Hastings Hotels is gearing up for a spook-tacular Halloween, with a frighteningly good selection of dining options and overnight breaks for all the family.

Ghostly Afternoon Tea

Three of the group’s hotels will be holding special Halloween themed Afternoon Teas with a selection of ghostly delights and mouth-watering treats.

• The Stormont Hotel in Belfast (26^th October – 4^th November) is £20 per adult and £10 per little pumpkin
• The Everglades Hotel in Derry~Londonderry (27^th – 31^st October) for £22 per adult and £11 per child
• Ballygally Castle (26^th October – 4^th November) is £22 per adult and £10 per child

Devilishly Good Grand Buffet

Those looking for a devilishly good Grand Buffet are in luck over the Halloween weekend, as the Everglades Hotel’s spooky spectacular Sunday Buffet on 28^th October promises no tricks, only treats for £24 per adult and £12 per child – with fancy dress optional.

An exquisite five course lunch will be on offer at Ballygally Castle on Sunday 28^th October priced at £30 per adult and £16 for little monsters.  The hotel’s service and food are impeccable so the only fright you can expect is from the resident ghost, Lady Isabella.

Children will have a scream of a time at the Halloween Sunday Buffet in the Stormont Hotel on 28^th October, with activities including an interactive decorating station, reptile displays, incy wincy spiders and creepy crawlies. Prizes will be awarded on the day for the best costume.   This eerie extravaganza is £32 per adult and £15 per child, with family packages (2 adults and 2 children) available for £75 including a jug of Vampire Punch.

Spooky Stayover

Stay at the haunted Ballygally Castle from just £65 per person sharing for overnight B&B, if you’re brave enough!  Lady Isabella Shaw is Ballygally Castle’s friendly ghost with numerous sightings having been reported over the years.  Visitors can take a trip to the Ghost Room to see if they can spot her.

With Derry-Londonderry widely recognised as the Halloween capital of Europe and nowhere else celebrates it quite like the Maiden City. Make the most of it and enjoy overnight B&B from £55 per person sharing.

Or why not treat yourself to the Spooky Stayover at the Stormont Hotel from only £70 per person with a special themed Afternoon Tea on arrival and full Irish breakfast the following morning.

 For further information or to book a spellbinding Halloween experience, call 028 9047 1066 or for further information go to www.hastingshotels.com.

The Barbican Gate in the heart of Antrim Town was ‘On Fire’ as the Mayor, Councillor Paul Michael launched this year’s Enchanted Winter Garden.

Northern Ireland’s Premier Christmas Event, Enchanted Winter Garden returns to the stunning Antrim Castle Gardens from Friday 7 to Tuesday 18 December from 4-9pm daily, offering an array of amazing attractions, which includes some brand new features.

Last year’s star attraction ‘The Antrim Wheel’ is back by demand offering fantastic views over Antrim and beyond. Our new features include a Victorian Helter Skelter, Victorian Wave Swinger, an even Bigger Wonderland Wood and Santa Paws for our Four Legged Friends.

Make magical memories this Christmas and join us on a journey of Enchantment as you enter through the Barbican Gate, into the gardens, which are transformed into a magical mystical world of adventure.

Mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey, Councillor Paul Michael commented, “Enchanted Winter Garden is an amazing event for the whole family to enjoy, attracting over 62,000 visitors to the Borough last year.”

Following the great success last year, an Evening of Inclusive Enchantment will take place on Tuesday 18 December, in partnership with The Junction, with reduced numbers, lighting and sound levels, Sensory & Quiet room, ideal for children and adults with additional needs.

Secure your place for this incredible Christmas experience and book your tickets in advance. Tickets go on sale Tuesday 9 October from 10am.  This year we are offering session times allowing you to choose a time most suitable for you. Sessions are 4pm, 5.30pm and 7pm. Tickets are priced at £2 per adult and £1 per child and are available online from enchantedwintergarden.com or in person from Theatre at The Mill, The Old Courthouse Antrim and Clotworthy House or by telephone 028 9448 1338.

Get your Christmas off to a dazzling start with a visit to Enchanted Winter Garden where a wonderful world of enchantment awaits.

No Parking on site. Free Parking in Town Centre Car Parks, including accessible parking.

This event is supported by Tourism Northern Ireland.

Please note Additional charges apply to some of the main attractions including the Big Wheel.

On the 200th anniversary of the publication of the great Gothic novel, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein’s Monster will be reanimated, piece-by-piece at Armagh’s Market Place Theatre on Friday 19th October.

Wireless Mystery Theatre – Ireland’s longest-running audio theatre company – will bring the creature to life with galvanisation, harnessed lightning, and their usual mix of live music, sound foley, and horror. You’ll get the shock of your life!

Then on Saturday 20th October, ‘Celtic Soul’, the definitive Van Morrison tribute, pay homage to our very own musical legend as they perform songs from his days with them right through to the present day.

The 7-piece band make a welcome return to The Market Place to perform authentic and inspired renditions of Van’s music. Expect to hear the big hits as well as classic album tracks including songs from Astral Weeks as the seminal album marks its 50th anniversary this year. With years of playing in blues, folk, traditional and jazz bands, the seven-piece band have the ingredients to deliver Van’s music authentically. If you love Van Morrison’s music you will love Celtic Soul as they take you through the songbook of Belfast’s very own musical icon.

Tickets for all performances can be booked through the Box Office on [028] 3752 1821, or online at www.visitarmagh.com/marketplacetheatre

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.

Give Me Your Love is about MDMA assisted therapy for Post Traumatic Stress.

“It’s Ridiculusmus at their best”, The Stage.

Welcome to the world of war veteran Zach. As the last man standing, Zach has retreated into a tiny dugout under a barrage of hostile fire. His enemies are cunning, using every trick in the book to mess with his mind. Even the landscape is weird: it’s a cardboard box, in Zach’s kitchen, in Port Talbot. His wife whispers, kindly, that it’s safe to come out. But is it a trap? For if the real enemy is Zach himself then who will win if he loses?

Give Me Your Love is the second instalment of Ridiculusmus’s three-pronged investigation into innovative approaches to mental health. Informed by the latest scientific research, it explores the healing potential in altered states of consciousness.

Four star review in The Stage: “Ridiculusmus at their best”

Observer review: “Haynes and Woods play nimbly with delusion”

Tour dates coming up:

October

5-6 The MAC Live, Belfast

Give Me Your Love was commissioned by Battersea Arts Centre and Arts House, Melbourne. It has been supported by the National Lottery through Arts Council England; the Wellcome Trust; Royal Victoria Hall Foundation; the Australian Government through the Australia Council for the Arts; Victorian College of the Arts, Melbourne University and the City of Melbourne through Arts House and its Culture Lab programme.

A hard-hitting, powerful production exploring the profound struggles faced by people with mental illness is coming to The Web Theatre, Newtownards on Saturday, 20 October.

Produced by Quintessence Theatre (An Tain Arts Centre’s Company-In-Residence) and hosted by Ards and North Down Borough Council, Cracks is a deeply moving and darkly comic play which follows a young Leanne who attempts to pick up the pieces of her life shattered by mental illness and an unsuccessful suicide attempt.

First devised by Quintessence in 2016 and directed by Anna Simpson, this work seeks to expose the lived experience of battling a severe mental illness in an inefficient and unsympathetic system through the eyes of one young woman, whilst demonstrating how those around also struggle to understand.

The play is performed by Leah Rossiter, Anthony Kinahan, Fiona O’Brien and The Web Theatre show is the final date on an 18-venue island-wide tour funded by the Arts Council and the Arts Council of Northern Ireland.

Speaking about Cracks, The Mayor of Ards and North Down, Councillor Richard Smart said:

“While we have come a long way in breaking the stigma that surrounds poor mental health, we have still a way to go.

It’s only by tackling this stigma that people will feel able to talk to friends, family or support services in order to prevent the lows, most people experience from time to time, turning into something more complex.

That’s why I was delighted to support this production to help promote discussion around mental health locally and it’s also a great excuse to visit the superb Web Theatre which does so much to support the arts right here in Newtownards.”

Also speaking about the production, Amy McKelvey, Community Arts Officer for Ards and North Down Borough Council said; “According to a recent report by World Health Organisation, 1 in 4 people will suffer from mental health problems at some point in their lives. Sadly, Northern Ireland has the highest rate of suicide of any of the UK regions and these figures have risen steadily since the 1970’s. Raising awareness about mental health is important because not only does it help to remove the stigma around the subject, but it also helps sufferers and their families to be able to identify the issues and to get help to deal with the illness. We hope that bringing this hard-hitting production to Ards will highlight these issues and create further conversation about mental health. A post show discussion will follow the production where issues arising from the play will be discussed.”

Candice Foster Artistic Director Web Theatre said; ” We are delighted to have been selected as one of the venues for this performance. We strongly believe that theatre has the power to not only entertain but also educate and empower.”

Tickets for the performance at The Web Theatre are priced £8 with a group discount for 10 people and over at £4 per ticket. Tickets can be booked at Ards Arts Centre, by phone on 028 9181 0803 and online at www.ardsarts.com

Belfast International Arts festival will once again be keeping audiences on the edge of their seats as a variety of world class artists come to Belfast from the 16^th October to 3^rd November 2018.

Something that is vital to the running of the contemporary arts event is the support lent to Belfast International Arts Festival by a team of enthusiastic volunteers, helping to deliver an unforgettable experience to all visitors and welcome artists from across the world.

The festival’s growing stature attracts renowned artists from across the globe. Audiences will be entertained by a number of exciting and important performances including screen star Isabella Rossellini, Grammy award winning Angélique Kidjo, former Irish President Mary Robinson among over 100 other acts taking part in the 2018 spectacular.

Belfast International Arts Festival is led by some of the top professionals in the industry. Volunteers gain an insight into the world of arts, events and PR and all receive World Host training, an accredited qualification.

With keen volunteers already recruited for 2018 Festival Director, Richard Wakely, greatly appreciates the integral role volunteers play in the annual event.

“Volunteers will be an invaluable part of putting Northern Ireland on the map as a city of cultural importance, hosting international acts in the very best venues. They will be the first point of contact to welcome guests and audiences and assisting the wider Festival team and visitors.  They play a very important role in Belfast International Arts Festival every year, giving their time freely and with enthusiasm, and for that we are incredibly grateful.”

Sonya Whitefield, Arts Officer, Arts Council of Northern Ireland said, “ If you have a passion for the arts and you like interacting with people then volunteering at the Belfast International Arts Festival is a perfect opportunity for you to explore new roles, develop new skills and be part of something exciting and creative.

“The Arts Council of Northern Ireland is the festival’s principal public funder and we really appreciate the value that volunteers add, making this festival one of the leading events in our cultural calendar. The fact that audiences are so well looked after by the kindness and knowledge of staff and volunteers is a credit to the great team work that goes on behind the scenes.”

The Belfast International Arts Festival is supported by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, The National Lottery through the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Belfast City Council, Tourism Northern Ireland and British Council.

Tickets are available now at belfastinternationalartsfestival.com.  With over 120 events including 12 premiers make sure to check out the full programme available from the festival website.