On 5^th August The Mac in Belfast plays host to Northern Ireland’s largest gathering of breastfeeding mothers.

Breastival is a celebration of breastfeeding, aiming to normalise what has often been a controversial issue in Northern Ireland. Despite the NHS and World Health Organisation recommendation that children be breastfed until the age of two, only 7% of children in Northern Ireland are breastfed past the age of six months.

Founder of Breastival, Belfast based mum Jennifer Hanratty, says “breast is not best, it’s biologically normal and it needs to become socially and culturally normal again and just because breastfeeding is natural doesn’t mean it is easy. Mum and baby need to learn together and family and wider society need to support and protect them. Breastival will be an opportunity for everyone to learn and celebrate the amazing experience breastfeeding can be when it is well supported.” Breastival welcomes all supporters of breastfeeding and those who want to learn more about it.

Featuring renowned pharmacist Dr Wendy Jones alongside local experts, Breastival also aims to break the Northern Irish record for ‘The Global Big Latch On’ where women around the world gather together to breastfeed at 10.30am. We are excited to have Nuala McAllister, Lord Mayor of Belfast acting as the official counter for our record attempt.

Cllr Nuala McAllister, Lord Mayor of Belfast has been an active supporter of breastfeeding and has highlighted the positive steps Belfast City Council has made in supporting breastfeeding mothers. She explains “as a mother who breastfed, Breastival has my full support.  Belfast City Council has always been extremely supportive of mothers who choose to breastfeed.  In 2014, we signed up for the Public Health Agency’s ‘Breastfeeding Welcome Here’ scheme, which aims to increase the number of premises which welcome breastfeeding mums.  Thirty-six of our buildings, including the City Hall, are signed up to the initiative, helping mums to feel more comfortable doing something in public which should actually be seen as perfectly normal. Events such as Breastival can only serve to show that breastfeeding is becoming increasingly socially acceptable in our modern society, as well highlighting the health benefits that breastfeeding can bring to both mother and baby.”

Breastival has over 500 people registered to attend including nursing mothers, expectant parents, kids, friends and family. Discussions, interactive workshops and demonstrations are being led by industry experts including Pharmacist Dr Wendy Jones, Parenting NI, Bravissimo and breast surgeon Ciara McGoldrick.

An exhibition of ‘More Than Milk’ features contributions from over 100 local parents showcasing the realities of breastfeeding as part of everyday life.

Breastival is a free to attend event and  open to everyone but pre-registration is required at www.breastivalbelfast.co.uk

For media enquires contact;

Hello@breastivalbelfast.co.uk or call Jennifer Hanratty 07872012406

 

Friday 28 July – Thursday 3 August

 

Friday 28 July, Lough Lively Sessions – Runabay

Portico, Steel Dickson Avenue, Portaferry

7.30pm | Tickets £10

Join us in Portaferry for our Lough Lively sessions, where music comes to life. This week you can see Runabay, six musicians from the Glens of Antrim who through their passion for harmony and melody have been writing and recording since 2013.

T:  028 9182 6846 | visitardsandnorthdown.com

 

Saturday 29 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 29:  Science Workshop and Balloon Modelling

T:  028 9182 6846 | visitardsandnorthdown.com

 

Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 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 29: Magic Tricks (Limited Numbers) Crafts
Sun 30: Plant and Play – Fairy Garden, Glitter Tattoos and Ulster-Scots Agency Entertainment

Cottages open 11am – 5pm

T:  028 9127 0069 | visitardsandnorthdown.com

 

Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 July, Summer Market at the Museum

North Down Museum, Bangor

Sat 10am-4.30pm, Sun 12noon-4.30pm

A family market featuring a varied selection of must buys. Set in the beautiful surroundings of the Museum this promises to be a wonderful weekend.

T:  028 9127 1200, northdownmuseum.com

 

Sunday 30 July, Summer Music in the Park

Ward Park, Bangor

3pm – 5pm | Free

Join us for live music every Sunday in July and August. This week celebrate the last day of the Ulster Fleadh with musicians from Ards and North Down Comhaltás.

T:  028 9127 0069 | visitardsandnorthdown.com

 

Friday 4 August – Thursday 10 August

 

Friday 4 August, Music in the Courtyard

North Down Museum, Bangor

12noon – 2pm | Free

Chill out in the ambiance of lunchtime music performances, every Friday in August

Info:  028 9127 1200, northdownmuseum.com

 

Saturday 5 August, Kid’s “Mini-beasts” Nature Trail

Killynether Wood, Newtownards

10.30am-12.30pm | £2.50 per child

Join this fascinating interactive nature trail led by Patrick Cregg from the Woodland Trust and bird expert Dot Blakely

T: 028 9127 0069 | visitardsandnorthdown.com

 

Saturday 5 August, 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 August.

Sat 5:  Science Workshop and Glitter Tattoos

Info: 028 9182 6846, visitardsandnorthdown.com

 

Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 August, 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 5    Magic Show
Sun 6   CSI Workshop and Ulster-Scots Agency Entertainment

Cottages open 11am – 5pm

T:  028 9127 0069 | visitardsandnorthdown.com

 

Sunday 6 July, Summer Music in the Park

Ward Park, Bangor

3pm – 5pm | Free

Join us for live music every Sunday in August. This week, see The 19th Street Band deliver an exciting mix of red hot Americana, country and rock ‘n roll.

T:  028 9127 0069 | visitardsandnorthdown.com

Exhibitions

Portaferry Visitor Information Centre

The Stables, Castle Street, BT22 1NZ

T: 028 4272 9882

 

Saturday 5 – Sunday 27 August

Art in the Loft: ‘The Language of Pain’

An exhibition by the Martin family addressing the hidden side of pain

 

North Down Museum, Bangor

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

T: 028 9127 1200 | northdownmuseum.com

 

Until Sunday 20 August 

The Lay of the Land Exhibition

Bangor based artists draw on their experiences of living and working within the beautiful borough of Ards and North Down.

 

Wednesday 2 August – Sunday 3 September 

Creative Peninsula

A celebration of the exclusivity and quality of the artwork produced by local artists and craftspeople

 

Ards Crafts and Visitor Information Centre

31 Regent Street, Newtownards, BT23 4AD

T: 028 9182 6846

 

Saturday 5 – Saturday 26 August

Meet the Maker: ‘Natural Impressions’

A collaborative exhibition by Printmaker Michael Geddis and Ceramicist Andrew Cooke

 

Ards Arts Centre

Town Hall, Conway Square,  Newtownards, BT23 4NP

T: 028 9181 0803

 

Wednesday 2 – Thursday 31 August

Creative Peninsula

A showcase of the high concentration of artists and craft persons living and working in the Ards Peninsula.

 

Coordinated by Craft NI, August Craft Month at The Market Place Theatre & Arts Centre is the annual celebration of contemporary craft in Northern Ireland encouraging audiences to learn more about contemporary and traditional craft through workshops, exhibitions, demonstrations, talks, fairs and other exciting craft events.

The Market Place Theatre have teamed up with experienced willow and textile weavers Sabine Wolniczak and Nicola Gates to host two weekends of fantastic weaving workshops.

On 4 and 5 August, you can come along and participate in exploring some of the techniques of Willow Basket Weaving. With the assistance of experienced craft tutor and basket-maker Sabine Wolniczak from Beaghmore Baskets you will spend the two days making a natural and bespoke round shopper with handle using locally grown, harvested and seasoned willow. You are guaranteed to embark on a stimulating and invigorating experience. All materials will be supplied. The workshops will run from 10am to 4pm each day and participation costs £80 or £75 (concession).

Then in our two-day Introduction To Tapestry Weaving workshop on 11 and 12 August, you will learn the foundation skills of tapestry weaving on a simple frame loom. As well as covering the basic techniques, the workshop will encourage individual expression and experimentation. On day one we will focus on learning the basics of plain weave, creating shapes and textural techniques such as rya knotting and sumak, to create a small sampler. Working at your own pace, on day two you will have the chance to create a small abstract wall hanging, exploring texture, colour and composition. The workshops run from 10am to 4pm each day and participation costs £55.

Visit the website at www.marketplacearmagh.com for full details and bookings, or contact the Box Office on [028] 3752 1821. 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.

One of the region’s biggest and best-attended annual events is set to soar this year, boosted by high flying support from Rockwell Collins Kilkeel.

A world-leading company in the aviation sector, and a major private sector employer in the region, Rockwell Collins will be backing Newry, Mourne and Down District Council’s Festival of Flight on Saturday 5 August.  This will be the sixth successive year of support for the mega-festival from a business which manufactures seats for the world’s major airlines at its Kilkeel factory.

The 2017 event is expected to attract more than 100,000 spectators to marvel at an afternoon of aerial extravaganza headlined by the world famous Red Arrows aerobatic team, supported by a packed programme of on-the-ground family fun, centred on Newcastle.

Welcoming the injection of private sector investment in the Festival of Flight, Councillor Roisin Mulgrew, Chairperson of Newry, Mourne and Down District Council, said, “Given its global reputation in aviation, and its prominent position within the economy of our region, Rockwell Collins is the perfect partner for our annual aerial spectacular and we are delighted to welcome them on board.  Thanks to their generosity we are able to build on the success of this fantastic event, taking it to new heights and maximising its positive impact on our hospitality sector.

“In Newry Mourne & Down we are firmly focused on delivering visitor destination experiences that will deliver what we refer to as ‘Epic Moments’ – holiday highpoints that are Experiential, Personalised, Iconic and Immersive and Creative.  We are committed to creating wonderful events which complement our world-class venues and majestic landscapes and present Newry, Mourne and Down as an inspiring and memorable holiday destination, supporting our strategic goal of building tourism as part of a vibrant economy. Our annual Festival of Flight clearly fulfils all those objectives, and more.  We’re looking forward to an incredible day which showcases our wonderful region to the max.”

Looking forward to this year’s aerial extravaganza, Martin McGinley, Vice President and Managing Director of Rockwell Collins Kilkeel, said, “Rockwell Collins is a global leader in aviation and high-integrity solutions, providing world markets with a comprehensive portfolio of products and services that can transform our customers’ futures.  Aviation is both our business and our passion and, through our longstanding support for the Festival of Flight, created and staged by Newry, Mourne & Down District Council, we are delighted to share that passion for aviation with our local community, and with the tens of thousands of visitors who will visit our region to enjoy one of Ireland’s biggest, best-attended, and most spectacular air shows.

“For us, this is an opportunity to put something back into our local community and we look forward not only to the adrenalin rush of world-class aerial display in a truly world-class location, but also to a weekend which provides a significant economic boost for the region’s tourism and hospitality sector.

“On behalf of everyone who will enjoy the drama in the skies over Dundrum Bay, I commend the vision of Newry, Mourne Down District Council in ‘thinking big’ and making this event such an important annual highlight of Northern Ireland’s Summer events season.  Thanks also go to the diverse agencies, organisations, communities and individuals who combine expertise, boundless enthusiasm with a vast amount of preparation to create this wonderful high-flying programme.

Danann Crafts Annual “Our Big Marketplace” is back Sat 5th August at High Street Mall, Portadown to celebrate Craft NI August craft month.

Great family event with Live demos, loads of craft stalls, food plus great craft for the kids.

Great Kids workshops with :

Messy play with Danann Crafts Creative UB
KD Kraft – jewellery & keyring making
Wacky Wax Hands
plus face painting and few other surprises

Meet and greet crafters hosting workshops with Danann Crafts
Keith Sheppard from Glass Art Ireland
Liz Nicholls from Liz Nicholls Felt & Textile Designer
Karolina Lisek from Little Tangle – who will be hosting a live demo

Loads of wonderful #local craft & food stalls
Carol’s Bakes, Pamodelmaker Nitted things Zany Crafts Jojo Knit Harte Wood Lily Rose Creations The Honey Pot Peggy Rose Crafts Craft NymphBobble crafts Rascal Prints Janpots Nstuff Abandoned N.I. @rosies makes Steve’s Pallet Creations Old Shabby New Chic …more to be announced

This is just some of the amazing happenings at our event, so are you coming?

Please #share & #tag a friend who would be interested …its a FREE EVENT with FREE parking.

#craftni #dananncrafts #portadown #weedanann #lovecrafts #kidsfun#becreative #fundayout

 

The Script have announced their return to the stage with two very special Irish shows that will include the Millennium Forum, Derry on August 22^nd.

Tickets go on sale at 9.30am next Friday, July 28^th via Ticketmaster outlets and www.ticketmaster.ie and are priced at £43.50 (including booking fee).

Fan pre-sale begins at 9.30m next Wednesday, July 26^th at 9.30am. For more information please visit http://www.thescriptmusic.com/.

Very special guest for both dates is JP Cooper.

 

After almost 3 years since their last release, The Script returned last Friday with their brand new single Rain, out through Columbia Records. Rain was immediately added to playlists up and down the country and stormed straight into the Top 10 on iTunes – it was impossible to miss that The Script were back! Today the Irish three-piece announce more news – their fifth album Freedom Child will be released on 1^st September and they will embark on an intimate tour around the UK and Ireland.

 

Their new album, Freedom Child, out on 1^st September, sees the band presenting a collection of urgent, timely, future-facing anthems that speak of both real-life events and real-time sonic adventurism. The album was recorded between London and Los Angeles and for the first time, the band chose to work with some outside writers and producers including Toby Gad and Nasri Atweh. The follow up to 2014’s No Sound Without Silence is available to pre-order now from http://smarturl.it/FreedomChild.

To coincide with the release of Freedom Child, The Script, who are no strangers to sold out arenas and stadiums, will get up close and personal with their loyal fan base at intimate shows around the country. The tour kicks off at The National Stadium in their hometown of Dublin followed by a show at The Millennium Forum in Derry on 22^nd August and will wrap at London’s O2 Academy Brixton on 1^st September. Tickets are available to purchase on Friday 28^th July from 9.30am with a fan pre-sale starting earlier in the week. For more ticket information, please visit http://www.thescriptmusic.com/.

Rain is picking up a phenomenal amount of support around the world. The single stormed straight into the Top 10 on iTunes and was added immediately to the Capital A List, Heart A List and Radio 2 B List. The Script also joined Nick Grimshaw on his Radio 1 Breakfast show and Rain is the Single of the Week on Radio 2. It’s also been added to over 300 playlists on Spotify and the video, which launched on Friday, has already been viewed over 1.6 million times (see it here).

The Script are one of the world’s most successful bands and have sold over 29 million records. The Irish three-piece have scored x3 multi-platinum albums, all of which were #1 in the UK. The Script have also picked up a huge following in the USA where they have x4 platinum selling singles under their belt. The Script are also one of the biggest live bands, having sold over 1.4 million tickets across 203 headline shows and they sold out the legendary Croke Park stadium in their hometown in a matter of minutes.

The Script will play the Millennium Forum on Tuesday 22^nd August.  Tickets go on sale from Ticketmaster on Friday 28^th July from 9.30am with a fan pre-sale starting earlier in the week. For more ticket information, please visit http://www.thescriptmusic.com/.

 

V/I/S/A/G/E is a creative collaboration between Belfast based photographer Carrie Davenport, graphic designer/nightclub promoter Aaron Eakin, Kaizen Print and six of Belfast’s most prominent and prolific Drag Queens.

Launching at ArtCetera Studio on Thursday 27th July and exhibiting daily from 11am-5pm until Saturday 5th August, V/I/S/A/G/E comprises of a series of portrait photographs. Each Drag Queen is depicted in both their male and Drag identities, representing the six colours of the rainbow flag.

Far from being ordinary photographs, local carpenter Gareth Martin (wishbone & Dagger) has created large scale 3 dimensional frames for us to display the works interactively, with Kaizen Print creating a new method of mounting the works so you can walk around the pieces changing your view as you more around the image.

Origins of the term Drag are widely disputed, but it’s believed to be an acronym for ‘Dressed Resembling A Girl’, a theatrical term dating back to Shakespearean plays. More than just fun and colourful entertainers, Drag Queens have been at the forefront of the fight for LGBTQ rights, dating back to the Stonewall riots of 1969.

Exhibiting as part of the 2017 Belfast Pride festival, the project’s purpose is to explore, highlight and celebrate an ancient theatrical art form that has evolved from LGBTQ culture to the mainstream.

RED: Matthew Cavan / Cherrie Ontop

ORANGE: Adam Renshaw / Rusty Hinges

YELLOW: Marcus Hunter-Neill / Portia Di’ Monte

GREEN: Michael Hillman / Misty Falls

BLUE: Joshua Cargill / Blu Hydrangea

VIOLET: Robert McCready / Titti Von Tramp

V/I/S/A/G/E at ArtCetera Studio, 43 Rosemary Street, Belfast. Launching Thursday 27th July at 7pm. Open daily (except Sunday) from 11am-5pm. In association with The Maverick. Admission free.

 

The next concert in the series of The Lough Lively Sessions is taking place at Portico, Portaferry on Friday 28 July and will feature the hugely popular alt-folk band Runabay.

Runabay are six musicians from the Glens of Antrim who through their passion for harmony and melody have been writing and recording since 2013.

The band are at the forefront of fresh, new music in Northern Ireland, a sound which has undeniably been shaped by the beautiful coastline which surrounds the Glens of Antrim and is felt through the swooping melodies and poignant lyrics. The band produce a mature sound that leaves the listener hanging on to the intricate guitar riffs, harmonies and haunting cello.

Recent notable highlights for the group are national airplay on BBC 6 Music, RTE 2FM, Today, Amazing Radio and massive local support from Radio Ulster.

Tickets cost £10 and are on sale now  at www.visitardsandnorthdown.com or www.porticoards.com. Show time is 7.30pm.

Still to come at the Lough Lively Sessions in Portico are; The 4 of Us, Emerald Armada, Saffyre and Rapparees – book early to avoid disappointment!

Running until October, the lively music events are supported by Ards and North Down Borough Council and The Arts Council of Northern Ireland.

 

 

St Anne’s Cathedral will play host to two literary greats this September as it welcomes a unique three person theatre production featuring David Payne and Marc Whitmore.

After the huge success of “An Evening with CS Lewis” which visited Belfast last year, this new production entitled “Wardrobes and Rings” will transport you back to Oxford in 1963, to the Eagle and Child pub, where legendary authors J.R.R Tolkien and his great friend C.S. Lewis meet for what turns out to the very last time.  With great humour, wit, and fascinating stories, these remarkable lives are explored in this memorable piece of theatre.

Simon Cordner, Business Manager at Belfast Cathedral says this is an event not to be missed

“We’re very fortunate to bring this production to Northern Ireland as part of the UK wide tour this autumn for what I’m sure will an amazing night. What better place to celebrate the lives of two of the most notable authors than here in Belfast, the home city of C.S. Lewis. If you’re a fan of Narnia, the Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit or even The Screwtape Letters this will be a fantastic evening”

Wardrobes and Rings takes place at Belfast Cathedral (St Anne’s), Donegall Street Saturday September 23^rd.  Tickets for the event are £12 and are available from the Belfast Cathedral Welcome Desk or online at www.belfastcathedral.org/ or www.bigchurchlive.com/events

The Ulster Orchestra is ready to play and its exciting new Season of concerts is on sale now!

 

A diverse range of concerts take place in the Ulster Hall, Belfast Waterfront and regional venues, from September 2017 to May 2018. Tickets for all concerts are available online at www.ulsterorchestra.org.uk, Belfast concerts are on sale from the Ulster Hall (028 9033 4455) and you can purchase tickets for shows elsewhere by contacting the relevant venue.

This season sees the core subscription series increase to 16 concerts, a series of Pops concerts in Belfast Waterfront and the introduction of a brand new Festive mini-series, along with the return of the 9-concert JTI Lunchtime Series.

Music Director Rafael Payare opens the Season on Friday 22 September in a Gala concert for Culture Night Belfast that welcomes Artist Laureate Sir James Galway back as guest soloist; the first of many internationally-renowned stars to visit this Season. Also taking to the stage will be cellists Alisa Weilerstein and Johannes Moser, pianists Jean-Efflam Bavouzet and Simon Trpčeski and violinists Sergey Khachatryan and Tasmin Little, to name a few.

Maestro Payare delves into some of music’s powerhouse symphonies, conducting work by Beethoven, Mahler and Brahms and closing the season with Shostakovich’s heroic Fifth Symphony. He takes to the stage with two regular collaborators, pianists Vikingur Ólafsson and Jonathan Biss, to explore piano concertos by Mozart and also introduces his friend and fellow countryman, trumpet player Pacho Flores, to the Ulster Hall stage.

The main theme of the subscription series is ‘The Great Concertos’ and Principal Guest Conductor Jac van Steen will take the podium for some of the greatest of them all, commencing with Sibelius’s bewitching Violin Concerto on Friday 1 December. He will also bring music by composers who are national heroes in their respective homelands, including the rich Czech Romanticism of Dvořák and the two pillars of English composition, Elgar and Vaughan Williams.

Every Ulster Orchestra season extends invitations to highly regarded guest conductors, this year welcoming (amongst others) Gergely Madaras to conduct Stravinsky’s dazzling suite The Firebird and Jonathan Darlington for a performance of Brahms’s gentle and intimate German Requiem at Easter.

Belfast Waterfront becomes the new home for the Ulster Orchestra’s pops series of concerts and these glittering nights that celebrate the music of John Williams, musicals and disco legends ABBA are hotly anticipated – be sure to make space in the diary to travel to a galaxy far, far away or dust off the flares and platforms!

I love Christmas!, the new Festive series of concerts, includes perennial favourites such as Handel’s Messiah (featuring regular concert partners Belfast Philharmonic Choir) The Snowman family concert and Celebrate New Year in Vienna, along with a brand new seasonal spectacular, The Magic of Christmas.

With all this, alongside the annual Burns Night extravaganza (in association with the Ulster-Scots Agency), the On Your Doorstep series of concerts outside Belfast and the JTI Lunchtime Series for a monthly bite-sized Tuesday treat, there is guaranteed to be something for every taste. If you book 4 concerts or more as a subscription package you can even save money, with discounts reaching 25% depending on the number of tickets you book. What’s not to love?! So head to www.ulsterorchestra.org.uk to book your concerts and join Rafael Payare, Jac van Steen and the musicians of the Ulster Orchestra for a glorious season!