Ards and North Down Borough Council is proud to present Creative Peninsula 2024, a highlight of the thriving annual arts programme and a celebration of the high-quality art and craft that is produced in the Borough.

Now in its 23rd year, this vibrant annual event unites local artists and makers to demonstrate their skills and showcase their exceptional work.

Ards and North Down is renowned for its lively artistic community, and Creative Peninsula provides visitors with a unique opportunity to view, purchase, or even commission artworks, as well as participate in workshops throughout the festival. Running throughout August, the festival offers a wide array of free and bookable activities suitable for all ages and experience levels. Attendees can engage with various art and craft forms through open studios, exhibitions, workshops, demonstrations, and more, fully immersing themselves in the local creative scene.

This year’s featured artist is Maria Horvathova, whose artwork graces the cover of the Creative Peninsula guide. Since moving to Northern Ireland from Slovakia, Maria has found a strong connection to home in nature. She will be leading a Freedom of Painting workshop in Ards Arts Centre, on Thursday 8 August, offering participants the chance to express their feelings about home through painting.

The festival kicks off with the Creative Peninsula Twilight Market and Arts Night at Conway Square in Newtownards on Friday, 2 August. For one night only, the space will transform into a bustling arts and crafts village with artists and makers displaying and selling their work. Free demonstrations, including potter’s wheel throwing, painting, printing, and wool spinning, will run throughout the evening, accompanied by live music from the String Ninjas and Los Dramaticos. Ards Arts Centre will also be open and filled with artists demonstration their work. Try your hand or just sit back and watch!

New to the programme this year are some special events at Castle Espie. Create your very own treasure tray with Ceramicist Tracey Johnston, make your own decorative bird with Wildlife Artist Adele Pound or try your hand at the En Plein Air Workshop with Pandora Butterfield. On Saturday 3 August, the Alfresco Art event in the garden and Kingfisher Café Courtyard at Castle Espie will feature artists and makers demonstrating their skills.

The popular Bangor Art Tour and Tipple returns on Wednesday, 7 August, where attendees can enjoy a walking tour of Bangor, visit three creative spaces, meet the makers, and enjoy a drink along the way! North Down Museum in Bangor will also play host to a Creative Peninsula exhibition and a Heritage Craft Afternoon taking place on Sunday 4 August.

The Mayor of Ards and North Down, Councillor Alistair Cathcart, said: “Creative Peninsula is a wonderful celebration of arts and crafts in our Borough. It is fantastic to have so many talented creatives living and working here, and Creative Peninsula provides a unique opportunity to showcase their work. We are excited to bring this event to you once again and would encourage everyone to explore the Creative Peninsula programme and see what’s on offer.”

Emily Crawford, Arts and Heritage Manager for Ards and North Down Borough Council, added: “We are thrilled to offer a vibrant programme of art and craft activities this August as part of August Craft Month. With events at Castle Espie, a Creative Walking Tour of Bangor, a Twilight Market in Conway Square, exhibitions showcasing our local artists and makers, and a variety of creative workshops and Open Studios, there are plenty of opportunities to get creative.”

To view the full Creative Peninsula programme and to book tickets, visit: creativepeninsula.andculture.org.uk

Tickets go on sale on Thursday 27 June at 12noon.

TITANIC Belfast has announced the return of a free summer exhibition in partnership with Terry Bradley Art following the huge success of last year’s inaugural event.

Dockers & Dolls – The Art of Terry Bradley runs daily from Monday 1^st July until Saturday 31^st August from 9am – 7pm in The Andrews Gallery.

The new exhibition will showcase Bradley’s long tradition of painting the dockers – representing fair, strong Belfast workers who have dealt with a lot in life, while also incorporating some of the rich maritime history of the city, his iconic colourful female pieces and his work relating to mental health awareness.

As part of this year’s exhibition, Titanic Belfast has announced the launch of a new and exclusive immersive experience designed to delve into Bradley’s life and artistic journey. This unique feature is narrated by Terry and will allow people to find out more about the renowned artist and provide deeper insights into his art.

Judith Owens MBE, Chief Executive of Titanic Belfast said: “We are delighted to welcome Terry Bradley back to Titanic Belfast following the huge success of last year’s exhibition. As one of Northern Ireland’s best-known artists, we are so proud to be able to make his art more accessible and provide a platform to give people, both local and from around the world, the opportunity to view Terry’s incredible work and find out more about him as a person and the journey he has been on.

As part of the Dockers & Dolls – The Art of Terry Bradley exhibition, Titanic Belfast has created a new experience that gives people the chance to hear more about the meaning behind Terry’s pieces in his own words – something that has never been done before as part of his exhibitions. This interactive feature will give people a deeper insight into how his life’s experiences have shaped his art.”

Terry Bradley said: “It is an honour to return to Titanic Belfast, with a brand new exhibition to celebrate my work. For me, Dockers & Dolls – The Art of Terry Bradley, is a very personal and reflective exhibition, as it shows how introducing colour into artwork signifies a shift in my mental health.

The transformation from monochrome to a full spectrum of colour is not just aesthetic, it is deeply symbolic. It represents the gradual reawakening of senses, the rediscovery of joy, and the acceptance of the self in all its complexity. I can think of nowhere better than Titanic Belfast, the heart of Belfast’s rich maritime history where I have taken so much inspiration from, for me to share my own personal story.”

For further information on Dockers & Dolls – The Art of Terry Bradley visit www.titanicbelfast.com

WATERFRONT HALL:  Sunday 18 May 2025

Following standing ovations and sold out shows, Whitney: Queen of the Night returns to the Waterfront Hall, Belfast on Sunday 18 May 2025

*Tickets on sale Friday 28 June at 10am*

Waterfront Hall: www.waterfront.co.uk & Ticketmaster: www.ticketmaster.ie

Direct from the West End, The London Palladium, and the iconic Royal Albert Hall, Whitney – Queen of the Night is a celebration of the music and life of one of the greatest singers of all time: Whitney Houston.
Experience the ultimate tribute to the remarkable musical repertoire of Whitney Houston in an electrifying production that honours her timeless songs with sensational vocalists and a full live band.

Prepare to be blown away by an extraordinary journey through three decades of all-time hits such as:

I Wanna Dance With Somebody, One Moment In Time, I’m Every Woman, I Will Always Love You, My Love Is Your Love, So Emotional, Run To You, Saving All My Love, How Will I Know, Million Dollar Bill, The Greatest Love Of All, and many more.

Join us for an unmissable evening filled with live music, captivating choreography, and powerful vocals, as we pay homage to the one and only queen of the night.

Please note that Whitney – Queen of the Night is a tribute production and is not endorsed by or affiliated with the Whitney Houston Estate.

www.queenofthenight.co/

Popular Event Officially Launched at Bayview Hotel

BOASTING world-class riders from all corners of the globe and thousands of fans each year, the Armoy Road Races is set to return to the County Antrim village this summer, running from 26^th – 27^th July.

On Wednesday of this week, members of the Armoy Motorcycle Road Racing Club (AMRRC) welcomed this year’s sponsors to the Bayview Hotel in Portballintrae to officially launch the event.

Title sponsor of the Race of Legends, Trevor Kane, owner of the Bayview Hotel welcomed road racers and invited guests, which included the Mayor of Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council, Councillor Ciaran McQuillan. Attendees heard from Chairman and Clerk of Course, William Munnis as he outlined this year’s racing schedule and paid tribute to all those who work to ensure the success of the Armoy Road Races.

Invited guests also had an opportunity to meet road racers Dominic Herbertson, Jeremy McWilliams, Ryan Whitehall and Neil Kernohan, who were in attendance.

Speaking about the event, Club Chairman and Clerk of Course, William Munnis commented: “The Armoy Road Races is currently in its 15^th year and what a decade and a half it has been.

“As a club we are honoured to see it grow to the hugely successful event that it is today, attracting riders and fans from all corners of the globe and we expect this year to be no different.

“Race entries are closing on Monday 24^th June and alongside the strong representation of home-grown talent, we’re also seeing riders from as far away as Germany and France, who will be vying for the top spot.”

Turning his attention to this year’s sponsors, William continued: “I’ve said it numerous times before, but we are truly indebted to each and every one of our sponsors who kindly support the event every year – without them, it simply wouldn’t be feasible. We are very lucky to have the support of a number of local businesses and individuals who clearly love the sport just as much as we do.

“Sincere thanks to our sponsors, Hilton Car Sales, Ian Hickinson, James McKillop, Raymond Hodges and TT Racing, BDS Motorcycles, the Diamond Bar, the Mermaid Club, MJF Builders, Causeway Geotech, Fay Stewart, Taggart’s Barn, Park Electrical Services, Brap Moto and the Bayview Hotel. We’re also welcoming new sponsors, AP Louden and John M Paterson Ltd on board this year.”

Meanwhile, road racer Dominic Herbertson, who has competed at Armoy for the last number of years, said after the launch: “The Armoy Road Races is something I look forward to year on year as it has become one of the most prestigious competitions in the Irish road racing calendar.

“This year, I will be riding for Burrows Engineering /RK Racing and competing in the Open, Superport and Race of Legends class. If the last few years are anything to go by, the competition will be incredibly tough but, I’m up for the challenge and will be doing all I can to be standing on a podium or two.”

Road racers confirmed for this year include TAS Racing’s Davey Todd on his TT wining bike, Jamie Coward with KTS supported by local man Stanley Stewart Racing. Derek Shiels, Mike Sweeney are also scheduled to race alongside Mike Browne on an Aprilia bike – the first time such a bike will be at Armoy.

Title Sponsor and Bayview Hotel owner, Trevor Kane, “I’m delighted to have been associated with the Armoy Road Races since its inception. The Bayview Hotel has a strong affinity with this tremendous sport, and I look forward to July, some good dry weather and safe and exciting road racing.”

This year, Bike Week runs from Sunday 21^st July with the races taking place on Friday 26^th July and Saturday 27^th July 2024 culminating in the Bayview Hotel ‘Race of Legends.’  The Armoy Road Races are part funded by the Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council.

For more information on Armoy Road Races, visit armoyroadraces.com or search for ‘AMRRC’ on Facebook or follow on X @ArmoyRoadRaces.

The inaugural Remarkable Marketing Awards recognised 20 experts across the industry recently at a glittering awards ceremony at the Europa Hotel.

Sponsored by Card Group Research, the awards were created by the team behind the hugely popular annual Big Marketing Meet Up conference.

Hosted by communicator and presenter, Emer Maguire, the RMA’s gave marketers and their teams the chance to blow their own trumpets to be recognised for their creativity, innovation and marketing successes.

Winners on the night included Catherine McKernan from Galgorm Collective (Hospitality), Stephanie Watson from Lusso Tan (Market Research and Lifestyle & Wellness) and Leonie Bond from Trifecta Studios (independent consultant) plus many more.

Speaking of the awards, Treena Clarke, founder, said: “The Remarkable Marketing Awards are a celebration of the people behind groundbreaking initiatives. These awards are not about brands, channels or tactics, they’re about the people, the visionary marketers.” 

This year’s theme was about encouraging marketers to blow their own trumpets and celebrate the people in Northern Ireland behind some of the most impactful campaigns promoting brands, helping clients hit targets and turning remarkable ideas into reality. 

Winner Charlotte McAteer of Jack Murphy Jewellers said: “Winning the prestigious award for Most Remarkable Marketing in Retail and eCommerce is an immense honour and it wouldn’t have been possible without the support of the entire team at Jack Murphy Jewellers, and each and every customer that has and continues to support our Welded Forever Bracelets experience.”

The event also featured a special keynote address from lead judge Walter Campbell, one of the most awarded creative thinkers and inspirational ECD’s in advertising. 

When asked what stood out to him most during the judging of the awards, Walter Campbell highlighted his admiration for the dedication and resilience displayed in the submissions. 

He said: “I was highly impressed by the commitment to ideas and the physical tenacity evident in some of the work. The determination to extend or unlock aspects of the ideas over 

Melissa Devlin of GCD Technologies who won the Digital & ICT award said: “I’m really proud to have won! 

“Marketing isn’t always about the big shiny campaigns but also the hard work that goes on in the background, particularly in small and medium-sized companies, so it feels great to have been recognised amongst my peers.”

And Ellen White of the MarTech Laboratory at Ulster University who won Future Marketing Leader added: “I am incredibly encouraged by being awarded this accolade and it has empowered me as I hope to progress my career post-graduation within the Northern Ireland marketing sphere.”

The RMA’s are sponsored by headline sponsors Card Group Research and Insight, along with category sponsors Excalibur Press, Horrible Brands, Mrktsearch, Belfast Academy of Marketing, Thought Boxes, Creating Retail Magic and CO3.

For more information or to see a full winners list go to >> remarkableawards.com 

Stephen K. Amos to headline Stendhal Comedy Programme

The multi-award-winning Stendhal Festival has announced the comedy line-up for this year’s event, taking place at Ballymully Cottage Farm, Limavady, on July 4th to 6th and it’s safe to say that visitors this year are all set for a side-splitting, pant wetting, good time.

Headlined by Stephen K. Amos, the bill also includes a plethora of established and up and coming acts from Northern Ireland, including Paddy Raff and Vittorio Angelone.

Stephen K. Amos has charmed and entertained audiences all over the world with his natural, assured delivery and his honest, original material.

Having appeared regularly across the Stage, TV, Radio and Film since he broke through, Stephen K. Amos has become one of the most critically acclaimed stand ups of his generation, with a myriad of awards from comedy festivals all over the world to his name, not to mention his Bafta and Richard Prior Award nominations. 

Comfortable as a performer, presenter, actor and guest, there is no doubt that Stephen K. Amos will retain his position as one of the nation’s favourite comedians for a long time to come.

Topping the bill of home-grown acts is the inimitable Paddy Raff.

Belfast-born Paddy went from open-mic in 2018 to beginning a record breaking 5-night sell-out arena run in 2020. From 2020 to 2022 he won 2 awards for his BBC1 NI comedy sketch TV series ‘The Paddy Raff Show’. 

In his unprecedented first two years in comedy, Paddy established himself as one of the biggest comedians in Northern Ireland amassing a huge following across social media (currently over 250K+) which spread to the UK and beyond during the pandemic, with a string of viral hits that led to him being dubbed ‘the comedy star of the Coronavirus Lockdown’ by The Irish Times.

Also performing at Stendhal this year is the acerbic Irish-Italian Vittorio Angelone 

Edinburgh Fringe Festival award nominee, Vittorio is an Italian Irish comedian who grew up in Belfast. After moving to London to train as a classical musician he eventually made the predictable switch to stand-up comedy. 

He has risen through the ranks of the comedy world at an incredible speed, building a following with stand-up clips, podcasts and sketches amassing millions of views online. 

He has supported huge names on tour including Russell Howard, Jason Manford, Adam Rowe, Shane Todd, and Dan Nightingale.

In 2022 he sold out his debut run at the Edinburgh Fringe and was nominated for Best Newcomer at the prestigious Dave Comedy Awards.

He has been seen on BBC One, Channel 4, TVI Podcast, and as a guest and guest co-host of the Have a Word Podcast.

Joining them on the comedy bill are a brilliant mix of up-and-coming Northern Irish stand-ups, who have been curated especially for Stendhal by Yeo Magazine.

The Yeo Comedy club portion of the programme will be MCed by Brónagh NicAoidh and will feature the hilarious talents of Jazmynne Sierra, Alan Irwin, Ciaran Franco, Talal Jomar and Bronagh Diamond.

Stendhal Festival Director Ross Parkhill said: “We have a great history of bringing the cream of the crop in UK and Northern Irish stand-up to the festival and this year we are delighted that a Bonafede UK Comedy legend in Stephen K. Amos is headlining our comedy bill.

“We are also pleased to continue our tradition of showcasing some of the very best established and up and coming talent from Northern Ireland. Our Comedy scene here is thriving at the moment and acts like Paddy Raff and Vittorio Angelone are big reasons why.

Ross concluded: “We are also pleased to be working for the first time this year with Yeo Magazine who have put together a brilliant showcase of up-and-coming talent for our Stendhal comedy club. We certainly have a big weekend of laughs in store.”

For more information visit www.stendhalfestival.com

Comedian and actor Dace Elliott is swapping Blue Lights for stage lights as he brings his brand-new Stand-up Show, ‘Roleplay’, to The Market Place this week.

Dave is busy juggling the roles of dad, husband, comedian, and… housewife? Join him on a quest for significance as he delivers a scathing and ridiculous take on the roles we play; hilariously exposing the trials and tribulations of modern life.

Dave can be seen on on panel shows such as The Blame Game and he recently appeared on Season Two of BBC’s Blue lights. He is the host of the SLY GUY Podcast and is a regular on the Tea with me and General Banter Podcasts.

‘Fantastic!’ – John Bishop

‘Funny Guy’ – Kevin Hart

The Show contains strong language and adult material and is recommended for age 16+

Dave Elliott will take the stage at The Market Place Theatre, Armagh on Friday 21^st June at 8pm. Tickets can be booked online at www.visitarmagh.com/marketplacetheatre or through the Box Office on 03300 561 025.