nicely. We have focused a lot on improvements this year as opposed to a lot of new development so the site is in great shape.

“There are of course a few new developments this year, in particular we can’t wait for people to enjoy the new audience area at the Henry McCullough Stage.”

With 8000 people expected over the weekend, this will mark the largest ever crowd Stendhal will have ever drawn.

“It’s Hard to believe that we are eight years in now, said Ross. “In 2011 we had around 800 folk here and this year we are prepping for 8000.

“Looking back at photos from 2011 and comparing them to last year, it really is a great indicator of just how much progress we have made over the years.

“The growth is down to an incredible desire amongst our team to bring something very special to Limavady and now Northern Ireland. We all worked on a 100% voluntary basis for the first 6 years and since then we have been able to create a few full time and seasonal jobs with an eye on creating more going forward.

Ross concluded: “It took us a long time to be able to say we achieved our first goals with the festival but we are there now and hopefully we can sustain a good level of growth over the next five to ten years.”

Not every woman gets to spend the night with George Clooney… but Bridie Murphy does!

Over the course of one night, Bridie takes George on the journey of her life; from the terrible lows to the hilarious highs and charts the course to her unlikely future.

Brought to you by West Belfast’s award-winning Brassneck Theatre Company, this hilarious night of theatre will leave everyone wishing that they too could spend ‘A Night With George’

‘A Night With George’ will be staged on Friday 17 and Saturday 18 August at 8pm. Tickets are priced £16 and £14 (concession), and can be booked through the Box Office on [028] 3752 1821, or online at www.visitarmagh.com/marketplacetheatre. This performance will contain strong language and adult content.

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.

International singer songwriter Lisa Hannigan will perform at Roe Valley Arts and Cultural Centre this month.

Taking to the stage on Friday 31^st August at 8pm, the singer will entertain audiences with her stunning collection of folk songs.

The Mercury Prize nominated and multiple Meteor Award winner began her career performing alongside Damien Rice in his band before releasing her debut album Sea Saw in 2008. Her second album ‘Passenger’ charted at Number 1 in Ireland in 2011 and earned a Choice Music Prize nomination. She released her third critically acclaimed album ‘At Swim’ in 2016.

Incredibly popular in the USA, Lisa’s music has also featured many times on screen including the film Gravity and dramas Fargo and Legion.

The Mayor of Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council, Councillor Brenda Chivers said: “‘We are honoured to welcome an artist of Lisa’s calibre and reputation to Limavady. With only two performance dates planned for Northern Ireland, it is fantastic that one of these is in the wonderful surroundings of Roe Valley Arts and Cultural Centre.”

Lisa will be supported by Derry-based singer, songwriter Rory Nellis.

To book seats or for further information contact the Box Office team on 028 7776 0650 or visit www.roevalleyarts.com

Aspects Festival, Northern Ireland’s longest running literature festival returns to Bangor this September.

Taking place from 1 – 30 September, the Festival celebrates writing in its broadest form, from poetry to prose, theatre to crime, journalism to well-being, drama and the visual arts.

The programme commences on Saturday, 1 September at Clandeboye Estate when Lady Dufferin will give a talk reflecting on the environment and how the landscape of the estate has influenced her as a painter. The talk will begin a weekend of events led by the Clandeboye Reading Party featuring special guest, Sir Bob Salisbury, focusing on topics around bio diversity and the environment.

On Thursday, 6 September, at Bangor Carnegie Library, a very special book and exhibition launch will take place. Produced especially for the Festival, ‘Blood Horses’ is a collaboration between poet Moyra Donaldson and artist Paddy Lennon. Through words and images, poet and painter have together created a moving dialogue between poem and painting telling the stories of three famous stallions.

New to the programme this year is the Professional Development for Writers Weekend which will be held in North Down Museum on 8 and 9 September. Aimed at new and developing writers, the course is dedicated to the craft and process of writing, connecting with audiences and effective paths to publishing.

Aspects is delighted to welcome Maggie O’Farrell to this year’s Festival. The Northern Ireland writer is the author of seven best-selling novels and will be discussing her latest work, ‘I Am, I Am, I Am’ at The Chamber, Bangor Castle on 20 September.

The positive influence of words on the body and mind will be the focus for a weekend of well-being events at the Festival Yurt in Bangor Castle’s Walled Garden. From mindfulness, yoga and the power of poetry and journaling, the programme will appeal to anyone interested in calming a busy mind and learning relaxation techniques. The highlight of the weekend is sure to be the Pop-Up Supper Club on Sunday, 16 September – an evening for the senses, sharing ‘good mood food’ in a unique space!

‘Both Sides’ is an intriguing and atmospheric play by writer and dramatist Jane Coyle. Featuring actresses Hannah Coyle and Libby Smith and inspired by the works of Samuel Beckett, this stunning drama will be performed at North Down Museum on Wednesday, 19 September.

Young readers are in for a treat this year with a full weekend of Young Aspects events. From comic strip creation, sensory story experiences, autism-friendly story-telling and lots more, the programme will appeal to children of all ages. The Festival is delighted to once again welcome Myra Zepf, Children’s Writing Fellow for NI who will hold workshops in North Down Museum on Sunday, 30 September.

Mayor of Ards and North Down, Councillor Richard Smart said, “With its eclectic mix of poetry and prose Aspects Festival highlights the wealth of literary talent in the borough and we are delighted to celebrate this alongside authors from further afield. Ards and North Down Borough Council is proud to host such a long-running event. We hope that everyone enjoys this year’s inspirational programme.”

The Festival takes place from 1 – 30 September at various locations around Bangor. For further information on the programme and to book tickets see aspectsfestival.com Tickets go on sale, tomorrow 2 August.

Join local school children, Alfie McBurney and Lily Kelly, who are taking the opportunity to relax and “go green” by taking the free shuttle bus to this year’s Portavogie Seafood Festival on Saturday 11 August, 12noon-5pm.

Ards and North Down Borough Council is providing the free return shuttle bus service from Newtownards Bus Station to the heart of the event, Portavogie Harbour. There will be three departures during the day. For a timetable see visitardsandnorthdown.com.

Little ones can be in for a chance to win a cash prize by dressing up ‘sea-themed’, just like Alfie and Lily. A prize each will be awarded to best dress boy and girl. There will be plenty more sea-themed fun for the little ones to enjoy including a touch tank on the day.

The festival as always will celebrate all things seafood. With cooking demos hosted by celebrity chefs, Paul Rankin and Nick Nairn, and Northern Ireland’s biggest fish market and artisan food stalls. Be sure to catch the free bus!

For more information, including a full programme and the timetable for the free shuttle bus service, go to: visitardsandnorthdown.com