Author: whatsonni

Festival of music and light comes to the Walled City

The historic Walled City of Derry will come to life in February with an immersive music and light festival called, ‘Illuminate’. 

Illuminate will brighten up the dark winter nights with a trail of live projection shows across the city’s most iconic buildings, turning them into spectacular pieces of art.

Illuminate will run over two weekends, 17^th to the 20^th and 24^th to the 27^th of February, and visitors can expect a breath-taking display of music, drama and art installations telling the incredible stories of a legendary place, explained Odhran Dunne, Visit Derry.

Odhran said: “Illuminate is a new festival that’s going to be an atmospheric spectacular featuring state-of-the-art projections which tell the unique story of Derry along a 1.5km route.  Adults and children will be transfixed by the live illumination experiences as the story unfolds on their walk around the 400-year-old walls. It’s an experience like no other this February and not to be missed.”

The magical trail of live projection shows will transform familiar buildings and fortifications into huge night-time audio-visual animations that play for a few minutes as visitors walk past.

“Attendees will be treated to captivating displays created by local lighting and visual production company, Visual Spectrum”, said Odhran. “Plus, a full programme of entertainment, performances, music and drama that will re-imagine public spaces across the city, showcasing our diverse arts and cultural offering.”

The trail charts five eras in the city’s history from early settlement on a wooded island in the River Foyle right up to the vibrant city of today, continued Odhran: “People will relive, in epic fashion, some of the dramatic scenes from the Siege of Derry 1689, learn of the city’s more recent history and how the city has been reimagined.  There are six key locations to look out for, including the wonderful 400-year-old walls, the original Walled city gates, the iconic Guildhall and St. Columb’s Cathedral.”

The Illuminate programme also includes a series of energetic music gigs in intimate spaces, in partnership with Music Capital, showcasing established and emerging artists to bring audiences a truly memorable experience.

Odhran said: “Headline music performances include Neil Cowley, who returns following his stint as the Musician in Residence for Derry’s UK City of Culture, Irish contemporary folk music band, Kila and Donegal sisters, The Henry Girls.”

Ryan Vail, Visual Spectrum, said: “The festival will see the biggest projection show illuminating the Story of Derry to ever come to the City. Using the newest technologies such as lidar, Visual Spectrum will transform the most iconic buildings in the city. The various sites will animate the city’s history in a way that’s never been done before. Viewers will experience a range of different styles of projection and projection mapping at this festival.”

A trip to Derry~Londonderry wouldn’t be complete without sampling the delicious food and drink, warm hospitality, exciting things to do and places to explore.

Odhran added: “The City has more than its fair share of fantastic restaurants and cafes, craic filled bars and hotels, a bustling street food scene, and hidden gems, like the Derry Craft Village to explore. We have award-winning craft beers brewed at Walled City Brewery, Redgate Ciders and Northbound Brewery and some of the best local food and drink producers around.

“The Siege Museum and Museum of Free Derry tell visitors about our fascinating history as do the sociable walking and foodie tours. For active visitors there are pursuits like an exhilarating Foyle Venture Cruise and Far + Wild foodie cycle tour. Or get the most from your stay with a Visit Derry Pass that gives access to ten attractions and activities across the city”, concluded Odhran.

Illuminate is a free, evening event, wheelchair and pram friendly; this fully accessible route is the perfect activity for all the family. There is a schedule of ticketed concerts in the Guildhall, St Augustine’s Church and other venues.  Hotel accommodation starts from £45per person sharing, so turn your February trip into a weekend escape.

For more information on Illuminate, click on www.visitderry.com/illuminate or call Visit Derry on + 44 (0) 28 7137 7577.

Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council announces the first Labour Market Partnership project with the launch of a brand new Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon (ABC) HGV Training and Employment Academy, which will deliver fully-funded training for 45 applicants to qualify as HGV drivers and guarantee an interview with a local employer with HGV vacancies.

The ABC HGV Training and Employment Academy will fully fund 45 eligible individuals to gain a HGV licence (Class 1 or Class 2) and a guaranteed interview, on successful HGV licensing. Applications are open until 5pm Monday 31 January 2022.

The programme has been designed to respond to specific local needs by closing the gap between local employer needs and the chronic skilled labour shortage in the HGV sector. Funding has been provided by the Department for Communities through the Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon Labour Market Partnership.

Minister Hargey welcomed the announcement of the HGV Training Academy being launched by Armagh Banbridge & Craigavon Borough Council in partnership with the Department for Communities.

“I am delighted that my Department has been able to fund this much-needed programme, providing critical support to an industry that has been hit hard by the pandemic. The Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon Labour Market Partnership training programme will help people improve their employability skills and provide opportunities to fill significant vacancies during a difficult period for the North’s haulage industry.”

Lord Mayor of Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Alderman Glenn Barr said:

“The ABC HGV Training Academy is an excellent opportunity to participate in a fully-funded training programme and an interview with a local employer with current HGV vacancies.

“Interest in this programme is expected to be very high so I’d encourage anyone who is thinking about it to check the eligibility criteria and apply early. I’d also encourage local businesses who have any HGV vacancies to get in touch as a key part of the programme is matching applicants to your specific needs.”

Applicants to the ABC HGV Training and Employment Academy must be resident in the Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough; aged over 21; willing to undertake a medical examination; hold a valid UK Driving Licence. They must also fulfil at least ONE of the following criteria: currently unemployed; under-employed; employed but at risk of redundancy; or employed and interested in upskilling or reskilling.

If you are interested in joining the ABC HGV Training and Employment Academy as a candidate, or if you represent a local employer in the ABC Borough and would like to tell us about your specific transport and logistics recruitment needs and offer an interview to a qualified candidate, get in touch by contacting: academy@people-1st.co.uk<mailto:academy@people-1st.co.uk> or calling 028 3834 7000. More information including full eligibility criteria can be found at www.armaghbanbridgecraigavon.gov.uk/hgvacademy<http://www.armaghbanbridgecraigavon.gov.uk/hgvacademy>.

Various courses will be available commencing early February 2022 comprising: a one-day theory lesson; 25 hours online training; theory test; five-day practical lesson (including test) over one week. Following successful completion of the theory and practical tests, participants will attend a one-day employability session; one-to-one mentoring including help with updating your CV and preparing for interview, after which they will be invited to attend interview(s). Applicants must be available to attend all sessions. All training will be carried out in the Craigavon area.

The ABC HGV Training and Employment Academy is part of the Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon Labour Market Partnership (LMP), a joint public/private sector initiative which aims to ensure that a quality skills provision is driven by demand for skills in the economy, leading to reduced unemployment. Other LMP programmes will be announced throughout the year across various employment sectors.

Comedian William Caulfield is back on The Market Place Theatre stage with the latest of his ‘Our Jimmy’ shows featuring the beloved Ulster characters first created by the late James Young.

Far from being dated, William has transported them right up to date and we meet them in newly written sketches and songs in the present day.

All the usual characters are there, Derek, Lily O’Condriac, Emily Beattie, Willie Simpson, Billy Hulk, the wee Schoolboy, the shipyard worker and Orange Lil. Wondering what they are up to in the present day? Come and find out!

As well as new sketches, some of the iconic and poignant monologues still feature. William will be joined by two of Northern Ireland’s talented actors, Orla Mullan and Keith Lynch.

Book now – sure it will be a quare geg!

‘Our Jimmy – Past & Present’ will be on stage on Friday 28 January at 8pm. Tickets are priced £21, and can be booked through the Box Office on [028] 3752 1821, or online at www.visitarmagh.com/marketplacetheatre

Flowerfield Arts Centre is celebrating the return of live indoor music by giving away free tickets to a special performance by American folk artist Sam Amidon.

The gig in Portstewart on Sunday 6^th March at 3pm is one of only two dates the artist will perform in Northern Ireland as part of his 2022 tour, which takes in venues across the USA and Europe so it’s an exciting opportunity for local music lovers.

Lucky winners will be selected at random on Monday 14th February 2022 to receive a pair of tickets – a perfect gift for Valentine’s Day and an opportunity for the Arts Centre to show its appreciation to its supporters.

A singer, fiddler, banjo player and guitarist originally hailing from Vermont in the US, Sam has released six solo albums on the Nonesuch and Bedroom Community labels, most recently 2017’s The Following Mountain.

His material often consists of adventurous reworkings of traditional American ballads, hymns, and work songs, with the New York Times writing that he, ‘transforms all of the songs, changing their colours and loading them with trapdoors’.

The albums have been deeply collaborative in nature, inviting contributions from musicians such as composer Nico Muhly, guitarist Bill Frisell, and trumpeter Kenny Wheeler. 

Sam has also recorded or performed as a guest artist with musicians such as Bon Iver, Emmylou Harris, Tune-Yards, Pekka Kuusisto, and his wife Beth Orton. He has also appeared as a soloist performing with ensembles such as the Kronos Quartet, the Australian Chamber Orchestra, and the Aurora Orchestra, among others. 

The son of Peter Amidon and Mary Alice Amidon, both well-established folk musicians who raised him on a diet of old Irish and Appalachian folk, Sam has released a string of acclaimed albums, ranging in theme from interpretations of traditional Irish fiddle pieces to old-time melodies and tales from traditional American folk history.

His albums draw on old work songs, ballads, hymns, and other sonic artefacts from the past, reimagining them in bold, creative new ways to breathe new life into them and recontextualising them alongside original compositions.

To be in with the opportunity to be on the guestlist for this one-off gig please register your details at www.flowerfield.org.

For further details contact Flowerfield Arts Centre on 028 7083 1400.

The Big Friendly Giant (BFG) in Pictures exhibition, is coming to the Flax Gallery, Theatre at The Mill, Newtownabbey, from Thursday 3 – Friday 25 February. The exhibition features 40 reproductions for Roald Dahl’s much-loved story, ‘The BFG’ including illustrations not used when the book was first published in 1982. The exhibition charts the development of one of the most iconic characters in children’s literature and offers a glimpse of a BFG that might have been. These are exhibited alongside reproductions of the final illustrations for the book, providing a fascinating insight into the collaboration between author and illustrator Quentin Blake.

The exhibition is free of charge and will open during the following hours;

• Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday: 9am-5pm
• Wednesday: 9am-8pm
• Saturday: 10am -4pm
• Sunday: 10am-2pm

Mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey Councillor Billy Webb said “I am pleased that the Flax Gallery at Theatre at The Mill is hosting this remarkable exhibition. This is a great opportunity for the public to visit a display of such calibre. BFG is known worldwide and I am thrilled that we have this on display in our Borough.”

The BFG is a children’s book which tells the story of a friendship between 10-year-old orphan Sophie and a friendly Giant.

A new website listing arts and cultural events in the North West has been launched to provide a one-stop guide to the best family fun experiences in Derry, Strabane and Donegal.

The www.happydaysnw.com website, which covers the entire spectrum of arts and culture events and experiences across the region, is a joint initiative by Donegal County Council and Derry City and Strabane District Council.  The initiative, which is primarily aimed at engaging more families with arts and culture, is supported by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, and is part of the ongoing, cross border, North West Audience Development Project, supported by the North West Strategic Development Fund.

The comprehensive ‘What’s On’ guide involves partnerships with hundreds of cultural partners across the North West. These include visitor centres, theatres, arts centres, entertainment venues, festival organisers and experience providers offering great family days out, ranging from unique and exciting instead adventures to more relaxing cultural activities. The initiative also fosters and encourages public engagement and participation with cultural partners through social media channels.

Cathaoirleach of Donegal County Council, Councillor Jack Murray, said: “Our region offers among the best family-orientated arts and culture experiences available anywhere and happydaysnw.com gives everyone the opportunity to quickly find and explore the information needed to plan their perfect family day out.

“The Happy Days initiative is yet another example of the strong partnership approach that exists between our two local authorities and will play an important role in engaging many more families with our rich arts and culture scene.”

Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Alderman Graham Warke, said the new initiative is designed to “simplify the planning of great family days out in the North West”.

“I’m delighted to launch this initiative which gives people instant access to the many fantastic arts and cultural events and experiences our region has to offer – all in a single online hub. The North West has a very rich calendar of arts and cultural events, boasts a great many wonderful destinations and offers some of the most fun-filled experiences on these islands.

“Happydaysnw.com brings all of these and more together in an online listing that makes discovering, planning, and enjoying family days out simple and convenient for all.”

Sharon Meenan, Arts and Culture Officer at Derry City and Strabane District Council, said: “Supported by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland’s Challenge Fund, this initiative is part of the NW Audience Development Plan and is designed to enable everyone to easily access information about arts and culture in the North West.

“By providing all the practical information on one website, it’s easier for families to find out about cultural activities near them, connect with like-minded people online and plan their special days out across the Derry-Londonderry, Strabane, and Donegal areas.

“Whether it’s dancing, crafts, heritage, festivals, literature, theatre, visual arts, sport or learning activities you’re after; Happy Days offers a one-stop guide to what’s on, where and at what time. It also details all of the amazing spaces on our doorstep and highlights access-friendly spaces so you can plan great days out for everyone.”

This weekend sees the start of a series of Chamber Music concerts at Portico in Portaferry. With Lottery Project Funding support from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Portico has been able to programme a range of high quality performers.

This Saturday (22 Jan) pianist Ruth McGinley and mezzo-soprano Carolyn Dobbin join forces to explore songs from the North of Ireland. The programme is drawn from Carolyn’s ‘Northern Songs Project’, which documents and celebrates songs from Ulster not often recorded elsewhere, and includes pieces by Hamilton Harty, Howard Ferguson, Joan Trimble, Dorothy Parke and Charles Wood.

French, Spanish and South American influences arrive in February with classical guitarist Thibaut Garcia and accordion player Félicien Brut. Their programme explores the common histories of the two instruments and the mixed roots of the players in what they describe as a captivating “Vol de Nuit” (Night Flight) including waltzes, tangos and fandangos!

In March, the multi-award winning Sitkovetsky Trio will perform Beethoven’s Trio No. 2  in G major, Perkin’s Freakshow and Schumann’sTrio no 3 in G minor. Violinist Alexander Sitkovetsky, pianist Wu Qian and cellist Isang Enders have toured extensively to enormous critical acclaim: Gramophone noting, “The playing is at once virtuoso and even-handed, textures and counterpoint beautifully clear … a really beautiful performance.”

Piano duets from Amandine Savary and Coraline Cuenot are set to enthrall audiences in May, with a programme including Ravel’s Ma Mere l’Oye, Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring, Debussy’s Petite Suite and a selection of waltzes from Brahms. Amandine has won many prizes including First Prize at the Osaka Chamber Music Competition and the Frankfurt Commerzbank Piano Trio Competition and special Prize of the Vienna Chamber Music Competition. Coraline enjoys innovative and unusual projects such as this concert for piano duets.

To find out more please visit porticoards.com

To celebrate its new charity partnership with the Children’s Heartbeat Trust, one of Northern Ireland’s leading forest schools, Holistic Kidz, is holding a fun Forest Adventure Camp on Saturday 5^th February.

Over 200 babies are born each year in Northern Ireland with congenital heart disease and the Children’s Heartbeat Trust provides practical, emotional and financial support to children, young people and their families affected. 

The popular Holistic Kidz Forest Adventure Camp will be held in the great outdoors at Barnett Demesne from 2pm – 5pm, and promises lots of action packed fun and adventure for children aged four to 12 including forest trekking, stream trailing, tepee building, tree swinging, nature assault course and mudslide adventure. The fundraising initiative is being supported by Pizza Co with complimentary lunch for every child. Tickets are £20 per child and every penny raised is being donated to the Children’s Heartbeat Trust.

Colette McCartney, Founder of Holistic Kidz said: “We are excited to launch our new charity partnership with the Children’s Heartbeat Trust and have lots of plans to help raise as much money as possible for this amazing charity to help support the children across Northern Ireland who are born with heart disease to live full and empowered lives. And what better way to begin our fundraising than with one of our famous Forest Adventure Camp to have a day of fun in the great outdoors with our fabulous Holistic Kidz on Saturday 5^th February.

I was introduced to the charity by an amazing young lady, Lucy Stewart who is 10 years old from Belfast, who has been supported by the Children’s Heartbeat Trust since she had heart surgery as a baby. Lucy is an incredible girl and started making beautiful handcrafted friendship bracelets over lockdown and we have commissioned her to make a bracelet for all of our Holistic Kidz. Promoting close friendship bonds is an important part of our ethos, so this really is the perfect partnership.”  

Lynn Cowan, from Children’s Heartbeat Trust said: “We are absolutely delighted to have the support of Holistic Kidz with their outdoor forest adventure camp in February. This will be a wonderful opportunity for kids to have a fantastic day out whilst raising funds and vital awareness of congenital heart disease (CHD) and its impact on children, young people and their families in Northern Ireland.  

Over 200 children are born with CHD in NI every year.  We hope the local community will get behind Holistic Kidz in raising as much awareness and funds as possible.  As a local charity, we receive no government funding and rely heavily on public donations to fund our support services so all funds raised from the Holistic Kidz event will be greatly appreciated and make a real difference to local heart children and their families.”

Booking is essential and to secure a place for your child at the Holistic Kidz Forest Adventure Camp in aid of the Children’s Heartbeat Trust on Saturday 5^th February go to www.holistickidz.com

A new art exhibition inspired by the stunning seascapes and coastline of Inishowen has opened at Roe Valley Arts and Cultural Centre in Limavady.

Songs of the Sea by internationally acclaimed artist Rikki-Louise van den Berg explores the dialogue between artist, land and coast in the beautiful surroundings of Donegal.

The exhibition spans two galleries, featuring a collection of new works from 2021, with a range of small and large pieces reflecting Rikki’s explorative walks along the shore.

Its official launch will take place via Facebook Live on the Arts Centre’s page at 1pm on Wednesday 12^th January with a virtual tour led by the artist.

Originally from Holland, Rikki spent her formative years in Ireland and returned to these shores in 1997 to establish herself as a figurative and abstract painter, embarking on a personal journey in search of identity and place.

Explaining her inspiration, Rikki said: “My work is an inner-response to my outside world, my surroundings, to nature; it’s vulnerable beauty, colours, movement, contrasts, it’s fleeting moments of timelessness.

“I work intuitively, and I welcome the tempestuous, the surprise and unexpected beauty in a stroke, movement or colour.

“To me the essence of painting lies in the process, the learning, mark making, the discovery. It’s about expressing what I feel. During the painting process I can build, destroy, uncover, paint over, wash and scrape, apply layers of paint by knife or hands or even sometimes from a distance. An intriguing conversation between me and the canvas, mirroring perhaps the acts of nature on the landscape.”

Rikki’s work has received both national and international acclaim and is currently represented by several renowned galleries in Ireland and Northern Ireland.

In 2012, she was selected as part of a small group of Irish painters to participate in ‘Irish Wave 3’, Beijing, China, curated by BIGsmall and Fion Gunn. A series of visual art events were held in Beijing and Shanghai in March 2012, continuing into 2013.

In 2016 Rikki received the Tyrone Gurthrie Residency Award for the second time, which followed by being selected for the Royal Hibernian Academy Annual Show in 2017, marking an important point in her career as a landscape artist.

She has recently been nominated for the Hambly & Hambly French Residency Award 2022 under the mentorship of Irish Artist Eamon Colman in collaboration with Centre Culturel Irlandais Paris.

The Songs of the Sea exhibition is free to visit and will remain in place until February 5^th.

For further information and opening hours please visit www.roevalleyarts.com

Details of a series of intimate live music gig, organised as part of Derry’s “Illuminate” festival scheduled to take place over two weekends, 17^th -20^th and 24^th – 27^th February, have been unveiled.

Funded by Tourism Northern Ireland, ‘Illuminate’ will bring Derry’s city centre to life with a series outdoor light and live illumination experiences to transform iconic buildings into spectacular pieces of art with light installations and performances across multiple sites, as part of an exciting live illumination experience planned for February.

Among the exciting music acts confirmed to perform as part of the festival are Kila, Neil Cowley, the Henry Girls and Aoife Scott. They will join other local acts such as Glenn Rossborough, ,Roe and John Deery The Heads, Comrade Hat. Clodagh May Music, Kate O’Callaghan, Ciaran Lavery, Maria Kelly and Basork for what promises to showcase the region’s diverse range of talent.

The artists will perform in intimate settings such as the Guildhall, St Augustine’s Church, Echo Echo studio and Contemporary centre of Arts as part of a live illumination trail experience with superb outdoor projections, sound and animation telling original stories through digital animation and innovative design.

Details of the gigs included in the programme are as follows – Thursday 17 February, Comrade Hat and Clodagh May Music from 730pm-9pm at CCA; Friday 18^th February, Glenn Rossborough and Kate O’Callaghan, from 730-9pm at St Augustine’s; Saturday 19 February, The Henry Girls (Boswell) and Aoife Scott, from 9-11.30pm at the Guildhall; Thursday 24 February, Roe and John Deery The Heads from 730-9pm at the Echo Echo studios; Saturday 26^th February, Neil Cowley, Ciaran Lavery and Maria Kelly from 9-11.30pm at the Guildhall and on Sunday 27 February, Kila and Basork from 9-11.30pm at the Guildhall.

Tickets for the intimate music experiences are currently on sale and are expected to sell out fast as numbers are restricted – for more details on the gigs and how to book tickets visit –www.musiccapital.org.

Funding for this iconic celebration of the Walled City has been secured from Tourism Northern Ireland through its Market-Led Development Programme for Local Authorities. The fund is part of the Embrace A Giant Spirit campaign which pledges to create authentic and innovative experiences that will provide more reasons to travel to and within Northern Ireland and to enhance and animate the experience for visitors from NI and ROI.

Kieran Dunlop from Music Capital who has been appointed by Council to organise the music element of the festival said he is delighted to be part of this hugely exciting showcase of visiting and  local talent. He said he is delighted to be hosting a range of music acts that people can look forward to attend in early 2022.

He said: “Illuminate will be an amazing event that will really showcase a wide range of talented musicians and artists and perform in some of the most iconic and intimate settings.  We are delighted to be part of this fantastic spectacle and we are delighted to have artists such as Neil Cowley, Kila, Aofie Scott, Ciaran Lavery and Roe performing live in the city and bringing some much needed cheer and positivity after such a difficult time for many people.

Derry City and Strabane District Council is currently working closely with a wide range of statutory bodies in terms of ensuring the event is COVID friendly and in adherence to any possible restrictions that may be in place at that time.
The primary focus when planning for this event will be to have a crowd friendly circuit of the city that can accommodate the numbers of people expected to attend, taking into account social distancing and crowd management, whilst allowing people to enjoy the experience safely.

Council is also working with local businesses to get them involved and to maximise the opportunity the festival will bring to grow the city and region’s evening economy and to assist in COVID recovery.

The Mayor concluded: “I am hugely excited about this and delighted that once again our Council is set to deliver another fantastic event to showcase our city and region. This festival will be an opportunity for us to celebrate after a difficult and challenging period.

More details on the programme are available at www.illuminatederry.com.