Midland Arts and Culture Magazine - Register.ie

A REVIEW OF THE ARTS IN LAOIS, LONGFORD, OFFALY AND WESTMEATH SUMMER 2012ISSUE17VISUAL ARTSMUSIC & DANCETHEATRE & FILMTHE WRITTEN WORDFREELaois Comic Bernard O’SheaEmer Barrymoves a step closer

MidlandsArts Culture Magazine | WINTER 2010ArtsA look insideandCultureMagazine11 THEOTHER SIDEOF SLEEPMovie filmed in Offalymakes history inCannes15 THERE’SSOMETHING ABOUTMARY Mary Melvin Geoghegan20/21 ATHLONECELEBRATES 60TH RTEALL IRELAND DRAMAFESTIVAL PAGE25 HEAR ME,SEE ME - the mentalhealth project that grewout of a chance meetingwith a rapper!27 PROFUSION OFPUBLIC ARTCOMMISSIONS INLONGFORD32/33 FACE TO FACEwith Westmeath artist Fiona KellyLongford student drums up support at OlympicsThe Edge is back •Laois Bealtaine 2012South East Arts Network Concert......................................Page 3Beelicious recipes for kidsSubmissions invited at The Gallery at Abbeyleix LibraryBusiness awards recognise importance of arts projects ..Page 4Tullamore Community Arts Centre moves step closerArthouse Stradbally rehearsal spaceStriking a note with Adrian Duncan.........................Page 5Johnny Keenan Banjo Festival makes surprise move toTullamoreThe Hilltown New Music Festival tunes up for fifth year .Page 6Tullynally Castle setting for Midsummer Night’s DreamA few words from wordsmith Jean O’BrienWhat do you want from the Arts in Laois?.............Page 7Latin drama in north LongfordBirr Vintage Week & Arts Festival wins Best Festival PhotographLaois School of Music applies for EU Funding .....Page 8Longford Celtic Rose singing way into the history booksQuilters receive award from President HigginsA poem by Ann Maher ...............................................Page 9Busy summer ahead at Aras an MhuilinnAward-winning author examines reactive nationalismLaois Summer Arts Programme 2012...............Page 10Movie filmed in Offaly makes history in CannesMullingART brings splash of colour to town for third yearDunamaise summer line up ...............................Page 11Education for all through the stained-glass windowWalshestown Art Group celebrates decade of creativityYouth Work Ireland Laois ...................................Page 12Making musical magic in GranardMidlandsIreland.ie launches photography competitionPortlaoise Camera Club snap happy for more than a year .Page 13Mullingar Town Band marching to success for generationsOur school orchestra reached the National Concert Hall!Druid Art Group enjoys camaraderie for all levels ....Page 14There’s something about Longford’s MarySalty Dog and the Electric Picnic .......................Page 15Collaborate? Pontificate? Man-I-Pulate?In Offaly ...............................................................Page 16Christy Brown takes Sojourn to the publicAdult Education Programme .............................Page 17Funny man Bernard O’Shea........................Page 18/19Athlone celebrates 60 th RTE All Ireland Drama FestivalMy Hometown - a photographic journey through thestreets of Birr......................................................Page 20/21Tyrone Guthrie Residency by Ann Egan Part 2On board the Carousel with Leonard Anderson Page 22Exhibition by George Burland ...........................Page 23LE CHÉILE12 Collective remembers residency.......Page 24Hear me, See me - the mental health project that grewout of a chance meeting with a rapper!Synergy and Light ................................................Page 25Interview with Miriam Mulrennan ...................Page 26Profusion of Public Art Commissions in LongfordLaois School of Music ........................................Page 27What fills the heart…? - Rosalind Fanning ......Page 28Solo Exhibition at the Photo Ireland Festival - July 2012Director of Dunamise Arts Centre praised ........Page 29Art makes a difference to the places we live Page 30Major regional venue is threatened by escalatingfunding cuts .......................................................Page 31Interview with Westmeath artist Fiona Kelly ........Page 32/33The Collaborative Space by Eileen Casey .......Page 34Meet The Team............................................................Page 35Offaly Youth TheatreCo-ordinator appointed to Music Generation Laois...Page 36A Wordfrom theEditorIt’s hard to believe that thefirst quarter of 2012 is wellbehind us and it isbecoming increasinglyapparent that, as isoftentimes cited, timegoes quicker the older you get.There has never been a better time than now tocheck out at least one arts and culture item ofinterest in your area of the midlands. The choiceis enormous and all encompassing for all agesand abilities.In this issue, across the counties of Laois,Longford, Offaly and Westmeath the wealth anddiversity of the arts and culture on offer is mindblowing.There is so much going on, in fact, that this issuehas been increased from 32 to 36 pages.We have drummers at the Olympics; films makinghistory at all the best festivals; singers hitting thehigh time; schools embracing artistic projects;mental health projects; a plethora of festivals; artcommissions; art exhibitions; world-classdancers; authors; photographic competitions;poets; comedians; drama – indoors and out;music and everything imaginable andunimaginable in between.Be sure and check out your local Arts Officer’swebsite also as we just can’t fit in everything andthere are a number of festivals and additionalactivities coming up in the weeks and monthsahead. Take a particular note to check out thearts and culture events happening in and aroundall the bank holidays and this is a time where youneed never be stuck for some entertainment.What is truly amazing is that the midlands isforging ahead, bucking the national trend againstthe odds and bringing some additionalimpressive and important facilities to fruitionsuch as the state of the art, purpose-built AthloneArt gallery which is currently under constructionand the Community Arts Centre in Tullamorewhich is moving a step closer with the signing ofcontracts. In our last editions we noted thatAthlone had opened the Abbey Street ArtistStudios and Laois the Arthouse at Stradbally.And, you can read in this issue how Longfordboasts a profusion of public art commissions –a real feat in the face of adversity.The vision and determination of the Arts Officersin the face of escalating funding cutsinspirational – but make no mistake they needOUR support and the current state of affairs ofworking in the face of daily funding cuts is simplynot sustainable. You just need to think about thepossibility of the lights going out on theBackstage Theatre in Longford to realise howmuch we, as a community, stand to lose if we -and national bodies – don’t support arts andculture in the midlands – and beyond now andinto the future.There’s never been a better time to take that stepforward to embrace what is on your doorstep. Thetime is now.To discover just what a valuable contribution theArts make to our society check out the NationalCampaign for the Arts on www.ncfa.ieYOUR LOCAL ARTS OFFICERSCounty OffalyWHO: Sinead O'Reilly,WHERE: Offaly County Council,Charleville Road, TullamoreCONTACT: Telephone 057 9357400soreilly@offalycoco.iewww.offaly.ie/arts2County WestmeathWHO: Catherine KellyWHERE: Westmeath County CouncilCounty Buildings, MullingarCONTACT: Telephone 044 9332140ckelly@westmeathcoco.iewww.westmeathcoco.ie/artsCounty LaoisWHO: Muireann Ní ChonaillWHERE: Laois County Council,Portlaoise, Co LaoisCONTACT: Tel: 057 8674342/44mnichonaill@laoiscoco.iewww.laois.ie/artsCounty LongfordWHO: Fergus KennedyWHERE: Longford County Council,Great Water St. Longford.CONTACT: Tel: 043 3346231fkennedy@longfordcoco.iewww.longfordcoco.ie/arts_office.html

Midland Arts and Culture Magazine | SUMMER 2012BeeliciousRecipes for KidsDolores Keaveney writes about thepublication of her fifth book for children -Beelicious Recipes using Honey.“If you had said to me three years agothat I would have become an authorand illustrator of children’s books, Iwould not have believed you. So, thisreally confirms my belief that you neverknow what is around the bend. I havebeen an amateur artist for the past 35years, starting as a beginner at a nightclass and I continued to paint forpleasure. It was a great way for me tochill out and to express myself in mypaintings. I loved painting flowers and Ireally made this my painting choice.Then, a few years back I decided totrain as therapist but I found full timework very restricting and missed thefreedom to paint and garden at will andso I took a break. My interest in thehealing and spiritual side of lifecontinued and continues unabated andit was during this ‘down’ time that I gotthe inspiration to write the poemsabout the bees. I had lots of paintingsof flowers completed and I took thepoems and the flowers and put themtogether and I had the makings of abook. I self published this book in2009 and have produced three moresince then.Just when I thought I would be retiring awhole new career has opened up infront of me, which I am hugely excitedabout leaving me full of confidence andexpectation about the future.I am a grandmother with threewonderful children and five beautifulgrandchildren and I have to say that mygrandchildren are my inspiration; theyare full of life and they really havebrought out the child in me.Self-publishing is not for the fainthearted. You need great stamina to godown that route. I spent hours andhours on my computer looking up waysthat I could promote my book. In fact, Isuppose, you could say it took almosttwo years before I was ready to publishmy first book. With a lot of hard workand determination I think I am gettingthere.Writing books is a bit addictive becausewhen you have one written, then youwant another and another. Financiallyyou will not make a great deal out of it,but it is very satisfying.”LaunchMullingar woman Dolores launchedchildren’s cookbook Beelicious Recipesusing Honey in Red Earth, Mullingar inApril.The colourfully illustrated book drawstogether many of the skills Dolores hasgarnered over the years. BeeliciousRecipes using Honey is a simplecookbook for small children containinghoney recipes gathered from family andfriends.Learn how to bake simple scones, bunsand banana bread along with manyother tasty snacks using the magicingredient, honey. All of the recipes inthis book with the exception of four areones which her daughter-in-law Hilaryand her grandchildren Ellie, Greg, Maland Will have tried and tested manytimes. Ellie and her Mum along withGreg and Mal bake daily in theirbeautiful kitchen which Ellie callsButtercup Bakery, and Will and Ali cookbuns regularly.Ellie her granddaughter has handwritten some of the recipes andDolores said: “I think this adds greatcharm to the book.”here is an addedbonus in the book - lots of informationabout the bee! Dolores added: “I hopethat the recipes will be enjoyed bychildren and their parents and that theywill give joy to everyone who uses themand that the book helps promote one ofmy favourite insects the amazing bee!”Beelicious Recipes using Honey isavailable in bookshops and costs€9.99. You can also purchase any ofDolores’ books atwww.doloreskeaveney.com MBusiness of the Yearawards recognisesimportance of arts projectsThe Midlands Gateway Chamber of Commerce has announced thelaunch of The MidlandsIreland.ie Best in Business Awards 2012,which is now in its second year.Pictured at the presentation of the Outstanding Business Award Plate, to Belvedere HouseGardens and Park, Mullingar, County Westmeath are: L-R Daniel McLoughlin, CountyManager, Westmeath County Council, Cllr Micheal Carrigy, Cathaoirleach, Midland RegionalAuthority; Bartle D’Arcy, General Manager, Belvedere House, Gardens and Park (AwardWinner) Ray Byrne, President, Midlands Gateway Chamber, Martin Daly, Director, MidlandRegional Authority. Pic: Ger Rogers/HR PhotoSUBMISSIONS:4The President of the Midlands GatewayChamber, Ray Byrne, said: “This year’scompetition is bigger and better. Wehave added two new award categoriesand included the chambers of commercefrom the entire midland region of Offaly,Westmeath, Laois and Longford.”The awards categories are:• Emerging New Business Award• Best Multi National Business Award• Business Person of the Year Award• Outstanding Business Award• Best Cultural Tourism Business Award• Green Initiative Award• Retail Excellence Award• Lifetime Achievement Award, Athlone• Midlands Gateway ChamberAmbassador AwardThe Best Cultural Tourism awardrecognises the huge importance of thearts projects, festivals, centres,theatres, studios, galleries, hotels,exhibition and convention centres,country house properties and therestaurant sector of the cultural tourismindustry which operate from or arebased in any of the four MidlandsCounties of Offaly, Westmeath, Laoisand Longford.Ray continued: “These awards aim torecognise and promote excellence andinnovation in the regional businesscommunity and the judging panel plays apivotal role in the Awards programme.”“There is a rigorous judging processinvolved, the first round of judginginvolves short-listing the entries down tofive in each category.”The first round judges were chosen fromdirect nomination from each of thechambers in the region. Business peoplefrom outside the region conduct thesecond round of judging; selecting thethree finalists in each category and thisdecision will be announced in June. Theoverall winner in each category asselected by the second round judgeswill then be revealed at theMidlandsIreland.ie Best in BusinessAwards to be held in the Hodson BayHotel, Thursday June, 21.Mary Kennedy will be master ofceremonies and over 450 key businesspersonnel from the region will bepresent along with a large mediacontingent.Tickets are on sale now and cost €75each for this black tie event, meal andwine included. If you wish to reservetickets please contact Midlands GatewayChamber, info@midlandsgatewaychamber.ieor phone Angela Rigney on086 3891675. MThe Gallery at Abbeyleix Library is inviting submissions from artists,photographers and sculptors who would like to book an exhibitionspace in the gallery for 2013.Please call in to the library to pick up an exhibition applicationform or download it at Gallery@Abbeyleix Library Application Form.Please also consult the guidelines for exhibiting in the galleryGallery@Abbeyleix Library Guidelines.

Tullamore CommunityArts Centre movesstep closerTullamore Community Arts Centre has moved on to the next stagewith the signing of the design contracts between the Board of theArts Centre and A2 Architects, which took place in January.Chairperson Desmond Doyle said:“Signing the contracts represents asignificant shift in pace now and willallow the project to progress toplanning phase within a matter ofmonths.“People may have wondered why thisprocess took a number of months butthis is a complicated procedure and wewanted to be sure that we are enteringinto a watertight agreement to protectthe finance being generated by thecommunity and the public funding wehave been allocated. Nobody wouldhave thanked us for rushing into thiswithout serious deliberation to allaspects of the design team anddelivery, fees and health and safetyconsiderations,” he explained.The next steps include topographicalsite surveys and a Part VIII planningprocess. All going smoothly, it isexpected the tender process forconstruction will be advertised in thesummer. The construction tender willbe open to all local qualifiedcontractors and will be advertisedArthouseStradballyBandRehersal SpaceAvailable to Rentthrough the appropriate publicchannels.Fundraising driveMeanwhile, the fundraising drawcelebrated its mammoth success ofselling 2,000 tickets, raising €160,000towards the capital costs - a hugeachievement in this climate.The Board would like to acknowledgethe mammoth effort gone into thisproject, particularly by Paddy Fenning(Offaly person of the Year 2012)Fionnuala Corrigan, Mary Roche andSheila McDermott and the many otherswho are sold tickets. Many arts groupsare also planning fundraising eventsduring the year and any suggestions forevents and activities should be emailedto info@tullamorecommunityartscentre.ieso that they can be co-ordinated tomaximise impact. In the meantime,progress on the project can be followedon the official websitewww.tullamorecommunityartscentre.ieor on Facebook (follow the link on thewebsite) MIf you're looking for great band rehearsal spacethat's clean, has a great sound systemequipped with digital drums, amps etcLook no further that theArthouse at Stradbally, Co LaoisRehearsal Studios Session Rates valid from March 2012Monday to Friday(10am to 4pm)€10 per hourTuesday & Thursday(7pm to 10pm)€25 per sessionSaturday(10am to 1pm)€25 per sessionCall us to-day to book your rehearsal spaceArts OfficeLaois County Council057 8641740Email: artsoff@laoiscoco.ieBoard – (Seated L-R) Cllr Sinead Dooley Cathaoirleach of Tullamore Town Council, DesmondDoyle (Chairperson), Caomhan Murphy (A2 Architects), Cllr Danny Owens, Cathaoirleach ofOffaly County Council.(Back L-R) Declan Kirrane (Director of Services), Cllr Declan Harvey, Sean Murray (Director ofServices), Dominic Doheny, Tom Farrell, Cllr Molly Buckley, Peter Carroll (A2 Architects), FionnualaCorrigan, Martin Heffernan (Punch Consulting Engineers), Sinead O’Reilly (Arts Officer)STRIKING A NOTEWITH ADRIAN DUNCANby Majella ReidAdrian DuncanBallymahon’s Adrian Duncan is a manwith an avid interest in the arts, musicand literature and this has manifesteditself in many forms from hisinvolvement in the GoldsmithInternational Literary Festival to hiscompletion of a Bachelor degree inMusic (Hons) in 2009 from NUIMaynooth.It is therefore, perhaps, inevitable thatthis musicologist should undertake aseries of lectures focused on The Story ofWestern Music. To this end, Adriandesigned a series of six lectures covering1,000 years of the world’s most famousand influential periods of music that hewill deliver over a six-week period.The content of the lectures examines thedevelopment of western art music fromthe Middle Ages to the present day. Theclasses presented in an informal mannerand talks are interspersed with samplesof music from the different genres andperiods.“This lecture series is open to anyonewith an interest in music. It’s very muchabout covering the basics,” said Adrian,who also teaches piano and providestuition in Junior Certificate and LeavingCertificate Music examinations. It is hisintention that the content of each lecturewill roughly coincide with the variousperiods throughout music history.Through the agesStarting with the Middle Ages and theRenaissance Periods, the lectures willlook at areas such as Gregorian Chant,Josquin, Du Fay, and English Lute Song.During the Baroque period, the lecturewill move to artists and movements suchas Monteverdi, Strozzi, Corelli, concerto(Vivaldi) and fugue (Bach). In the classicalperiod, the areas covered includeSymphony/String quartet (Haydn), opera(Mozart), French Revolution and the riseof the middle classes.The Romantic Period is divided acrosstwo lectures, the first of which looks atBeethoven’s late period, Schubert’sGerman Song, and Mendelssohn’s pianoworks. The second lecture concerning theRomantic Period, will allow students todelve into artists such as Brahms,Strauss, Foster and, of course, influentialevents such as the Franco-Prussian Warand the emergence of the United States.Finally, in the Modern and Post ModernPeriod, the class is taken on a journeythrough key concerns such as Atonality,Stravinsky, Cage, the Jazz Age, worldmusic and recording techniques.In what promises to be an inviting lectureseries, Mr Duncan said: “It is somethingthat I have thought about doing for sometime. Perhaps it is eventually somethingthat I can prune into a single schoolmodule. That’s a possibility.”The lectures started on Tuesday, March20 and conclude on Tuesday, April 24.These evenings commence at 7.30pmBallymahon Community Library.Admission is €5 per lecture or €25 for thecomplete series.For further information contact Adrianon 086 2580068 or emailadrianduncanmusic@gmail.com. M5

Midland Arts and Culture Magazine | SUMMER 2012Áras an Mhuilinn,Comhaltas Ceoltoiri EireannMidlands Regional Centre open to allBusy summer ahead as public invited to join in the musicand the fun at Aras an Mhuilinn.Pictured enjoying traditional music in the bar of Áras an Mhuilinn areBer Seery, Paddy and Moira O Brien and Seamas Seery Chairman ofWestmeath CCÉÁras an Mhuilinn is the Regional ResourceCentre for the counties of Westmeath,Longford, Offaly, and Laois. The centre,recently established by Comhaltas CeoltóiriÉireann and Meitheal Lártíre, is a state-ofthe-artcultural facility in which traditionalmusic, song, dance and Irish languageclasses are run on a weekly basis.Seisiún take place in the bar on the thirdWednesday of every month. Seisiúnsummer shows will take place eachWednesday on a weekly basis from July 4until end of August.Facilities at Áras an Mhuilinn include threeclassrooms, meeting room, performancehall, bar and reception area.A variety of events have been hosted in theperformance hall and bar includingconcerts, ceilí, seminars, table quizzes,meetings, set dance and sean nós danceclasses. The Performance Hall seatsapproximately 90 people. The facilities arealso available to all community groups andto the public in general. Music classes arehosted by Mullingar CCÉ.In the archive section there is a wonderfulresource centre of Irish traditional music,song, dance and folklore relating toMeitheal region of Westmeath, Longford,Laois and Offaly. The archive materialexists in the form of sound recordings andprinted material and people are welcometo browse through the collection.Áras an Mhuilinn also incorporates adisplay area for the sale of CDs oftraditional music, books and other itemsrepresenting traditional culture andeveryone is invited to come along and havea cupán tae, read a magazine or listen tosome traditional music.A little bit of history: Mullingar - where itall began!It happened, that in January 1951,representatives of the Thomas Street(Dublin) Pipers’ Club went to Mullingar fora meeting with traditional musicenthusiasts from County Westmeath (CáitUí Mhuimhneacháin, Willie Reynolds andJim Seery, among others)Two ideas already muted amongsttraditional musicians were discussed atthis meeting - the first was the founding ofan organisation to promote Irish traditionalmusic while the second was the organisingof an annual festival of Irish traditionalmusic, song and dance.The very first Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireannA further meeting was held in February1951, and at this meeting it was decidedthat, in conjunction withFeis Lár na hÉireann (aGaelic League Feiswhich had been held inMullingar for manyyears), a Fleadh Cheoilwould be organised inMullingar in May overthe Whit weekend. Theaim of the Fleadh wasto promote traditionalmusic and to arrest the decline in itspopularity and the cream of traditionalIrish musicians attending the Fleadhplayed a major role in furthering its aim.Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann is foundedOn October 14, 1951, at Árus Ceannt,Thomas Street, Dublin, the first standingCommittee of Cumann Ceoltóirí nahÉireann was elected. At a meeting in StMary’s Hall, Mullingar on January 6, 1952,the title of the organisation was changedfrom Cumann Ceoltóirí na hÉireann toComhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann.From this point on Fleadh Cheoil nahÉireann grew from strength to strength tobecome a great annual national festivalattended by traditional musicians, singers,and dancers from all parts of Ireland andoverseas.Andy Flood, Enda Seery, Ciaráin Seery and Leona Kelly play a monthlyseisiún which takes place on the third Wednesday of the month at Árasan MhuilinnDates for your Diary:● Seisiun at Áras an Mhuilinn: the thirdWednesday of every month at 9pm● Longford & Offaly Joint County Fleadh:Friday, May 11, Saturday, May 12 andSunday, May 13 in Ballinalee● Laois County Fleadh: Saturday, May 19and Sunday May 20 in Clonaslee● Westmeath County Fleadh: Saturday,June 2 and Sunday, June 3 in Ballymore● Weekly Summer seisiún, Áras anMhuilinn: starts July 4 until end ofAugust● Leinster Fleadh: Friday, July 13,Saturday, July 14, Sunday, July 15,EnniscorthyFor information on traditional Irish music,song, dance and language classes andspecial events contact Áras an Mhuilinn,Jail Hill, Mullingar, County Westmeath byphone on 044 9344673/9330644 or atemail eolas@arasanmhuilinn.ie M10SUMMER ARTSPROGRAMME 2012The Arts Office, Laois County Council will run a series of art workshops forchildren and young people as part of the 2012 Summer Arts Programme.Projects are selected from proposals designed and submitted by a panel ofartists. The aim of the programme is to inspire imagination and self-expressionwith a world of hands-on art activities. Through painting, sculpture, dance, music,drawing, pottery, dramatic play, creative writing, songwriting, performance andmuch more, our classes encourage confidence and support artistic potential.This quality arts programme will run in the month of July for two hours fromMonday to Friday. Weekly courses cost €25 with a reduction for familymembers. Age ranges from 7 to 15 years and can cater for up to 20, accordingto the type of arts activity.Locations in 2012 will include Portlaoise, Mountmellick, Durrow, Stradbally,Emo, and Luggacurren.For more information on the programme or to receive a booking for/ brochureplease contact: The Arts Office, Laois County Council, Áras an Chontae,Portlaoise, Co. Laois Tel: 057 8674342/41 Fax 057 8674382Email: artsoff@laoiscoco.ieAward-winning Laoisauthor examinesreactive nationalismSlouching towards Jerusalem is aunique contribution to comparativeliterature - Irish, Israeli, andPalestinian - that deals with the underresearchedphenomenon of reactivenationalism - emotional rather thanideological nationalism.In fact, it is the only comparative studyof its kind involving the threeliteratures reflecting its author’s longterm engagement with two arenas ofconflict: the Israeli-Palestinian conflictand Northern Irish conflict.The book surveys these through theeyes of contemporary novelists fromboth arenas.Slouching towards Jerusalem’sselection is wide and varied andincludes both lesser known andemergent novelists.Author John Maher is a prizewinningnovelist himself who uses variousprisms - of language, land, religion,love, war, and the changing image ofthe enemy - in his quest for insight intothe realities behind the novelists’portrayals of their situations. Hisconclusions are iconoclastic andchallenging as befits such a uniquejourney into the three contrastingcontemporary literatures.John, an award-winning writer based inLaois, has won the Francis McManusAward and the PJ O’Connor Award withRTE. His novel,The Luck Penny,was shortlistedfor debut novelon BBC Radio 5and he iscurrentlycompleting anew novel withan ArtsCouncilBursary inLiterature.MSlouching TowardsJerusalemReactive Nationalism in the Irish,Israeli and Palestinian NovelJohn Maher

Moviefilmedin Offalymakeshistory inCannesA sleepwalker. A body.A family. A smallcommunity. Arlene islike a ghost in her life.She lives in a small town in themidlands – surrounded by field afterfield, woodlands and lane ways todisappear down and never come back…One morning Arlene wakes in the woodsbeside the body of a young woman.Someone watches from the trees. Thebody is soon discovered and suspicionspreads through the community.Increasingly drawn to the girl’s family –her grieving sister and accusedboyfriend, Arlene barricades herself inat night, afraid to sleep. Haunted bygrief, Arlene’s sleeping and wakingrealities soon blur. And all this timesomeone is watching her...The Other Side of Sleep, which wasfilmed over four weeks in Offaly in AprilMullingART bringssplash of colour totown for third yearNow in its third year, The MullingART Project will again be subtlyadorning the shop windows of Mullingar Town bringing a welcomesplash of colour for a few weeks over the summer.“The real joy of MullingART for me,” said Project Co-ordinator, DonMortell “is that it isn’t in your face. It’s a gentle celebration of theincredible wealth of talent in Mullingar that largely goes unrecognised.”He explained: “The principle of the project is a simple but incrediblysuccessful one. We ask local creative talents to provide a piece or twoof their work from whichever discipline they choose. Photography, oils,watercolour, sculpture, the only limit is that of the artists imagination.“The pieces, once assembled together, are then distributed tobusiness premises throughout the town to be displayed in shopwindows, pub and business walls, anywhere that the public, be theylocals or visitors to our town can see and enjoy them for the duration ofthe project. Ultimately it is, in effect a 24/7 people’s art gallery.“To my knowledge, our project is unique in Ireland and by definition,‘uniquely Mullingar’.”At the end of the project the submitted pieces are collected togetherand displayed in one static exhibition. Last year the gallery wassituated in Danny Byrnes’ old nightclub space.“It was through the generosity of Mark and the staff of Danny Byrnespub that we acquired this perfect space for our gallery last year. Otherthan a generous grant from Westmeath County Council ArtsDepartment, our greatest asset, as a project, is goodwill.“MullingART exists only because of the belief placed in us by CatherineKelly (Arts Officer of Westmeath County Council) and the kindness andpositive of the town’s artists and business owners and operators.Without any of these vital components, Mullingart would not be thesuccess it is becoming and indeed, may not exist at all.”Don went on to say: “MullingART is not about generating money. Its2010 and included many local cast andcrew in the making of the film and withthe help and support of FilmOffaly, hasreceived some rave reviews.The Other Side of Sleep has gone on tobe lauded as the acclaimed debutfeature by Irish filmmaker Rebecca Dalythat features a powerful and compellingperformance from Antonia Campbell-Hughes, one of this year’s BerlinInternational Film Festival’s ShootingStars award recipients.This hotly-anticipated suspense dramamade history at its World Premiere atthe Cannes Film Festival in 2011 as itwas the first film directed by an Irishwoman to be selected for inclusion inthe Festival.The film, produced by Fastnet Films,also screened in competition at theToronto International Film Festival andwas nominated for Best Director andBest Actress at the Irish Film andTelevision Awards.The film took only six weeks to shoot,(in Geashill, Clara, Tullamore andPortarlington) but results in anexceptionally still and haunting film,choosing locations that offer Offaly in anew light and, in particular, the tunnellikedriveway of trees in Geashill.Leading a fantastic ensemble cast inThe Other Side of Sleep, as well asbeing named one of Berlin InternationalFilm Festival’s Shooting Stars, AntoniaCampbell-Hughes’ career is at a highpoint. Other key cast members includetwo veteran Irish actresses of stage andscreen, Olwen Fouere and Cathy Beltonas well as hot newcomer and Tullamorenative Sam Keeley who has gone on tostar in RAW and What Richard Did.sole purpose is to bring a touch of pleasure and enjoyment to the townand its visitors while promoting the incredible amount of talent thatexists in Mullingar which perhaps otherwise would never get theexposure, recognition or adulation it so richly deserves.“With each year that passes, I am consistently impressed at the qualityand variety of pieces submitted. The pleasure for me is that while anumber of MullingART artists are professionally trained and are sellingtheir work outside of the project, the vast majority of contributors areenthusiastic hobby artists and nothing gives me greater pleasure thanhearing that one of our artists is surprised and delighted at selling apiece or pieces as a result of the project.“All pieces are displayed with an individual “exhibit card” which carriesthe artists contact details. Any potential sales negotiations orcommissions are discussed directly with the artist. MullingART merelyacts as a conduit to make this possible”.Last year’s MullingART saw nearly 150 pieces submitted and wants tosee more in 2012, not only from Irish artists but from othercommunities who live in Mullingar.“I would love to see more submissions from other Mullingarcommunities and groups. This project is totally inclusive. I want to hearfrom the African, Eastern European, Traveller, Asian and Britishcommunities or any other groups who would like to display their work.The project is not about work being judged. It is about makingsomething special happen as a town. I would love to see the differentstyles and perceptions of art that these groups can bring to ourproject,” added Don.MullingART 2012 will take place over July and August. It will besupported by an extensive local media campaign, a website andFacebook page.For more information, please contact Don on 087 611 6883 or emaildonmortell@gmail.com MBriefsMAY/JUNE LINE-UPAT THE DUNAMAISEARTS CENTREAs ever, there is a very eclectic mix ofperformances at the Dunamaise ArtsCentre throughout May and June withtheatre and music to the fore.Two very well known faces lead thecharge: Gay Byrne comes to thetheatre on Thursday, May 17 for whatis certain to be a unique event andDes Keogh returns with the hilariousshow based on JB Keane stories TheLove Hungry Farmer.In June, there is a new theatre showentitled Love All, which tells theamazing true story of the only Irishperson to feature in the Wimbledontennis final.Other performances include aRiverdance style musical/danceextravaganza Celtic Dream on May31 and a much-anticipatedperformance by local tenor AmbroseDunne on June 23.The Dunamaise film programme isalways worth a look and this seasonis no exception.Films lined up for screening includethe big Oscar winner The Artist; theacclaimed My Week with Marilyn,featuring an Oscar nominatedperformance by Michelle Williams;the much anticipated Irish mademovie featuring Martin Sheen, StellaDays and This Must Be the Place, afilm partly filmed in Dublin featuringSean Penn, Frances McDormand andEve Hewson.Also one to look forward to is anadaption of the great Yasmina Rezaplay God of Carnage featuring an allstarcast of Jodie Foster, KateWinslet, Christoph Waltz and John CReilly and directed by RomanPolanski. God of Carnage is set in aNew York apartment and observesthe increasingly childish and chaoticbehaviour of two couples that meet tosort out a playground row betweentheir sons. Also not to be missed isMadonna’s debut as a film directorwith the story of Wallis Simpson andEdward VIII in W/E.Full details on all the performancesand screenings are available onwww.dunamaise.ie MDirector of Dunamise ArtsCentre praised for contributionSEE PAGE 2911

Midland Arts and Culture Magazine | SUMMER 2012Education forall through thestained-glasswindowBy Majella ReidEducation as a basic human right was the theme adopted by a group of 16teenagers from second year at Lanesboro Community College who cametogether to create a 20 by 10 foot stained-glass window under the guidanceof teacher Michelle Spence.“It started with a talk by Amnesty International who visited us here inLanesboro Community College. The visitor talked to us about human rights,”said Ms Spence, a teacher at the school for the past seven years.“It was also the 50 th anniversary of the school’s opening so we decided tofocus on education as a human right,” she added.The students started the project by sketching symbols such as the scales ofjustice, a kite to represent freedom, and a tree - the central point of the stainedglass window representing growth.“We also included the River Shannon; that’swhere the roots of the tree grow from,” saidMs Spence, a teacher of art, art history andphotography. “We then had a professionalstained-glass artist come in to the school andshe taught us how to cut glass. We made agiant template on paper first of how wewanted it to be and then we cut the glass intothe proper measurements.”For most of the students, this was their firsttime working with stained-glass techniques.“They were very enthusiastic and they reallywere great. I thought, because they were soyoung, that they wouldn’t have the length ofattention to complete it. But they did great,all their names are etched into the glass,”added Ms Spence.The stained-glass window, which consists of12 large panels of glass was framed by woodwork teacher BrianConcannon. “He made all the frames so that it would fit into the window,” saidMs Spence. The window now proudly adorns the assembly hall at the schoolcovered in layer of perspex for protection.Each year Amnesty International holds an exhibition, and this year the group atLanesboro Community College were invited to participate in the Dublin event.They brought their sketches with them to display.“They all loved it and they are now all really proud,” said Ms Spence.The second-year students are not the only members of Lanesboro CommunityCollege to have an interest in the arts. Leaving Certificate students recentlycompleted the school’s first ever art-only tour to Paris, France. Ms Spence said:“We visited places such as the Louvre, the Musée d’Orsay, Versailles andCentre George Pompidou. In celebration of their visit, the class are going tomake a large-scale Mona Lisa for the assembly hall.” MYouth Work Ireland Laoisoffers variety of programmesBy Aishling Hennessy, Youth Arts WorkerOur organisation has worked tirelessly topromote and support the arts within theyouth community in Portlaoise andthroughout Laois.And, our Arts focus over the last year hasincreased greatly due to our committedYouth Arts Worker, Aishling Hennessy,Youth Worker; Sarah Corcoran, Office Coordinator;Nicola Coss, Project Manager;Joe Thompson and all our dedicatedvolunteers and the young people we workwith.2011 saw Youth Work Ireland Laois focusits attention to developing and supportingnew Youth Cafe’s/Centres (Abbeyleix,Stradbally and Portlaoise) and severalYouth Clubs Youth across the county.Throughout 2011 arts, in particular,became one of the most obvious avenuesthat young people through Laoisconnected with us. From the Graffiti Wall inPortarlington which saw young peoplefrom Portarlington Youth Club work over aweek long period to create a muraldemonstrating their view of youth culturein the area to African Drummingworkshops in Abbeyleix Youth Cafe whichsaw young people participating in theexploration of drumming and musicalinstrument making, Youth Arts in theCounty is vibrant and strong.Graffiti artThe Graffiti wall that was created last yearin O’Moore’s Place in Portlaoise proved tobe a piece of art demonstrating the youngpeople of the area’s interests in youthculture, focusing on the positive aspectsthat the youth being to a community.This Graffiti programme that was cofunded by Laois Partnership.Photography workshopsIn October 2011 Youth Work Ireland Laoisworked alongside local Photographer JohnLalor to facilitate photography workshopsover a series of eitght weeks.This project was also funded by LaoisPartnership and was ran in Kiln LaneCommunity Centre in Mountrath and wehope to continue with these popularphotography workshops in the future.Music ProgrammeThe beginning of 2012 saw a great energytowards the Irish Youth Music Awards. ThisMusic Programme that began in 2009, runthrough Youth Work Ireland Laois, providesyoung people with the opportunity toexplore their musical talents and interestsin a very structured programme.The aim of the music programme is to helpyoung people develop their skills withintheir own view of the music industry and toget an impression and experience of whatit takes to make it in the business.In 2010, Youth Work Ireland Laois’representatives Bebop and Rocksteadywere honoured with winning the IYMAswhich gave Laois youth music an amazingplatform for all young people to aspire tooand this programme goes from strength tostrength.Then, in March this year, the band MTBAwere crowned the Laois representatives togo forward to representthe county in theNational Finals in Liberty Hall in Dublin inApril. MTBA is a Portlaoise based bandcomprised of Gary Maher on vocals,Shaun Costello and John Delaney onguitars, Robert Brennan on drums, andStephen Kehoe on bass.Summer 2012Commencing in the summer 2012 YouthWork Ireland Laois will be launching manyarts and music programmes and activitiesfrom its exciting new youth cafe inPortlaoise. The Portlaoise Youth Cafe willbe an integrated, inclusive and accessiblesafe space for all young people of thecounty. The Portlaoise Youth Cafe will beutilised to its full capacity for suchpurposes as live music performances, art,dance, drama, yoga, exhibitions, training,club, information group, volunteer, parentand public meetings or for simply for‘chillaxing’. There will be more informationabout the grand opening to the new YouthCafe over the coming months.If you are interested in becoming avolunteer with us, curious as to what is wedo or interested in upcoming events,please call 057 8665010 or emailinfo@ywilaois.ie MWalshestown Art Group celebrates decade of creativityOn Tuesday, February 19, 2002 theWalshestown Art group was founded inWalshestown Community Centre byseven ladies and went on to reach 24members. Classes commenced onFebruary 26 and have continued withdifferent media and interests since tobring the group to its 10 th Anniversary.Funding is received from WestmeathCounty Council Art Acts Grants andWestmeath VEC ALCES grants where aminimum of 50 per cent is paid ontutor’s fees, insurance, rental of centreand some materials.On receipt of funding, accounts andregister are kept up to date.With the help of the VEC somemembers took part in a FETAC Level 5Painting VTOS course.In 2003 the group exhibited paintings atthe Mullingar Show and since haspromoted art in Westmeath at the showwith various media such as watercolour, acrylic, pastel, drawing, cardmaking, jewellery making, origami, slatepainting, an introduction to interiordesign, monoprinting, flower arrangingand stained glass.In 2007 the group then attended the firstCathaoirleach Awards, exhibited inWalshestown Community Centre, theGreville Arms Hotel, Mullingar Show,MullingArt, Lakepoint and Heritage week.Members of the group told Midlands Artand Culture Magazine: “We would liketo continue as a group in ourcommunity and remember all ourmembers both past and present inparticular, a founding member, OliviaGeoghegan.” M12

Makingmusical magicin GranardBy Majella ReidLast year a young Mullinalaghta ladywas inspired to establish a musicschool in the County Longford town ofGranard. Jackie Callaghan, 19, an avidmusic lover, identified a strong needfor the development of music amongyounger ages within her native northLongford area.And, so began the Rath Mhuire MusicSchool which now meets weekly at theRath Mhuire centre and the communityhall.Each week four teachers - Cian Farrelly,Laura Callaghan, Sinéad Sheridan andJackie Callaghan - gather in the twoGranard venues to teach a variety ofinstruments including whistle, flute,fiddle, banjo, guitar, keyboard and pianoaccordion.A daughter of Séan and Lucy, Jackiestarted playing music when she wasnine years old. Today she is a secondyearstudent of Irish Music and Dance,a four-year degree programme at theUniversity of Limerick.“The response has been great to date.We’re getting a lot of kids from aroundthe local area and out as far asMullahoran and Edgeworthstown,” saidJackie, who plays piano and pianoaccordion.Such is the success of the Rath MhuireMusic School that the teachers andstudents alike are hoping to broadenthe range of instruments available tothe children.“It is hoped to provide a musicinstrument bank which will encouragechildren to take up other instrumentsand learn to play them,” said Jackie whois also Youth Officer with the JoeCallaghan branch of Comhaltas.Parents may, quite rightly, be concernedabout which instrument to purchase fortheir children who are just starting outwith music. There is always thepossibility that the child may not keepup an interest in that instrument andmay decide to play a different onealtogether, explained Jackie.“This is where the idea of a musicinstrument bank would be useful. Withsome funding it is hoped to purchaseinstruments for the school and thenchildren could rent these instrumentsas trials until they are decided as towhere their interest lies,” said the 2010All Ireland Champion in PianoAccordion.She added: “We have also beenencouraging families where there mayhave been some instruments handeddown to bring them to the school with aview to selling them at a reasonableprice.”It is hoped that a Rath Mhuire MusicSchool concert will take place in latespring, the purpose of which is to raisefunds for the music instrument bank.In July 2011, Jackie and her fellowteachers organised the week-long RathMhuire Music Summer School where 50students attended and were exposed toa wider variety of instruments thanduring the ordinary weekly classesincluding the bodhrán, mandolin andbutton accordion. “It was split into twosections. One where we did games andmusic theory and the other where welearned to play the instruments,” saidJackie who hopes to run the musicschool this summer also. She added: “Ithink a music school is good for kidsbecause it gives them good discipline.They learn to respect one another andto develop and grow in confidence. Itgives a basic music knowledge.”The classes, from children aged six to16, begin at 7pm and last one hour.Each class costs €10 per child. There isa family discount whereby the cost is €8per child if there is more than onefamily member taking part.For further information about theRath Mhuire Music School contactRath Mhuire Resource Centre on043 6686309. MPortlaoise Camera Club snaphappy for more than a yearThe Portlaoise Camera Club, formed by a group of enthusiasticphotographers in February 2011, is now a very vibrant andactive society.Jane BoylanCarl CutlandAs well as the workshops the members have organised many field trips andhosted their first exhibition and even have two winners in national individualphotography competitions. Portlaoise Camera Club is aimed at people whoare passionate about photography, whatever their skill level, and has built upa very active social networking page. The group meets in the Parish Centreevery Wednesday evening from 8pm to 10pm. Check outportaoisecameraclub.com or become a Facebook friend atwww.facebook.com/PortlaoiseCameraClub MMidlandsIreland.ie launchesphotography competitionMidlandsIreland.ie has launched aphotography competition as part of itsdrive to promote the midland region asa vibrant location in which to live, visit,work, study and do business.The competition runs from April toSeptember and invites amateurphotographers to Capture theUniqueness and Magic of Our Regionover the summer months from the manyevents that are planned in the region.MidlandsIreland.ie hopes that theentries which capture the uniquenessand magic of the four counties in theregion, Laois, Longford, Offaly andWestmeath will communicate a positivemessage to a global audience of themany attractions and benefits of themidlands as a vibrant location in whichto live, visit, work, study and dobusiness.Entrants are asked to place their entriesin one of four categories which arealigned to the four pillars which arepromoted by the regional brand,Tourism, Living, Learning and Enterprise.MidlandsIreland.ie has partnered withthe Sheraton Athlone Hotel for the topprize of a luxuriousweekend for two people.The prize, worth almost€600 also includes spatreatments.The closing date isSeptember 7 and winnerswill be announced inOctober and the overallwinner, category winnersand placed entries will forma touring exhibition which will be ondisplay across the midlands.Contact info@midlandsireland.iefor more details. MPictured at the launch of the MidlandsIreland.iePhotography Competition: Ms Ruth McNally, Director,Midland Regional Authority; Cllr Micheál Carrigy,Cathaoirleach, Midland Regional Authority; Ms GemmaHynes, Sales & Marketing Manager, Sheraton AthloneHotel and Mr Joe Kavanagh, Group Sales and MarketingDirector, Hodson Bay Group.13

Midland Arts and Culture Magazine | SUMMER 2012The local Military Barracks suppliedmany of the early members whothemselves were serving membersof the British Regimental bandsstationed in Mullingar. Many of themembers of these bands settled inthe town, married locally and joinedthe band. The band remainedunder the auspices of theConfraternity until the 1940s whenit was handed over to a committeewho continued under the title ofMullingar Brass and Reed Band.And, so it remained untilmembership had dwindled to threeor four members in 1957 when thepresent Director, Hubert Mageewas asked to takethe helm.Hubert was only studying theclarinet for a year or so whenlanded with the task of holding theband together. In 1979 theThe Druid Art Group in Portlaoisehas existed in its present form forsix years although several membershad met in an earlier group.The group meets on Thursdayevenings in the Methodist ChurchHall and there are currently 14regular attendees, several of whomhave been attending for five yearsor longer.The range of styles, like the level ofexperience and skill, varies widely.The group includes a highly skilledwater-colourist who has taughtpainting professionally as well usself-taught hobbyists. All enjoy thechallenge of applying paint to asurface in order to createmeaningful visual images.centenary was celebrated with amembership of over 100, thusrealising the goal of one memberfor every year of the band’sexistence.The Mullingar Town Band pridesitself in its dual role of a marchingband - The Celtic Crusaders - and aconcert band. Both disciplineshave won many top awards inIreland, Northern Ireland andEngland. Music education isimportant to the Mullingar TownBand and therefore all of itsmembers undergo at least one yearof music lessons in a junior bandclass before entrance into themarching element of the band. Aswell as playing musicians, the bandsupports a dance corp/colourguard which perform as part of themarching element of the band. TheMullingar Town Band has travelledLandscapes, flowers, animals andabstract concepts all feature in thisgroup’s output which has beenexhibited in the Methodist Hall ineach of the last five years. Severalworks by members of the group willbe on display in the gallery soon tobe opened above Phyllis Clegg’scraft shop, Rudai, in Portlaoise’sLower Main Street.nationally and internationally - toEurope and the Carolinas in theUnited States.Including the junior bands,marching band and colour guard,the concert band and thecommittee, the Mullingar TownBand has more than 200 membersinvolved in the organisation - andgrowing. With the band frequentlycatering for such a wide audience,the repertoire of Mullingar TownBand is varied including modernday popular chart music, jazz,blues, classical, traditional,spiritual, country and more.The Mullingar Town Band, as aleading Irish marching and concertband, is constantly updating itsrepertoire, membership, style andeducation to its members andaudiences. MDruid Art Group enjoyscamaraderie for all levels14The MissionStatement ofMullingar TownBand is:To Educate,Elevate andEntertainthrough theArt of Music.Mullingar Town Band marchingto success for generationsThe Mullingar Town Band is a midlands-based marching and concert band located in the town ofMullingar in the heart of County Westmeath. While officially founded in the year 1879, as a HolyFamily Confraternity Band, it can trace its roots as far back as the mid 1800s.Asked what they most like about thegroup, members agreed that thefriendly atmosphere and thereadiness of individuals to helpeach other with advice,encouragement and the loan ofmaterials all contributed to theirenjoyment of Thursday evenings.MMOur school orchestrareached the NationalConcert Hall!By Ruth Henry and Serena DempseyThe Sacred Heart School in Tullamore is the onlyall girls school in Offaly with an enrolment ofover 700 students. It has a strong Musictradition and there are many opportunities forstudents to participate in music making throughthe various ensembles that exist in the school,from its award winning choirs, an orchestra, atraditional group and many chamber ensembles.The school’s dedicated music staff offer acomprehensive range of tuition in all instrumentsand each student involved in tuition takes a RoyalIrish Academy of Music exam, appropriate to theirlevel, at the end of the school year.It has been an exciting musical journey since theschool orchestra was set up in 1990 by itsDirector, Regina McCarthy. Over the years theyhave gone from strength to strength.The present orchestra has almost 100 membersranging from first year to sixth year, which offersadditional options for students taking the Juniorand Leaving Cert Music practical’s.Many past pupils of the orchestra have followedprofessional music careers while some have beenmembers of the National Youth Orchestra ofIreland.The orchestra has won many awards at festivalsthroughout the country. In 2009 it was awardedthe Dorothy Mayor Cup in Feis Ceoil. Recently theorchestra performed in concert with the Band ofAn Garda Siochana and in February this year theywere selected to perform in the ‘17 th Festival ofYouth Orchestras’, organised by the IrishAssociation of Youth Orchestras at the NationalConcert Hall in Dublin. This was a specialachievement for the orchestra and school andwas true recognition for all their hard work andcommitment.In February the Sacred Heart School Orchestra setoff on an exciting journey to the National ConcertHall, an experience we would never forget.Excitement mounted as buses were loaded anduniforms packed. On arrival we were guided to theCarolan Suite by the friendly IAYO staff wherepreparations for morning rehearsal got underway.Before we knew it, we were lining up backstagewaiting for the concert to begin. We were the firstof four orchestras to perform and now nerveswere beginning to set in. After being welcomed onstage by a warm applause from the audience webegan our repertoire with The Waltz from SleepingBeauty by Tchaikovsky. This was followed with atraditional arrangement of ‘an’ Irish tune fromCounty Derry’ and the Dance of the Tumblers fromthe Snow Maiden by Rimsky Korsakov.Providing contrast we performed Autumn’ and‘Winter from The Four Seasons by Vivaldi. As wereached the final fortissimo chord of our last pieceThe Dambusters March by Eric Coates theaudience rose to its feet.We know we are very privileged to have been partof such a wonderful experience which will raisethe bar and encourage us to play even morechallenging repertoire in the future. M

There’ssomethingabout MaryBy Majella ReidHearts and minds throughout themidlands have long been inspired bythe creative words of Longford poet,Mary Melvin Geoghegan. With threecollections to her name and a fourthto be published later this year, MsMelvin Geoghegan is one ofLongford’s most prolific and highlyregarded literary figures.Award-winning poet Nuala NíChonchúir, is one of her manyadmirers. She has stated: “MelvinGeoghegan has an original use oflanguage – she is gifted with imagery –and a unique approach to each of hersubjects...Here is a poet who canmagnify the smallest detail until itbecomes as important to the reader asit is to her.”In the early 1990s, Mary joined theLongford Writers’ Group and it wasthere that her poetic spark was ignited.Such was the Dublin-born writer’spoetic evolution that within a few yearsshe was delivering poetry workshops atschools throughout county Longford.The Writers in Schools Scheme withPoetry Ireland and Free the Butterflyare just two programmes throughwhich Longford children were poeticallynurtured.Her success at delivering theseworkshops meant that in 2003 shecould compile a collection of poetryfrom Longford children entitled RideAlong Dear Grandma.In 2008, she was invited to take up aresidency at Stonepark NationalSchool (NS). “Every child in the schoolwrote a poem. It was funded by PoetryIreland and it (the resulting publishedwork) was called A Hand in the Future,”said Mary, who is quick toacknowledge the support ofStonepark’s Eamon Brennan andBelinda McKeon.Today Mary’s work with childrencontinues. As Regional Editor ofEurochild, she compiles a variety ofI clean out the wardrobe.Anything that’s five years or morenot worn goes into the spare room.But, not my father’s shirt or jacket.I search the pocketsfor anything I’d missed andin a corner an old plastic crucifixsevered from its beads.On Good Friday by Mary MelvinGeoghegan. This is one of over 60 poemsthat will feature in her latest collection ofpoems, Say it like a paragraph. Thecollection will be published by BradshawBooks, Tigh Filí, Cork, in autumn 2012.poems from across the region for theproject. Now in its tenth year, Eurochildis a project which gives children a voice.“It might be the first opportunity thatthey are asked to write something outof the ordinary confines of the schoolday,” said Mary. “Poetry helps peopleto connect back into themselves.”Mary’s work has been widely publishedin publications such as Crannóg(2011), Revival (2011), The Shop, TheStony Thursday Book (2011) and TheMoth (2012). In looking at her owninfluences, she tells me that sheadmires the work of poets such asNuala Ní Chonchúr and Vona Groake.In her fourth collection Say it like aParagraph, Mary looks at a new phasein her life, one which began with thepassing of her father, Alfred Melvin.“I write whatever inspires me.I’m inspired by photographs innewspapers, anything that interestsme really.” She was encouraged topublish this collection of poemsfollowing a workshop with Americanpoet, June HerstfieldShe added: “Temperamentally I’msuited to poetry. I think in lines. I feelso fortunate...Poetry is like theexpletive of the heart or the momentcaptured,” she said.But, despite all her success Mary has apractical view on life. “You are only asgood as the next piece you write. It’snever a given that it’s going to bethere,” she said.Mary lives in Abbeycartron, Longford.Her two children, Peter and Robbie,work in the United Kingdom. Peterwrites as a journalist for a number ofpublications including The Guardian,Sunday Business Post, Irish Times,Examiner and the Irish Independent.Robbie is an English teacher inGlasgow. MSalty Dogand theElectricPicnic“In the murky shadows of the woods inStradbally, an old friend peels a fewleaves off his forehead and flicks acaterpillar from behind his ear, andrecalls some distant promise to tryharder... its the captain of the SaltyDog, stumbling into the lengtheningSummer days with his flies undone andwondering how the winter was soeffortlessly squandered“, reads theofficial announcement for The SaltyDog Stage 2012…The Salty Dog Stage has something of areputation at the Electric Picnic—permanently dwelling on the naughtystep of the full scale music festival upthe road in Stradbally Hall in September.And rightly so, for it is a renegade 40-tonne French trawler, a shipwreck to youand I, which ‘fell off the back of a lorry’ inthe woods in 2008 and declared itselfopen for business. It has become a welllikedstage at Electric Picnic, with over 30bands performing on her decks over thethree days, and countless revelersfinding a second home under her nonjudgmentalbows.Operated by Stradbally resident HugoJellett, who also runs Carlow Arts Festival(Eigse) and Charles Preston, ‘the besttent guy in the business’, the Salty Dog isone of the few stages which devotesitself almost entirely to Irish acts—although Seasick Steve and EdwardSharpe & the Magnetic Zeros have bothperformed recentlyPolar Ice, a dry ice company fromPortarlington put on a foggy spectacularfor the three days, and it runs until thesunlight cracks thought the early morningmist each morning and the last fewrevelers fall to their knees in exhaustion.Jellett and Preston set about rounding upthe fringes of society and giving themstage to play on. “Sea shanties from pubtannedcodgers, bluegrass at the whimof corn-nibblers down from the hills,blues solos from tinny-swilling doublebassists with bockety eyes, and theoccasional cracking set from a confusedrock-star kidnapped from the main stageand spirited into the forest” as they put it.Somehow it’s fitting that in all thehullabaloo off giant Main Stages andinternational headline acts, thehumblest, wittiest and best loved stageof them all is a permanent Stradballyresident. MFESTIVAL REPUBLIC & PODpresentsELECTRIC PICNICMUSIC & ARTSFESTIVALSTRADBALLY HALL, CO. LAOISFriday, August, 31,Saturday, September 1,Sunday, September 2, 2012TICKETS ON SALE NOW!Over the last eight years Electric Picnic hasestablished itself as a melting pot of finemusic, art, comedy, spoken word and so muchmore. This year won’t be any different...anotherinfusion of colour, vibrancy, sparkle andmischief is on the way as we commence ourcountdown to Electric Picnic 2012 by revealingthe first acts who will be bestowing thesoundtrack in Stradbally over three days at theend of the summer.THE CURE; THE KILLERS; ELBOW; SIGURRÓS; ORBITAL; HOT CHIP; THE XX ;GRIZZLY BEAR; CHRISTY MOORE; THEROOTS; GLEN HANSARD; METRONOMY;THE HORRORS; AZEALIA BANKS; ROOTSMANUVA; BAT FOR LASHES;TINDERSTICKS; BELL X1; STAFF BENDABILILI; MILAGRES; ED SHEERAN;ALABAMA SHAKES; CRANES; LITTLEROY; LAND LOVERS; BAXTER DURY;JONATHAN WILSON; SOLAR BEARS;FATOUMATA DIAWARA; WILLIS EARLBEAL; LANTERNS ON THE LAKETHE CURE will play a two hours plus setof songs drawn from all 14 of their studioalbums - including tracks from their epicWish album, celebrating it’s 20thanniversary in 2012. This will be THECURE’s first ever appearance at ElectricPicnic and is definitely not to be missed.Electric Picnic goers will revel in thepowerful anthems of ELBOW this year asthey head to Stradbally. They haverecently been given the honour of writingthe BBC’s Olympic theme. Throw thosecurtains wide, Elbow have arrived!Other areas to be explored include BODYAND SOUL, MINDFIELD, COMEDY TENT,THEATRE OF FOOD, GLOBAL GREEN,SOUL KIDS and much more……….“I’m really looking forward to this year’sfestival, particularly having The Cure onthe lineup, a band we’ve been trying toget on the bill for 7 years.” JohnReynolds, PODFurther information about tickets isavailable at www.electricpicnic.iePaper Girls at ElectricPicnic Launch15

Midland Arts and Culture Magazine | SUMMER 2012Collaborate?Pontificate?Man-I-Pulate?UNIQUE TO OFFALY, MAN-I-PULATE IS A PERFORMATIVE INTERFACE, EMERGING IN ACURIOUSLY SPONTANEOUS MANNER FROM THE BOG BEFORE RETURNING TO IT.The group consists of a highlyincongruous jazz outfit ‘Miles ‘O BogEnsemble’ (Joachim Hein), a ratherunlikely farmer’s son from Cloghan;(Ronan Coughlan) and an out of jointcontemporary dancer (Nick Bryson) wholoathes being described as ‘from acommunity’ in Northern Ireland, yet whosecretly permits himself to be describedas an ‘interpretive dancer’.The only question we are concernedwith is “who is manipulating who?” –as ever. And it does all come down tolanguage and vocabulary; powerfulpeople are powerful because theyoccupy the vocabulary of power.As well the founding fathers, Man-I-pulateconsists of the highly skilled andmotivated musicians Anne Mcghee (flute),Connor Hein (guitar) and Dave Cashen(drums).This crowd of Sunday Miscellanies hasperformed equally bizarrely to a crowd ofdance aficionados at last year’s AbsolutDublin Fringe in what was a ratherargumentative pub Sweeney’s on Dublin’sDame Street as they launched a tiradeagainst the arts establishmentjuxtaposed with some arabesque in anattempt to placate the bewilderedaudience. This manifesto and bluster,counter culture and countering counterculture, posturing and provoking, is astrange thrashing about for an identity.So how is this collaboration translating?Bryson says: “I regularly shout these daysin my performance work ‘I am not scaredto live in Offaly!’”Describing what inspired his involvement,Coughlan would say: “Two fine gentlemenfrom different countries to me. One is aNordie and the other is a Kraut. Now don’tbe so easily offended they do not play upto their stereotypes, these two men are ofInternational mind. Pablo Picasso saidthat “a great artist has no nationality”.“I am a firm believer that a great artisthas no borders or boundaries and cansee national identity as a farce in itself.Every artist knows that, right? Maybe not.So we decided to try and put on a touringshow of what it’s like being a male artistin Offaly. It was a simple plan and webegan, talking that is. We decided to callourselves Man-I-Pulate. We were threemen of different generations trying tomake pulate a verb. Our shtick was thatof the rural avengers, I wanted to letpeople know that we are HERE! LISTENUP, we are artists from Offaly and we wantpeople to realise that it’s OK to be anartist from the countryside. I have put upwith years of stick over being an artistfrom my contemporaries but I don’t give as**t what anyone thinks of me, I wouldprefer if they had an opinion, position orangle, but ultimately begrudgery does notkeep me awake at night.“Audiences don’t know what to think ofus. People act like they know what ishappening; like they have figured it outwhen they haven’t... this is calledpretending. Like so many shows after, Ithink people find it hard to talk orapproach us because they think we aresome sort of manic assholes who hasmore time than sense and chip on ourshoulder that you could deem‘considerable’. But sometimes whathappens in an art space makes no senseat all.“I regularlyshout thesedays in myperformancework ‘I am notscared to live inOffaly!’”“Edmund Burke, the Irish philosopherstated that ‘evil prevails when good mendo nothing‘. Or in this case bulls**tprevails when Great men do nothing.Joachim, Nick, Dave, Connor and Anneare all brilliant at what they do, we havehad plenty of praise along the way and wework together to try and challengethe status quo.”Joachim Hein, a bassist and composer, isa musician who grew up with Miles Davis,Coltrane, Mingus, Monk and the prospectof working with Man-I-Pulate as themusical “founding father” was andremains beyond his wildest dreams.He describes his input as “about creating,through free form improvisation, thesoundtrack to the spoken word anddance performance, responding to subtlechanges in dynamics or mood,sometimes prodding the guys on to reacheven further, dig deeper, or search moreintensely. It is such a challenge every timeand in so many different ways, that I donot think a creative musician could askfor much more.“With this amount of complete creativefreedom comes a bundle ofresponsibilities, such as never overpowerthe performance of the front men, nor letthem down when they are reaching fortheir respective heights or, worst offence,just bore the socks off everybody. Like abinding circle that is permanentlychallenged until it bursts and then youhurry back to create a new, perhaps biggerbut certainly different form. I try to tame asubtle chaos only to unleash it again untilthe performance eventually comes to itsend. As a player in a collective of likeminds, yet individually inclined to bringtheir very own creative juices to the pot, Ibelieve this is as close as you can get toheaven this side of the coffin and I wouldnot want to miss it for the world. Long mayit continue!,” he concluded. M16

PORTLAOISENATIVE TAKESSOJOURN TO THEPUBLICThe Arts Office, Laois County Council recently hosted anexhibition of paintings by Portlaoise native Christy Brown,entitled Sojourn. In association with the HSE, the exhibitionwas officially opened on Thursday, March 29 in Áras anChontae, Portlaoise by Kevin Kavanagh, Director of KevinKavanagh Gallery.About Christy BrowneChristy was born in 1954 and lived inBridge St, Portlaoise where his family rana General Merchants shop. The shoplater became a restaurant and takeaway,one of the very few in Portlaoise,which was a very different place at thattime. It is now Kelly’s butcher shop butthe Brown family remains synonymouswith the business fabric of the town.Christy’s first dalliance with the art wasin primary school with the Sisters ofCharity and this interest followed throughto secondary school in the CBS where hedid Irish dancing and played tin whistle.Christy lost his dad at an early age and atthis point he came into possession of aguitar, his first love and went on tobecome very proficient at it, the mouthorgan and blues harp.In the mid 70s he then indulged inperforming arts, busking firstly in Londonand then eventually in Portlaoise wherehis regular pitch was the archway atMarshes Lane. He also busked inTullamore and indeed was the subject ofan article in the Leinster Express with theheadline Laoisman becomes Tullamore‘s Troubadour.His musical leanings were folk andballad with nationalistic tendencies and,so, It was a natural progression that hejoined Amnesty International.Christy suffered a stroke in 2008 whichimpinged on his guitar playing and ledhim to be more involved in the visualarts. He describes his influences fromboth performance and visual arts as NeilYoung and Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylanand Christy Moore and also working withSeamus Morton.Health and artFrom the late 70’s Christy encounteredmental health problems needinghospitalisation in St Fintan’s Hospital andit was there that Christy really becameinvolved in art, collaborating with otherartists, but with no formal training. In thepast five years Christy has attended theLink activity centre in St Fintan’s campus.Under the guidance of Angela DelaneyCNS in Art Therapy intervention his artbegan to flourish and he won a nationalcompetition last year at an exhibitionentitled Art against Stigma in FarmleighEstate, Pheonix Park.Since 2010 Christy has lived in ErkinaHouse, Rathdowney, where his artcontinues to flourish and where he hashis own studio, beside fellow artistSeamus Morton. He is also attendingAbbeyleix Further Education Centre,completing an art course under MaryDelaney, Arts Teacher.To say that Christy has been on a longsojourn with art is putting it mildly.Christy’s journey has been greatlyassisted by the Arts Office at LaoisCounty Council culminating in his veryfirst solo exhibition.This wonderful exhibition ran from March29 until April 20 open to the public inÁras an Chontae, Portlaoise fromMonday to Friday from 9am to 5pm.The Arts Office acknowledges thefinancial support of the Arts Council inmaking the Arts Programme possible.For more details contact: The ArtsOffice, Laois County Council, Áras anChontae, Portlaoise. Tel: 0578674342/44 or email:artsoff@laoiscoco.ie MAdult Education Programme:Junior CertificateLeaving CertificateCraft - FETAC Level 3 & 4 (major award)Creative Craft - FETAC Level 5 (major award)Art, Craft & Design - FETAC Level 5(major award)Art & Business - FETAC Level 6(major award)Nursing Studies - FETAC Level 5 (major award)Community Care - FETAC Level 5 (major award)Business Studies withECDL – FETAC Level 5 (major award)Business Management nt - FETAC Level 6(major award)How to applyApplication forms areavailable from the Centreor on our website057 8731127www.abbeyleixfec.ieAbbeyleixFurtherEducationCentreMountrath Road,Abbeyleix, Co. Laois.T. 057 873 1127F. 057 873 1864E.info@abbeyleixfec.ie fec.ieW.www.abbeyleixfec.ie17

“It’s hard workbeing funny,”comedianBernard O’Sheatells MidlandArts and CultureMagazine Editor,Angela Madden.Being a fulltime funny manis no laughingmattercompetition but no one entered. Oneday he said ‘would you do it’ and so Idid it to get people in and make hisevent work. That was my first gig.”This was to be the gig of his life asBernard said after that unplannedperformance things startedhappening quickly. “What happenedwas I got offered £50 and I got asupport slot to Pat McDonnell andJoe Rooney.” Both Pat and Joe werehousehold names as a result of theirFather Ted fame. “I did the supportact before them and that was mysecond gig!”Ironically – accidental comedianBernard had never actually been to acomedy gig before his debut supportact.Durrogh, county Laois, funny manBernard says he owes his success tohis best friend who died extremelyyoung and that he simply fell into therole of comedian thanks to this muchmissed pal Danny.Bernard is the youngest of a family offour and the only male in the mix.“Basically I got away with stuff,” saidBernard who admitted he had thehappiest childhood one could hopefor with Mum Mary and Dad John.In was early in this idyllic childhood,from about the age of 13, thatBernard started taking to the stage –but not as a comedian but rather as amusician playing Irish traditionaltunes with his Dad and this hecontinued to do throughout hisformative years.“Success doesnot necessarilygive you the rightto do this foreveror to make alivelihood forever.It is simply aplatform to use tobuild upon.”Then, at the age of 17 or 18 Bernardheaded into the great unknown – orat least Dundalk – to study CulturalStudies, which was a brand newcourse at the time, he told MidlandsArt and Culture Magazine.“The course covered theatre, film,archaeology, arts and culturaltheory,” he explained. “And with itbeing the first course of its kind itreally was quite experimental.”It was during this four-year coursethat Bernard got to meet a new groupof friends – and his great friendDanny (RIP). “In our third year we hadto get a project – a cultural event,”said Bernard “and Danny decided toput on a comedy show. He ran aIn the next phase of life at the end ofhis college days, the big smoke calledBernard who headed to Dublin andended up living in a bedsit andplaying Irish music on his accordionor singing to make a few pounds “andreally going nowhere”.Bernard then explained that around2004/5 a new comic turn was bornewith the revolutionary Des Bishopand his group and his brother AidanBishop, which started running everyThursday, Friday and Saturday. “I wasfriendly with Aidan and then heallowed me to gig three or four timeswith them - and then, gradually, overtime I spent more time doing comedythan music.”18

“More than any show Ihave seen this Fringe, Idesperately want to see itagain. It is O’Shea’s firstshow in Edinburgh and isendlessly delightful andsurprising. gloriousvulnerabilities andfabulous imprompturaging that remindsyou how extraordinarystand-up can be.”The Scotsman (5 star review)About Bernard – a snapshot■■■■■■■■Bernard started out in entertainment at anearly age playing traditional Irish music,touring Europe with several groups.While at college he studied Theatre andwent on to star in several theatricalproductions.He worked in the National Theatre ofIreland and the Abbey Theatre.He won the Harp Newcomer Comedy Awardin 2000 and performed in the BBCNewcomer Awards the same year.He was chosen to perform in The MontrealJust for Laughs comedy festival in 2005and also The Kilkenny Cats Laughs festivalin 2005 and 2006.He wrote TJ and TJ sketches on Today FM.His Edinburgh debut Do not adjust yourmind reality is a fault received a five starreview from The Scotsman.He has previously co-hosted the Breakfastwith Bernard and Keith show on the Irishradio station I105-107FM.Television credits■ The Liffey Laugh (RTÉ)■ Naked Camera (RTÉ)■ Just for Laughs■ The World Stands Up (Paramount)■ Newcomer Awards (BBC)■ The Cafe (RTÉ)■ Touching People (RTÉ)■ The Byrne Ultimatium (RTÉ)■ Republic of Telly (RTÉ)■ The Panel (RTÉ)A year later in 2005 Bernardauditioned for Montreal Show – theXfactor comedy equivalent which wasauditioning in Ireland and involvedstanding in front of the panel andperforming a four or five minute skit.Bernard made the cut.Then “one night when I was having agood night back in 2005 I was askedto perform at the Montreal ComedyFestival,” added the Laois native.But, Bernard explained that such orany successes achieved in comedy –or in the arts in general – does notgive you a free pass for the future;that you can not expect or assumethat people will like your work foralways or as much.“Success does not necessarily giveyou the right to do this forever or tomake a livelihood forever,” saidBernard “it is simply a platform to useto build upon.”In fact, ironically, Bernard said thatfor him, the more success heachieved the more comedy became ajob and the more difficult the jobbecame. “Initially you just got up onstage and had a laugh,” said Bernard.“Then it became a source oflivelihood and you know howimportant that livelihood is. You hadto work and prepare; you just couldn’tget up and hope for the best anymore.”It’s hard work and long days that gointo Bernard’s craft. “What I amfinding right now with TV, travel, radioabroad, gigs in Ireland I have to getup at nine am and start writing andusually keep writing until 3pm when Ihave a break and then get back to ituntil maybe 7 or 9pm. It is work.“It is getting the stage where I amalways saying that the only thing I likeabout stand up is being on the stage,waiting to go on stage. Developing,preparing is work. It is just work.”Bernard said that while it may seemglamorous and, while he loves it andfeels extremely luck, it is a job likeeveryone else’s.“Initially you justgot up on stageand had a laugh.Then it became asource oflivelihood andyou know howimportant thatlivelihood is. Youhad to work andprepare; you justcouldn’t get upand hope for thebest any more.”But how does Bernard actually comeup with the sketches and put hisideas down on paper? “The way Inormally write it is, I see something inlife that interests me. I write a lot ofthe stuff on the concept of hope –what we hope for and where it can gowrong even if everything seems right.I see something that is funny. I go onstage and thrash it out…Big things donot amuse as much as the littlethings.“One four to five minute skit can takea year to develop for stage.”He added: “All art is some form ofentertainment and some people payto have a laugh,” and so he admitsthat if you fail to do that your artsimply hasn’t delivered.But, comedy can also be used tomake a point – but only as asecondary aim. Bernard said thatwhile he is endeavoring to makepeople laugh, “after they have thelaugh then you can make a point butnever the other way round”.Bernard also that the publicperception of comedians beingdepressed and anti-social off stagewas just an “easy paradox” for peopleto make and nothing short of a“stereotype”.However, he did say that part of thisview might come form the fact thatthe public have a view of yourcharacter. But, Bernard points out weall have good days and not so good.“Someone may say hello to you andexpect a particular type of reactionbut it may just be that you receivedsome bad news that day and so justaren’t in the best form or make awitty retort,” explained Bernard.One of Bernard’s dislikes is reality TVbecause of the impact this cheap tobroadcast format had on moremeaningful productions and creativityin general. “Reality TV is responsiblefor cutting so many jobs in the arts –from scriptwriters right through,” saidBernard “so many different types ofjobs. Reality TV is just dirt cheap.”Now a regular on the popularRepublic of Telly, Bernard admits thatTV is a very different proposition tothe stage where preparation is lessimportant than the ability to be ableto react quickly.And, while the modest Bernard said itwas up to others to determinewhether he will be making a returnfor the next season of Republic ofTelly we will certainly be hoping thathe remains a fixture on our tellies ona Sunday night. MTour Dates■ July 2: The TrimSatire Festival (Trim,county Meath)2.45pm, The Cirquedu Satire■ July 15- 16: CorkComedy Festival■ July 21 and 23:The VodafoneComedy Carnival,Iveagh GardensDublin19

Midland Arts and Culture Magazine | SUMMER 2012Festival Director Billy NottMJudge Bryan McMahonand Billy NottAthlone celebrates60 th RTÉ All IrelandDrama FestivalSilken Thomas PlayersThe 2012 RTÉ All Ireland Drama Festival will be a glittering affair this year as the event gets set to celebrate itsdiamond jubilee. The 60 th festival will open at the Dean Crowe Theatre, Athlone on Thursday, May 3 and performanceswill continue nightly to Friday, May 11. A gala awards ceremony in the Radisson Blu Hotel, Athlone on Saturday, May12 will close the festival.BEGINNINGSThe festival was born out of aninitiative conceived by members ofAn Tostal to develop a nationalcompetition in drama. (An Tostal wasan organisation set up in the earlyfifties with the objective of organisingcultural and sporting events aroundIreland in order to generate a feelingof national pride while encouraginglocal tourism.)In October 1952, Cecil ffrenchSalkeld, Cultural Director of theNational Council of An Tostal, cameto the midlands in search of a venuefor this national festival of drama.On arrival in Athlone he met withPaddy Lenehan, Managing Director ofGentex, a local textile industry andthen the largest employer in theregion. Paddy offered the facilities ofthe Sportex Hall (part of the Gentexcomplex) free of charge as a venue tohold the event.Together with local teachers, BrendanO’Brien and Alfie Faulkner, acommittee was set up and plans tohost the event were put in motion.With funding from the Arts Council,which also celebrates its 60 thanniversary this year, the first All-Ireland Drama Festival was held inAthlone in April 1953 with BrendanO’Brien as Festival Director - aposition he held for 40 years.It comprised competition in 3-Act,(Open and Rural) 1-Act, (Open andRural) and Verse.The festival was officially opened byDr Hanly, Bishop of Elphin and theadjudicators were Maureen Delaney,Lennox Robinson and Gabriel Fallon.CURRENT PLANSSixty years on and the festival isregarded as the premier event of itskind in Ireland and beyond and withunprecedented attendance rates inrecent years, demand for seats isimmense.The top nine groups who qualify for aplace in Athlone have already comethrough a gruelling nationwide circuitof 35 festivals involving 29 groups inall.With works by Irish and internationalauthors, audiences are in for a feastof drama that will entertain andenthral in equal measure.The adjudicator for the festival isBrian Marjoribanks, a distinguishedspeech and drama lecturer andinternational adjudicator.During his long and varied career, hehas been a professional footballer,has worked in radio and televisionand has chaired an internationalpanel of jurors at the Prix ItaliaTelevision Festival in Sicily.FRINGE BENEFITSApart form the competitive businessof the performances at the DeanCrowe Theatre, the event has a widerdimension involving the town ofAthlone at large.Fringe events, many which are youthfocused,will include dramaworkshops, art exhibitions, streettheatre and shop window displays.The town will be decorated to give atruly festive welcome to the manyvisitors from all over Ireland who areexpected to descend on the town.Main sponsors RTÉ will broadcastsome of its radio schedules from20

Athlone during festival week, withdaily reports of the goings-on at theDean Crowe going out on air aroundmid-day.Another important feature of thefestival is the post-performanceentertainment in the theatre bar.Here, performers, crew, committeeand patrons will gather and exchangeviews on the night’s production andlater render a song or two well intothe small hours.MEMORIESNo doubt, in such convivialsurroundings, conversations willwander down memory lane wherereminiscences of festivals past will beevoked: the feats of Strand Playersand Sundrive Players who jointly holdthe record for the most wins (4); theacting prowess of Kitty Norton, GraceBrophy and Victor Wheatley;producers of the calibre of TerenceO’Doherty and Una Parker; suchmemorable winning productions asListowel’s Sive, Moat Club’s Abelardand Heloise and Charlestown’sBuried Child; the conversations withJohn B Keane; the adjudications ofAlan Nicholl or the writtencommentaries of Des Rushe.Many will remember the old caravanin the theatre forecourt which servedas a box office, the odds offered on ablack-board outside P J Bannon’s‘Festival Bar’ or the glorioussplendour of the Esso Trophy.SIGNIFICANCEThe importance of amateur drama inlocal communities throughout Irelandis further exemplified by thecontinued association with thefestival by RTÉ, which has beeninvolved as main sponsor since2004.The high esteem with which thefestival is held among the widertheatre community is evidenced bythe generous invitation extended bythe Abbey Theatre to one of thefinalists at Athlone to perform theirplay at the Peacock for a short runduring the Summer.This feature was introduced last yearand the amateur drama movement isespecially grateful to Abbey directorFiach MacConghail and Chairman ofthe Abbey Board, Judge BryanMcMahon who were influential inbringing this about.LOOKING AHEADIn recent years, groups such as SilkenThomas Players, Cornmill TheatreCompany, Estuary Players andKilmeen Drama Group havepresented award winning productionsto an audience primed for indulgencein drama at its best, whether it isthrough the familiar territory of wellknown plays or through rarely seenground breaking exploits whichchallenge both performer andspectator. Having survived the trialsof the last six decades, whetherpolitical unrest or advances in digitalforms of entertainment, the dramafestival will continue, as in the past,to be the torch bearer for crossborder theatrical endeavour anddramatic achievement. MSUPPLEMENTARYINFORMATIONIn 1959 the festival moved fromthe Sportex Hall to its presentlocation at the then known DeanCrowe Memorial Hall. This was alsothe year when Esso became thefirst sponsors whereby theypresented a perpetual cup to thefestival which was known as theEsso Trophy.The first winners of the trophy werea group from Listowel, Co Kerrypresenting a play by a little knownbudding playwright by the nameof John B. Keane. The play wascalled Sive.The competition streamlined itselfinto the 3-Act Open Finals from1969 and remained in much thesame format as today with thenumber of finalists reduced in2004 from twelve to nine. In 1999,the hall underwent majorrenovation and refurbishmentopening its doors in 2000 as theDean Crowe Theatre and ArtsCentre, presenting a modern, fullyequippedvenue fit to bring thefestival into the 21st century.Kilmeen Drama Group, Champions 2011My Hometown- a photographic journey through the streets of BirrArtist Jackie Lynch recently launched a book abouther hometown of Birr having spent two yearswalking around the town photographing thestreetscape and each time noticing and capturingdetails she hadn’t seen before. Her book is acelebration of the craftspeople that made thisheritage town what it is today.Jackie had lived for a year in Xian, PR China and afurther six years in Kyoto, Japan and her work isheavily influenced by Asian aesthetics, in particularthe Japanese aesthetic of ‘wabisabisuki’ which canbe loosely translated as ‘the patina of old age’.Jackie has chosen to highlight the charm in a wornstep, a rusty gate, chipped paint and details that areenriched by the forces of nature and decay. Theshabby door is just as beautiful to her as the brightlypainted one because it has character that only timecan create.This book celebrates the uniqueness and goodcraftsmanship of Birr but it alsocelebrates the proud sense of place theartist has and the affection she has forthe town she is so familiar with. This isnot just Birr through an artist’s eyes; thisis Birr through treasured eyes capturingthe changing seasons and the spirit ofthe town.The book contains an introduction aboutBirr’s legacy by Caimin O Brien and athought-provoking conclusionrepresenting the future by RosalindFanning.Esso ceased its long associationwith the festival in 1999, makingway for Ericsson to become mainsponsors from 2000 to 2003. In2004 RTÉ stepped on board withthe festival getting majorprominence thanks to the facilitiesprovided by the nationalbroadcaster. MOnly 500 copies were printed and a few are stillavailable in The Organic Store, Birr, Birr Castle Shop,Birr Theatre and Arts Centre or directly from Jackie atwabisabisuki@yahoo.co.uk costing €25. M

Midland Arts and Culture Magazine | SUMMER 2012My Residency inPart 2The TyroneGuthrie Centreby Ann Egan“…I had a plan of work for my fortnight here. I planned to write a series of poems inspired by the past. I had also broughtwith me notebooks in which I write on a daily basis. I had them as a fall back. I wanted to make the very best of thismarvellous and blessed opportunity gifted to me so my notebooks were with me like familiar friends but a little neglected.The Tyrone Guthrie Centre is ideal forreflection and also has all the moderncommunication facilities of Broadband,Wi-Fi and all technological support werely on today. Above all these modernaids, the house has a deep sense ofpeace, calmness and belonging. I settledin on my first day, listening to the windrise all about the sweeping grounds.The house is set well back from thesurrounding forest and while they areseveral beautiful, ancient trees growingabout the spacious lawns, they all lookdeep-rooted and sturdy enough towithstand the wind and storm’s rigours.My second day dawned to the peace ofthe storm’s aftermath. AnnaghmakerrigLake was shining in early morning sunriseas I walked around its shores and notedfallen chestnuts that gathered about thepath, victims of the wind, now abated. Mywalk was long and pleasant. It affordedme the time and peace to reflect on thedetails of the plan of writing I had laid outon my first evening. I sat awhile by theboathouse and soon in the tranquillitysurrounding me, began my new writings.There is no need to worry about domesticduties and chores for all one could everneed is left in readiness in the hugekitchen here. The house hums along andoffers all a person all essentials and evenmore. The helpfulness and friendlinessand willingness of all the staff create theillusion of effortless housekeeping andcooking but in the background carefuland meticulous planning makes it allpossible.It is a blessing to be here, to be in thesilence of this great house, to workaccording to a predetermined plan andwhen a break is needed from the work,there is the beauty of the forest walk, thesilver tranquillity of the lake and the verygrateful knowledge that my newnotebook’s pages are being filled.Later in the day I will type in and reviseand edit and bring it to the best shape Ican in the calm and warmth of amagnificent workroom.There is a time-honoured tradition here,all artists in the house meet at 7pm fordinner. The gong rings out to calleveryone to the kitchen where the largetable is set and can accommodate up to20 people. The fire is glowing in theraised stove and all gather about in thecompany of Robert and a magnificentmeal is served. The pace is slow andrelaxed. People move about the tablefrom one evening to the next and within afew days everyone knows theirneighbours. The talk usually begins withthe beauty of the meal, most of which isgrown and produced on the farm,everything is home-produced andhomemade and is truly beyond compare.The chat grows with the evening’spassing and it is very beneficial to hearthe work of each artist being discussed,their ideas, how the ideas are beingdeveloped, how the atmosphere of thehouse lends itself willingly and generouslyto the development and sharing of art.For myself, over the passage of my twoweeks residency here, I had manyinteresting conversations with artists,writers and composers. Sharing ideas isa great benefit and opens new horizonsof creativity. The house offers a backdropto these ideas and one gains invaluableinsights into one’s own journey withwords. What is so beneficial about beinghere is the constancy of calm, peace andthe sheer comfort of the surroundings,the care and concern of all the staff tomake a residency a blessing of learningand of achieving each day…See next issuefor the LASTinstallement22On board the Carousel with Leonard AndersonBy Majella ReidLeonard Anderson fell into musicalsby accident. A quiet invitation to joina male chorus, followed by a furtherinvitation to do some choreographyresulted in a full-time career for aman who is today an award-winningmusical director.Originally from county Down, Leonardis now well known in county Longfordhaving directed eight musicalsproduced by St Mel’s Musical Societysince 2000 – and he is currently inrehearsals for his ninth production withthe award-winning group!According to Leonard, this year thegroup has chosen one of its mostambitious projects to date - the muchlovedRodgers and Hammersteinclassic Carousel in a production whichwill feature more than 70 cast andcrew members.“Carousel is slightly darker as a musicaland it has some of the best known musicin musical theatre,” he explained.The musical, which first premièred in1945 on Broadway, is set in NewEngland in the United States and in itsday the production was consideredsomething of a taboo-breaker touchingupon topics such as suicide and wifebeating.“Along the way there is a lot of fun,however,” said Leonard. “This comes inthe form of Mr Snow (Tony Wadde) andCarrie (Deirdre Leavy).”Making his début performance inmusical theatre is Aughnacliffe manKevin Gormley who plays the lead roleof Billy Bigelow. Deirdre McCabe ofMohill, County Leitrim, plays Billy’s loveinterest, Julie Jordan.Mr Anderson, who has been directingmusicals full-time since 1993, believesthe story line is one which will appealto musical lovers, and indeed theatrelovers, of all ages.The plot revolves around the characterBilly Bigelow and his relationship withJulie Jordan. Billy falls fowl of badnessand eventually commits suicide.“When he goes to Heaven he is given achance to go down again (to Earth) andto do some good for a day. In doing sohe may just earn the right to get intoHeaven,” said the director.The stage will also be graced by StMel’s Musical Society stalwarts suchas Aideen Mulligan (Nettie Fowler),David Flaherty (Jigger), Liz Leavy (MrsMullin), Roy Davis, John Kelly, JustinForde, Gráinne Fox, Jim McDonald,Luke Cassidy, Heather Moore andmany, many more.This Rodger and Hammerstein classicis widely known for its legendarysongs which include June is Bustin’Out All Over, If I Loved You, and, ofcourse, the Liverpool football anthemYou’ll Never Walk Alone.“It (Carousel) really has something foreveryone. There are a couple of mimebits in it also and I’ve brought in AmyDuignan and her dancers to executethe balletic moves,” said Leonard.“We have about 23 children ranging inage from five years to 12 in thisproduction,” he added.The show which ran over the lastweekend in April at the BackstageTheatre was a sell out. M

“Homage”Exhibition by George Burland at the Arthouse Gallery, Stradbally“Trying to put into words what one isdoing with paint is an enormouslydifficult task and one that is doomedto fail, nevertheless, a paragraph or atitle can serve as an opening for theviewer to become first acquaintedwith a work in a similar manner aseach of us has firstly a name then apersonality, interests, a profession, arole. How can we sum all that up?Does each of us contain a meaning?Does a painting have a meaning?”asks George Burland.Declan O’Donovan, current IrishAmbassador to Portugal, has severalpaintings and sculptures of George’s,and is of the opinion: “Irishman GeorgeBurland has lived and worked abroadfor many years, but these colours are ofhis homeland.“Like many artists, George would saythat the work is what you see, not whathe may have intended you to see. Forme, the work presents the preservingbog, rich earth and ever-changing sky ofhistoric Ireland. In one particularpainting, it is winter but there is greengrowth and above is the lighter green ofa new day dawning, the whole a livingsculpture of nature at a time ofChristmas joy and reflection at the turnof year. No flowers to catch the eye.They will come later.”Although Declan was referring to aparticular acrylic painting from a fewyears ago, it could be considered as aprecursor to those paintings thatGeorge plans to exhibit in June atStradbally Arthouse. These recent worksare mostly gouaches on paper and thelighter medium permits a looser andmore transparent handling of paint andcolour.George was reared on a farm in countyKildare from which one could see theWicklow Mountains and no matter howfar he has travelled abroad or where hismind has wandered to, that initiallandscape was and is always present inthe subconscious.So, too, is the canal of Naas where hespent his earliest childhood years andto where his parents returned on theirretirement.A number of years ago George boughtan old house in a small village in thenorth of Spain and moved there fromMadrid, where he has have lived andworked since.About 50 years ago the region wasagriculturally very active but vastexpanses of land have since fallen idleand are being reclaimed by natureproviding for stimulating landscape - ina manner similar to the present focuson Irish bogland as an aestheticallypleasing nature reserve.His paintings are largely abstract.Painting, as in anything else, allows oneto leave out certain elements in order tobetter focus on others. In his paintingshe tries to focus on an “all over”approach, a perceived energy, a searchfor balance, no description.The exhibition opens 13 June inthe Arthouse Gallery and will be onexhibition for President Higgins visit tothe Arthouse and Library on that day.M23

LE CHÉILE12Collective remembers residencyAnna Duffy and Ann WingfieldA testimony from four Westmeath and Roscommon-based visual artists of a week long residency in Spring 2012,at the renowned creative arts retreat, Tyrone Guthrie Centre, County Monaghan : Siobhan Cox-Carlos, Anna Susay-Duffy, Lorraine Mimnagh and Ann Wingfield rekindle images of their experience.“The opportunity to find oneselfnear the aptly named village ofNewbliss, on the shores of LakeAnnaghmakerrig, Co Monaghan isblessing enough, but for four midlandbasedartists to be in situ at the sametime was too valuable an opportunity tomiss.Over a couple of dinner chats and plentyof humorous banter, we found ourselvesby candlelight at the dining table aboutto embark upon experimental portraiturephotography, not unduly influenced byspooky tales of past hauntings and OldMasters paintings!Our nightly fervour wasn’t long incaptivating several more residents ofother creative disciplines and a mini-epicphoto shoot project ensued, the resultingportraits of which soon became the‘must have’ Residency memento ofmany.Having found such synergy, a seed ofthought was sown, to present ourcreative thoughts and concepts as acollaborative group, becoming a realityas we stepped out of the shadows andonto the page.Progressing individual personal practicethrough evaluation and critique is thenorm but collaboration was uncharteredterritory for some of this group. With thisin mind, we chose a format ofcollaborative work that would suit eachof our schedules and directive enough tobe achievable. Our daily meeting placewould be neutral ground in theCconservatory at four bells! And ofcourse, a pot of tea to keep out thecold! Roll out the critique!The short 10-minute art brief that weeach assigned the others in dailyrotation, sometimes consisting of onlyone word, was intended to evoke aninstant response to our location.Moments encapsulated like snapshotson small scale pages which weredeliberately chosen to convey a senseof intimacy with both materials andsubject.Naturally not everyone’s experience onany one day is the same, and as visualartists know, a day’s painting canpresent plenty of highs and lows, thus,moods and choices were certainlyreflected in the end pieces, oftenraising a laugh to combat a frustratedfrown!We were delighted to include thisproject in our end of residencyexhibition as a week in the life of fourvisual artists, contributing to anevening of performance, of a medley ofliterary recitation and severalwonderful piano recitals.As testimony to the far reaching effectsof time ever spent at the TyroneGuthrie Centre, it’s not surprising thatthis collaboration is taking thoseinfluences with it and enhancing theirenergy to keep the groups workingwheels turning!We artists express our gratitude toWestmeath County Council Arts Officefor its support in the progression of ourwork at Annaghmakerrig, and forArtists Bursaries awarded, and lookforward to future developments andartwork from our new collaboration!”MSiobhan Cox Carlos in studio24

“I couldn’t talk toanyone. That’s whenI started writing, thatwas my saviour, penand paper’(Wally O Loughlin from Wally)Hear me, See meThe mental health project that grew out of a chance meeting with a rapper!By Anne Marie KellyAnne Marie KellyBroadcasterA weekend of training arose from themaking of Wally, a film documentaryabout Wally O Loughlin fromPortlaoise who attempted suicidein 2009.Music was his escape and the film is hisstory. It is a story of survival that aims toempower young people today to believein themselves.In order to make an impact on youngpeople in Laois, Hear Me See Me wasborn out of the realisation that Wally didnot have the confidence or the tools toexpress himself, and the weekendintends to address that.As a result, the weekend brings 40young people and youth workerstogether on common ground to expressthemselves through the arts, so thatthis project can grow beyond theweekend.This weekend will take place on the Maybank holiday weekend in theDunamaise Arts Centre, Portlaoise andis funded by Laois Partnership.Some 40 young people from TransitionYear in Mountrath Community Schoolhave been chosen as the first group totake part.Ann-Marie Kelly first met Wally with theintention of making a radiodocumentary on him. He had got quite aname for himself as a rapper and hehad spoken to the newspapers of hissuicide attempt in order to help others.When Ann-Marie met him she knew itwould go beyond a radio documentary,and so she called in filmmaker GaryHoctor from Hello Camera from Birr andthey started shooting the documentary.Sometimes when you think the journeyis over, it’s only just begunA year later and Ann-Marie has juststopped filming. She purchased her ownHD camera and followed Wally for over ayear.Wally went from the depths of despair togetting his blackbelt, recording his ownmusic and becoming a father.The documentary will be premiered onthe training weekend and will then go tofestivalsThis initiative doesn’t just allow youngpeople to express themselves throughfilm, music and radio, but also affordsthe opportunity to comment on whatthey see. It aims to empower youngpeople with the knowledge that youdon’t have to have a degree in art toexpress your opinion on it.The art of film, radio and music alsoallows them to escape their daily livesand delve into their own world ofwonder, imagination, curiosity,playfulness and being somebody else,and that is an aspect of life we all love.It also gives them a voice.The weekend will be run byprofessionals from film, music andradio industries and the young people’sradio program will be broadcast onMidlands 103.They will also perform and show theirwork on the final evening of theweekend after the premier of the filmWally that will be open to the public.MSynergy and Light -shining a light on the joy of movementOne afternoon in a frenzy of creativeexcitement Suzanne Hogan had adream - a dream in which dancers ofall disciplines and all abilities couldcome together and move... move withno prejudice, no judgement, just movefor the sheer love of dance, of being,of performance... move so thataudiences could see and connect withthe feeling of it, so that all could feelinspired, or at least leave with aslightly bigger smile on their face, anda little spring in their step.And, so, the concept of Synergy andLight as a festival and experience wasborn!“Synergy- for the feeling of harmonywhen there is movement in the bodyand with others.“Light- for the light it brings into ourselves and our lives when we move.“Whether dancing, walking, running orjumping. We shine when we move!“Imagine if all of us could discover alittle lightness from our own synergy?What a world it would be…,” explainsSuzanne.Synergy and Light Festival began in2011 as a community venture incollaboration with the WestmeathCounty Council to bring Westmeathdancers of all disciplines together inone magical afternoon of celebration,enjoyment and engagement with theaudience and other dancers.Energy Plus School of Dance fromMullingar, Athlone’s Attitude DanceSchool both performed along withBachata Ireland and contemporarydancer Orla Shine to name a few.Crowds gathered in the Athlone TownCentre Shopping Centre last April, andenjoyed an afternoon of fast-pacedentertainment along with workshops inZumba, Couples Latin Dancing andContemporary Dance. To top off thisamazing afternoon Fidget Feetperformed their piece ‘Hang On’ in theCivic Square.This year promises to focus yet again onthe community aspect of dance, activelyencouraging interaction between theaudience and the performers andoffering a series of free workshops opento all, regardless of abilities.This year even the tiny tots will get achance to shake and move in their veryown Disco Tots Workshop.The Mini-Musical Company, thebrainchild of artists Suzanne Hogan andNiall O’Connell, will be debuting two oftheir mini- musicals Broken Doll andSnow White and the One Dwarf.The Athlone Town Centre ShoppingCentre has agreed, for a second year, tohold the Synergy and Light Festival onSunday, May 27.This free festival will run from 1pm until6pm in the shopping centre followed bya grand finale, once the centre hasclosed, in the Sheraton Hotel, Athlone.Organisers say it is a 'big surprise' fornow, but promise it will cap off a greatday of free family fun andentertainment.For more information, or if you or yourgroup would like to participate in thisyear’s festival, please contact Suzi on086 8677164 or emailsuzi@synergyandlight.com M25

Midland Arts and Culture Magazine | SUMMER 2012Miriam in front of the AthloneCastle (left of picture)Meet MiriamTHE NEW ART AND HERITAGEMANAGER, ATHLONEMiriam Mulrennan may well have the most illustrious arts news this year with the opening of Westmeath’s new art gallery anda renovated Castle in the old town of Athlone – but what is for sure is that she has her work cut out writes Angela Madden.Miriam has returned to her place of origin inTulsk, County Roscommon to take up thenew position of Art and Heritage Managerfor Athlone.Having lived in London, Dublin and the anRinn Gaeltacht she is excited about beingback - as she said “closer to home, family,friends and familiar places”.She is already well advanced in the task ofmanaging Athlone Castle (under renovation),Athlone’s new Art Gallery (underconstruction), Abbey Road Artists’ Studios(opened in September 2012) and The JohnMcCormack Experience (awaiting fundingapproval).For those who don’t know, Athlone Art andHeritage Ltd is a company of Athlone TownCouncil responsible for managing theaforementioned attractions and facilities.At present, Miriam is the only employee ofthe company and so as she says herself sheis an interesting hybrid of “chief bottlewasher and chief executive curiouslyintertwined”.The lively launch of Abbey Road Artists’Studios in September in 2012 featured inour last edition of Midlands Arts and Culturemagazine and the studios have sincebecome a hotbed of creative activities withresident artists, school groups, communitygroups and a programme of exhibitions andeducational activities putting it firmly on themidlands artscape.The scale and variety of these projects isundoubtedly an enormous challenge, butclearly Miriam has always been up to achallenge, having managed to combineextensive studies and a varied managementcareer over the past 20 years.She told Midlands Arts and CultureMagazine: “I studied advertising andmarketing way back in Rathmines College ofCommerce. Even then I was always awarethat I needed some touchstone with creativeendeavour – be that through TV, film, art ormusic. How we identify ourselves throughstory has always appealed to me, so I guessI have found myself somewhere in thatspace between the business of managingcreative sectors and the creatorsthemselves. It’s a space I feel verycomfortable occupying.”From 2000 to 2004 Miriam was theFinance and Operations manager of ScreenProducers of Ireland, the representativebody for film, television and animationproducers. “This sector had alwaysinterested me. I love TV and film as a viewer– or a consumer, if I can use that muchloathedword when talking about film and TVand it was a great opportunity to learn aboutadvocacy and crucially - about providing realand tangible support for a creative sectorand what that really entails.”In the late 90’s while in London Miriamworked for a global marketing company inLondon gaining some internationalexposure, managing heavyweight brandssuch as Ford Motor Company, GE Capital,Aston Martin and NBC.In 2004 Miriam took some time out. “I knewit was time for change in my work especiallywhen you work in a role where you areyourself advocating ‘change’ so moving onfrom Screen Producers Ireland was the rightthing to do. I knew I wanted to remain closeto a creative sector, if I can call it that, butmy next step was unclear.”Miriam went travelling for a year andexplained: “It was the ideal time to takesome time out; this was 2004 remember - itwas that crazy time in Ireland where it wasactually true that it was a ‘candidate’smarket’. So I took a leap of faith and decidedI could manage to take a year out, andreturn to the job market in 2005.”It worked out well and on her return Miriamtook up a position as Learning andDevelopment Director with Irish LanguageTV Production Company, Nemeton Televisionwhich is based in the an Rinn Gaeltacht.Nemeton produces a large variety oftelevision programmes. “It’s one of thebiggest production companies in thecountry,” Miriam explained, clearlyremembering her former role and employersfondly, “and employs around 30 people fulltime with up to another 50 part time andwhen crewing up for big gigs”. Miriamremained with the company, setting up andrunning an education arm as an add-on tothe core TV business, for some seven years.Miriam also carved out the time to completea Masters in Pedagogy in the last two years.“I was working so intimately with third levelcurriculum design and I was so interested inhow teaching and learning had evolvedsince I had last studied… I guess it wasinevitable that I took up some course ofstudy.”Cranes on the skyline of Athlone are visuallytelling the story of the much anticipatedcastle redevelopment. Athlone art galleryis a completely new departure for thebuilding which has had many formercarnations. It will be a purpose builtmodern facility, incorporating the oldbuilding, sympathetically restored, andcombining the new wing and a modern glasssection over a cosmopolitan boardwalk area.It is intended that it will cater primarily butnot exclusively for the visual arts, with anemphasis on meeting local audience needsin terms of art exhibitions and engagement.It will also target national/internationalprojects.“This is a really exciting project, and theperfect compliment to the neighbouringcastle development on the other side of thebridge. We are making great progress withprogramming the first series of exhibitions.Obviously - until the exact date of the buildcompletion is tied down, aspects ofexhibition logistics, timeframes are tricky tobed down – but it’s a really exciting time, forAthlone, for artists from the region and forthe wider catchment area.”The gallery is due to be open later this yearand Miriam said she is “looking forward togetting into the building, getting to know thespaces and how the planned exhibitions will‘sit’ in them in the coming months”.To assist in developing these attractionsMiriam describes a volunteer project she isdeveloping with Westmeath VolunteerCentre, which aims to have localambassadors involved with the day todayactivities of the various venues.“These ‘ambassadors’ might “one day be inthe town centre welcoming people toAthlone from the river boats, and the next bein the Artists’ Studios helping to organise acreativity workshop with students or leadingan International tour group around AthloneCastle,” said Miriam.The Tulsk native is adamant that Athlone’s“cultural renaissance” will place Athlonevery firmly on the map.For further information seewww.athloneartandheritage.ie M26Athlone Art Gallery projects.

Profusion of Public Art Commissionsin LongfordDespite the significant reduction in capital funding beingexperienced by local authorities throughout the countryLongford County Council will “buck the national trend” bycommissioning at least eight public art commissions overthe next 12 months.Laois School of MusicTen Years of Music with an International FlavourLaois School of Music officiallycelebrated its 10 th birthday with a GalaConcert in The Dunamaise Arts Centre,Portlaoise on Friday, April 27.Amongst the performers will be past andpresent pupils of the school along with anumber of musicians from the schoolsteaching staff.Since it’s inception in September 2001,the school has progressed from a zerobase to 380 pupils, 18 part-time tutorsand a full-time Co-ordinator. There is alsothe Orpheus Orchestra, Senior Ensembleand a Flute Choir.When talking about the school’s activities,the focus can be so often on the pupilsand their progress so this article will focuson some of the schools tutors who bringan International flavour to the teachingstaff.Robert SolyomHungarian native,Robert Solyom, isthe newest additionto the school andbrings over 20years experience inthe field of musicperformance andeducation.He teaches clarinet, saxophone, flute,music theory, music history and chambermusic to students of all levels.Being a musician endorsing the Kodálymethod of music education, Robertteaches his students in an interactive wayto attain a love and appreciation of music.He studied in the prestigious Liszt FerencAcademy of Music in Budapest and hasseveral academic and performing awardsto his name. He re-located to Ireland withhis family in 2009 and also teaches inMaoin Cheoil na Gallimhe, Coole Music,Gort and Mayo School of Music.Andreas BalkeAndreas Balkehails from Hollandwhere hegraduated fromthe School for theArts, Faculty ofMusic, in Arnhem.He has taughtpiano in Holland, France and now inIreland.Teaching children and adults of varyinglevels, he likes to encourage students toexplore their own musical creativity.He has played with and composed forvarious jazz formations, a soul band andseveral theatre groups. Teaching in theLaois School of Music, in addition toindividual piano lessons, Andreas hasrecently embarked on the teaching ofsmall groups with differentinstrumentalists, the art of Improvisation,using rhythm and simple scales like theblues scale. Andreas is open to exploringall types of musical combinations – piano,clarinet, guitar, violin and so on so it wouldbe ideal for people who want to developtheir skills in an interactive way with othermusicians.Kimberly MeliaKimberly Melia isoriginally fromCountryside, Illinois, asouthwest suburb ofChicago in the UnitedStates. She has aBachelors Degree inMusic Education specialising in Flute andChoral Music Studies from the EasternIllinois University in Charleston and aMasters Degree from Vandercook Collegeof Music, Illinois.Before moving to Ireland in 2005, shetaught in several schools in the Chicagoarea and is a Member of the Chicago FluteClub and the US National FluteAssociation. Kim currently works as a Fluteand Kindermusic Instructor and AssistantOrchestra Director in Laois School ofMusic. She regularly returns to summermusic classes in Chicago, bringing backinnovative and creative methods ofteaching music to children and youngpeople. As a performer, Kim plays as partof a duo called ‘Flute Cocktail’ and is 1 stchair flautist with the Irish MidlandsConcert Orchestra.TatyanaVykhodtsevaTatyana Vykhodtsevais a Russian nationalwho qualified with aBA in MusicPerformance andTeaching from the College of Music,Kazakhstan and the Ural StateConservatoire,Russia.➧She specialises as a Piano Teacher andAccompanist and was also a member of aChamber Ensemble in Kazakhstan, takingpart in recitals as soloist and accompanistfor violinists and singers. Tatyana lovesclassical music of any styles, especiallycomposers from the Romantic period suchas Chopin, Liszt, Rachmaninoff andTchaikovsky. Tatyana teaches a wide rangeof pupils from primary grades up to AVCMand LVCM Teaching and PerformanceDiploma. She is also in much demand asan accompanist once again from primaryto music theatre diploma students. LSMalso has tutors from Scotland, England,Northern Ireland and, of course, Ireland,bringing a wonderful mix of styles,traditions and musical genres to musiciansof the future in County Laois. MAs some of these commissionswill not arise until early 2013 -and to avoid confusion -we wishto focus on the earliercommissions which include therecently completed sculpturalpiece celebrating the opening ofthe new Fire Station inEdgeworthstown, a site specificpiece in Centenary Square (aprominent location in the centreof Longford town) and a largescale piece celebratingLongford’s long and rich musicalheritage to be located on thenew N5 Longford town bypass.The commission for CentenarySquare was primarily a sitespecificpiece by virtue of thespatial limitations of the site andother complicating technicalfactors. However, thecommissioning committee didrequest that a nautical referencebe included in the design basedon the traditional association ofthe site with a shipping companyticket office. (The closing date forreceipt of commission proposalswas Friday, March 16.)The N5 Bypass commission is stillcurrent. The proposed piece is tobe situated on a raised platformfacing south on a cut at thewestern end of the new bypass.The Theme of the piece is acelebration of the rich musicalheritage of county Longford.Closing date for submissions forthis project is Friday, May, 4.Another interesting commissionwhich will be offered by LongfordCounty Council is a celebration ofthe life and work of General SeanMacEoin entitled Sean MacEoinBlacksmith, Revolutionary andPolitician. The piece will beerected at a prominent location inthe middle of the village ofBallinalee. This commission willnot be offered until early in thesummer.For further information on publicart commissions in Longfordplease see www.longfordcoco.ieM27

What fillsthe heart…?‘An rud a líonas an tsúil líonann sé ancroí. What fills the eye fills the heart.’ Itis some years since I wascommissioned to paint that Irish saying,now covered by a nice coat of whitepaint; indicative of the temporariness ofart. Dented ego aside, it was not greatart. I am convinced however that theway to accept ‘destruction’ ordissipation of something creative is toimagine it in a new configuration, or itsessence being regenerated;reincarnated.For instance, there is an energy changebetween the beginning and the end ofan exhibition. Pieces are collectedtogether, positions selected; the work ofa sole, or group of artists is displayedunder a title; a theme. The occasionmight be a festival, or the opportunity toexhibit within the white-walls of a publicedifice. For the selected parameters oftime the subtlest threads of livingenergy hold the vibration of theexhibition together. And then, it canseem to lose lustre. The energy shifts.I’ve wondered if it is due to familiarity; aceasing to notice any more, when thereis a formality of display. The pattern ofthe position of the images and artworkshas been sub-consciously memorisedand it is that which makes them pall inthe eyes of the beholders. As artists andgallery doyennes we prefer things neat28and orderly on our walls. The chaos ofthe creative studio and the seeking oforder in the process of setting up, atlast leads to relief when the final piecehas its position, in harmony with itstheme siblings. All is calm now; serene.But break those comfortable horizontalsand verticals and the brain gives a start,then the eyes notice.So, uncomfortable as the idea mightmake some of us feel, would all our artbecome more noticeable if we were tomake more informal displays:something that is ever-evolving andrepositioned, to lead the eye a chase.Oh dear, of course! That’s the art ofretail display, and we wouldn’t want tobe labelled as ‘commercial’ would we?The role of art and the artistWhat I’m struggling to write down isboth a philosophical and practicalviewpoint on whether as artists; wehave a moral obligation to make a lotmore of our art reach out. In otherwords, if by being separate, exclusive,minimal, precious, and elevated moreby words said and written about ourtalent amongst our peers than our nextdoor neighbours, are we in reality losingan opportunity to fill more eyes andtouch more hearts within a widerpublic? ‘They’ (within our communitiesfor whom art is something more to scoffat or to be timid of engaging with) won’tRosalind Fanning wonders what it isthat can really make art impact on thelives of those around it.go to see in our art in hallowed hallsand studios - that’s the stark reality -and therefore they won’t give a toss ifwe create even smaller art-islands, of‘excellence’. That road doesn’t helpcreate openness to or a familiarity withthe arts: if there is to be a Centre ofExcellence in the midlands, let ourcentral counties have that ‘excellence’all around.With excellent purposefulness, we couldmake art as ubiquitous as sport. Butwithin our regional centredness, and inthis time of doubt and worry and lack offunds, instead of ‘doing nowt, in doubt’,could we choose to try doing it all ways?Thus, be as excellent as often as wehave energy and occasion for, and atother times be quite content in beingaverage, or darn it – plain sloppy. Ourlaboured imperfections might besnatched up with joy and empathy. Inthese times when high-pricedexcellence doesn’t necessarily sell, andclearly, ‘commercial art’ with a bargainprice-tag more often does, it is asubjective arrogance to make thatdecision as to what should be seen bythe public, or not, and how often. Theart of our hands and their hands, needsto find a constant, not an occasionalpresence. Art needs to be subtly allaround, reachable and touchable andtalked about quite casually or intensely,or at times insultingly!It might also help our ownproductiveness, especially when we’restuck. Letting people witness that art isnot an easy process is also admittingthat as artists, we are evolving: there isnot by any means a blank page onemoment and a very good artwork acouple of hours later.Artists can change the mindsets of, ‘Ican’t do it’ to, ‘Oh look I’m doing it’. Aquick inhalation of art is simply fulfillingthe natural motivation to feel happy,within the process of creativity andobservation. We read that ten minutesof meditation de-stresses, and that tenminutes of aerobic walking reverses illhealth;so let’s offer ten minutes of art,in whatever changing way, on the mainstreets of our towns and villages.For art to work its magic, it has to beseen and experienced every day:something catching the eye on a trotpast a window. You have passed ittwenty-three times but suddenly yourattention is captured and on you go,thinking/smiling/puzzled and perhapsat peace.Now is the time to be a bit morerenegade. It’s not ‘a gallery’ or ‘atheatre’ into which people fear steppingin: it could be a kind of Souk; a tumblingand touchable, bargainable, riotousheap, with gems amongst theunpolished. Art-sharing could be atanother place too - creating temporarystudio spaces in unused buildingswhere there’s no great commitment to aregular presence but there is aconsistency of up-to-date informationabout the local arts scene, in full view.Artists could be working collaborativelywith local authorities and businesses.The more voluble and viewable thepresence of creativity is, is also ofproven benefit to commerce andtourism. We could move from ‘sitespecific art’ to site non-specific art-ing.We would commit to an interaction withmore people and create opportunitiesfor more people to experience and beparticipants in the start, the processand the finish of an artform and itsongoing dialogue.What has brought on these thoughts?Well, they throb around my head afterthe all-too-frequent experience of havingworked very hard on setting up anexhibition, only to have left no time formy own creative work, and close totears at the end when the few saleswere little above a tenner each - andthat to charity.Some of you may notice threads ofconversations we have all had, someothers will have confirmed the worth ofsuch ideas and some others will alreadyclearly see art as ‘the path’ to get thetowns revived. These ideas are not reallynew, nor fully thought out, nor is thisarticle perfectly formed or finished - youcan probably tell. But I’m letting go nowand wonder which way it will float. MRosalind lives in Birr and has beenrunning Tin Jug Studio since 2000.She isan occasional writer/designer/artist, etc

Fiona Booth, model and dancer fromcounty Laois. Photo taken in the TeaRooms of Emo Court, county Laois.Photograher John Lalor.Director ofDunamise ArtsCentre praisedfor contributionThe Director of the Dunamaise ArtsCentre, Louise Donlon, has left herposition after being appointed asManager of the new Lime Tree Theatrein Mary Immaculate College, Limerick.She moved to Laois in 1999 on herappointment to the Dunamaise and hasbeen responsible for the programmingof the theatre and gallery in the artscentre since that time.Among the highlights during her tenurehave been performances by TheChieftains, Druid Theatre Company, TheGate with its Waiting for Godot tour,John O’Conor, the Abbey - and manymore too numerous to mention.Laois Photographer:Solo Exhibition at the Photo Ireland Festival - July 2012John Lalor is a Photography graduatefrom Griffith College Dublin wherehe also received an academicachievement of excellence inthe field of photography.Currently working from his studio TheSky-Lite in county Laois, John’s first soloexhibition Third World Eyes wasexhibited in 2010 which has fuelled alove of personal projects and motivatedjohn to think long term about his workand think of each project as on-going,allowing it time to develop and changealong its path.His love of photography took him aroundthe world for 18 months in 2007exploring the world and involvinghimself in all aspects of life and worldDarkroomculture. The expedition established anew way of seeing which has since puta frame around the world, and thecamera has become a passport to enterplaces, corners, and situations in a newframe of mind or a new intensity of light.Redesigned LandscapesThis project sets out to find a similarbeauty to that of a desert landscape inthe decaying urban landscape. The Irishcountryside is a place of wonder andbeauty that people travel the world overto be a part of. “Travelling about theIrish countryside, its hard not to noticeabandonment, from century oldbuildings and castles to modernisolated ghost states, schools,hospitals, industrial work houses, minesthat have all been left to waste andLost in Daylghtdecay,” explains John. “There is beautyin decay, and excitement in desertion.”Further detailsHis solo exchibition takes place inThe Darc Space, 26 North GreatGeorges St for the month of July. Seewww.denisbyrnearchitects.ie/contactfor information.PhotoIreland is a Dublin basedorganization dedicated to stimulatedialogue around Photography in Ireland.PhotoIreland is committed to thecultivation of a deeper understandingand a critical interest aroundphotographic knowledge.John’s website can be found atwww.johnlalorphotography.ieMMr Louis Brennan, Chairman of theDunamaise Arts Company, expressedhis sincere regret at the loss of such anaccomplished Director/Manager of thecentre. He said that his fellow directorsand all employees were equallysaddened by the news. “Louise hasbeen a power of knowledge, experienceand skills in relation to all forms of thearts,” he explained. He said that herwork in developing the Dunamaise as amodel of excellence has beenrecognised throughout the country.“We were very fortunate to have thebenefit of her managerial expertisesince the Dunamaise was opened in1999.”He wished Louise and her family everygood wish and trusted that herrelationship with the Dunamaise ArtsCentre and the people of Laois wouldcontinue as she and her husband, JimO’Brien, had made an importantcontribution to society in Laois sincetheir arrival here in 1999.Louise has worked in the sector for over20 years. A native of county Longford,she holds a BA in Music and History, aDiploma in Arts Administration and aMasters in Public Administration.She began her career in the arts at theCity Arts Centre and at the ArtsCouncil’s offices in Dublin. In the early1990s she worked in Limerick asadministrator of Island TheatreCompany before moving onto theinternationally acclaimed Druid TheatreCompany in Galway where she workedas General Manager. She was with thecompany during a time of majorinternational success when MartinMcDonagh’s The Beauty Queen ofLeenane (as part of The LeenaneTrilogy) toured to London, Sydney andNew York where it won four Tony awardson Broadway.Louise’s move back to Limerick is a sortof homecoming for her and her family asher husband, Jim O’Brien, is a native ofKildimo, county Limerick. The couplehave three girls aged from 13 to 8.M29

Midland Arts and Culture Magazine | SUMMER 2012Art makes a differenceto the places we liveUsing the Arts to promote a town’s regeneration“The arts have a serious contribution toaddressing contemporary socialchallenges as they cause socialbenefits integral to participation”(Matarasso 1997)Portarlington is one of the mostinteresting towns in the midlands with itsrich Huguenot history, distinctivearchitecture and the River Barrow whichmeanders through neatly divides thetown between Offaly and Laois.At an important rail junction, the townflourished as a commuter town of Dublinbut in recent years this has brought newchallenges.The Portarlington CommunityDevelopment Association (PCDA) wasestablished in 1997 to be the voice of thecommunity, to develop theentrepreneurial, social and culturalcontent of the town and plan for its futuredevelopment. To date, the PCDA hasbrought to fruition a Community Centre,the People’s Park, recreational walks andan After Schools’ Project among otherinitiatives. The (Port’s) Vision 2020 planpresents the vision for the town’s future;a foundation of the town’s regenerationand growth up to the year 2020.The group has been using the arts andartists to animate their vision for thetown. Its recent inclusion the RTE’s DirtyOld Towns series saw the development ofa new piece of sculpture at the BarrowBridge. Spelling out the word ‘life’ (it hadinitially been ‘live’ but its orientationmeant that people could easily read itbackwards, so the ‘v’ became an ‘f’) thishas a Diarmuid Gavin stamp all over itbut, nonetheless, it animates and drawsattention to one of the most strikingfeatures of the town.from the Peoples Park to the Spa Bridgewith architect Edel Roycroft. CabriniCahill, Theatre Director, added her artisticdirection to the 2012 St Patrick’s DayParade to develop the parade as anartistic expression for the town. This wasan opportunity for an artist to interpretPortarlington’s 2020 Vision throughdifferent art mediums in order tocommunicate its message out to thetown.Cabrini took the themes of the ‘vision’and creating a parade throughcommunity workshops, exploring theirideas to encourage people to think andget involved.Mr Portopoly and the glamorousassistants who will have the audiencerolling the dice and bartering carrots tobuy a variety of potential businesses,which could add value to the town’seconomy. The festival was full of ideas,props, costumes made to express thetown’s ambitions for itself.This process has communicated andbrought alive what otherwise would havebeen a desktop exercise. Celia Deverell ofPortarlington Community DevelopmentAssociation said: “We would consider thisprocess could be used as a template forsocial and community regeneration inother similar Irish towns, and encouragepeople to talk to the artists in theircommunity for ideas and inspiration to turntowns around.The visual arts were used as an effectivepromoter to showcase the five actiongroups within Ports’ Vision 2020; forexample, the Business Section Cabrini’sPeopleopoly Board: (13 foot square), was In Portarlington, there have been overOther projects include ‘welcomedriven through the streets with a1500 volunteer hours given on this projectpaintings’ wall by the Railway Station led borrowed title of PORTOPOLY for the day. and 10 local artists who have contributedCopiesby artistofSarahtheDelaneybook areandavailablethe walkwaylocally inAidedChocolateby colourfulBrown's,characters,WilliamincludingStreet & Balconysince 2010.”Books, Bridge Centre both inTullamore or on www.originalwriting.ieMI AM HERE, I LIVE, I LOVEAs part of Offaly County Council’sEngage with Architecture Programmearchitect Orla Murphy gave a talk inDaingean Library about the evolution ofthe Irish Town and its morphologypointing out that Irish Towns are centralto our cultural identity, much more thanwe realise and appreciate.The social relations which emerge asindividuals and institutions interact tocommodify place identity. Where there isevidence of a gradual redefinition of localidentities through, for example, thechanging of cultural practices, heritageand landscape resources, there is also30evidence of resistance to this reorientation.As the former County Town of Offaly,Daingean is one of these towns that hashad to redefine itself. It is steeped inhistory from a time when it was one of themost important towns in Ireland from itswell-known association with the GrandCanal and St Conleth’s Reformatory.Daingean was the termination point forthe Grand Canal until 1797 at which pointthe canal was completed to Tullamore andthe Shannon and the trade went with it.The town went into decline and hasstruggled to recover since.2012 sees the start of a new purpose forDaingean, beginning with the painting ofthe Main Street in association with Dulux;to help regain the town’s proud heritage.The town’s huge courthouse is beingrenovated (an oversized building inrelation to the rest of the town, which onlymakes sense only in the context ofDaingean’s history).Also, RTE’s Dirty Old Towns is beingfilmed there and a heritage trail is beinglaunched in June, closely followed by the25 th anniversary Daingean Home ComingFestival in August.So what does this all mean for amidlands town, or any town?Towns which are proud of their heritage,who find ways to gather, create, celebrateand educate transform more than how itlooks - they transform its residents, givingthem confidence and a proud sense ofidentity. Towns that have this magicalingredient survive culturally, socially andeconomically. With this renewed focus onDaingean, it will be interesting to watch anew cultural legacy in the making.M

Major regional venue is threatenedby escalating funding cutsHistoric and groundbreakingIn 2012 Backstage Theatre in Longfordfaces into its eighteenth year inoperation. Almost 20 years old thetheatre can look back on manymemorable and often challenging timesin an ever changing arts landscape.When the theatre opened its doors in1995 it was the only theatre in themidlands region.Many would have thought the notion ofa theatre in Longford a far too lofty andambitious one when the concept wasfirst announced but the determinationand hard work of a relatively smallnumber of people, with the support ofthe local community behind them,made this vision a reality.Since then Backstage has been aleading force in the promotion anddevelopment of the arts, not just in themidlands, but in the country as a whole.Impressive track record of theatreA programme of theatre that hasfeatured such notables as Druid TheatreCompany, The Abbey, Rough MagicTheatre Co and Livin Dred has proven tobe a great draw for audiences regionallyand have cemented Backstage asfundamental to any national tour by thetop theatre companies in the country.Excellent dance venueBackstage has earned itself a glowingreputation as a dance venue nationallyand has a strong relationship with theShawbrook dance organisation inLegan. Their partnership with thisorganisation has done much tostrengthen the audience for dance, bothcontemporary and ballet, in the region.Fidget Feet Aerial Dance Theatrebecame the venue’s resident companyin 2011 and regularly rehearse andtech their work before national andinternational tours.Two-time Olivier Award nominatedFabulous Beast Dance Company, whohave toured to the Barbican in Londonand Sydney Opera House, took up shortterm residency in the venue inDecember 2010 to produce a newpiece of work entitled Helen and Hell.The programme of dance has alsoincluded companies such as CoísCéimDance Theatre and Diversions DanceCompany in Wales.In recent years, the programme ofmusic at Backstage diversified toinclude more contemporary andmainstream artists such as Rodrigo yGabriella, Mick Flannery, Duke Special,Lisa Hannigan, Gemma Hayes and PaulBrady.TouringIn 2006 Backstage joined forces with anumber of other venues to become partof two touring networks; Nomad aregional network based in the northmidlands and Nasc a network of sevenvenues with a wider geographicalspread nationally. These were the firstnetworks of their kind and Backstagewas the only venue on both networks.In 2008 Backstage was the lead venueof the Nomad network and a productionin association with Livin Dred of TheDead School by Pat Mc Cabe opened inthe venue before touring to all venues inthe network and subsequently to theDublin Theatre Festival and the Tricyclein London. The Dead School was a hugesuccess with audiences and criticsalike, garnering three Irish Timestheatre Awards nominations.Community-focusedA strong programme of touring theatredance and music is complimented by asteadfast community focussedprogramme. The theatre provides aplatform for local community groups,schools and festivals to develop performand present work encouragingparticipation in the arts.Organisations such as Aisling Children’sArts Festival, an annual week longfestival which has been in existencesince 1998. Then there is StChristopher’s Services, a service forpeople with intellectual disabilities.Backstage Youth Theatre has gone fromstrength to strength since it’s inception.And, of course, Backstage TheatreGroup, the founding members ofBackstage Theatre utilise every aspectof the theatre from advice and supportand access to professional touringtheatre to performance and workshopfacilities in the Auditorium, The AtriumGallery and Canal Studio.The addition of the Canal Studio spaceat the theatre in 2010 allowedBackstage to further enhance itscommunity focus and ability to meet theneeds of a growing number of artsparticipants.New theatreTo coincide with the launch of thisstudio, Backstage introduced a newtheatre project to produce and stage inhouse productions at the theatre.In the two short years since the projectwas introduced three productions havebeen devised and developed out of theCanal Studio at Backstage beforetransferring to the 212 seaterauditorium for three to five night runs. The productions are cast through anopen audition and have attracted manyexperienced and talented amateuractors living and working in the area.The production process involves aseries of rehearsals and workshops withwell-known figures from the world oftheatre giving these local actors thechance to work with professionaldirectors, choreographers, lightingdesigners and theatre staff.The first production Philadelphia Here ICome was directed by Noel Strangefrom Longford in October 2010, as wasthe third production of The Hostagewhich toured to Ramor Theatre inVirginia after its run in Backstage inOctober 2011.In August 2011 a production of TheCarnival at Glenaduff, written anddirected by Padraic Mc Intyre of LivinDred Theatre Company ran for fivenights.All three in house productions played tofull houses.Funding cutsBackstage has suffered significant cutsto its Arts Council funding in recentyears, which almost certainly threatensthe future of what has become alandmark venue in the national artsscene.Those invloved told the Midlands Artsand Culture Magazine: “We can onlyhope that the experience and expertisegained over almost two decades ofconsistent and commendable artsprovision will provide this venue with themeans and the resolve to survive andeven continue to flourish.” M31

“I hope to create narrativeswhich invite people tore-assess the familiarand ordinary.”Face-toFace-to-Face with Westmeath artist, FIONA KELLYFace-How do you describe what you do toothers?I assemble visual fables.Please give us some more details asto the materials you use, why andhow you construct your art.I work through a myriad of techniquesand materials in reaction to my foundenvironment, but primarily I find mynarrations come in the medium ofRelief Printmaking. A medium whichhistorically is identified as a conduitwhich provides functional illustrations,presenting moral narratives in a simpleinformative way.I utilise the resonance of the reliefprint to address my contemporarysocial concerns for the individual andenvironment. I use common placeobjects and fairly comical slogans toillustrate fables, facilitating the viewerto question this banal absurdity ofeveryday situations; what was thoughtto be familiar has to be re-accessed.What are you trying to achievethrough your work?I hope to create narratives which invitepeople to re-assess the familiar andordinary.When did you first become attractedto art and when did you decide tofollow this as a career path?Art has always been a constant in mylife. My parents always had a stock ofcrayons for us. I have never felt like Idecided that art was a career path, itis just where I walked to.You seem to work and be popular inthe Nordic countries. Is there aparticular reason for this?I don’t know if I am popular in Nordiccountries, but Nordic countries arepopular with me! I am intrigued withthe vacant Landscapes in the north,so wonderfully beautiful and cruel. Thepeople I have met there have atremendous sense of humour and Iwill always avail of any opportunities togo back.What was it like having your workdisplayed in Shanghai and New York?The New York Print Death Swap Showwas really fun; a friend in the Statestold me about the opportunity and weapplied and got involved as we werebig fans of the organisers- CannonballPress. A punk band played at theopening and I realised how distinctiveit was to be a printmaker, creatingwork in editions; sharing andswapping. It was a revelation and aworking ethos that I have kept withme.Shanghai was epic, my twocollaborators - Amanda Rice and EdelO’Reilly, which I’m part of the Artistcollective Cork Contemporary Projectswith, worked extremely hard to get tothat point. China was an amazingexperience and the most challengingprofessionally thus far. I have beenreally fortunate to have suchambitious, accomplished and loyalfriends as contemporaries. It is soimportant to have a network you canrely on, especially in such a highprofile show. Amanda, Edel and I metwhile studying together at TheCrawford College of Art.When you set out on this path whatwas your ultimate goal?I didn’t have an ultimate goal, but nowit’s to have a little cottage with a bigshed (studio) and a sheep dog!32AN EXCLUSIVE OPPORTUNITY

The place whichinfluenced me themost is probablythe house whereI grew up. It is awunderkammerof objects andfragments.Tell us a little about your currentand upcoming exhibitions/works?The unexpected architecture of follycaused by the indefinite interimexperienced by materials onconstruction sites are currently ofkeen interest to my current researchand practice, which is following onfrom my bricks series.I am currently investigating theabsurdity of this aspect ofcontemporary reality in constructionby giving these inanimate stackshumane traits; introducing them toeveryday objects with thecombination of poetic slogans andvoid spaces to show the materialspassive agreement to the imposedsocio-economic situations effectingtheir locations.I’m having a lot of fun with this trainof thought right now and I’m workingtowards a three person exhibition inGalleria Harmonia in Finland. I’m alsoseeking out a space for a solo showin Westmeath. I had been visitingsome really nice spaces and hope tomake some decisions soon. Thereare always a few projects on the go atany one time!Outside of the studio, I’m facilitatinga TY group from Kilbeggan create andinstall an exhibition based on logos,branding and sign theory through themedium of relief printmaking. Thishas been made possible by theWestmeath Artist in the CommunityScheme. I’m studying and designingthe class and it’s a really excitingventure for me. The exhibition will bea fringe event to The KibegganKnighthood Festival which makes itsdebut on June 1.Was there a person/thing whichinfluenced you most?The place which influenced me themost is probably the house where Igrew up. It is a wunderkammer ofobjects and fragments. My Father’sfamily have lived here for generationsand had various modes ofemployment alongside the farm. Wehad adjacent sheds to the housewhich were my Grandfather/Greatgrandfather’sworkshops and theywere just full of bric-a-brack andremnants; drawers upon drawers ofnails, cogs, oil cans, string. In thehouse I would delight in opening arandom cupboard to be greeted witha hotchpotch of objects - buttons,boxes of old pins, badges, hundredsof small keys each different from thenext, old latch hooks and string-suchan amount of string! I found wonderin these objects and was they werealways a catalyst into my play andstories. So I thank my family and theirgenerations of collecting!YOU ARE HEREA person, aside from my family, wouldbe Heather Seery, a wonderful ladyand an extremely talented artist whotaught me how to draw, which is themost important tool as an artist, butshe also taught me how to relax intomy ideas, which is everything.Can you be based in the midlandsand have a global reach?Yes, I think you can - as long as youfind the time, space, facilities, andhave the all important banter withyour peers, you can work fromanywhere. The thing that will keepyou from advancing artistically is ifTHERE ARE THOUSANDS OF TAPS DRIPPINGyou become repetitive and your ideasstagnate and that could happen nomatter where you are based.What are some of the best/worstthings about arts in the midlands?The best thing about the midlands isthe emergence of new and vital artistcollectives, groups and paces. Thereis a bright enthusiasm about and thiswill keep building with the creation ofnew artistic outlets.The worst thing is that there is noestablished art gallery in Westmeathbut this is been rectified at themoment in a beautiful renovationproject in Athlone. I’m delighted atthis new enterprise as Westmeathneeds a non-static art gallery topromote its emerging andprofessional artists and provide themwith the facilities to further theircareer not only in their own local, butto be of national recognition.What do you think can be done toencourage more people to engagewith the arts at a local level?I think people have certaininsecurities when it comes to viewingand making art that they should letgo of. Everybody should pick up apencil or crayon and allow somepaper be a receptacle for theirthoughts, if only for this moment.What would you say to a youngperson who has expressed aninterest in art as a career?You have to start being reallycomfortable with rejection! I want togive confidence to other emergingartists to continue on an artistic routebut the thing you never think of ishow sturdy artists need to be.Perseverance and mettle are neededjust as much as talent and concept.M33

Midland Arts and Culture Magazine | SUMMER 2012The CollaborativeSpaceby Eileen CaseyHow then does a poet collaborate withself in order to produce a poem?Michael Longley once said: “if I knewwhere poems come from, I’d go there.”Longley puts forward the belief thatpoems come from a certain pre-ordainedplace designated ‘there’.However poems arrive, it’s safe to saythey do not arrive in delivery vans. Thereis no idea factory out there belchingfumes of blood sweat and tears. Nor isthere an introduction agency on a sleazybackstreet waiting to match the perfectpoem with the poet. If Longley focuseson arrival, the departure point shouldn’tbe forgotten. Poems arrive mainlybecause the poet has been able to exitthe departure lounge and keep faith andsome degree of nerve until the craft issafely landed.Isaac Bashevis Singer once said: “Everycreator painfully experiences the chasmbetween his inner vision and its ultimateexpression.”This ‘space’ can be a minimalist’s delightor cluttered up with feelings, images,word play or what poet Anne Waldmancalls “goofy profundity.”The collaborative engagement with thecreative self requires courage, trust andan uneering instinct for following thedirections on those quirky departuresigns.Picasso maintained: ‘The artist is areceptacle for the emotions that comefrom all over the place: from the sky,from the earth, from a scrap of paper,from a passing shape, from a spider’sweb.” Trusting in both self and theuniverse inspires the confidence thatcomes from hoping whoever is pullingthe strings will, on a particular day, giveenough loosening of doubt, enoughstarlight to write, paint, sculpt, artisticallycreate by, enough energy and generosityto get the work done.Bridging the collaborative space betweentrust and finished work, means being ahoarder to some extent, gathering‘ordinary magic’ from ordinary places,smells, tastes, sounds; noticing how a lilypad and a broken umbrella can betenants on the same fully paid up terrorof the blank page. In seeking their owncollaboration, these disparateneighbours might make mischief thendecide to make up, or not, as the casemay be. While they share the samespace, they are essentially seeking to34make their presence available inwhatever shape the poet, having signedthe contract on the dotted line, is fullycommitted to.American Poet Susan GoldsmithWooldridge describes the collaborativespace between this trusting in self anduniverse as “finding the coyote in thepoet; seeking out the nearest place withwildness in it, driving there if necessary,even for one hour”.Negotiation between the poet and thereader of the poems is not always, norshould it be, a symbiotic relationship.The meaning of text relies on social,cultural and historical factors. Theprowess of the artist lies in an ability toprovide the necessary gaps and chinksso that the reader is able to find enoughairholes to be able to respond to thework without recourse to an oxygenmask.Encaustic artIn 2007 I began working with encausticart, or candle wax, using the imagesproduced to generate themes andmoods for the poems to come. Thespace between what can burn so brightlyand painfully one moment and thenfreeze so solidly the instant it leaves theflame is, for me, a potential source ofintrigue for me. The resultingcollaboration between ‘reading’ what Isaw and felt in the resultingmetamorphic qualities of the wax and‘writing’ the draft poems and thefinished work went on show under thetitle Reading Fire, Writing Flame at Arásan Chontae, Tullamore, in 2007. Theprocess of the work, the raw images, thedrafts of the poems were on display also,together with seven of the completedworks sign painted on 6ft x 4ft Perspex.It was interesting to watch people usingthe council offices for all sorts of otherengagements; stop and read the work.A seat was even provided for theirconvenience. Builders in hard hats,working in the offices at the time, whomay also be committed library goers, satand munched their sandwiches and readthe poems. Does poetry taste nicer whenflavoured with the collaborative miracleof mayonnaise or pickled onions?Reading Fire, Writing Flame featured inPoetry Ireland, Issue No 92, edited byEiléan Ní Chúilleanáin. In NíChuilleanáin’s essay Where is Poetry,she explores the role of the poem inpublic places, describing it as being“unpredictable” and saying it “can be illtempered,so it might snuggle downunder the hotel duvet or snap back evenas it is quoted. Perhaps it doesn’t mindbeing co-opted into the regional piety”.Collaboration with Emma BaroneBetween 2008 and 2011 I’ve enjoyedtwo collaborative productions with visualartist, Emma Barone. Our first meetingwas rather a collision rather than anarrival or departure. I was runningthrough an art exhibition called ShoeShow by Emma when I bumped into her,almost knocking her sideways but I knewI wanted to write poems based on herwork. The visual aspect of the work wasalready there and I was collaboratingwith completed work. Many of the poemsin this collection are Haiku, Shoe Haiku.Birds Take off/At the end of sling-backdays/Wings slapping skywardsFly Agaric Summer was suggested by thetitle of one of Emma’s shoe images but itwas her innovative use of mushroomdesign that sparked the central image:‘Ball gowns balloon a soon ofscent/ Plumed headdresses glistenwith pomadeRouge brightens leaded faces –everywhere / Fluer-de-lys. In thedrowsy gardensFun.gal, cap and stalk, strippedpileus / Lamellae, gilled, frilledwings – / Spread beyond thePalace walls, / Where, clamorousas small-pox / The mushroomingmob. / Sounds of hurrying feetSculpt a rise and fall / – whatsurely must come / - and follow – inthe long hall/At Versailles.’Our next collaboration occurred in 2011,the fruits of which appear in our jointpublication From Bone to Blossom. Forme, as poet, the collaborative space tobe negotiated required, for some reason,the purchase of a yellow notebook, andthe commitment to include poems aboutenvironmental themes. Emmainterpreted her vision through nontraditionalrepresentations whichexplored a collaborative relationshipbetween the earth bound object ofnatural art that a tree undoubtedly is andits ability to transform and transcend.When we completed the work, we invitedDedalus Poet Grace Wells to write anintroduction for us. This was of particularinterest because it brought anotherdimension into the collaborative space, acritical focus that we couldn’t articulate.Grace Wells saw the overall collaborationIn its broad sense, collaborationmeans to enter into a process,agreed or otherwise, with anotherout of which a product or purposedevelops or emerges. This ‘other’can be interpreted in many ways,including one’s own creative self. Italso encompasses the relationshipbetween the author of the work andthe consumer of it; whether thecollaboration is a friendly one, or atraitorous one and what’s generatedwhen the collaborative space isreinterpreted with a critical eye.as being in some ways symbiotic,while both artist and poet retainedcore individualism. Wells describesthe collaborative space in From Boneto Blossom as ‘shared’, that wordand image work off one another,Barone’s striking images of CoastalTrees complementing engaging poems.Jean Cocteau said that ‘an artist cannottalk about his art any more than a plantcan discuss horticulture.’ It’s as if thepoet and the visual artist have beengiven a third eye which is not distorted,a glass that magnifies and zooms in onplaces which might well be overlookedotherwise. In this sense, it’s safe tosay that the introduction of a thirdperspective into the collaborativespace results in a lens through whichthe individual artist finds another wayof seeing.ConclusionIn conclusion, the collaborative spaceis an available space, interesting,challenging, conversational andindeed, necessary. Emerson once said:“Everything in creation has its appointedpainter or poet and remains in bondagelike the princess in the fairy tale ‘till itsappropriate liberator comes to set itfree’.” MAbout EileenEileen Casey is a poet, writer andcreative writing facilitator from Birr,County Offaly and lives in Tallaght,County Dublin. Her poetry andprose is published widely and hasreceived many awards including aKatherine Kavanagh Fellowshipand a Hennessy Literary Award forEmerging Fiction. A chapbook Spitand Clay won The Green BookFestival Poetry Category in 2010.Her collections include DrinkingThe Colour Blue, (New Island) andFrom Bone to Blossom (AltEntsPublishing, Rua Red, Tallaght). Shecompleted an M.Phil (CreativeWriting) at The Oscar Wilde Centre,Trinity College Dublin. Snow Shoes,a collection of short stories is dueout from Arlen House.

MidlandsArtsandCultureMagazineMeet the teamTempus Media and Brosna Press, using their combined expertise injournalism, marketing, design, print and production have created anew-look Midlands Arts and Culture Magazine.TEMPUS MEDIAThere’s never a wrong time to do the right thingTempus Media was established at the height of therecession in September 2009 as the founders sawan opening for a top quality, good value mediacompany in a challenging marketplace for businessand Government. Midlands-based Tempus Mediaspecialises in five key areas - Publishing/Copywriting, Public Relations, Media Training,Lobbying, and Business Crisis Management.Editor: ANGELA MADDENAngela has more than 15 years’ experience in thepublishing industry as a Journalist, ForeignCorrespondent, Editor, Group Editor and GeneralManager for trade, local and national press inIreland and the UK. Angela has excellent localknowledge as she was previously Editor of theAthlone Voice and has an enviable list of contactsthroughout the country, built up during her time asGroup Editor for 13 River Media newspaper titles.She also has a wealth of experience launching newpublications responsible for content, layout andtemplates having brought a number of new RiverMedia titles to market in ’07.Deputy Editor: BRIEGE MADDENBriege is a trained journalist who has worked forlocal newspapers for close to four years. Afterattaining her BA Creative Writing & Media Studiesdegree she started her career at The Athlone Voicebefore taking up a more senior role at the CavanPost. She joined Tempus Media in April this year asBusiness Development Manager and is the leadconsultant on a number of important PublicRelations contracts. Briege is also an avid poet,short story writer and artist.For further information contact:angela@tempusmedia.ie • 086 7732023briege@tempusmedia.ie • 086 0737227BROSNA PRESSCreative Design and PrintLocated in the heart of the midlands, Brosna Presshas been providing a nationwide client-base withcreative, high quality design and print for over 50years. Its Irish Print Award acknowledges thecompany’s commitment to the pursuit of excellencein print and creativity in design. Clients in the artssector include: RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra,RTÉ Concert Orchestra, Music Network, Music forGalway, New Ross Piano Festival, County CouncilArts Offices, Dunamaise Theatre, Birr Theatre &Arts Centre, Tuar Ard Arts Centre. Brosna Pressoperate their design studio & print works froma state-of-the-art 12,000 sq ft facility inFerbane, Co. Offaly.Creative Director: DIARMUID GUINANSenior Designer: ANDREW MOOREProduction Manager: CIARAN GUINANCreative Director Diarmuid Guinan holdsa BDes, and has more than 18 years professionalexperience in graphic design and printing. Hemanages a highly creative and experienced designteam including Andrew Moore, BDes, SeniorDesigner, Ann Quinlan, BDes, Senior Designerand the highly experienced Mary Egan. ManagingDirector Ciaran Guinan holds a Diploma in PrintManagement and has more than 25 yearsprofessional experience in the print industry.The production staff at Brosna Press areall highly skilled press operators and printfinishing specialists.diarmuid@brosnapress.ie • Tel: 090 6454327ciaran@brosnapress.ie • Tel: 090 6454327A REVIEW OF THE ARTS IN LAOIS, LONGFORD, OFFALY AND WESTMEATH SUMMER 2012Laois Comic Bernard O’SheaEmer BarryISSUE17moves a step closerVISUAL ARTSMUSIC & DANCETHEATRE & FILMTHE WRITTEN WORDFREEHaveyour storycovered…If you have a story or newsrelating to the arts in theMidlands that you would liketo see covered in MidlandsArts and Culture Magazine,contact your local Arts Officer(details opposite).ARTS OFFICE CONTACTSMuireann Ní Chonaill, Arts OfficerLaois County Council, PortlaoiseTel: 057 8674342/44 • mnichonaill@laoiscoco.iewww.laois.ie/artsSinead O’Reilly, Arts OfficerOffaly County Council, Charleville Road, TullamoreTel: 057 9357400 • soreilly@offalycoco.iewww.offaly.ie/artsCatherine Kelly, Arts OfficerWestmeath County Council County Buildings, MullingarTel: 044 9332140 • ckelly@westmeathcoco.iewww.westmeathcoco.ie/artsFergus Kennedy, Arts OfficerLongford County Council County, Great Water St., LongfordTel: 043 3346231 • fkennedy@longfordcoco.iewww.longfordcoco.ie/arts_office.html35

MidlandsArtsandCultureMagazineA REVIEW OF THE ARTS IN LAOIS, LONGFORDOFFALY AND WESTMEATHOFFALY YOUTH THEATRESunday, April 15 saw another exciting step forward for youth arts in Offaly with the official launch ofOffaly Youth Theatre at Birr Theatre & Arts Centre.Speaking at the launch Cllr Molly Buckley, Chairperson of Offaly Youth Theatre, said: “Offaly CountyCouncil is delighted to be in a position to support Offaly Youth Theatre. In our new Arts Plan for 2012-2016 we have prioritised youth arts as we believe that facilitating projects in which young people canfreely and safely be expressive, is investment into their capacity to be confident, independent andinnovative thinkers. “This is not necessarily about creating Oscar winning actors, although wouldn’tthat be great, but about being able to imagine that anything possible.”This project is supported by Offaly County Council, the Arts Council of Ireland and Birr Theatre & ArtsCentre with thanks is also due to the individuals, venues and schools that facilitated workshops.Offaly Youth Theatre is also affiliated with the National Association of Youth Drama.New members are always welcome and should contact Janine on 087 2071258 oroffalyyouththeatre@gmail.comCo-ordinator appointed toMusic Generation LaoisLaois Music Education Partnership has announced the appointment of Rosa Flannery asCo-ordinator of Music Generation Laois.Based at Laois County Council, Rosa’s role will involve developing access to music education for childrenand young people in county Laois.Laois is among six counties currently selected for participation in Music Generation - the U2 and IrelandFunds’ supported National Music Education Programme.The appointment of Rosa Flannery to Music Generation Laois comes as Laois School of Musiccelebrates 10 years of music education in the locality.Donegal native Rosa has a wealth of teaching experience and most recently was involved with NorthWind Blows - a large scale cross-border intergenerational music project. She joins Music GenerationLaois from Donegal Music Education Partnership where she worked as a project Co-ordinator.Speaking about her appointment, Rosa said “Music Generation will bring great opportunities for childrenand young people to get involved in music in different ways and I am really looking forward to being partof the programme. I have worked across many different areas of music and the arts and I firmly believein the Music Generation model of creating local access to music education will bring tangible benefits tothe community.”Laois School of Music was established in 2001, as the result of a partnership approach by LaoisCounty Council, The Arts Council and Laois VEC. Laois School of Music responded to asignificant deficit in music provision in the county at that time, and now has over 380 pupils.For more information on Music Generation Laois, log on to www.laois.iePUBLISHED FOR THE ARTS OFFICES OF LAOIS, LONGFORD, OFFALY & WESTMEATHCOUNTY COUNCILS BY TEMPUS MEDIA • DESIGNED & PRINTED BY BROSNA PRESS