Midland Arts and Culture Magazine - Register.ie
Midland Arts and Culture Magazine - Register.ie
Midland Arts and Culture Magazine - Register.ie
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<strong>Midl<strong>and</strong></strong>s<strong>Arts</strong> <strong>Culture</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> | WINTER 2010<strong>Arts</strong>A look inside<strong>and</strong><strong>Culture</strong><strong>Magazine</strong>11 THEOTHER SIDEOF SLEEPMov<strong>ie</strong> 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 <strong>Arts</strong> Network Concert......................................Page 3Beelicious recipes for kidsSubmissions invited at The Gallery at Abbeyleix LibraryBusiness awards recognise importance of arts projects ..Page 4Tullamore Community <strong>Arts</strong> 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’Br<strong>ie</strong>nWhat do you want from the <strong>Arts</strong> in Laois?.............Page 7Latin drama in north LongfordBirr Vintage Week & <strong>Arts</strong> Festival wins Best Festival PhotographLaois School of Music appl<strong>ie</strong>s 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 <strong>Arts</strong> Programme 2012...............Page 10Mov<strong>ie</strong> 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 Irel<strong>and</strong> Laois ...................................Page 12Making musical magic in Granard<strong>Midl<strong>and</strong></strong>sIrel<strong>and</strong>.<strong>ie</strong> launches photography competitionPortlaoise Camera Club snap happy for more than a year .Page 13Mullingar Town B<strong>and</strong> marching to success for generationsOur school orchestra reached the National Concert Hall!Druid Art Group enjoys camarader<strong>ie</strong> for all levels ....Page 14There’s something about Longford’s MarySalty Dog <strong>and</strong> 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 Irel<strong>and</strong> Drama FestivalMy Hometown - a photographic journey through thestreets of Birr......................................................Page 20/21Tyrone Guthr<strong>ie</strong> Residency by Ann Egan Part 2On board the Carousel with Leonard Anderson Page 22Exhibition by George Burl<strong>and</strong> ...........................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 <strong>and</strong> Light ................................................Page 25Interv<strong>ie</strong>w 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 Irel<strong>and</strong> Festival - July 2012Director of Dunamise <strong>Arts</strong> Centre praised ........Page 29Art makes a difference to the places we live Page 30Major regional venue is threatened by escalatingfunding cuts .......................................................Page 31Interv<strong>ie</strong>w 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 bel<strong>ie</strong>ve that thefirst quarter of 2012 is wellbehind us <strong>and</strong> 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 <strong>and</strong> culture item ofinterest in your area of the midl<strong>and</strong>s. The choiceis enormous <strong>and</strong> all encompassing for all ages<strong>and</strong> abilit<strong>ie</strong>s.In this issue, across the count<strong>ie</strong>s of Laois,Longford, Offaly <strong>and</strong> Westmeath the wealth <strong>and</strong>diversity of the arts <strong>and</strong> 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 <strong>and</strong> out;music <strong>and</strong> everything imaginable <strong>and</strong>unimaginable in between.Be sure <strong>and</strong> check out your local <strong>Arts</strong> Officer’swebsite also as we just can’t fit in everything <strong>and</strong>there are a number of festivals <strong>and</strong> additionalactivit<strong>ie</strong>s coming up in the weeks <strong>and</strong> monthsahead. Take a particular note to check out thearts <strong>and</strong> culture events happening in <strong>and</strong> aroundall the bank holidays <strong>and</strong> this is a time where youneed never be stuck for some entertainment.What is truly amazing is that the midl<strong>and</strong>s isforging ahead, bucking the national trend againstthe odds <strong>and</strong> bringing some additionalimpressive <strong>and</strong> important facilit<strong>ie</strong>s to fruitionsuch as the state of the art, purpose-built AthloneArt gallery which is currently under construction<strong>and</strong> the Community <strong>Arts</strong> 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 <strong>and</strong> 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 <strong>and</strong> determination of the <strong>Arts</strong> Officersin the face of escalating funding cutsinspirational – but make no mistake they needOUR support <strong>and</strong> 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, st<strong>and</strong> to lose if we -<strong>and</strong> national bod<strong>ie</strong>s – don’t support arts <strong>and</strong>culture in the midl<strong>and</strong>s – <strong>and</strong> beyond now <strong>and</strong>into 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 the<strong>Arts</strong> make to our soc<strong>ie</strong>ty check out the NationalCampaign for the <strong>Arts</strong> on www.ncfa.<strong>ie</strong>YOUR LOCAL ARTS OFFICERSCounty OffalyWHO: Sinead O'Reilly,WHERE: Offaly County Council,Charleville Road, TullamoreCONTACT: Telephone 057 9357400soreilly@offalycoco.<strong>ie</strong>www.offaly.<strong>ie</strong>/arts2County WestmeathWHO: Catherine KellyWHERE: Westmeath County CouncilCounty Buildings, MullingarCONTACT: Telephone 044 9332140ckelly@westmeathcoco.<strong>ie</strong>www.westmeathcoco.<strong>ie</strong>/artsCounty LaoisWHO: Muireann Ní ChonaillWHERE: Laois County Council,Portlaoise, Co LaoisCONTACT: Tel: 057 8674342/44mnichonaill@laoiscoco.<strong>ie</strong>www.laois.<strong>ie</strong>/artsCounty LongfordWHO: Fergus KennedyWHERE: Longford County Council,Great Water St. Longford.CONTACT: Tel: 043 3346231fkennedy@longfordcoco.<strong>ie</strong>www.longfordcoco.<strong>ie</strong>/arts_office.html