Dust the cobwebs off your broomsticks and join Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council, for the annual Halloween Spooktacular at The Junction on Thursday 25 October from 6pm – 8pm.

The thrilling scarefest kicks off at 6pm with Stephen Clements, Cate Conway and the Q Radio roadshow. This year’s theme is Day of the Dead and your little ghosts, goblins and ghouls are invited to come along in their scariest costumes for the fancy dress competition at 7pm. There are some fangtastic prizes up for grabs!

Be amazed by the UK’s mesmerising illuminated street-theatre show SPARK! as they return again this year, due to popular demand! Have a shriek of a time on the spooky ghost train and feel the warmth from our fire performers. You can also get crafty with our special Halloween arts and crafts, funded by The Executive Office. If all this fun is not enough, a spectacular fireworks display at 8pm, is sure to light up the night sky and finish the night with a bang!

This event is jointly organised by Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council and The Junction. Car parking, including accessible parking for blue badge holders, is available at The Junction. For adults and children with specific needs at the Spooktacular, there will be a Mobiloo, sign language provision, quiet space and an accessible viewing point in front of stage.

Additional car parking is available at Antrim Civic Centre, Dunsilly Park & Ride and Antrim Town Centre.  A free shuttle bus will operate from Market Square & Dunsilly Park & Ride only, at regular intervals and after the fireworks.  Access to the event is by Ballymena Road Entrance only.

Please note that the fireworks will be subject to weather conditions.

For information on our full programme of events, please visit www.antrimandnewtownabbey.gov.uk/halloween

From 3-7  November venues across Belfast City will be filled with magic, imagination and other worlds as EastSide Arts get ready to champion the famous Belfast-born author C.S. Lewis, at the  6^th annual C.S. Lewis Festival.

Curated by celebrated Northern Irish author Jan Carson, the festival  theme, ‘Of this and Other Worlds’ taken from the C.S. Lewis essay collection of the same name, will feature more than 70 events, including walks, talks and debates, film screenings, faith and wellbeing events, events for children and families, visual art, literature, workshops, music and theatre, and innovative events showcasing the speculative fiction genres of Fantasy, Science Fiction and Magic Realism.

In keeping with the spirit of C.S. Lewis’s love of fantasy and mythology, The Day of Magical Thinking, (Saturday 3 November at Skanios Centre, Newtownards Road) will feature writing and visual arts workshops and discussions with events focused on imaginative approaches to creating a range of different art forms.

‘Of This World’ features a series of bespoke events creatively re-imagining the changing landscape of east Belfast. Hop aboard the Gaelic Bus tours, or watch a rehearsed reading of the satirical devilish comedy ‘Skrewtape Comes To Belfast’, at The Crescent Arts Centre, and take a tongue in cheek alterative look at Northern Ireland through the lens of literature and music presented by Alternative Ulster at Harland and Wolff Staff Club.

Explore ‘And Other Worlds’ via a series of carefully curated events looking at other worlds and others’ perspectives. Anthony Toner and Jan Carson, explore what the future might look  like in Future Sounds at Strand Arts Centre.  Join Andrew Cunning and guest readers at EastSide Visitor Centre and hear poems, novels and ideas that help us see, imagine and hope a little better.

Children and families will enjoy an ‘Out of this world’ musical adventure with leading children’s singer and songwriter Kyle Riley at Strand Presbyterian Church. Join local children’s writer Myra Zepf and craft genius Ali Fell in a crafty dragon workshop at EastSide Visitor Centre. Call into Connswater Shopping Centre and explore the brand new C.S. Lewis Reading Corner situated upstairs.  Pop into Strand Arts Centre or EastSide Visitor Centre to make a lantern for the community lantern parade  taking place on  8 December.

Enjoy films that whisk you off to other worlds, from The Wizard of Oz to Metropolis at Strand Arts Centre, or enjoy a screening of the classic film Shadowlands, starring Anthony Hopkins as C.S. Lewis, introduced by the film score composer, George Fenton. Discover imaginative literature events ranging from the launch of ‘The Trees of Kilbroney Park,’ art book which focusses on 27 notable trees, or ‘Come Fly’ with the Women’s Aloud NI and meet the authors who will take you on a journey into the skies, stars and space.

There’s a whole range of ‘other’ special events. Join festival curator Jan Carson along with poet Damien Smyth, novelist Bernie McGill, musicians The Darkling Air and The Arco String Quarter for an evening of literature and music at Campbell College, and explore the Narnia themed Fine and Dandy market at City Church.   Walks, talks and debates include discovering C.S. Lewis’s east Belfast and the Socratic Debate at Crescent Arts Centre. ‘Inklings of Heaven’ is an immersive series of three lectures by eminent theologians (Saturday 3 November at Kirkpatrick Memorial Church) featuring Dr. Michael Ward who will explore the magic and symbolism of the Chronicles of Narnia, alongside Professor Judith Wolff and Dr. Sharon Jebb Smith.

For visual art, join the Narnia keep sake box workshop at Robins’ Hobby Café or see In Other Worlds’ exhibition of new work by Brian Cunning at Maitri Studio. Take a journey into other worlds using your body and senses with yoga and the sound of healing also at Maitri Studio.

Curator for the C.S. Lewis Festival, Jan Carson said:

“Throughout his career Lewis was always a great champion of  the imagination. The festival theme, named after his essay collection, ‘Of this and other worlds’, explores fantasy, sci-fi and the recently emerging genre of magic realism, and provides us with the opportunity to explore and express our own imagination. We have programmed our biggest C.S. Lewis Festival to date with more than 70 events ranging from exhibitions, talks, and debates to family fun, literature and film.  This is a fantastic platform to kickstart your own imagination, enjoy magical days and explore other worlds.”

Rachel Kennedy, Festival Director, commented:

“We are delighted to  bring the 6^th annual C.S. Lewis Festival to venues across Belfast. Jan Carson has curated a wonderful range of exciting, innovative and imaginative events around the theme ‘Of This and Other Worlds.’  Each year we seek to showcase the wide and varied works of Lewis and we believe we have created something very special for this year’s audiences. We would like to take the opportunity to acknowledge the support of National Lottery funding through our principal funder, Arts Council Northern Ireland, and support from  Belfast City Council, Arts & Business NI, Hewitt and Gilpin, Translink, Connswater Shopping Centre and W5. Their ongoing commitment helps us to deliver this wonderful festival which continues to champion the Belfast connection to C.S. Lewis.”

For further information visit www.eastsidearts.net, follow on Facebook /CSLewisFestival, Twitter @CSLewisFest #CSLewisFest.

The Ulster-Scots Community Network will host an activity day in Museum at The Mill, Mossley Mill on Saturday 13 October from 12 noon to 4pm.

Entrance will be free of charge and the activities will run alongside the current exhibition on display in the Museum ‘Hand to the Plough: The Impact and Influence of Robert Burns in Mid-Antrim’.

No booking is required so why not drop into the Museum, enjoy some traditional music, an introduction to the Ulster Scots language and poetry, and find out how to organise your own traditional Burns night.

Robert ‘Rabbie’ Burns was primarily a songwriter and collector, writing a body of over 400 songs.  The influence of his legacy is felt particularly in Ulster, where his work and life in Ayrshire, bore strong comparisons to life in Ulster during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.  It is clear this affinity with the poet was also evident in the mid Antrim area where local rural communities embraced cultural, religious and linguistic links with Scotland voiced by a distinctive rural poets known collectively as the rhyming weavers, also featured in the exhibition.

For more details contact Museum at The Mill on 028 9034 0129 or email museums@antrimandnewtownabbey.gov.uk

Hastings Hotels is gearing up for a spook-tacular Halloween, with a frighteningly good selection of dining options and overnight breaks for all the family.

Ghostly Afternoon Tea

Three of the group’s hotels will be holding special Halloween themed Afternoon Teas with a selection of ghostly delights and mouth-watering treats.

• The Stormont Hotel in Belfast (26^th October – 4^th November) is £20 per adult and £10 per little pumpkin
• The Everglades Hotel in Derry~Londonderry (27^th – 31^st October) for £22 per adult and £11 per child
• Ballygally Castle (26^th October – 4^th November) is £22 per adult and £10 per child

Devilishly Good Grand Buffet

Those looking for a devilishly good Grand Buffet are in luck over the Halloween weekend, as the Everglades Hotel’s spooky spectacular Sunday Buffet on 28^th October promises no tricks, only treats for £24 per adult and £12 per child – with fancy dress optional.

An exquisite five course lunch will be on offer at Ballygally Castle on Sunday 28^th October priced at £30 per adult and £16 for little monsters.  The hotel’s service and food are impeccable so the only fright you can expect is from the resident ghost, Lady Isabella.

Children will have a scream of a time at the Halloween Sunday Buffet in the Stormont Hotel on 28^th October, with activities including an interactive decorating station, reptile displays, incy wincy spiders and creepy crawlies. Prizes will be awarded on the day for the best costume.   This eerie extravaganza is £32 per adult and £15 per child, with family packages (2 adults and 2 children) available for £75 including a jug of Vampire Punch.

Spooky Stayover

Stay at the haunted Ballygally Castle from just £65 per person sharing for overnight B&B, if you’re brave enough!  Lady Isabella Shaw is Ballygally Castle’s friendly ghost with numerous sightings having been reported over the years.  Visitors can take a trip to the Ghost Room to see if they can spot her.

With Derry-Londonderry widely recognised as the Halloween capital of Europe and nowhere else celebrates it quite like the Maiden City. Make the most of it and enjoy overnight B&B from £55 per person sharing.

Or why not treat yourself to the Spooky Stayover at the Stormont Hotel from only £70 per person with a special themed Afternoon Tea on arrival and full Irish breakfast the following morning.

 For further information or to book a spellbinding Halloween experience, call 028 9047 1066 or for further information go to www.hastingshotels.com.

The Barbican Gate in the heart of Antrim Town was ‘On Fire’ as the Mayor, Councillor Paul Michael launched this year’s Enchanted Winter Garden.

Northern Ireland’s Premier Christmas Event, Enchanted Winter Garden returns to the stunning Antrim Castle Gardens from Friday 7 to Tuesday 18 December from 4-9pm daily, offering an array of amazing attractions, which includes some brand new features.

Last year’s star attraction ‘The Antrim Wheel’ is back by demand offering fantastic views over Antrim and beyond. Our new features include a Victorian Helter Skelter, Victorian Wave Swinger, an even Bigger Wonderland Wood and Santa Paws for our Four Legged Friends.

Make magical memories this Christmas and join us on a journey of Enchantment as you enter through the Barbican Gate, into the gardens, which are transformed into a magical mystical world of adventure.

Mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey, Councillor Paul Michael commented, “Enchanted Winter Garden is an amazing event for the whole family to enjoy, attracting over 62,000 visitors to the Borough last year.”

Following the great success last year, an Evening of Inclusive Enchantment will take place on Tuesday 18 December, in partnership with The Junction, with reduced numbers, lighting and sound levels, Sensory & Quiet room, ideal for children and adults with additional needs.

Secure your place for this incredible Christmas experience and book your tickets in advance. Tickets go on sale Tuesday 9 October from 10am.  This year we are offering session times allowing you to choose a time most suitable for you. Sessions are 4pm, 5.30pm and 7pm. Tickets are priced at £2 per adult and £1 per child and are available online from enchantedwintergarden.com or in person from Theatre at The Mill, The Old Courthouse Antrim and Clotworthy House or by telephone 028 9448 1338.

Get your Christmas off to a dazzling start with a visit to Enchanted Winter Garden where a wonderful world of enchantment awaits.

No Parking on site. Free Parking in Town Centre Car Parks, including accessible parking.

This event is supported by Tourism Northern Ireland.

Please note Additional charges apply to some of the main attractions including the Big Wheel.

On the 200th anniversary of the publication of the great Gothic novel, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein’s Monster will be reanimated, piece-by-piece at Armagh’s Market Place Theatre on Friday 19th October.

Wireless Mystery Theatre – Ireland’s longest-running audio theatre company – will bring the creature to life with galvanisation, harnessed lightning, and their usual mix of live music, sound foley, and horror. You’ll get the shock of your life!

Then on Saturday 20th October, ‘Celtic Soul’, the definitive Van Morrison tribute, pay homage to our very own musical legend as they perform songs from his days with them right through to the present day.

The 7-piece band make a welcome return to The Market Place to perform authentic and inspired renditions of Van’s music. Expect to hear the big hits as well as classic album tracks including songs from Astral Weeks as the seminal album marks its 50th anniversary this year. With years of playing in blues, folk, traditional and jazz bands, the seven-piece band have the ingredients to deliver Van’s music authentically. If you love Van Morrison’s music you will love Celtic Soul as they take you through the songbook of Belfast’s very own musical icon.

Tickets for all performances can be booked through the Box Office on [028] 3752 1821, or online at www.visitarmagh.com/marketplacetheatre

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.

Give Me Your Love is about MDMA assisted therapy for Post Traumatic Stress.

“It’s Ridiculusmus at their best”, The Stage.

Welcome to the world of war veteran Zach. As the last man standing, Zach has retreated into a tiny dugout under a barrage of hostile fire. His enemies are cunning, using every trick in the book to mess with his mind. Even the landscape is weird: it’s a cardboard box, in Zach’s kitchen, in Port Talbot. His wife whispers, kindly, that it’s safe to come out. But is it a trap? For if the real enemy is Zach himself then who will win if he loses?

Give Me Your Love is the second instalment of Ridiculusmus’s three-pronged investigation into innovative approaches to mental health. Informed by the latest scientific research, it explores the healing potential in altered states of consciousness.

Four star review in The Stage: “Ridiculusmus at their best”

Observer review: “Haynes and Woods play nimbly with delusion”

Tour dates coming up:

October

5-6 The MAC Live, Belfast

Give Me Your Love was commissioned by Battersea Arts Centre and Arts House, Melbourne. It has been supported by the National Lottery through Arts Council England; the Wellcome Trust; Royal Victoria Hall Foundation; the Australian Government through the Australia Council for the Arts; Victorian College of the Arts, Melbourne University and the City of Melbourne through Arts House and its Culture Lab programme.

 

A hard-hitting, powerful production exploring the profound struggles faced by people with mental illness is coming to The Web Theatre, Newtownards on Saturday, 20 October.

Produced by Quintessence Theatre (An Tain Arts Centre’s Company-In-Residence) and hosted by Ards and North Down Borough Council, Cracks is a deeply moving and darkly comic play which follows a young Leanne who attempts to pick up the pieces of her life shattered by mental illness and an unsuccessful suicide attempt.

First devised by Quintessence in 2016 and directed by Anna Simpson, this work seeks to expose the lived experience of battling a severe mental illness in an inefficient and unsympathetic system through the eyes of one young woman, whilst demonstrating how those around also struggle to understand.

The play is performed by Leah Rossiter, Anthony Kinahan, Fiona O’Brien and The Web Theatre show is the final date on an 18-venue island-wide tour funded by the Arts Council and the Arts Council of Northern Ireland.

Speaking about Cracks, The Mayor of Ards and North Down, Councillor Richard Smart said:

“While we have come a long way in breaking the stigma that surrounds poor mental health, we have still a way to go.

It’s only by tackling this stigma that people will feel able to talk to friends, family or support services in order to prevent the lows, most people experience from time to time, turning into something more complex.

That’s why I was delighted to support this production to help promote discussion around mental health locally and it’s also a great excuse to visit the superb Web Theatre which does so much to support the arts right here in Newtownards.”

Also speaking about the production, Amy McKelvey, Community Arts Officer for Ards and North Down Borough Council said; “According to a recent report by World Health Organisation, 1 in 4 people will suffer from mental health problems at some point in their lives. Sadly, Northern Ireland has the highest rate of suicide of any of the UK regions and these figures have risen steadily since the 1970’s. Raising awareness about mental health is important because not only does it help to remove the stigma around the subject, but it also helps sufferers and their families to be able to identify the issues and to get help to deal with the illness. We hope that bringing this hard-hitting production to Ards will highlight these issues and create further conversation about mental health. A post show discussion will follow the production where issues arising from the play will be discussed.”

Candice Foster Artistic Director Web Theatre said; ” We are delighted to have been selected as one of the venues for this performance. We strongly believe that theatre has the power to not only entertain but also educate and empower.”

Tickets for the performance at The Web Theatre are priced £8 with a group discount for 10 people and over at £4 per ticket. Tickets can be booked at Ards Arts Centre, by phone on 028 9181 0803 and online at www.ardsarts.com

Belfast International Arts festival will once again be keeping audiences on the edge of their seats as a variety of world class artists come to Belfast from the 16^th October to 3^rd November 2018.

Something that is vital to the running of the contemporary arts event is the support lent to Belfast International Arts Festival by a team of enthusiastic volunteers, helping to deliver an unforgettable experience to all visitors and welcome artists from across the world.

The festival’s growing stature attracts renowned artists from across the globe. Audiences will be entertained by a number of exciting and important performances including screen star Isabella Rossellini, Grammy award winning Angélique Kidjo, former Irish President Mary Robinson among over 100 other acts taking part in the 2018 spectacular.

Belfast International Arts Festival is led by some of the top professionals in the industry. Volunteers gain an insight into the world of arts, events and PR and all receive World Host training, an accredited qualification.

With keen volunteers already recruited for 2018 Festival Director, Richard Wakely, greatly appreciates the integral role volunteers play in the annual event.

“Volunteers will be an invaluable part of putting Northern Ireland on the map as a city of cultural importance, hosting international acts in the very best venues. They will be the first point of contact to welcome guests and audiences and assisting the wider Festival team and visitors.  They play a very important role in Belfast International Arts Festival every year, giving their time freely and with enthusiasm, and for that we are incredibly grateful.”

Sonya Whitefield, Arts Officer, Arts Council of Northern Ireland said, “ If you have a passion for the arts and you like interacting with people then volunteering at the Belfast International Arts Festival is a perfect opportunity for you to explore new roles, develop new skills and be part of something exciting and creative.

“The Arts Council of Northern Ireland is the festival’s principal public funder and we really appreciate the value that volunteers add, making this festival one of the leading events in our cultural calendar. The fact that audiences are so well looked after by the kindness and knowledge of staff and volunteers is a credit to the great team work that goes on behind the scenes.”

The Belfast International Arts Festival is supported by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, The National Lottery through the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Belfast City Council, Tourism Northern Ireland and British Council.

Tickets are available now at belfastinternationalartsfestival.com.  With over 120 events including 12 premiers make sure to check out the full programme available from the festival website.

What Gives a Girl Power and Punch?  Is it Charm? Is it Poise? No, it’s Hairspray!  Join us at Theatre at The Mill on 4 & 5 October, Hairdos and excitement will be on the rise with a lot of shaking and shimmying as local students from Uplift Performing Arts present their production of Hairspray JR.

The family-friendly show captures the spirit and turmoil of 1962 Baltimore through laughter, dance, romance and deliriously tuneful songs. The story follows Tracy Turnblad, a full-figured girl with full-figured hair and a big heart, who has only one passion – to dance.

When her determination and rock ‘n roll moves land her a spot on a local television dance program, “The Corny Collins Show,” she is transformed from an outsider to an irrepressible teen celebrity.

This trendsetter in dance and fashion uses her fame to win the affections of heartthrob Link Larkin, challenge the program’s reigning princess Amber and rally against racial segregation… all without denting her ‘do.

“Hairspray JR. is a dynamic musical with an important message, that acceptance comes in all shapes, sizes and nationalities,” Freddie Gershon, CEO of Music Theatre International (MTI).

Uplift Performing Arts will present Hairspray JR. on 4 & 5 October at 7.45pm at Theatre at The Mill.  Tickets £15 & £12 (Concessions) available from Box Office T: 028 9034 0202 or online @ theatreatthemill.com