Make your way to Meadowbank Sports Arena on Saturday 5th May 2-6pm as Magherafelt District Council has planned a spectacular start to its 2012 Summer Festival Season – and the best bit about this event – IT’S ALL FREE!

The fun gets underway at 2pm on Saturday 5th May with a wide range of attractions both inside and outside at the Meadowbank Sports Arena. Inside the arena children of all ages will be entertained by The Great Mefiesto with his tricks of balance, feats of equilibristic manipulation (juggling) and riding atop a 6ft unicycle: Mr McBubbles’ mesmerizing magic show;
Kirsty’s Kinetic Dancers with their hip-hop moves; and the groovy A-Hey Karaoke and disco.

Children can burn off some energy on it’s a knockout, the mega inflatables, bungee run, rodeo bull, demolition zone, and the assault courses. Other activities inside include; Jumping Clay demonstrations, nail painting, temporary tattoos, hair braiding, and balloon modelling.

There will also be a designated infant/toddler area comprising of small bouncy castles and a play trailer to entertain the little ones. Gymstar dance mats and the Whacker wall are provided by “Living and Learning Together” which is a 5 year Big Lottery funded programme assisting communities in the Magherafelt and Antrim area to enhance and develop skills, address health and wellbeing issues and to encourage social inclusion.

The fun doesn’t stop there as outside there will be a climbing wall to suit those with a desire to reach the skies, laser clay pigeon shooting to test your aim, and the Gyroscope Space Ball which twists, turns and puts you in a spin. The NI Fire Service will also be onsite giving Fireman Sam enthusiasts the opportunity to meet real fire-fighters and to get a closer look at how the fire engine works.
Event organiser Charmain Bell said, “This annual Summer Festival is set to be an amazing spectacle. It’s a great day out for all the family – and I do believe it will be bigger and better than previous years. We have incorporated more activities and new entertainers, which is sure to please everyone”.

But don’t just take our word for it – come along and experience the magic of Magherafelt for yourself. It’ll be more than you imagine!

For further information contact Magherafelt Tourist Information Centre Tel: 028 7963 1510 or visit www.exploremagherafelt.com.

As part of the run up to the Derry-Londonderry’s term as UK City of Culture in 2013, the city today announced that it will host a major new festival of digital culture this summer.

Special offer via whatsonni.com – use promo code “whatsonpromo” for £10 discount!

Culture Tech is billed as a four-day festival of digital culture and technologies and will take place from August 29th to September 1st within Derry’s historic walled city centre. The festival promises an eclectic mix of film screenings, digital arts installations, live music performances, public workshops and a major games tournament.

Mark Nagurski from Digital Derry, principal organisers of the festival, explained: “Digital technology has become a part of all of our lives in everything from the way we work to the games we play. In the run up to the City of Culture year we wanted to host an event that celebrated the way that technology is helping to shape exciting new projects in culture and the arts. We’re bringing in speakers, acts and artists from all over the globe but there’ll also be a strong emphasis on exciting projects being developed right here in Northern Ireland. We hope it’s an event that everyone can come and enjoy and we expect to have over 10,000 people taking part over the four days.”

The festival will include an industry conference expected to attract over 500 delegates and also a showcase event, co-sponsored by Invest Northern Ireland, where local companies can present their projects.

Martin Adair, acting Head of Creative Industries at Invest NI, commented: “Northern Ireland’s vibrant creative industries sector is hugely important to the Northern Ireland economy which has ambitious, world-class companies operating across the full spectrum of industries, from film and TV to digital media including gaming, animation and music.

“The Culture Tech festival will be an important opportunity to showcase this talent and help to maximise the export potential of these business as well as position Northern Ireland competitively among international investors.”

Brian Burns from festival sponsors Seagate said: “The creative industries, particularly games and music, are a hugely important growth area for Seagate. As digital content, such as music, video, photos and games, becomes more integrated into everyday life, the idea of static data storage is becoming obsolete.  Today, people want to access, share and secure digital content using dynamic storage solutions that give them the freedom to do business, and to create and interact at any time and anywhere. Seagate is in the business of delivering the advanced digital storage solutions that meet these needs. We’ve also been in Derry for nearly 20 years and have a long-standing association with the creative industries here. With that in mind, we’re enormously excited to be associated with what will undoubtedly be a fantastic event.”

Many of the festival events are open to the public and free to attend and the organisers expect it to be a big draw for families. Tickets for the conference, screenings and music events start at just £49 for all four days and are available online at www.culturetech.co where you’ll also find details of the festival programme.

Local singer/songwriter of international renown, David Mc Williams passed away in January 2002.

David had many international hits including ‘The Days of Pearly Spencer’.

On the 10^th anniversary of his death a tribute concert will be held at the Braid Arts Centre on Friday April 27^th, 8pm. This special event will feature three of Northern Ireland’s top singer/songwriters; Bap Kennedy, Errol Walsh and Bob Speers, who are all great admirers of David McWilliams. Bob Speers, who was a very close friend of David, will be re-releasing his own hit album ‘Northland’ on the night.

Also appearing on the stage at the Braid for the first time will be young local singer/songwriter Tara Hoy who will soon be releasing her very first album. At the event The Ballymena based David Mc Williams Appreciation Society will be presenting a donation of £2,000 to Belfast’s Oh Yeah Centre. Following David’s death this society was set up to promote local singer/songwriters while preserving the legacy and spirit of the exceptional character that was David McWilliams.

This event will be a rare treat and is part of the Ballymena Arts Festival. For tickets contact the Braid Box Office: 028 256 35900

The Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) is delighted to host the UK premiere of Ground Zero 360° which will run from 3rd May – 25^th May 2012 at PRONI’s state of the art new building in Belfast’s historic Titanic Quarter.

Ground Zero 360° is a photographic exhibition which uses visuals, audio clips and a unique panoramic installation to depict the startling aftermath of one of the most tragic events in American history – ‘9/11’. The exhibition has been put together by Nicola McClean, a New York based Irish photographer who used her camera to document the devastation of the day, and her husband, Paul McCormack, an NYPD police captain who was part of the rescue mission.

Designed to honour the memory of the victims, Ground Zero 360° allows the onlooker to experience the enduring events of September 11th and celebrate the tremendous courage and dignity of a nation under fire.

www.groundzero360.org/

This June, North Down Borough Council will be marking The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee with an extended weekend of special events, taking place around The Town Hall and Bangor Town Centre.

As part of the vintage-themed celebrations, on June 3^rd & 4^th, in the beautiful surroundings of Bangor’s Town Hall – The Northern Ireland Morris Minor Owners Club (MMOC) in association with North Down Borough Council will be holding a Jubilee Vintage Car Show. The MMOC are one of N.I’s most active old vehicle Clubs and despite the name open their events to all makes, models and types of old vehicles. This special show will feature a wide array of vintage cars from many periods and is sure to delight motoring fans young and old.

Highlights of The Show so far, which will feature over 50 cars, include: a Morris Minor Panda Police Cart, fully restored complete with Police equipment, a 1971 MG B Roadster and a 1973 Triumph 2000. Also in attendance will be the award winning Maxwell Freight Titanic Truck and a truck that is currently being painted celebrating the Golfing Masters Tournament coming to Northern Ireland this year.

The Ulster Military Vehicle Club will be attending with a Shoreland vehicle built by Shorts, also featuring will be a beautifully restored old Council refuse collection truck. It is hoped to also include a scooter and motor bike display as part of the event, a treat for all you bike fans.

Members hope to recreate a very special atmosphere with a special Diamond Jubilee “Street Party” and are encouraging their members and exhibitors to get into the spirit of the occasion and come along in 50s style dress. There will be many spot prizes to be won on the day including prizes for the best dressed in period costume.

As well as the Vintage Car Show, there will also be a Vintage Fair, a Cartoon Wonderland, live music from internationally renowned Jazz acts and The Ulster Orchestra, as well as events at The Museum, The Big Lunch and lots more.

So come down to Bangor this June 3^rd and 4^th and be part of the Queen’s Jubilee Celebrations!

For further information, please phone our Tourist Information Centre on: 028 9127 0069 or visit www.northdowntourism.com or www.mmoc-ni.co.uk

Two local TV production companies are coming together to broadcast the Olympic relay events in Magherafelt. Anderson Videos and NEELB TV are joining forces to provide live internet coverage of the Olympic torch coming to town.

The team will use their combined skills to record the community carnival parade on Wednesday 6^th June  and stream a live transmission of events via the internet on Thursday 7^th June, including the arrival of the world famous torch.

The partnership came about when Magherafelt District Council approached Raymond Anderson from Anderson Videos to cover the prestigious events. Raymond realised the potential of the broadcast and suggested contacting Peter Simspon from NEELB TV about working together to provide a full Outside Broadcast.

NEELB TV has a full production facility not unlike a small TV station, including HD filming, a television studio and a ten camera Outside Broadcast Truck with satellite webcasting . They currently produce programs for two web TV channels for teachers www.neelb.tv and www.esags.tv . These channels provide Continual Professional Development support for teachers under the Department of Education’s ‘Every School a Good School Policy.’  Programmes are available 24/7 and are used by educationalists around the World.

Peter says “We are looking forward to covering the two-day event and will have full OB support on the ground. This event gives us the opportunity to use some of the local students in the production which will provide them with a unique broadcasting experience. The main question has been ‘how can we cover this?’ Running cables couldn’t be an option due to the lengths required so we decided to use four microwave links including a helicopter link and six wired cameras. This meant we had to re-think things and use a hoist for aerials in order to get a signal.”

Raymond says “When I was told about the event I jumped at it. This is an event happening now that most likely will not happen again in our lifetimes. Magherafelt needs a record of it. We want to show the excellence of the people of Magherafelt in areas such as commerce, sport, music and education. We want to promote the area and people from it. In fact, most of the people involved in recording the event are from the area.”

The program will be hosted by local personality and BBC sports presenter, Claire Glancy.  A dedicated studio and green room will be set up in a hall at First Magherafelt Presbyterian Church at the head of town where Claire will be joined by guests from the district. Cameras will then be linked from events around the town, including the filming of visual displays at Meadowbank where 3000 children will assemble. Weather permitting, the children from 31 local schools will come together to form an Olympic message which will be filmed from a helicopter and streamed live over the internet.   The school children will then line the streets to welcome the torch as it passes through the town.

The arrival of the Olympic torch to Magherafelt will also be recorded as it travels up the Ballyronan Road, through to the town centre roundabout, down Broad Street and on to the Castledawson Road. The events will be streamed live via the internet from 12.30pm to 2pm and can be watched via Magherafelt District Council’s website www.magherafelt.gov.uk.

NEELB’s résumé has included training young people to cover the Milk Cup for BBC Blast viewed by some 800 000 people across the globe as well as the ‘F1 in schools finals’ viewed in over 20 countries and on Information Tv on the Sky platform.  All the work they do is part of the Education Board’s curriculum and support service and assists in all areas of school improvement.  The group also take clients on virtual field trips.  For example, they recently took a teacher to the Giant’s Causeway and she was able to take 900 pupils on a live, virtual tour 3000 miles away in Virginia, USA using the OB truck and live satellite links.

Viewers from around the world are expected to tune in to watch the live broadcast of Magherafelt’s Olympic relay events on Wednesday June 6 and Thursday June 7. For further information contact Michael Browne, Davina McCartney or Charmain Bell at Magherafelt District Council 028 7939 7979 or email olympictorch@magherafelt.gov.uk

Bushmills Village: April 2012: BUSHMILLS™ Irish Whiskey has announced that globally-renowned actor Elijah Wood will perform a DJ set at ‘Bushmills Live’ – the festival of handcrafted whiskey and music taking place at the Old Bushmills Distillery on the 20th and 21st June.

He joins a bill that already features multi-platinum selling band Snow Patrol – whose fee for the festival is being donated in full to the Oh Yeah Music Centre in Belfast – and award winning artists Iain Archer and Foy Vance.
Wood, along with his friend Zach Cowie, will take to the stage under the name Wooden Wisdom. The duo has DJ’d at Bushmills launch events in the past, but this will be the first time that they will have performed at an event together outside of the United States.
Widely regarded as one of the most gifted actors of his generation, Wood has recently completed production for Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit, where he will be reprising his role as Frodo Baggins. Wood made an indelible mark in the trilogy of films based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings in the lead role of the hobbit, Frodo. Directed by Jackson, the films; The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and Return of the King were all critically lauded as well as being box office record setters. In addition, Return of the King won the Academy Award* for Best Picture as well as 11 Academy Awards in all, tying Titanic for the record. Wood is also the founder of record label Simian Records.

Elijah Wood recently appeared in ‘Bushmills Since Way Back’– an initiative that celebrates the friendships of artists across the world, and works with them to produce unique content inspired by their passions.

Fans of Bushmills Irish Whiskey can win the chance to attend the festival by entering a competition on the Bushmills Facebook page – facebook.com/bushmills1608.

To stand a chance of winning they will have to submit a photo of themselves and a friend and explain why they and their friend should be in the audience for Bushmills Live.

As well as listening to great music, those fortunate to win a ticket to the festival will also have the opportunity to make their own blend of Bushmills Irish Whiskey.

Colum Egan, Master Distiller at the Old Bushmills Distillery said: “I am really looking forward to welcoming Elijah to the Old Bushmills Distillery. He is a great actor and DJ and I have already seen him perform at a fantastic Bushmills party in Los Angeles. The line up for Bushmills Live just keeps getting better and I now can’t wait for 20th June!”

To win tickets to Bushmills Live or to find out more, visit facebook.com/bushmills1608. Entry closes at 23:59 GMT on 27th April 2012. Terms and conditions apply.

*OSCAR® and ACADEMY AWARDS® are registered trademarks and service marks of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

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THE biggest Countrysports Fair in Northern Ireland is back this May and promises to be even better than ever before with a staggering £1 million worth of investment set to be generated into the local economy.

Rebranded from The National Countrysports Fair to The Northern Ireland Countryside Festival, the two-day spectacular, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary and has launched a brand new website to mark the occasion, will once again take place in Moira Demesne on Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th May, 2012.

More than 18,000 visitors attended last year’s event and organisers expect, with new attractions and activities, that number to rise significantly this year resulting in a huge boost for the local area. With the various exhibitors and visitors travelling into the region over the weekend, 800 bed nights will be required while £100,000 will be spent in and around the festival venue.

Families will certainly enjoy all the fun of the fair as this year three great events – the National Countrysports Fair, the Tea on the Titanic Music Festival and the Finn McCool Strongman Festival – have been rolled into one giant festival.

Activities in the main ring this year include Phoenix Falconry Birds of Prey Display, Drakes of Hazard Sheepdog and Ducks Display and Gundog handling demonstrations. The Strongman Arena will include the Finn McCool Celtic Games and the Irish Novice Strongman Challenge while the Tea on the Titanic Festival allows the visitor to enjoy traditional music and dance from Hugo Duncan and band, The Bjorn Identity Abba Tribute Band and an Elvis Tribute act.
The eagerly anticipated festival has seen significant support and funding from the Northern Ireland Tourist Board and Lisburn City Council as it continues to establish itself as a key Northern Ireland event and generates tourism during #ni2012 supporting the ‘Our Time, Our Place’ campaign.

Festival Director, Bill Beckett said, “This year is going to be bigger and better at the Northern Ireland Countryside Festival, not only are we celebrating our 10th festival at Moira Demesne, we have rebranded and have launched our new website.

“The festival has continued to grow over the years and this year we wanted to enhance the visitor experience with the two additional events in what is a very historic and important year for Northern Ireland tourism,” he added.

Eddie Rowan, Northern Ireland Tourist Board’s Event Manager said, “We’re delighted to once again be supporting the Northern Ireland Countryside Festival. Each year it attracts crowds from across the country and with new attractions added to the 2012 event we’re sure it will appeal to an even wider audience and help increase attendances even more during this great year for tourism in Northern Ireland.”

Alderman Dillon, Chair of Lisburn City Council Economic Development Committee said, “Lisburn City Council is delighted to see the return of the festival for the tenth occasion to Moira Demesne and the first as the Northern Ireland Countryside Festival. This is a great event for the local area and with the estimated investment into the local economy, everyone should benefit from this.”

For further information and for ticket prices please visit the website www.nicountryside.com

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