Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council’s Arts Service is pleased to release its latest Arts Guide, packed with creative opportunities and cultural highlights taking you right through Spring.
From April until June 2023, there is lots to look forward to with an exciting array of events, exhibitions, and workshops.
Headlining this season’s events at Roe Valley Arts & Cultural Centre is one of Ireland’s most revered ambassadors of music, Brian Kennedy, performing in the Danny Boy Auditorium on Saturday 3rd June.
Award-winning multi-instrumentalist traditional Irish music group, Réalta will perform on Saturday 29th April. Réalta will showcase a world premiere of a new piece inspired by Limavady, commissioned by Live Music Now, a charity that uses the transformational power of live music in education, health, care and community settings across Northern Ireland.
Réalta is joined for this concert by guest singer and songwriter Myles McCormack, as well as young trad players from CCÉ Jimmy O'Hara (Roe Valley) and a collaboration with poet Anne McMaster.
The Northern Ireland Photography Association’s annual exhibition will be held in the galleries from 29th April – 27th May. This exhibition features 87 images captured by camera club members from across Northern Ireland.
In May, there is an open call for local photographers of all levels to submit images of the beautiful Causeway Coast to be part of Coastal Connections, an exhibition which will be displayed in our Broighter Gallery as well as virtually on our website that will celebrate our unique coastline, in all its natural splendour.
Over the next three months, the ArtBeat Initiative will be reignited. This initiative focuses on mindfulness and well-being through nature and creativity and there will be a series of outdoor workshops as we celebrate the brighter days, longer evenings and the stunning environment of the Causeway Coast and Glens area, starting on Saturday 29th April with a Creative Writing workshop at Benone Beach, with Poet and playwright Anne McMaster. There will also be family fun, with a parent and toddler drumming course, children’s dance workshops, film and storytelling, alongside community activities such as Sound Connections.
In Portstewart, Flowerfield Arts Centre will showcase some fantastic exhibitions including The Spring Exhibition of the Ulster Society of Women Artists, ‘Still I Rise’, by Deirdre Robb and in our Upper Gallery, Disruptive Women/Mujeres Disruptivas by Conflict Textiles. Flowerfield is delighted to welcome some of the talented women who created the arpilleras in this exhibition to Flowerfield on Friday 28th April. These women are visiting from Catalonia and all are welcome for a guided tour of the Disruptive Women exhibition between 1-2pm.
The auditorium will host live music, spoken word and film, including live music from Arborist on Saturday 29th April, a sold-out performance by Duke Special (9th June) and an incredible evening of music by one of Ireland’s leading pianists Ruth McGinley (24th June), Screenings of award-nominated films A Quite Girl (4th May) and Aftersun (1st June), and a Talk by Nobel prize-winning poet Paul Muldoon on Friday 5th May.
Flowerfield also welcome back the popular Tenx9 event on Friday 19th May, for another evening of storytelling on the theme of Family, and will host the book launch of Homebirds by Anne Marie McAleese and Dot Blakely (25th May), where they will chat with local chef Paula McIntyre.
There will also be creative opportunities in pottery, fused glass and painting, as well as the opportunity to move in a 5 -week t’ai chi and qigong course led by Dr Philip Johnson and a 4-week Irish & Scottish Céilí/Cèilidh Dancing Course, along with activities for children and families including a series of parent and child workshops with dedicated sessions for Autistic young people and their parent/carer.
The new Arts Guide is available to download from www.flowerfield.org or www.roevalleyarts.com or drop into Flowerfield Arts Centre or Roe Valley Arts and Cultural Centre to pick up a copy.
