Spring has sprung, and with it, comes the promise of two packed weekends of free cultural events in March, the Belfast Arts Weekender.

Thanks to funding and support from Belfast City Council, there’s a range of events to experience spanning music, film, visual arts, theatre and urban art from 2-4 and 10-11 March – all free of charge.

Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Nuala McAllister said: “We decided to create this programme with our cultural partners to animate different corners of the city and to open up the arts to people who may not have considered

them before, or who might find ticket prices a barrier. Belfast Arts Weekender is an amazing way to find out more about our great city – and to take a step out of our normal routines to enjoy something completely different.

It’s free, so you really have nothing to lose.”

Creative Exchange Studios’ ‘Lightning Talks’ kicks off Belfast Arts Weekender at 6pm on Friday 2 March in The Engine Room Space, Portview Trade Centre, bringing together leading lights who are shaping east Belfast’s growing cultural landscape for an evening of inspirational discussion.

Across the city in the Duncairn Centre, north Belfast at 7:30pm, musician Conor Caldwell will début a specially commissioned piece of music ‘Our City, Our Home’, reflecting on growing up in the city and produced in collaboration with musicians from a range of cultures and musical backgrounds. An exhibition of photographs and video clips portraying life in Belfast, lectures, workshops and music sessions will also feature.

The next day, Saturday, 3 March, there’s an afternoon celebration of urban arts from 2-5pm at CS Lewis Square, entitled ‘Eastside Wardrobe Jam.’ Expect local and international street mural artists working live to transform ‘previously loved’ wardrobes and walls in the surrounding area, urban sports and dance displays by Thunder Action Sports, and music by Le Boom and Girl DJ Collective.

And on Sunday, 4 March at the Cultúrlann on Falls Road, west Belfast, Aisling Ghéar Theatre Company invites you to take an intimate glimpse into the fascinating world of the Fadgies – native Irish speakers from Omeath who settled and worked in Belfast’s famous markets.

The following weekend, the Ulster Orchestra presents U:O Interactive at the Indian Community Centre, north Belfast on Saturday, 10 March from 11am-3pm. For one unforgettable day, experience the orchestra as a living exhibition, try playing orchestral instruments under the expert guidance of professional musicians and you could even make music with your body.

Or pop over to Conway Mill’s Saturday market from 10am-3pm and immerse yourself in tales of the ‘Millies’ with Kabosh Theatre Company, actors including Gerard Jordan and Antoinette Morelli, historian Myrtle Hill and traditional musicians Jane Cassidy and Maurice Leyden – against a backdrop of amazing footage of the mill and its workers from the Northern Visions archive.

Over on south Belfast’s ‘Golden Mile’ on Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 March from 12-4pm, enjoy curious tales during Accidental Theatre’s ‘SPOKE’ mini mobile theatre festival. The hub at 12-13 Shaftesbury Square will also host music, screenings, talks, and a chance to explore the neighbourhood (past, present, and imagined) through sparkling new writing and gripping performances.

And finally, you’ll have an opportunity to ask ‘Where am I in the photo?’ as Golden Thread Gallery and Belfast Photo Festival exhibit iconic photographs from Belfast people’s personal collections over both weekends.

For more information, go to www.belfastcity.gov.uk/artsweekender or join in the conversation on social media #BelfastArtsWeekender

Sometimes we deny ourselves a short break for fear it’s too much hassle. Here’s how to escape to a haven that’s closer than you think.

Just a half hour drive from Belfast city, another world unfolds. Tranquil lapping loughs, picture perfect villages and atmospheric abbeys that are a tonic for city-sore eyes. This is the Ards and North Down area.

So close you can even cycle to it, this restful region offers 115 miles of scenic shoreline where you can sail, walk, soak up the sea air or feast on freshly caught seafood.

If you’ve had a busy week, here are five ways to revive your spirits without the hassle of a long journey to get there…

1. Take a tour of stunning seaside towns

Head east out of Belfast, and there are so many pretty towns and villages to explore.

Along the southern shores of Belfast Lough is Holywood, renowned for its many boutique shops and café scene, showcasing delicious coffees and cakes. En route on your way out of town is the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum, which examines the life and lifestyles of the people of Northern Ireland across the years, as well as the means of transport they used.

From here it’s a short drive to explore the Castle gardens and Abbey in Bangor. Take a leisurely walk along the marina to acquaint yourself with the town, or stop for a spot of lunch. Afterwards, indulge in some culture by visiting North Down Museum.

If you head to the end of the Ards peninsula, you’ll reach Portaferry, a gorgeous fishing town situated by the Narrows, where the wild tidal torrent sweeps in and out between the Irish Sea and Strangford Lough.

2. Get up close to wild life

Wildlife thrives along the grassy banks of Strangford Lough, a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and area of Special Scientific Interest, while 2000 marine species teem in its clear waters.

Twitchers, bring your binoculars – Strangford is home to 75 per cent of the world’s brent geese population, a small, dark, stubby-billed bird with an extraordinary migratory pattern.

Don’t miss Castle Espie Wetland Centre, home to Ireland’s largest collection of waders and migrant birds, including a noisy colony of Brent geese, or get a diver’s view of the marine life at Portaferry’s Exploris Aquarium.

Don’t forget to pack your walking boots. Ards and North Down’s network of coastal paths and lough sidewalks provides you with stunning views or even seals basking on the rocks!

3. Steep yourself in history

The history of this area stretches back as far as the Bronze Age, via the Vikings and the early Ulster Scots planters, to our World War: you can take in ruined castles, holy wells, Abbeys on Military forts.

Enjoy the Visitor Centre and herb garden at Grey Abbey, which was ruined during the invasion of Robert the Bruce, or learn about Ireland’s involvement in the Great War at the Somme Museum.

4. Sample the tastes of the countryside

Savour the region’s award winning restaurants. Local chefs have been inspired by the bountiful larder of this lush countryside to put together some wonderful flavours. Top of the menu is a daily catch of seafood. Don’t miss the Portavogie prawns, local lobsters or oysters. And the world- famous Comber potatoes: try a local speciality of buttery mash with spring onions. Wash it all down with a locally produced ale, gin or whiskey.

The best of the region’s flavours is on display at the monthly Comber Farmers Market, where you can also meet the growers and producers.

While there, take a foodie tour to sample food, learn how artisan dulse wheaten bread is made, and watch how whisky is produced at Echlinville Distillery.

5. Stay a while

Choose from a range of stunning places to stay: from rustic self-catering to cosy pubs and five star hotels.

For a list of the best places to eat and stay, pop in to Bangor Visitor Centre, which is located in a dramatic 17^th century tower on the seafront.

If you’re closer to Strangford Lough, the Ards Visitor Information Centre in Newtownards can help. You can also pick up a unique handcrafted gift from Ards Crafts, located inside the visitor centre.

For more information on this idyllic spot that’s close to home, visitardsandnorthdown.com or call our Visitor Information Centre team on 028 9127 0069/028 9182 6846.

Labelled as the World’s greatest tribute act, Bookends are returning to Northern Ireland with their World class Simon and Garfunkel concert this June

Described as “not your average tribute show”, they don’t dress up or try to impersonate Simon and Garfunkel but instead pay tribute to the iconic sound that the duo are famous for by recreating the perfect harmonies, timing and diction that mesmerised a generation.

Performing the songs in a truly captivating way, their delicate recreation of the unmistakable sound of the American folk-rock duo is something of a masterpiece. Bookends have been performing their unique

World-class concert to audiences in some of the finest theatres and concert halls across the UK, Europe and the United States.

Collectively known as Bookends, Dan and Pete who, like their idols met in high school and began singing together from an early age. They will make their forth visit to Northern Ireland this June where will be making stops at The Crescent in Belfast, Down Arts Centre in Downpatrick and The Courtyard Theatre in Antrim. Pete from the duo talks of his excitement of making a return to Norther Ireland. “Due to touring commitments abroad, we’ve not made a trip across to Ireland for a couple of years now. It’s a shame it’s been so long as the audiences in Northern Ireland are always amazing. Folk music is part of their culture and history so they are always really enthusiastic and are there for a good time. We can’t wait to make the trip across the water again”

Hear classics such as Homeward Bound, Mrs. Robinson and The Sound of Silence. Also featured in the show is Bookends’ very own beautiful version of the smash hit Bridge Over Troubled Water which they have released as a single.  The show is moving and captivating with Bookends being without doubt, the most authentic sounding tribute to the music of Simon and Garfunkel.

“One of the best tribute shows in existence anywhere in the world” Stuart Cameron

(Sky TV, BBC, ITV Broadcaster)

“Any Simon and Garfunkel fan should go and see this show” BBC Radio Devon

“Unique and slick! A must see show” BBC Radio Suffolk

 

Find out more at :

simonandgarfunkelbybookends.com

facebook.com/simonandgarfunkelbybookends

 

Performing at:

The Crescent, Belfast on Thursday 28th June 2018 at 8.30pm

Tickets: £16

Box Office: 028 9024 2338

Website: crescentarts.org

Down Arts Centre, Downpatrick on Friday 29th June at 8pm

Tickets: £15 / £12

Box Office: 028 4461 0747

Website: downartscentre.com

The Courtyard Theatre, Antrim on Saturday 30th June at 8pm

Tickets: £16

Box Office: 028 9034 0202

Website: thecourtyardtheatre.com

THERE’S one last chance to see Gary Clarke’s award-winning hit contemporary dance drama COAL this spring as the production hailed by the nation’s critics goes on one last UK tour before heading off to new acclaim in Europe.

The show which brings to life the drama, tragedy and the unbreakable spirit of a working class community fighting for its future has been praised by the critics as “urgent and heroic” and “emotional dynamite” – MAC, Belfast, on March 21 and 22.

The Gary Clarke Company was  named Best Independent Company at the prestigious Critics’ Circle National Dance Awards, with COAL also the winner of the UK Theatre Award for Achievement in Dance.

COAL commemorates the 30th anniversary of the Miners’ Strike and reflects award winning choreographer and dancer Gary Clarke’s own experience of growing up in the midst of the 1984/85 industrial dispute as a child of the Yorkshire coalfields, where some of the most brutal and bloody confrontations of the bitter year-long dispute took place.

It is based on years of personal research by Gary,  including extensive interviews with Anne Scargill – former wife of NUM president Arthur Scargill – and Betty Cook, the founders of Women Against Pit Closures.

He also spent time with Chris Skidmore of the National Union of Mineworkers, Bruce Wilson, author of Yorkshire’s Flying Pickets, Barnsley historian and author Brian Elliott and Paul Winter of the Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign.

And now the show which was given four stars by The Times and hailed as ‘both humane and powerfully dramatic’ by The Guardian  is back with a string of dates across the country for Spring 2018, including a return to the venue where the extraordinary journey began – Cast in Doncaster!

Starting at the Marlowe in Canterbury in February, the production will then go on to Cast in Doncaster, Eden Court in Inverness, The Byre Theatre in St Andrews, The MAC in Belfast and Brighton Dome Concert Hall.

COAL is then scheduled to make its European debut in May, with plans for more international dates in the latter part of 2018.

And at the same time director Gary Clarke will be developing Wasteland in 2018, the long-waited and eagerly anticipated sequel to COAL, due to premiere and tour UK wide from Spring 2019 – more details to follow.

“COAL is a direct response to my upbringing in the working class mining village of Grimethorpe, South Yorkshire. It’s about trying to capture a time in British history that is too easily forgotten. It is an attempt at keeping the memories of the mining industry alive, an industry that I believe shaped the fabric of our society and how we live our lives today. These communities are at the heart of COAL.”  Gary Clarke 2015.

COAL features 16 performers – seven professional contemporary dancers including TC Howard (acclaimed for her work with Vincent Dance Theatre and Wendy Houstoun), a live on stage brass quintet and four local community women, both specially recruited at every venue.

The unforgettable voice the Prime Minister at the heart of the dispute is provided by Steve Nallon, still best known for his many performances as Margaret Thatcher in long-running cult TV hit Spitting Image and here providing an uncanny evocation of the Conservative leader as he recreates her exact words from the time of the strike.

Performers are pushed to physical and emotional extremes, with an evocative score of live brass classics arranged by MD Steven Roberts, a thunderous soundscape by Noise Artist Daniel Thomas and Siobhan McKeown’s shocking short film capturing devastating scenes of the strike in an immersive, accessible and affecting audience experience.

Dramaturgy is by Lou Cope (well known for her work with award winning performers like Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui), with costumes and set by nationally acclaimed designer Ryan Dawson Laight and award nominated lighting by Charles Webber.

COAL combines Gary Clarke’s vivid visual performance style and splintering physical language as it marks the 30th anniversary of the turbulent end of the Miners’ Strike.

What the critics have said:

“An absorbing, immediate slice of history…robust, urgent and heroic…” The Times

“Unquestionably beautiful.” British Theatre Guide

 

“Coal is contemporary dance that moves grown men to tears…emotional dynamite.” East Midlands Theatre

 

“Powerful and moving…a thrilling piece.” The Sheffield Star

 

“A compelling look at the behaviour of real people under political and personal pressure.” seeingdance.com

 

“A profound and highly relevant contribution to remembering this painful, life changing period in our history.” The Big Issue

 

“Absorbingly powerful and affecting….” The Herald (Glasgow)

 

“There is an authenticity to COAL few could match…” The Scotsman

 

“A profound and highly relevant contribution to remembering this painful, life changing period in our history.” Art Scene in Wales

COAL is co-commissioned by DanceXchange, Cast Doncaster, The Place, Dance City, Dance4 with Nottingham Playhouse, The Civic Barnsley and Yorkshire Dance with additional funds from The National Lottery through Arts Council England, Creative Scotland, Individual Giving through kick-starter and support from The Northern  School of Contemporary Dance, the National Mining Museum of England and Scotland and The NUM.

90’s faves bringing their groove to County Down​

ROCKERS Reef will kickstart Harmony Live 18 in Holywood, County Down, on Friday June 1 as part of a three-day packed weekend of music and much more.

The four-piece, most famous for their iconic Place Your Hands will join Boomtown Rats at the award-nominated festival, with further top named acts to be announced.

The three-day event, which is set to pack out the Co Down town, will run from June 1-3 at the Festival Marquee in the Holywood Rugby Club grounds.

Previously known as the Holywood Harmony Festival, Harmony Live 18 will see big-name acts take to the stage at the main marquee as well as supporting events across several venues in the town.

Last year the festival welcomed over 15,000 people into the town and organisers are expecting to top that figure this year having doubled the size of their marquee to accommodate The Boomtown Rats and Reef.

Festival director Mari Jackson said: “Harmony Live 18 is set to be bigger, better and more fun with music that will reverberate across the county.

“We’re delighted that Reef are joining The Boomtown Rats in another great coup for the festival committee and I know everyone who is in the marquee on June 1 will have their hands in the air for this tremendous live band.”

Mari said Harmony Live 18 is more than just a music event “it’s a weekend that welcomes involvement from throughout the community” she explained, adding: “Putting Holywood firmly on the map as an exciting music and tourist destination the Harmony Live 18 supports the local economy, working with service providers, vendors and contractors in the area and improving the footfall into the town and businesses throughout the weekend.

“We’re very proud of the achievements so far.  In 2016 we were nominated and shortlisted for Best Tourism Event at the North Down Business Awards and this year we’ve undergone a complete festival rebrand thanks to local company Andy Rice Creative (ARC).”

Tickets for The Boomtown Rats and Reef at Harmony Live 18 are available from www.wegottickets.com,  Garry’s Barber Shop and Homebird in Holywood.

Connect with the festival on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

 

www.facebook.com/HolywoodHarmonyFestival

www.twitter.com/harmonylive

www.instagram.com/harmony_live_holywood

Flowerfield Arts Centre and Roe Valley Arts and Cultural Centre will celebrate International Women’s Day with two free film screenings for schools.

In partnership with INTO Film, ‘A Silent Voice’ will take place on Thursday 8^th March at Flowerfield Arts Centre. Described as an intricate account of teenage politics, this stunning Japanese animation explores tough themes of bullying and peer pressure. Perfect for secondary school audiences, the story also explores themes of friendship, courage and compassion in young people. The performance takes place at 10am and is rated certificate 12.

Roe Valley Arts and Cultural Centre will screen ‘Ethel and Ernest’ on Friday 9^th March at 10am for school children aged 7+. This wonderful animation is adapted from a novel by The Snowman creator Raymond Briggs. Telling the story of his parents’ relationship from the 1920s to the 1970s, it follows their experience of two World Wars and beyond as they witness incredible shifts in society. Rated PG, the film provides a fascinating, warm and funny insight into the 20^th century.  Limited tickets are remaining for this screening.

For further information or to book places for your school group, please telephone Flowerfield Arts Centre on 028 7083 1400 or Roe Valley Arts and Cultural Centre on 028 7776 0650. You can also visit www.flowerfield.org or www.roevalleyarts.com

If you have visited Antrim Lough Shore Park recently you may have noticed some building work taking place.

Exciting plans are underway to develop a nautical themed play park, including a wheelchair accessible boat.

Speaking at the sod-cutting, the Mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey, Councillor Paul Hamill commented, “I am pleased to see this exciting new project taking shape as the Council is investing £250,000.  The new play park will make this beautiful park even more fun for everyone as well as complementing the future plans to develop a new Gateway Visitor Centre at Antrim Lough Shore Park.”

Some elements of the new play park have been designed by school pupils from across the Borough.  Their creative ideas should be open in time for the summer holidays, as the work is expected to last for approximately 16 weeks.  Please keep an eye on social media and our website for details of when the new play park is open and ready for use.

For more information, please T. 028 9446 3113 ext. 31376 or E. Karen.Steele@antrimandnewtownabbey.gov.uk

As well as the brighter days, spring sees the welcome return of the Irish Writers Centre to Mid Ulster as award-winning poet and Ireland Chair of Poetry, Erin Halliday hosts a six-week poetry workshop at Seamus Heaney Homeplace in Bellaghy.

In honour of the Irish Writers Centre’s remit to support writers throughout the island of Ireland they are now offering access to their courses in Belfast and Derry focusing on editing, blog writing, creative non-fiction, poetry and the novel.

The course starting this month at Seamus Heaney HomePlace will be taken by Erin Halliday, Ireland Chair of Poetry bursary awardee and featured poet in New Poets from the North of Ireland (Blackstaff). She published her first collection Pharmakon (Templar) in 2015. An Arts Council of Northern Ireland ACES award has funded the completion of her forthcoming second collection.

Erin’s course will begin on Tuesday 27 February at 7pm and will run for six weeks, one evening per week, throughout the spring.  The course is aimed at emerging or advanced poets who are interested in receiving critique of their work and Erin will provide constructive workshop-based analysis throughout.

Speaking what would be available to emerging poets and peers during the course workshops, Erin said, ‘Your voice, form, your poetic preoccupations, condensing meaning into words, and how you consider these aspects of poetry in your editing process; these are questions we’ll consider over the course of this series of workshops.’

Spaces on the six week course, costing £60, can be booked directly through the Irish Writers Centre at www.irishwriterscentre.ie or for further information contact Bernadette Greenan, Education Programmer, Irish Writers Centre (telephone +353 (0)1 872 1302)