North Down Borough Council in conjunction with The Ulster Scots Agency are delighted to announce that the world-famous Red Hot Chilli Pipers will be playing a FREE concert in Castle Park, Bangor on Saturday 26^th July.

From a cameo appearance at T in The Park in 2004 with The Darkness to opening the main stage in their own right in 2014, the past ten years has seen The Red Hot Chilli Pipers become the most famous bagpipe band on the planet – ever! Bagpipes with attitude, drums with a Scottish accent and a show so hot it carries its own health warning. The band’s achievements have reached incredible heights with their ground-breaking fusion of traditional Scottish music and Rock/Pop Anthems which they proudly call ‘Bagrock.’

Highlights from the band’s past few years include; a Gold Disk for over 100,000 UK sales for their first album, Triple Platinum album status for their third album, twice awarded ‘Best Live Act in Scotland and sell out tours, gigs and festivals worldwide to name but a few!

The Chillis have never been more in demand for their infectious style of feel good music which appeals right across the age range to people all over the world. They have a pool of the very best musicians from Scotland and across the globe – many holding World Champion titles and all serious players with impressive credentials and qualifications.

Speaking about the concert, North Down Borough Council’s Tourism Manager, Alison Stobie said: “we are thrilled to announce that The Red Hot Chilli Pipers will be coming to Castle Park in July. It is wonderful to welcome an act of this calibre to perform a free concert for residents and visitors alike. The Red Hot Chilli Pipers are a world-class act and everyone is welcome to come to Castle Park to enjoy the show.”

Also commenting on the event, the Chief Executive of The Ulster Scots Agency, Ian Crozier said: “The Ulster-Scots Agency is delighted to be supporting the event in Bangor this July. The Red Hot Chilli Pipers are a wonderful headline act and sure to draw a large crowd to this fantastic event. Combined with the other Ulster-Scots based activities on the day including music, dance and family fun we are sure that the event will be a huge success”.

The Red Hot Chilli Pipers will be playing from 4pm – 6pm and the event is free and non-ticketed. From 12 noon, other activities will be taking place around Castle Park and The Town Hall too, including Ulster Scots dancing, music and demonstrations and a children’s entertainment area which will guarantee to make the event a great family day out.

For further information check www.northdowntourism.com

This summer Theatre at the Mill, Newtownabbey invites children and young adults with an interest in the performing arts to take a step back stage and discover what it means to be part of a real stage show.

Running from June 30th – August 16th, the official 2014 Summer Workshop programme which was launched today [6 May] offers hundreds of children and young people across Belfast and beyond the chance to star in their very own show.

Aiming to expose young people to all the aspects of a real stage show from auditions through to key dancing, music and acting skill sets, budding actors and actresses will have the opportunity to make contacts and learn from the best in the profession including the Theatre’s own Home Spun Youth Drama group and Directors from the prestigious Guildford School of Acting.

For primary school children [5 – 10], Mr Hullabaloo returns with an adaption of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Following the success of last year’s Over The Rainbow, this unique week-long musical theatre adventure has been designed to give little ones the chance to experience a fun but structured theatre school environment where they will sing, dance and star in their very own show.

For teenagers [12-18] with musical theatre aspirations, Theatre at the Mill in association with Guildford Theatre Company presents Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat. Running daily, the 12 day workshop offers young people the unique opportunity to work with the best Theatre professionals in the industry. Participants will have the opportunity to learn from Sean McNamara Director of the Guildford School of acting as well as Guildford Theatre Company’s resident Director, Choreographer and Musical Director.  In addition the Theatre’s own Home Spun Youth Drama presents Stage-Door. A week-long workshop focusing on training and processes for stage performance, this course will teach vital skills of the trade to aspiring young performers. Workshops are open to all young people with an interest in theatre, there are no auditions and roles will be cast during the course of the workshop.

If dancing is more your thing, Home Spun Youth Drama Dance will be hosting a week-long dance workshop based around Cinderella the Ballet and Grease the Musical. Open to those with previous dance experience, participants [11 plus] will have the opportunity to develop their skills and build confidence in movement whilst learning choreographed routines from the very different worlds of Ballet and Musical Theatre.

Bernard Clarkson, Arts Centre Manage, says whatever your child’s age and interest, the Theatre at the Mill will have something for you;

“At the Theatre at the Mill, it is our aim to offer children and young people across all communities the chance to access and experience a variety of performing art forms while giving them an opportunity to be creative and learn new skills at the same time. With our latest workshop offering we do not disappoint. The summer 2014 programme is one of our best yet. Covering a wide variety of activities, these workshops are the perfect way to introduce your child too and develop their interest in the performing arts.”

The summer workshops begin on Monday June 30th and will run until Saturday August 16th. Enrolment is now open. Those interested in participating in a class are encouraged to book early to avoid disappointment as places are limited. If you are interested in learning more about the workshops available log on to www.theatreatthemill.com .

Down

North & South in Harmony, on Saturday May 10th, brings together two community groups from Co Armagh and Co Monaghan in a feast of popular light and classical music – from Bach to The Beatles at the Sean Hollywood Arts Centre Newry on Saturday 10^th May.

Tyrone

The Spring Continental Market is bringing its culinary delights to Cookstown from 9th – 11th May 2014. The aroma will inject a seasonal splendour into Cookstown’s retail experience. This is the first time that the Continental Market will be located in Mid Ulster as part of the Spring tour.  The award-winning Market, which will be located in Cookstown Town Centre, along William Street, will bring with it a fresh and cosmopolitan charm to the outdoor market experience.. Cookstown, renowned as the Retail Capital of Mid Ulster, has free on and off street parking, so come along and experience for yourself the assets of this market town!

Fermanagh

The Lough Erne Recreational Paddle Saturday 10th May – Sunday 11th May 2014 is suitable and open to families, clubs, paddlers of all ages and abilities and can be paddled in any type of craft. So dust down your boat and come and join us on these social paddles.

Derry

Join Ballet Theatre UK for the dramatic re-telling of Hans Christian Andersen’s all-time favourite story of The Little Mermaid, who falls in love with a human Prince and gives up everything to win his love. Millennium Forum, Friday 9th May.

Armagh

The Bard of Armagh Launch takes place Friday 9th May at Basil Shiels Bar – celebrating 20 years of uproarious bardic revelry with the best of traditional music and song ‘Puzzle Find Pat’ and special guest Patsy O’Hagan, Eminent Storyteller & Three Times Bard Winner. Tickets available at Basil Sheils Bar, Tassagh, Anne Mone Fancy Goods, Keady & House of Gold, Monaghan.  Also available online through Armagh Visitor Information Centre.

Antrim

The Giro d’Italia, one of the world’s biggest cycling events is passing through the district of Moyle, the Heart of the Causeway Coast and Glens on Saturday 10th May. With lots of family fun including Balloon Modelling, Face Painting, Walkabout Characters, Climbing Wall, pink Fancy Dress and Pets in Pink Competitions. Sample Pink ‘Yellow Man’, attend pom pom workshops, enter pink themed golfing events, take part in time trial cycles and fun runs. For cycling enthusiasts no need to miss the action from other locations on the route with Big Screen delayed feed of Giro d’Italia race in a number of locations on Saturday 10th May.

Belfast

Swing by Belfast Zoo on Saturday 10th May with your little monkeys and enjoy tiny tots day at Belfast Zoo. Enjoy activities including bouncy castles, face painters, crafts, animal feeding times and Mr Hullabaloo’s interactive theatre.

For more details on these and other events across Northern Ireland, news and competitions see www.whatsonni.com, follow us @whatsonni and like us at fb.com/www.whatsonni. Add your  events FREE OF CHARGE at www.whatsonni.

The Northern Ireland Tourist Board (NITB) has put together a list of 10 exciting things to do in Northern Ireland over the next week (May 12-18).

• North West 200, various, Co. Antrim & Co. Londonderry, May 10-17. The International North West 200 returns for another year for the week long road race festival which is staged on the famous nine mile triangle course around the Borough of Coleraine.

• Balmoral Show, Balmoral Park, Lisburn, Co. Antrim, May 14-16. The annual agriculture show brings together livestock, experts in gardening, local food producers, a food pavilion as well as a kids zone offering a popular day out for the whole family.  

• Strule’s Children’s Festival 2014, Strule Arts Centre, Omagh, Co. Tyrone, May 14-17. The children’s festival offers a packed programme of shows for children of all ages from performances to workshops and taster sessions that the whole family can enjoy.

• Spring Concert, Castle Coole, Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh, May 16. Enjoy an evening of classical music in the stunning surroundings of Castle Coole as the magnificent Grand Hall is brought to life with an array of musical scores.

• Oil Painting with Duncan Irvine, Studio of Art, Donaghadee, Co. Down May 16. Participants will enjoy a relaxing and inspiring evening in the beautiful countryside painting a Strangford scene, working with oils under the tuition of artist Duncan Irvine.

• The John Hewitt Spring Festival, Londonderry Arms Hotel, Carnlough, Co. Antrim, May 16-17. Now in its 12^th year, the festival will include writing workshops, the annual Great Northern Novel panel debate, readings and much more.

• Borough of Ards Pipe Band Championships, Londonderry Park, Newtownards, Co. Down, May 17. A great day out for the whole family with music, colour and pageantry and watch some of the world’s best Pipe Bands compete for the coveted title Borough of Ards Champions.

• Stand Up Paddleboard River Trail, Swanna Bridge, Limavady, Co. Londonderry, May 17. Enjoy a unique, chilled out and super fun experience with the emerging popular sport of paddleboarding along the Rover Roe.

• Country Fair, The Argory, Armagh, Co. Armagh, May 17-18. The Argory will once again host their poultry fair and Scrufts Dog Show with rare breed animals, local trade and craft stalls, the Armagh Rhymers and various country activities suitable for all ages.

• Brick City, Titanic Belfast, Belfast May 17 – July 13. Famed independent Lego artist Warren Elsmore will bring his breath-taking recreations of major city landmarks and iconic global images to Belfast featuring scaled down versions of London’s Olympic Park and cities such as Tokyo and New York.

Ballyclare is set to come alive soon with the annual May Fair’s action packed programme for all the family! The theme of the fair this year is Discover Your Roots, so there will be lots of Ulster-Scots themed activities for young and old to enjoy.

The real fun of the fair begins on Tuesday 20 May when the Main Street will be closed off for the horse trading from 11am-6pm and a gourmet food market and market stalls will be situated throughout the town. The day will be crammed with lots of exciting events such as Hugo Duncan in the Square and the family fun day at Sixmile Leisure Centre. To mark the Ulster-Scots theme, a Uileann and Highland pipe and Lambeg drum workshop will take place from 7-9.30pm in the Town Hall.

The May Fair will end on Saturday 24 May with the Mayor’s Parade at 1pm, Family Fun Day from 2-5pm at Sixmile Leisure Centre and a family music concert featuring Jordan O’Keefe from Britain’s Got Talent. The May Fair will close with a spectacular fireworks display at 10.15pm in the Town Centre.

Many other events are taking place throughout the week including an Ulster Scots Ceilidh, a history night with comedian Tim McGarry, food demos and lots of Ulster-Scots music and dance!

Copies of the programmes are available at Ballyclare Town Hall or visit www.ballyclaremayfair.com or follow Ballyclare May Fair on Facebook.

North Down Borough Council is excited to announce the arrival of not one but two spectacular tall ships which will be visiting Bangor this June 7^th & 8^th as part of their Seashore Festival – Ships, Planes, Trains & Automobiles Event.

tThe ships – The Mercedes and The Golden Lion will be moored alongside The Eisenhower Pier and will be open to the public on both days. And if you fancy sailing the high seas on a tall ship, there will also be opportunities for hour-long evening sailings! Tickets cost £10 and are available for sale now at Bangor Tourist Information Centre and North Down Museum or online at www.northdown.gov.uk/bookings

The Golden Lion, a 70 metre, three-masted ship was built in 1937 and retains many of the authentic, decorative features from this era. The Mercedes is a 50 metre, twin-masted vessel and can accommodate up to 140 passengers and visitors. Both of these ships promise to be a magnificent sight and will be well worth a visit!

As well as the tall ships, there are lots of other things happening around the town on this weekend too. A special steam train “Bangor And Back For A Bob” will be travelling from Belfast on the Saturday and Sunday, making two return journeys per day. Look to the skies for fantastic air displays by The Twister Aerobatics Team, a Vintage Motor Display will be taking place around The Town Hall, showcasing hundreds of fabulous vintage vehicles and down on The Promenade, a special Summer Fair will be taking place featuring lots of local retailers selling their wares.  Also making a welcome return to The McKee Clock Arena, The Armed Forces will be providing a wide range of activities and vehicles for everyone to enjoy.  And watch out for some wonderful, specially themed, street theatre which will be dotted around The Town as part of the festival.

Speaking about the event, North Down Borough Council’s Events Officer, Wendy Smith said: “we are delighted to have The Mercedes and The Golden Lion in Bangor as part of our Seashore Festival Event and I would encourage everyone to come down and visit the ships during their stay.”

Eddie Rowan, Events Manager at Northern Ireland Tourist Board, said: “Northern Ireland Tourist Board is pleased to sponsor the Seashore Festival – Ships, Planes Trains and Automobiles Event in 2014.  With a variety of activities, along with the addition of two Tall Ships, there will be plenty for visitors to the event to enjoy.”

For further information check www.northdowntourism.com

As the build up for the Giro d’Italia gets under way, pubs across Northern Ireland are getting in the Pink, with special Giro themed promotions, competitions running as part of The Great Ulster Pub Week, , which runs until this Friday, 9^th May 2014.

From Giro themed gin cocktails at Muriel’s Café Bar, Belfast, to a Giro fun cycle in Magherafelt, an Italian Whiskey Club night at The Hudson, Belfast and a Giro themed pub quiz at Bureau by The Lough in Whiteabbey, Ulster’s Great Pubs are gearing up to welcome the iconic cycle race in style.

Pubs taking part in The Great Ulster Pub Week are also decking themselves out in fuchsia, rose and cerise to create a big bright welcome to the world’s cyclists as they descend en masse to Northern Ireland this week.

Iconic Belfast Pub, The Duke of York has painted the benches in its picturesque cobbled laneway pink, with coordinated floral baskets and decorations adding to the Giro themed feel.

The National Grande Café has installed an eye-catching window display, with a pink bicycle, wheels and Italian bunting becoming quite a talking point.

In Portrush, a big pink ‘RAMORE’ sign in the ilk of the famous Hollywood sign now graces the rooftop of the Ramore complex. Meanwhile, The Harbour Bar – Pubs of Ulster’s Pub of the Year 2013 – will host a charity ‘Pink Night’ on Thursday, with bar staff being kitted out in pink waistcoats and aprons and punters being encouraged to don their best pink clobber to raise money for Willie’s Orphan Fund.

Pubgoers cycling to selected Great Ulster Pub Week pubs in Belfast City can also avail of a free Coca Cola as part of the brand’s Designated Cyclist campaign. On presentation of their cycling helmet, or bike lock, cyclists can redeem a complimentary Coca Cola in selected venues, including White’s Tavern and The Cloth Ear.

And there are Giro themed competitions galore running throughout The Great Ulster Pub Week too; The National Grande Café and The Cloth Ear in Belfast are running a competition this week to win top of the range cross trail bikes, whilst The Dirty Onion, also in The Cathedral Quarter, has flights for two to Italy up for grabs. Check out the venues’ Facebook pages for further details.

The Great Ulster Pub Week kicked off on Thursday 1^st May and runs until Friday 9^th May, coinciding with Stage One of the Giro D’Italia Big Start, which will see the Team Time Trial take place in Belfast.

Commenting on The Great Ulster Pub Week’s Giro themed events and activities, Mark Stewart, chairman, Pubs of Ulster said:

“The packed programme of Great Ulster Pub Week activity, including an array of Giro d’Italia themed events, highlights the incredible range of cultural activity taking place in pubs right across Northern Ireland. We hope the week ahead inspires people to explore some of our truly Great local pubs, whilst gearing up for the great spectacle that will be the Giro d’Italia.”

In pubs right across Northern Ireland, The Great Ulster Pub Week is creating a real buzz, serving as an important reminder of how ‘Great’ Ulster’s pubs truly are.

The Great Ulster Pub Week runs until Friday 9^th May and is supported by Discover Northern Ireland, Coca Cola, Coors Light, Guinness, Harp, Heineken, Jameson and Tennent’s, with media partners, Downtown/Cool FM, Hospitality Review NI and The Sunday Life.

For further information, including daily events highlights, Giro d’Italia themed highlights and a Pub Finder, visit www.greatulsterpubweek.com or find The Great Ulster Pub Week on Facebook, Twitter, You Tube and Instagram using the hashtag, #UlsterPubWeek

It is the Jungle Book, but not as you might know it. Indigo Moon Theatre’s latest production veers away from Disney’s song-filled retelling. Instead, this shadow puppet show looks back to Rudyard Kipling’s original Victorian stories.

“It is important that people do not expect the Disney version – there’s no singing in it,” said Anna Ingleby, Indigo Moon’s puppeteer.

“Disney’s was a masterpiece of its type, but there was no way we were going to go anywhere near that. What we wanted to do was look at the spirit of the original.”

Fearless and free, Mowgli the ‘ man-cub ‘ finds fun and friendship despite learning to live by the Law of the Jungle. Mowgli’s daring adventures in the dangerous world he inhabits, are brought to life by Indigo Moon Theatre with inventive shadow theatre, original music and colourful digital projection.

The Hull company’s show, which sees Anna tell the stories with 30 different puppets, follows the “positive” aspects of Kipling’s tales.

“When you reread the books, there is quite a lot of it that is of its time – there is killing, revenge and colonialism, which was something we did not want to dwell on,” she said.

“Instead we look at the co-operation between the characters in the jungle.  One of the things we wanted to focus on was of people being ‘one blood’, which is used a lot in the book. The animals in it are a metaphor for humans.”

First published in the 1890s, the collected stories of the Jungle Book told moral tales through characters including Mowgli, a young boy raised by wolf cubs.

Alongside puppetry, Indigo Moon’s 50-minute production will use original music written by Haviel Perdana, who runs the company with Anna.  Anna has lived and worked in London for 12 years, which is where she set up Indigo Moon.

The show has been directed by London-based puppeteer Steve Tiplady. Steve worked on The Firework Maker’s Daughter, a co-production by The Opera Group and Opera North, which premiered at Hull Truck Theatre this year.

“He is one of the few people who understand the potential of shadow,” said Anna.

“There’s a handful of about five companies working on shadow puppetry in this country, including us. People like ourselves and Steve are really establishing the art form in this country, and trying to develop it.”

Jungle Book

When: Thursday 22nd May at 10.30am (50 minutes with no interval)

Where: The Burnavon theatre, Burn Road, Cookstown.

Tickets: £4. Ages four and over.

Contact: Call the Burnavon Box Office or visit http://www.burnavon.com/theatre/whats-on/Jungle-Book-Indigo-Moon/info

Directed by Steve Tiplady

Performed by Anna Ingleby & Haviel Perdana

Original Music by Haviel Perdana

Characters designed by Susanna Samanek

Scenery by Haviel Perdana & Anna Ingleby

Des Keogh, one of Ireland’s foremost actors and entertainers, brings his hugely successful and award-winning show ‘The Love Hungry Farmer’ by John B. Keane to The Market Place Theatre in Armagh for the first time.

It tells the story of John Bosco McLane, a bachelor of ‘indeterminate’ age and according to his own assessment, ‘past his best’ and evidently still a virgin. McLane’s amorous adventures range from the hilarious to the pitiful. John B. Keane ranks among the great Irish writers. His plays include ‘Sive’, ‘The Field’ and ‘Big Maggie’. ‘The Field’ became an Oscar nominated film starring Richard Harris.

The Love-Hungry Farmer will be staged on Friday 16^th and Saturday 17^th May at 8pm. Tickets are priced £14.50 and £12.50 (concession).

Blues fans will be delighted with the return of guitar legend Ronnie Greer, who has been at the centre of the blues scene in Ireland for over forty years now, having shared the stage with some of the greatest names in blues. His distinctive guitar style, melding hard edged Chicago blues with bebop jazz inflected lines, has been critically acclaimed as world class. His recent album release,’ A Lifetime With The Blues’, has also been hailed as one of the finest ever blues albums to come out of these shores.

Ronnie brings his powerhouse band back to the Market Place, featuring some of the best musicians in the country. Brilliant singer | guitarist Anthony Toner, keyboard wizard John McCullough, and the peerless rhythm section of bass player Alan Hunter, and drummer Colm Fitzpatrick, operate on a level with Ronnie which has to be heard to be appreciated.

The Ronnie Greer Blues Band will perform at The Market Place Theatre in Armagh on Saturday 17^th May at 8.30pm. Tickets are priced £10 each. Tickets for all events can be booked through the Box Office on [028] 3752 1821, or online at www.marketplacearmagh.com

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.

This month Northern Ireland’s favourite vintage event, the fabulous Frock Around The Clock Vintage & Handmade Fair, will be making its very first visit to Ballymena when it appears at the Rosspark Hotel, near Kells on Sunday 18^th May with a spectacular extravaganza of unique treasures for sale and a big helping of timeless glamour, reminiscence and fun.

This popular event has been taking shoppers from all over Ireland by storm since 2008, and the visit to Ballymena will mark the 45^th Frock Around The Clock fair. Visitors on the day will be able to shop for high quality vintage, handmade and upcycled treasures from a fantastic line-up of handpicked Irish vintage dealers, designers and crafters offering an unrivalled array of vintage and handmade fashion, jewellery, furniture, homewares, collectibles, crafts, gifts, art, children’s wear and much more. It’s the hottest shopping destination to find the coolest stuff on the planet for your wardrobe and home!

The impressive exhibitor list will include Norma Jean Vintage with vintage dresses & fashion accessories, statement hats and headpieces by designer Sophie Dinsmore of Lower Than the Angels, Alfie Loves Design offering handmade and restyled homewares and soft furnishings, Strictly Vintage, specialists in high end American costume jewellery from the 1920s to 1960s, Tiny Tower Vintage Interiors showcasing unique vintage eiderdowns, linen, china, paintings and antique books and toys, Rehinged Furniture selling fabulous refurbished furniture, as well as original papercut products and artworks by Paper Picnic, retro photography by X-perience Boudoir, and gorgeous handcrafted jewellery and lampshades by Emily Loves Vintage.

Visitors will also be able to relax and revive on the day and soak up the vintage atmosphere by sinking into an armchair and partaking of the Rosspark Hotel’s afternoon teas served from 2.30 – 5pm – with assorted finger sandwiches, homemade scones with jam & cream, and mini desserts.

Frock Around The Clock will take place on Sunday 18^th May from 12 – 5pm at Rosspark Hotel, Doagh Road, Kells, Ballymena BT42 3LZ, and admission costs £3.

More information on the event and the exhibitor list can be found online at www.frockaroundtheclock.com.