Businesses to benefit from web development and digital marketing training

Small and medium-size businesses in the Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council area are being encouraged to apply for a skills-based programme that will teach them how to create a commercial website.

The Build Your Own Website initiative will assist participants in creating new websites for their businesses, resulting in functional online platforms they can manage themselves. Local entrepreneurs will subsequently be equipped with essential digital skills which will make them more competent in the online marketplace. Support will also be provided in relation to online content creation and SEO, which will help to attract customers and encourage business growth.

The programme, which is now open for applications, is limited to 20 participants and with demand expected to be high, the advice is to apply early to secure a place.

Newly appointed Mayor, Councillor Paul Hamill, said the Build Your Own Website programme offered a great opportunity for businesses to improve both their digital presence and skills.

“Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council has just launched this initiative following the success of last year’s pilot project, which proved incredibly popular and has helped a range of local entrepreneurs,” he said. “I would encourage anyone in the Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council area who wants to get their business website up and running – and to understand how to operate it – to apply.

“Council is committed to upskilling local entrepreneurs in digital technology and helping them to develop effective and efficient commercial websites, and this programme is aimed at supporting those SMEs which may not normally be eligible for assistance from mainstream government agencies and programmes.”

Caroline Diamond, who set up her business, Diamond Consulting, in May 2016, was one of the participants who benefited from the pilot programme.

She said: “I thought it was great and the quality of my website is super. It looks very professional. The one-to-one input of how to put the website together was also brilliant. We were given a comprehensive manual about how to get into the backend of it to update it, so I can make amendments now myself. I’d definitely recommend the programme to other businesses.”

To apply for the programme visit the Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council website at www.antrimandnewtownabbey.gov.uk/buildyourown Alternatively, contact Eilish Devlin from Ardean Marketing & Business Development at: eilish@ardeaninfo.com or Seonaid Rooney from the council at: seonaid.rooney@antrimandnewtownabbey.gov.uk

Lovers of great theatre and the great outdoors are in for a treat when Chapterhouse Threatre Company return to Solitude Park, Banbridge on Friday 21 July  from 7.30pm – 10pm with their production of the Charles Dickens classic, Great Expectations.

Great Expectations is the unforgettable story of love, family and friendship set in the depths of Victorian England. From the haunting marshlands of Kent to the bustling streets of Victorian London, this epic tale follows the fortunes of a young Pip as he falls in love, finds his fortune and makes his way in the world.

This beautiful romantic tale is brought to life with traditional music, full period costume and a host of colourful characters, from the dangerous convict Magwitch to the elusive Estella and of course, the eccentric and mysterious Miss Havisham.

One of the UK’s leading touring outdoor theatre companys, Chapterhouse are no strangers to Banbridge having visited the beautiful park with previous productions including Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility and Sherlock Holmes.

This delightful FREE threatre event is suitable for all ages and everyone is encouraged to bring along a picnic and enjoy an unforgettable evening of culture in the beautiful outdoor surroundings. Seating is provided however you can bring a cushion or rug to add a little comfort to the experience. Tea, coffee, soft drinks and tasty traybakes will also be available.

Booking is not required, so why not spend some special time with family and and friends and come along to Solitude Park to follow Pip’s adventures of discovery and expectation in Dickens’ best loved tale.

Ash frontman Tim Wheeler on ambition, the current state of NI music and accidentally headlining Glastonbury

Ash are a band that have seen and done it all over the course of their 25 year career.

They are without question one of the best loved and most successful acts to ever hail from Northern Ireland, they have graced the stages of some of the most revered festivals in the world, headlined two different stages at Glastonbury in the same year, sold millions of records and won countless awards.

In a nutshell, they are legends of Northern Irish music and when they kick off their summer dates at Stendhal Festival on August 11, visitors to Ballymully Cottage Farm in Limavady will be treated to a gig that will showcase everything that has brought them to their rightfully exalted status.

However, despite the accolades and the success, Ash are a band who are always seeking the next big challenge, the next big gig, the next big record, as lead singer Tim Wheeler says: “We really try not to dwell on the past and rest on our laurels. In many ways we have the exact same mind-set now that we did when we were just starting out. We love the energy and excitement of gigging and recording.”

Their Headline slot at Stendhal Festival on August 11 is the band’s first show of their summer tour and Tim says that they cannot wait to get back on stage.

“Gigging is always a buzz, I think it always will be and in terms of our performance at Stendhal as it’s the first night of our tour, it will be that extra bit exciting for us, we can’t wait to be honest.”

In terms of festival pedigree Ash have plenty of notches on their bedpost and will come to Stendhal with some phenomenal festival experience.

“Reading is always really amazing in terms of crowd reaction so we always have a lot of fun playing there,” explained Tim.

“Probably our best festival experience was at Glastonbury the year we headlined the pyramid stage by accident. We were booked to headline the Other stage, which was amazing in itself but a bizarre string of circumstances brought about by the fact that it was an incredibly rainy year, meant that the band who were due to headline the Pyramid stage on the Sunday night couldn’t get on site. We on the other hand couldn’t get off site, so we were asked to fill in. It was amazing and I think we might still be the only band to headline two different stages at the same Glastonbury.”

Ash have certainly come a long way from their early days in Downpatrick and have been an inspiration to several generations of aspiring musicians from Northern Ireland and Tim reckons that while there is a much better infrastructure for young musicians here than when Ash were cutting their teeth, there are two main aspects young musicians should focus on.

“It really is all about the songs and the live performance,” he said. “There are more venues now that host live music and places like the Oh Yeah Centre which are of great benefit to young musicians but it really boils down to having good songs and a good live show. If bands can get those two things down, then they have as good a chance as anyone.

“The system is very different now, we were lucky in the sense that we met the right people, had a great label and great management who provided us with support, but we always placed song writing above style and we toured like crazy to get our live show to a high standard, so yeah for any young bands out there, you develop most when you are gigging, so gig as much as you can.”

Ash were honoured last year at The NI Music Awards when they received the Legend Award. It is no more than their career deserves when you consider the success they have enjoyed. For Tim and the band it was a wonderful evening but one that they say they are keen not to dwell on.

“It was amazing,” said Tim, “we were really proud to get that award and to get the recognition that comes along with it but it was also a bit strange accepting a legends award because we have plenty more to offer. We are still hungry for music, be it gigging or writing, we have a new album in the pipeline which we hope will be out in early 2018 and we always feel that despite what we have achieved, we always need to prove ourselves.”

In terms of the current crop of Northern Irish acts Tim says he is always delighted to see them coming through and hopes that we can start producing a few more real showstoppers.

“Two Door Cinema Club are great but I suppose everyone knows them now, so as far as up and coming guys from Northern Ireland go at the minute, for me Ciaran Lavery is the stand out.

“We are always very aware of our musical heritage and very proud to represent Northern Ireland. There is always someone at every gig wherever we are in the world from Ireland, so it is a big part of who we are and it is amazing for us to be even a little part of the musical heritage we have.

Ash’s headline slot at Stendhal Festival in Limavady this August 11, is the start of their 2017 tour and Tim says that those amassed at Ballymully Cottage Farm are in for an all hits, all the time, type of show.

“We are really looking forward to getting back on the road and our first show at Stendhal has us very excited. I imagine the show is going to be highly energetic and we will be pretty much banging out all our hits to set us up for the tour in the right way.

“It’s special too because Stendhal is one of only a couple of festivals in Northern Ireland at the minute. When we were starting out, we wish we could have had the opportunity to play in a festival setting in Northern Ireland, but that just wasn’t an option for us. For young and up and coming bands, festivals provide a phenomenal experience which can get your music to a wider audience.

“So for us, we are delighted that we can come home and play Stendhal as it has a bill made up mostly of home-grown talent and that is a hugely positive thing for music in Northern Ireland.”

Catch Ash and almost 100 other musical acts including The Magic Numbers and Sharon Shannon at Stendhal Festival on August 11 and 12. For tickets and more info visit www.stendhalfestival.com.

Friday 7 July – Thursday 13 July

 

Saturday 8 July, Family fun at Portaferry Visitor Information Centre

2pm – 4pm  | Free

Bring the little ones along to Portaferry VIC for free family entertainment every Saturday in July.

Sat 8: Bricks4Kidz Lego Workshop and Balloon Modelling

T:  028 9182 6846 | visitardsandnorthdown.com

 

Saturday 8 and Sunday 9 July, Family Fun at Cockle Row Cottages

Cockle Row Cottages, Groomsport Harbour

2pm – 4pm  | Free

Come along to Groomsport for free family fun every weekend from now until September

Sat 8: Traditional Crafts and Magic Tricks (limited numbers)

Sun 9: Clayrazy Workshop, Crafts and Ulster-Scots Agency Entertainment

Cottages open 11am – 5pm

T:  028 9127 0069 | visitardsandnorthdown.com

 

Sunday 9 July, Summer Music in the Park

Ward Park, Bangor

3pm – 5pm | Free

Music in the park is back! Join us for summer entertainment every Sunday in July and August. This week, see Salvation Army Brass Band play a mix of popular songs and well known hymns.

T:  028 9127 0069 | visitardsandnorthdown.com

 

Sunday 9 July, Kids “Sea-Creatures” Nature Trail

Crawfordsburn Country Park

10.30am – 12.30pm | £2.50 per child

Join local naturalist ‘Woody’ on a beachcombing adventure to uncover the numerous types of sea creatures who live on the shores of the park.

T:  028 9127 0069 | visitardsandnorthdown.com

 

Friday 14 July – Thursday 20 July

 

Saturday 15 July, Family fun at Portaferry Visitor Information Centre

The Stables, Castle Street, Portaferry

2pm – 4pm  | Free

Bring the little ones along to Portaferry VIC for free family entertainment every Saturday in July.

Sat 15: Magic Show

T:  028 9182 6846 | visitardsandnorthdown.com

 

Saturday 15 and Sunday 16 July, Family Fun at Cockle Row Cottages

Cockle Row Cottages, Groomsport Harbour

2pm – 4pm  | Free

Come along to Groomsport for free family fun every weekend from now until September

Sat 15:  ‘Tales of the Wild’ Animal Roadshow and Children’s Crafts

Sun 16: Archery, Face Painting and Ulster-Scots Agency Entertainment

Cottages open 11am – 5pm

T:  028 9127 0069 | visitardsandnorthdown.com

 

Sunday 16 July, Summer Music in the Park

Ward Park, Bangor

3pm – 5pm | Free

Music in the park is back! Join us for summer entertainment every Sunday in July and August. This week, see Los Dramaticos perform a unique fusion of Andalusian and Latin American songs.

T:  028 9127 0069 | visitardsandnorthdown.com

 

Tuesday 18 July, “Nautical Past” Short Sea Cruise Belfast Lough

Tour departs from the Jetty, Pickie Funpark, Bangor

7pm – 8.30pm | Tickets £10 (Ch), £5 (Ad)

Discover the rich nautical history of Belfast Lough. As you head towards Orlock and the Copeland Islands you will learn about the history of the area and its nautical past.

T:  028 9182 6846 | visitardsandnorthdown.com

 

Tickets now on sale…

 

Walled Garden Theatre

 

Thursday 20 July

Theatre in the Walled Garden: Northanger Abbey

Bangor Castle Walled Garden

7pm | Tickets £10

 

T: 028 9127 0069 | Book online (Fees apply) | visitardsandnorthdown.com

 

Exhibitions

 

Portaferry Visitor Information Centre

The Stables, Castle Street, BT22 1NZ

T: 028 4272 9882

 

Saturday 1 – Sunday 30 July

Art in the Loft: ‘The Trains Don’t Stop Here Anymore’

Robert JE Simpson presents a collection of images centred around abandoned railways of Northern Ireland

 

North Down Museum, Bangor

Castle Park Avenue, located by Bangor Castle (Town Hall), BT20 4BT

T: 028 9127 1200 | northdownmuseum.com

 

Until Thursday 27 July

Fleadh Exhibition

Explore the history and culture of Irish Traditional Music and Dance in the local area.

Ards Crafts and Visitor Information Centre

31 Regent Street, Newtownards, BT23 4AD

T: 028 9182 6846

 

Saturday 1 – Saturday 29 July

Tower Houses of Strangford Lough

An exhibition showcasing late medieval tower houses

Come and enjoy the wonderful sound of Bangor’s own Salvation Army Brass Band this Sunday, 9^th July in Ward Park from 3pm-5pm.

Grab a picnic and head to the Bandstand where you will hear the band perform a mix of well-known Hymns and popular songs as part of the Summer Music in the Park programme which runs every Sunday throughout July and August.

Look out for details of each week’s artist in local press and keep up to date with all summer events at visitardsandnorthdown.com

 

 

Golf and rugby fans gear up for a special Saturday of sport at Portstewart

FOLLOWING the British and Irish Lions’ dramatic win against the All Blacks in Wellington to set up a thrilling test series finale in Auckland this Saturday (8.35am), local sports fans can rest easy that they don’t have to make an ‘either or’ decision whether to watch the rugby or go the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open hosted by the Rory Foundation… they can now do both!

The Dubai Duty Free Irish Open takes place this week at Portstewart Golf Club, and organisers have arranged for the live screening of the international rugby clash of the summer to be shown on a huge screen in the Championship Village complex, courtesy of Sky Sports.

While Saturday is traditionally known as ‘moving day’, sports fans won’t have to move too far to revel in what will be a feast of sporting action both outside and inside the ropes.

To add to the occasion, fans will be able to enjoy live half-time and full-time analysis with rugby legend Rob Kearney.

“The British and Irish Lions tour of New Zealand has been eagerly awaited by sports fans for a long time,” said Dubai Duty Free Irish Open Championship Director Simon Alliss.

“Given the huge level of interest and anticipation locally, we felt it only right that we should do our level best to make sure that when two great sporting occasions coincide, fans don’t have to make a difficult decision by having to choose one over the other, hence our live Sky Sports screening of the Lions decider.

“With an early kick-off in Auckland (8.35am), what better way to get ‘moving Saturday’ off to an amazing start than by watching the match on the big screen at the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open. They can then enjoy a feast of golf from some of finest golfers on the planet around Portstewart Golf Course. In terms of sporting Saturdays, they really don’t come much better than this!” he added.

Also introduced for the 2017 is a Showstage in the Championship Village which will host international recording artists such as Two Door Cinema Club, who will be performing at the opening ceremony on Wednesday evening and Scouting For Girls who will bring the curtain down on the event on Sunday night.

Another first for a European Tour event is a change in mobile phone policy that allows spectators at the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open to use their mobiles to take photos of the action.

Fans still have time to snap up a last-minute ticket for the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open at www.dubaidutyfreeirishopen.com but are urged to book soon to avoid disappointment.

Organisers of the MCE Ulster Grand Prix have announced a special event with two-weight boxing world champion Carl Frampton and international road racing star Lee Johnston, to take place just days after Frampton’s highly anticipated fight at the SSE Arena, Belfast against Mexican fighter Andres Gutierrez.

The diminutive and dynamic duo, who met just over a year ago when Co. Fermanagh racer Lee went to check out the Jackal’s training regime in London, will be interviewed live on stage by the BBC’s Mark Sidebottom in the Grand Prix Marquee on Wednesday 9^th August.

The event will take place in aid of F13K Cancer, a charity founded by Lee that supports Marie Curie NI, with a minimum donation of £200 per table of 10.

Carl Frampton said: “When the Conlon brothers & the JDM Group invited me to take part in this event I didn’t have to think twice, I have been friends with Lee now for over a year and I have enormous respect for both him and motorbike racing.

“It’s a sport I enjoy watching and attending. All money raised from the evening is going to a fantastic cause in Lee’s charity F13K Cancer and Marie Curie NI and I would encourage the racing community and general public to attend what’s going to be a great night.”

Lee Johnston said: “I’m really happy that Carl has agreed to get involved, he’s a great guy at the top of his game and getting such a big name from another sport will help keep the charity in the spotlight and hopefully raise plenty of money as all proceeds will be donated.

“I think the bike fans at the Ulster will enjoy the night, we’re expecting the tickets to sell quickly so don’t hang about if you want to be there!”

Noel Johnston, Clerk of the Course at the MCE Ulster Grand Prix added: “We’re pretty excited about this, it’s something we wanted to see happen last year but the timing didn’t work out as Carl went on holiday immediately after his big fight against Santa Cruz.

“However, I do think that this will be worth waiting for and the craic will be mighty for those lucky enough to get a ticket for the event, and the first opportunity for many fans to hear from the Jackal after his big homecoming fight on 29^th July.

“Lee is a hugely popular rider at Dundrod and I know a lot of people, me included, are hoping he will be back to fighting fitness by August after his crash at the TT. One thing is for sure though, the evening with him and Carl will be unmissable and I’ve no doubt it’ll raise a lot of cash for a cause very close to Lee’s heart.

“Thanks must go to our bar and entertainment partner JDM Management for helping us put this together,” he added.

Tickets for An Evening With Carl Frampton & Lee Johnston are available to purchase from JDM Management on 028 9066 5664 or by emailing office@jdmmanagement.co.uk.

Bike Week runs from the 6^th – 12^th August 2017 and include the Charles Hurst Motorcycles Dundrod 150 and the MCE Insurance Ulster Grand Prix road races. Tickets are available now on Ticketmaster.

Augmented Reality, or AR, is the amazing technology that superimposes computer-generated images onto our view of the real world.

State of the art projection technology that puts you right at the centre of big screen action!

This summer, W5’s Augmented Reality exhibit is GOING LIVE!

Meet A.L.I.E.N. in a close encounter of the virtual kind! A.L.I.E.N has landed and is ready to amuse and entertain visitors in a completely new way. Are you brave enough to make first contact and see yourself live on the big screen with the animated alien from a distant galaxy?

Augmented Reality is running daily until 31 August and is FREE with admission to W5. For full information visit www.w5online.co.uk.

 

 

New Programme covers a diverse range of exhibitions, music and local history events in July and August.

The guide also features a fantastic creative learning and outreach programme with a feast of workshops, courses and projects for both children and adults to enjoy.

Speaking about the summer season of events, The Mayor of Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council, Councillor Joan Baird, OBE, said: “The arts sector is an important part of our Council’s offering and we are so lucky to have both Flowerfield Arts Centre and Roe Valley Arts and Cultural Centre in our borough. I would encourage everyone to get creative and generate an interest in the activities taking place throughout July and August.”

Event highlights at Flowerfield Arts Centre include a Teddy Bear’s Picnic on Saturday 22^nd July and a Community Arts Showcase on Friday 11^th August featuring a drop in circus workshop and a performance from Jim and Dr Nick as well as a host of brilliant activities as part of this year’s August Craft Month.

Roe Valley Arts and Cultural Centre in Limavady will showcase the stunning artwork of Ingrid Mc Laughlin and Jim Holmes from July 1^st to July 29^th. Highlights also include comedian Owen O’Neill who will take to the stage on Thursday 27^th July to entertain the crowds while children can enjoy films such as Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory and The Jungle Book with the return of their fantastic annual August Children’s Month.

Call into your local Council venue to pick up your guide or download it from the link below. 

 

DOWLOAD PROGRAMME