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Granparents & Grandchildren Active Retired Screening

2010-04-04T06:33:00.000-07:00

Kerry Film Festival (KFF) screens classic films on the first Wednesday of every month in Siamsa Tire for active retired groups and individuals but the April screening is a little different. Because most children have Easter holidays for the week the organisers thought it would be a nice idea to encourage all audience members to bring their grandchildren with them.

"We have active retired screenings in Siamsa every month," said Jason O' Mahony, KFF Director, "and we thought it would be a wonderful idea to do something a little different for our April screening. Because most kids are on Easter holidays for the week, we're encouraging our audience to bring younger people with them for the screening of John Huston's ANNIE."

The screening will take place in Siamsa Tire at 2:00 pm on Wednesday, 7 April. "Siamsa Tire is a wonderful venue, the screen and sound system are top class, and the members of staff are always so accommodating," added Jason.

ANNIE is the final film in a series of John Huston films, which began with the screening of his debut, THE MALTESE FALCON, on Wednesday, 3 February. That film was one of the most assured debuts of all time and the undoubted Hamlet of Film Noir. Starring Humphrey Bogart as a detective who takes on a case that involves him with eccentric criminals, a gorgeous liar, and a quest for a priceless statuette, the film also stared Mary Astor and Peter Lorre. It was nominated for three Oscars and is consistently included in lists as one of the best movies of all time. It was followed by Huston's THE MISFITS, with Clark Gable and Marylyn Monroe, a little seen film nowadays but one with megawatt star power and a brilliant script by Arthur Miller.

"Huston is such a versatile director and we wanted to show a selection of films from his oeuvre as part of the active retired programme and the third and final film in the series, is crowd-pleasing musical, ANNIE," added Jason. "It was nominated for a couple of Oscars and stars Albert Finney and Aileen Quinn as Annie, but more than that, it is a perfect film for grandparents to share with their grandchildren"

The film is an all singing look at the life of orphan Annie in 1930's America and proves the breadth of Huston's directorial talents which saw him succeed in every genre of film imaginable from Noir to Musicals.

"All films cost just 2euro to anyone over the age of 65 and Kerry Film Festival serves teas and coffees before the films to all attendees," added Jason. "And this month we're going to let all grandchildren come for free - provided they come with their grandparents! The active retired screenings are always nice, social occasions, and give attendees the opportunity to see some fantastic films on the big screen. We're hoping that by encouraging our regular audience to share the film with their grandchildren that the April screening will be even more special for everyone involved!"

The film will screen in Siamsa Tire at 2:00 pm on Wednesday, 7 April. For more information please contact Kerry Film Festival on 066 712 9934

National Concert Hall Workshops

2010-03-29T07:04:00.000-07:00

Samhlaiocht has programmed a number of music workshops for young families and Children. The workshops will take place on Easter Saturday and Easter Sunday in Siamsa Tire and promise to be an absolute treat for the whole family, young and old alike.

"The National Concert Hall is an amazing resource and we're delighted that they're coming to Kerry," said Jason O' Mahony, Director of Samhlaiocht. "The NCH workshops have been a highlight of Easter weekend festivities for the past number of years and we're delighted to be able to continue with the workshops. While cutbacks have significantly reduced the Easter weekend festivities this year, it's great to be able to still put on the National Concert Hall workshops."

The workshops are geared towards younger children and their parents. Four classically trained musicians from the National Concert Hall lead the workshops and the participants in a wonderfully entertaining musical journey as children experience the magic of music.

The workshops are themed by age group with workshops aimed at the under 3's and their parents and at the 3-year-old to 8-year-old age group and their parents. Participants will create magical sounds and rhythms under the expert guidance of National Concert Hall musicians.

All workshops are child friendly and the facilitators are famous for bonding brilliantly with both children and parents! Workshops not to be missed!

The workshops take place in the Rehearsal room of Siamsa Tire in the Tralee Town Park. Booking is with Samhlaiocht on 066 712 9934.

Samhlaiocht Workshops, Easter Saturday and Sunday, April 3rd and 4th, 2010

Saturday:
10.00 am to 11.00 am - Family session with U3's
11.45 am to 12.45 pm - Family session with 3 to 8 yr olds

Sunday:
10.00 am to 11.00 am - Family session with U3's
11.45 am to 12.45 pm - Family session with 3 to 8yr olds
2.30 pm to 3.30 pm - Family session with U3's

Pricing:
Family session with U3's - one parent obligatory - 5 euro per child - one parent free
Family session with 3 to 8yr olds 5 euro per child and 5 euro per adult

Interested parties should call Samhlaiocht on 066 712 9934 to book places. Places are limited and have booked out quickly in past years.

Rock for Experience

2010-03-29T06:52:00.000-07:00

Trench at Rock For Experience 2009

When Sympathy for the Devil first played way back in 1968 it caused a media furore with concerned citizens worried that The Rolling Stones were a corrupt influence on youth!

Nowadays with The Stones music being used to sell insurance on TV, Led Zepplin's music used as the score to a Car commercial and even the iconic image of Jimi Hendrix being used to sell a new health drink called 'Liquid Experience', it's becoming increasingly difficult to find an unsullied rock gig.

Step forward Samhlaiocht's 'Rock for Experience' which will bring a host of unsigned amateur and semi-professional Rock artists from all areas of Kerry together for one night over Easter, for a rock experience as pure as driven snow.

"We're really looking forward to this year's gig," said Mike Foley, organizer of Rock for Experience. "We're anticipating a fantastic buzz and an atmosphere that's even more electric than ever before."

Rock for Experience provides an opportunity for budding musicians to perform in front of an audience using a professional PA system which is provided free of charge by Samhlaiocht. The organizers will also supply a drum kit but bands are encouraged to bring their own instruments and snare drum. It's an alcohol-free event for all ages and will be taking place in The Big Tent, located next to The Carlton Hotel on Dan Spring Road, on Monday, April 5th.

"This is the first year the gig is taking place in the Big Tent," said Mike. "It's an amazing venue, and a fantastic opportunity for young musicians. It's a huge plus for young bands and a fantastic experience for younger musicians to play in a venue like this. We'll have a fantastic turnout this year with 10 bands and more than 500 screaming fans in the audience. We have CO2, one of the hottest up and coming acts in Ireland, headlining the gig so it's bound to be a wonderful night!"

Busking Competition - Easter Weekend

2010-03-29T06:43:00.000-07:00

Matt Vaughan 2nd Place Winner at 2009 Busking Competition

Samhlaiocht today issued a call for entries for the Annual Busking and Street Entertainment Competition which will take place on Easter Saturday, April 3rd. All street entertainers and musicians are invited to take part in the festivities, everything from talented musicians, jugglers, singers, dancers, comedians, fire-eaters and street artists will be welcome. The competition will take place on Easter Saturday, April 3rd from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. with registration taking place from 2pm in the Samhlaiocht office.

"Music and entertainment have always played a huge part in everything Samhlaiocht does," said Jason O' Mahony, the Director of Samhlaiocht. "This is the fourth year of the Busking and Street Entertainment competition and we're hoping to build on last year's competition that brought such fun and excitement to the streets of Tralee."

"We're really looking forward to the Easter weekend and we know that the Busking and Street Entertainment Competition will complement all the other free activities that we organise for Tralee," said Kieran Herlihy, co-ordinator of the competition. "The town will come alive with all kinds of wonderful entertainment. This will be the second year the Samhlaiocht Perpetual Shield will be up for grabs to the overall winners, kindly sponsored by Trophy World Tralee, The Shield will be on display in the Samhlaiocht offices and the winning act every year will have their names inscribed on the Shield. But there's also a trophy for the winners and a wee medal for all competitors - so everyone's a winner!"

The people of Kerry have proven to be very supportive of Samhlaiocht and of the Easter Festival as well as being enthusiastic supporters of the Artists and Entertainers that come to the County each Easter weekend. Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann and the Tralee Branch of the Vintners Federation of Ireland, as a show of appreciation, have offered to sponsor the Busking and Street Entertainment Competition.

"The support we receive from local business people quite literally keeps Samhlaiocht alive," added Jason O' Mahony. "We're indebted to them all and especially grateful to Comhaltas and the Vintners' Federation for supporting the Street Entertainment competition."

With artists from all over Ireland descending on Tralee over Easter, and the new Tir na nOg festival taking place from April 1st to April 11th, Tralee is sure to be a favourite bank holiday treat for lovers of the Arts, Culture and Craic!

Avatar Launch Second Album

2010-03-02T08:27:00.000-08:00

Avatar will launch its second album, LIKE RIVER TO OCEAN, at Club Head Bang Bang, The Greyhound Bar, Tralee on March 11th at 9.30 pm

Like River To Ocean is the second album from Kerry born natives, James Kennedy and Tony O Flaherty who together form Avatar. The duo is a synthesis of Kennedy's original compositions and arrangements coupled with O' Flaherty's engineering skills. The services of some of Ireland's finest musicians known as The Avatar Massive are also enlisted. Avatar produce a fusion of 70's Dub Reggae, Jazz and Ambient Sounds which are uniquely their own and present a ten strong band at live performances. Like River To Ocean has been described as delightfully melodic with Kennedy's flowing bass lines being complimented superbly by some beautiful brass harmonies and a diverse range of instrumentation.

Like River To Ocean has been particularly influenced by the exquisite landscape around Fenit harbour in north Kerry. This area has had a significant resonance for Kennedy since early childhood. It is a place of amazing beauty. The eight tracks comprising the album Like River To Ocean have each their own individual rhythm, from the opening track Sunrise Dub with its hypnotic bass line to the crescendo of Loving Kindness Dub's searing horn section the album holds many delights for the discerning listener, culminating in the final track, Like River To Ocean Dub.

Following on from the acclaim of Avatar's first album Summa Iru in 2005, Like River To Ocean has already received praise in The Irish Examiner, Hot Press, United Reggae Magazine and German publications such as Hanfblatt and Dubblog as well as significant national and international radio play. The band's services have also been required by many established artists for remix work, most recently by German Reggae group, The Senior Allstars, and Ireland's Liam O Maonlai. They are also currently involved in collaborations with Dutch Reggae DJ, Esta Selecta's Haiti Project, and have just completed a new video of Heart Of Wisdom Dub with Irish film maker Shaun O' Connor featuring the hauntingly beautiful voice of Aine Whelan.

For more on Avatar, check out Avatar Sounds

John Huston's THE MISFITS to screen March 3rd

2010-02-25T12:06:00.001-08:00

THE MISFITS, with Clark Gable and Marylyn Monroe, giving what many believe to be her strongest performance of all time will screen on Wednesday, March 3rd, in Siamsa Tire as part of Kerry Film Festival's Active Retired Programme.

The film saw Huston nominated for Outstanding Directorial Achievement by the Directors' Guild of America. It's a little seen movie nowadays but has megawatt star power and a brilliant script by Arthur Miller and its critical reputation has only improved over time. It was the last film made by Hollywood icons Gable and Monroe.

All films cost just 2euro to anyone over the age of 65 and Kerry Film Festival will serve teas and coffees before the film to all attendees. The active retired screenings are a nice social occasion, as well as giving attendees the opportunity to see some fantastic films on the big screen!

For more on the film is available here: THE MISFITS. All are welcome!

Kerry Film Festival Active Retired Screenings 2010

2010-01-28T10:26:00.000-08:00

It's Oscar season and to celebrate Kerry Film Festival and Siamsa Tire have partnered to bring some fabulous films from the distant past and the not so distant past to a big screen in Tralee. The screenings will take place in Siamsa Tire and are for active-retired groups and all retired individuals.

"We have active retired screenings as part of the Kerry Film Festival," said Jason O' Mahony, Festival Director, "and we thought it would be a wonderful idea to do some additional screenings during the winter months. Siamsa Tire is a wonderful venue, the screen and sound system are top class, and the staff there are always so accommodating, so thankfully we're able to programme a whole series of films for active retired groups and retired individuals. We also thought it would be a great idea to screen three John Huston films because of his Irish connections."

The first film to screen is Huston's debut, THE MALTESE FALCON, screening on Wednesday, February 3rd, one of the most assured debuts of all time and the undoubted Hamlet of Noir. Starring Humphrey Bogart as a detective who takes on a case that involves him with eccentric criminals, a gorgeous liar, and a quest for a priceless statuette, the film also stars Mary Astor and Peter Lorre. It was nominated for three Oscars and is consistently included in lists as one of the best movies of all time.

Next up is THE MISFITS, with Clark Gable and Marylyn Monroe, giving what many believe to be her strongest performance of all time. The film, which will screen on Wednesday, March 3rd, saw Huston nominated for Outstanding Directorial Achievement by the Directors' Guild of America. It's a little seen movie nowadays but has megawatt star power and a brilliant script by Arthur Miller and its critical reputation has only improved over time. It was the last film made by Hollywood icons Gable and Monroe.

The third and final film in the series, screening on Wednesday, April 7th, is crowd-pleasing musical, ANNIE, which was also nominated for two Oscars. Starring Albert Finney and Aileen Quinn as Annie, the film is an all singing look at the life of orphan Annie in 1930's America, proving the breadth of Huston's directorial talents which saw him succeed in every genre of film imaginable from Noir to Musicals.

"All films cost just 2euro to anyone over the age of 65 and Kerry Film Festival will serve teas and coffees before the film to all attendees," added Jason. "The active retired screenings are a nice social occasion, as well as giving attendees the opportunity to see some fantastic films on the big screen!"

All films will screen in Siamsa Tire at 2:00 pm. For more information please call Kerry Film Festival on 066 712 9934 or log onto www.kerryfilmfestival.com

Easter Parade Call for Interest - Funding Available for Community Groups

2010-01-28T04:31:00.000-08:00

The Mortal Orchestra at the 2009 Easter Arts Festival

The Samhlaiocht Easter Arts Festival, which is this year celebrating 18 years of bringing the Arts to the streets of Tralee, has issued a call for entries for its upcoming Easter Arts Festival Parade.

The Samhlaiocht Easter Arts parade is always a wonderfully lively and colourful event featuring over twenty groups from all over the county as well as samba bands, other professional street artists and on one memorable occasion a host of bikini clad Brazilians!

"The parade is always one of our most vibrant events," said Jason O' Mahony, Director of Samhlaiocht. "The streets of Tralee come alive, full of colourful characters, colourful costumes and with a real festival atmosphere. You need only watch the parade to realise the spirit of the Arts is very much alive in Kerry."

This year the theme of the Samhlaiocht Easter Arts Festival is 'Legends' and the Festival will feature all aspects of the Arts from music, tradition, craft, culture, food and film to literature, with a special emphasis on street theatre and children arts.

The Parade will take place on Sunday, April 4th at approximately 7.30pm and groups that are interested are encouraged to get in touch with Samhlaiocht and fill out an application form.

"We've had a fantastically high calibre of community groups taking part in previous years," added Jason, "and the interest has been huge even at this early stage, so I'd really encourage interested groups to get in touch as quickly as possible. We'll finish the parade this year with a spectacular fire-work display and I bet that all the communities that take part will set off fire-works in their own right!"

There two types of funding available including funding for the Kerry Group Five Community Project. Five groups will be selected from among the applicants. Each group will receive funding of 1000 euro to provide artists fees, prop building, costumes and transport.

Funding is also available for Participant Groups. All kinds of groups from play schools to active retired groups are welcome to apply. The groups will each receive funding to assist towards expenses incurred.

"We hope that this can be the biggest year ever," added Jason. "We're delighted that Kerry Group which has supported Samhlaiocht since its inception is on board. Quite literally without their ongoing support the festival would cease to exist. The feedback from the participating groups is always wonderful and the financial support of Kerry Group makes it possible."

Application forms for both streams of funding are available online at www.samhlaiocht.com Forms are also available for the Samhlaiocht offices in the Old Presbytery on Lower Castle Street in the Heart of Tralee. For More Information please contact Trish Thompson of Samhlaiocht on 066 712 9934, by email on trish@samhlaiocht.com , or by simply calling into the office.

Rebecca Miller to pick up Maureen O' Hara Award

2009-10-12T10:10:00.001-07:00

Robin Wright Penn, Rebecca Miller and Keanu Reeves

The Kerry Film Festival, which is celebrating ten years of bringing film to Kerry, today announced that Rebecca Miller is to receive an award at the Kerry Film Festival, which runs from October 31st to November 7th.

The award is named in honour of one of the most glamorous leading ladies of Hollywood's golden era, Maureen O' Hara.

"It's an honour to have Rebecca Miller pick up the Award." said Maureen O'Hara. "Rebecca is a wonderful director and it is magnificent to see such a strong character having success in film. One more example of the incredible talent present in today's Ireland. I am absolutely delighted that Rebecca will accept this award and I wish her the very best in her career, in film, and most importantly, in life with her husband and young family."

Rebecca Miller worked as a painter and an actress before becoming a writer and director. She is the author of the short story collection, Personal Velocity (2001), and the novel, The Private Lives of Pippa Lee. For the film version of PERSONAL VELOCITY (2002), she won several awards, including the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival. She has also written and directed the award-winning films ANGELA (1995), THE BALLAD OF JACK AND ROSE (2005), which starred her husband Daniel Day Lewis, and again premiered at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival and this year's THE PRIVATE LIVES OF PIPPA LEE (2009).

The Private Lives of Pippa Lee was her first novel and has been published in 30 countries. The film version was released earlier this year, playing at the prestigious Toronto Film Festival, and had a cast that includes Robin Wright Penn, Keanu Reeves, Julianne Moore, Alan Arkin and Winona Ryder.

Rebecca Miller lives in Ireland and New York with her family.

While Maureen O' Hara was undoubtedly one of Hollywood's best loved actresses, she was much more than just a pretty face. When Maureen became an American citizen on January 25, 1946 she retained her Irish citizenship, which was the first time in history that the United States government recognized an Irish citizen as Irish and it led to a change in process for all Irish immigrants. Maureen was also the first female CEO of an American airline company. Whether in the movies, in politics or in business Maureen demonstrated a quality for leadership and a bravery that was extraordinary and Rebecca Miller displays many of the same characteristics.

Maureen currently lives in County Cork and to honour her Kerry Film Festival is screening the John Ford classic THE QUIET MAN.

The Maureen O' Hara Award acknowledges women that have demonstrated outstanding leadership in their respective fields and Rebecca Miller is a most worthy recipient. The award giving will take place at the Kerry Film Festival Awards Ceremony at Fels Point Hotel in Tralee on Saturday, November 7th at 4:00 pm.

The Award Ceremony is the culmination of a week of films at Kerry Film Festival. The Awards ceremony will also feature the screening of award winning short films as adjudicated by Kerry Film Festival's panel of judges Jeremy Irons, Michael Fassbender, Simon Brown and James Christopher.

Jeremy Irons to Adjudicate at Kerry Film Festival

2009-10-06T10:28:00.001-07:00

The Kerry Film Festival, which is celebrating ten years of bringing film to the people of Kerry, today announced the adjudicators for the 2009 Kerry Film Festival, which runs from October 31st to November 7th.

The adjudicators that will judge this year's Kerry Film Festival short film competitions are:
Jeremy Irons, Michael Fassbender, Simon Brown and James Christopher.

"The Kerry Film Festival is delighted to announce its line up of adjudicators," said Jason O' Mahony, Director, Kerry Film Festival. "From Jeremy Irons, an Oscar winning actor and one of the finest actors of all time; to Michael Fassbender, who set the film world alight with his unflinching portrayal of Bobby Sands in Steve McQueen's HUNGER, a role which, for my money at least, should have seen him win an Oscar; to James Christopher, one of the most respected film critics in the world and Chief Critic on The Times in the UK for many years; to Simon Brown, a fantastic Irish animator, who was lead animator on the recent Ice Age films and also worked with James Cameron on the upcoming AVATAR, every member of the adjudication panel is at the very forefront of their chosen profession and we're absolutely thrilled that they have decided to help adjudicate the 2009 Kerry Film Festival."

"This will be the tenth year of the Kerry Film Festival and both the quantity and quality of the films has risen year on year," continued O' Mahony. "And we felt it was important to have an adjudication panel of the very highest standing to adjudicate the short films. We're hugely grateful to all the adjudicators for giving so selflessly of their time and for agreeing to adjudicate at this year's Kerry Film Festival."

The adjudicators have the unenviable task of selecting the best films from this year's selection. Close to five hundred films were submitted to the 2009 Kerry Film Festival, up significantly on the total number of films submitted last year and more than double the number of films submitted in previous years.

For a brief Bio on the Adjudicators please see below:

Jeremy Irons
Jeremy Irons is one of today's most respected actors and has been honored for his work on stage, screen and television. He won an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award for his chilling portrayal of Claus von Bulow in REVERSAL OF FORTUNE and won an Emmy, a Golden Globe and a Screen Actors Guild Award for his performance in ELIZABETH I.

From roles in THE MISSION and David Cronenberg's DEAD RINGERS to roles in David Lynch's INLAND EMPIRE, Ridley Scott's KINGDOM OF HEAVEN and THE MERCHANT OF VENICE with Al Pacino, Irons has displayed a talent and acting range that has seldom, if ever, been matched.

Michael Fassbender
Michael Fassbender exploded on the Film world with his unflinching portrayal of Bobby Sands in Steve McQueen's Cannes Film Festival Camera D'or winning HUNGER. He is one of the hottest young actors on the planet with acclaimed directors lining up to work with him. Last seen in Quentin Tarantino's INGLORIOUS BASTERDS, Michael, who grew up in Killarney, is a most welcome addition to the Kerry Film Festival Adjudication Panel.

Simon Brown
Simon Brown grew up in the countryside of Co. Clare, Ireland where he read books about the space-time continuum and practiced painting. It was an ideal background for his work as a visual effects artist which has led him around the world to London, California, New York and New Zealand. He's worked on many films including MATRIX REVOLUTIONS, STAR WARS - REVENGE OF THE SITH, ICE AGE - THE MELTDOWN and the upcoming AVATAR. Simon has just been accepted into the prestigious American Film Institute Conservatory for their directing program where he will further develop his craft.

James Christopher
James Christopher is a distinguished author and critic who has contributed to numerous newspapers. He was deputy theatre editor of Time Out Magazine, theatre critic for the Sunday Express, and for many years chief film critic of The Times. He has been the subject of several BBC documentaries. His book on Elizabeth Taylor: The Illustrated Biography is a much-loved staple. He lives in Essex but has spent many happy weeks in Kerry, notably Camp on the Dingle peninsula.

Culture Night Tralee Launches Programme Guide

2009-09-18T09:51:00.000-07:00

Culture Night Tralee is certainly shaping up to be a fantastic night. Taking place on September 25th the organizers have put together a stellar mix of artistic and cultural events which will kick off with Dancing the Street, an attempt on the Guinness World Record for Largest Irish Dance ever. That, however, promises only to be the beginning of a wonderful evening's entertainment with more than twenty other events programmed for the night, all of which are family oriented and fun with the added bonus that the vast majority of them are absolutely free! The organizers have just announced the launch of the programme guide which details all the fun and exciting events taking place. It's available from Siamsa Tíre or can be downloaded from the web.

"We're absolutely delighted with how the programme guide turned out. We'd love if everyone in Tralee popped down to Siamsa to pick up a copy, because Culture Night is for everyone," said Collette Haverty, Producer of Culture Night Tralee, which is a joint venture between Kerry County Museum, Samhlaiocht and Siamsa Tíre, the leading cultural and artistic organisations in Kerry. "We think the programme guide does credit to all the events that are taking place. And we're sure that people will have a fantastic night. We'd encourage everyone to pick up a programme, it's a wonderful way to plan an evening's free entertainment."

Highlights of the night include the premier of a new dance show from San Francisco, Rithm Rhythm, which is a collaboration between the renowned Printz Dance Project, one of America's most exciting dance companies, and Siamsa Tíre.

"We're also delighted to announce that Senator Mark Daly will MC the event, he's a complete character and appeared on the Treasure Island reality TV show," added Collette. "He'll definitely bring a lot to the main event - Dancing the Street."

Dancing the Street promises to be one of the highlights of the evening, while offering people the chance to return home as World Champions. Culture Night Tralee has taken on the ambitious task of beating the Guinness World Record for the largest Irish dance ever, a record which is currently held by a town called Dublin in Ohio in the USA.

"We think it's time that the record returned home," laughed Collette. "And it doesn't matter if people don't know how to do the Irish dance we'll have Dance buddies placed all along Denny Street to help people do the step."

Dancing the Street will take place on Denny Street, beginning at 6:30pm on the evening of Friday, September 25th. There will be a stage set up outside the Ashe Memorial Hall and there will be face painters, stilt walkers and street entertainers on hand to keep the crowd entertained while the countdown to the big event takes place.

And with events ranging from Basket Weaving to free film screenings by way of traditional music and live bands after Dancing the Street, there's something for everyone at Culture Night Tralee.

Programme Guides can be picked up from Siamsa Tíre or downloaded from the website www.culturetralee.com For more information please contact Collette Haverty on 066 712 3055 or by email at culturetralee@ymail.com

For more information on Kerry County Museum please log onto www.kerrymuseum.ie

For more information on Samhlaiocht please log on to www.samhlaiocht.com

For more information on Siamsa Tire please log onto www.siamsatire.com

Mordern Art Platform presents PILOT in Ballybunion

2009-09-10T03:03:00.000-07:00

PILOT the debut exhibition of MODERN ART PLATFORM in Kerry will be opening on September 11th at 8pm. The show will be used to gauge the demand for a contemporary art gallery in Ballybunnion, based on attendance, sales and general feedback. The show will run until September 25th. MODERN ART PLATFORM is located on Ahafona Cross in Ballybunion.

The show will feature work from a number of local and international artists including Brendan Butler and Conrado de Velasco.

Brendan Butler attended the Crawford College of Art and Design, graduating in 2001. He has been working as a professional Artist ever since, exhibiting his work at both solo and group exhibitions. Brendan's work is part of The Cork Opera House Collection as well as forming an integral part of many other state collections. His work is also part of several Irish and international private collections.

Conrado de Velasco's work inhabits the spaces where art, design and technology intersect. His career crosses the whole range of disciplines - graphic design, photography, sculpture, industrial design, visual merchandising, illustration, motion graphics and electronic arts. He believes the future of art lies in the volatile mix of technology and ideas. Conrado de Velasco was born in Manila and presently divides his time between Ireland and the Philippines.

For more information please email the gallery modernartplatform@hotmail.com

Guinness World Record Attempt in Tralee

2009-09-07T06:57:00.000-07:00

Though the summer has been a bit of a wash out, the autumn is looking decidedly brighter with Kerry County Museum, Samhlaiocht and Siamsa Tire, the leading artistic and cultural organisations in Kerry partnering to bring Culture Night to Tralee. The partners have just announced a tantalising line-up of events for Culture Night Tralee, which will take place on September 25th as part of the National Culture Night celebrations.

Top of the bill is an event called 'Dancing The Street' which is an attempt at the Guinness World Record for the largest Irish Dance ever, which will kick off at 6:30 pm on Denny Street in the heart of Tralee.

"We wanted to put on an event that was fun, free and family-friendly and Karl and Jonathan at Siamsa came up with the idea of attempting to break the Guinness World Record for largest Irish Dance ever," said Jason O' Mahony, Director of Samhlaiocht.

"Yeah, but I didn't realize we'd need more than 10,000 people when we came up with the idea," laughed Karl Wallace, Director of Siamsa Tire, the National Folk Theatre of Ireland, which is located in Tralee.

Helen O' Carroll, Director of Kerry Museum, concurs, "We thought we would only need about two or three thousand people but when we did a little research we were blown away by the number of people required."

But in true Kerry style they decided to go ahead with it anyway!

Dancing The Street, is just the centerpiece of Tralee's stellar line-up of events, however, with more than 20 other events taking place. The leading arts and cultural organisations of the town have all chipped in, opening their doors until 11pm to give the citizens of Tralee and beyond a chance to experience the cultural delights of the town.

The idea behind Culture Night follows the success of Ireland's first Culture Night which took place in Dublin and was initiated by Temple Bar Cultural Trust in 2006, the event has grown from 40 organizations attracting 40,0000 people to over 100 participating organizations in 2008 with a public turnout of 100,000 people. Building on the enormous success of this initiative in public access and participation in cultural activity, Temple Bar Cultural Trust, in partnership with the Department of Arts Sport and Tourism launched Culture Night Goes National in 2008 involving the cities of Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford which was managed by The Arts Officers in each of the respective cities. This was an overwhelming success and in 2009 an additional six towns were added, including Tralee.

"We were absolutely thrilled to be invited to take part," said Karl Wallace, Director of Siamsa. "Tralee is a fantastic town and we're achieved a critical mass of artistic and cultural organisations and to be invited to take part in a national event like this is an honour for us and for Tralee."

"We really wanted to do something spectacular," added Jason O' Mahony, "and Dancing The Street will certainly be spectacular!"

Highlights promise to include the Irish Premiere of Rithim Rhythm, a dynamic collaboration between one of America's most exciting dance companies, Printz Dance Project, and Siamsa Tire, the National Folk Theatre of Ireland. It's a heavy mix of traditional and contemporary dance, Rithim Rhythm is crammed with Irish step, beat boxing and funky moves.

The line up other events has something for everyone and the vast majority are either completely free or offer a large number of free tickets to the public.

And with Street Entertainment, stilt walkers, face painters and more Culture Night Tralee is bound to offer something for everyone.

For more information on Culture Night and a complete listing of events please log onto www.culturetralee.com

For more information on Kerry County Museum please log onto www.kerrymuseum.ie

For more information on Samhlaiocht please log on to www.samhlaiocht.com

For more information on Siamsa Tire please log onto www.siamsatire.com

Winter Screenings at Kerry Film Festival

2009-08-27T07:53:00.000-07:00

Though the summer has been a bit of a wash out, winter is looking decidedly brighter as Kerry Film Festival, in association with Siamsa Tire, have announced a tantalising line-up of films for their Winter season of active retired screenings. The screenings will take place in Siamsa Tire in Tralee, on the first Thursday of every month, and are for active-retired groups and all retired individuals.

"We've been delighted with the turn out for the spring and summer seasons of screenings for the active retired," said Jason O' Mahony, Kerry Film Festival Director, "and we thought it would be a wonderful idea to do some additional screenings through out the Winter. Thankfully Siamsa Tire agreed and we're delighted to be able to screen classic films in such a wonderful venue!"

First out of the gates is the multi Oscar winning FROM HERE TO ETERNITY (1953) starring Burt Lancaster and Montgomery Clift. It also stars Frank Sinatra in possibly the best role of his career. Sinatra went on to win an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. The film will screen in Siamsa Tire at 2:00 pm on Thursday, September 3^rd, the first Thursday in September, and it's not to be missed!

Next up, on Thursday, October 1^st, is Audrey Hepburn in BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S (1961). It tells the tale of struggling writer Paul Varjak who moves into a New York apartment building and becomes intrigued by his pretty, quirky neighbor Holly Golightly. Holly's lifestyle confuses and fascinates Paul; in public she flits through parties with a sexy, sophisticated air, but when they're alone she changes into a sweetly vulnerable bundle of neuroses. Audrey Hepburn plays that daring, darling Holly Golightly and is an absolute delight in the adaptation of Truman Capote's classic novel.

Then on Thursday, November 5^th, Peter O' Toole will light up the screen in the title role in LAWRENCE OF ARABIA (1962). David Lean's film is a brilliant and truly epic rumination on a flamboyant and controversial British military figure and his conflicted loyalties during wartime service. It won 7 Oscars and immortality for its charismatic Irish star. Because of the length of the film, the screening will start at 12 noon as opposed to 2:00 pm.

The final screening of 2009 will take place on Thursday, December 3^rd, and is an all time Christmas classic. WHITE CHRISTMAS (1954) stars Bing Crosby. It's a romantic mix-up and features one of the best known and most loved songs of all time and will definitely get people in the Christmas mood.

"Our 2009 active retired screenings have been a monumental success so far and the audience begged us to keep going for the rest of the year," said Jason. "And we're delighted to oblige. If truth be told I love the screenings because it gives me a chance to see some of my favourite films on the big screen! And with a cost of just 2 euro per head that includes teas or coffees and biscuits for everyone attending we really think it's a recession busting deal!"

The films will all start at 2:00 pm sharp, with the exception of LAWRENCE OF ARABIA which begins at 12 noon because of the length of the film, and groups are encouraged to arrive half an hour before screening time to enjoy the social atmosphere, have a chat and grab a cup of tea or coffee. Interested parties are asked to contact the Kerry Film Festival on 066 712 9934 and all active retired groups and individuals are welcome at the Kerry Film Festival Active Retired Winter Season where they will enjoy their Golden Years with classic films on the Silver Screen!

All films screen at 2:00 pm, except LAWRENCE which screens at 12 noon, in Siamsa Tire in Tralee and all take place on the first Thursday of the month. For more information please call Kerry Film Festival on 066 712 9934.

For more information on the Kerry Film Festival please log onto www.kerryfilmfestival.com

For more information on Samhlaiocht please log on to www.samhlaiocht.com

Samhlaiocht is supported through grant aid from The Arts Council, Kerry County Council, Failte Ireland and by the generous corporate sponsorship of Kerry Group.

Celebrate Heritage Week with new Exhibition

2009-08-12T08:13:00.000-07:00

Next week sees the launch of Ireland's Heritage Week, which runs from the 22nd to the 30th of August, and to celebrate Samhlaiocht, the leading Arts Organisation in Kerry, is holding a special week-long exhibition featuring work from Christa Vonhof and Donal Stack.

Heritage week is designed to appeal to almost everyone and the main aim is to build awareness of Ireland's built, natural and cultural heritage thereby encouraging its conservation and preservation. In Ireland Heritage Week is co-ordinated by the Heritage Council with support from the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government and Fáilte Ireland.

"Every year hundreds of national and local community organisations take part in Heritage week, organising events throughout the country to help build awareness of Ireland's beautiful and unique cultural heritage," said Trish Thompson, Samhlaiocht Gallery Coordinator. "We're delighted to play a small part and would encourage people to come and see this wonderful exhibition which features work from Christa Vonhof and Donal Stack. The exhibition pays respect to Ireland’s amazing cultural heritage through Christa Vonhof's wonderfully eclectic letter boxes and Donal Stack's pictorial maps."

Donal Stack is an artist that lives and works in North Kerry. After graduating from the Crawford Municipal College of Art, Donal went on to teach art at secondary level and at adult night classes for a period of five years.

"I've always had an interest in illustration and decided to pursue if for this exhibition," said Donal. "The work is a series of limited edition giclee prints of illustrated pictorial maps."

The maps are simply stunning and the level of work involved in creating them is mind-boggling. As Donal explains, "These maps are influenced by 16th and 17th Century pictorial maps showing the topography of the landscape and include text, icons and depictions of towns and other landmarks."

All the maps are pictorial maps of Kerry and the Giclee process which Donal used ensures a high quality reproduction on fine art acid-free paper. The original work was done in watercolour and each print is signed and numbered by the artist.

While Donal's maps are inspired by Kerry, Christa Vonhof, who grew up in Bavaria, has been similarily inspired by the county. She always loved painting and drawing.

"Art classes were always my favourite in school," says Christa, "and I continued to paint through my early adulthood." After raising her family and moving to Ireland, Christa became a member of an art group in which she is still active and exhibits regularly.

In addition to painting, Christa is interested in local history and archaeology and quite often combines these two interests.

"One day I was walking in the countryside and I saw this quaint box hanging off a telegraph pole. It was in the middle of nowhere and it sparked an interest," explains Christa. "Every now and then I would come across another post box and the most amazing array of different letter boxes appeared with different shapes, sizes and patterns and I decided to capture and record them."

"The work on the exhibit is by no means a complete collection," laughs Christa, "I fully expect to find many more to record. My hope is to continue finding and recording them in my drawings for years to come!"

The exhibition in Samhlaiocht is a perfect opportunity to see something a little different.

The exhibition opens on Thursday, August 20th and runs for one week until Friday, August 28th in the New Samhlaiocht Gallery which is located in the Old Presbytery on Lower Castle Street in the heart of Tralee. The Gallery is open from 10 am to 5 pm, Monday to Friday, is free to visit and all are welcome.

Samhlaiocht is supported through grant aid from The Arts Council, Kerry County Council, Failte Ireland and by the generous corporate sponsorship of Kerry Group.

Call for Entries for Samhlaiocht Photo Exhibition

2009-08-04T08:13:00.000-07:00

Lucie Harwood's winning photograph, Sunset, from Samhlaiocht's 2007 competition

Samhlaiocht is issuing a call for photographs for the second round of its Open Submission Photography Exhibition competition.

"The first heat, which had a theme of 'Winter Light', has been a huge success," said Mike Foley, Samhlaiocht, Photography Co-ordinator. "The number of submissions has been simply astounding and the quality of the work was fantastic. It's great to see photographers producing such outstanding work, much of it inspired by the beautiful county of Kerry."

The theme for the second round is 'Summer Light' and the closing date is Friday, August 28th.

"The judging panel includes Kerry Kennelly of Kerry's Eye, Dan Muphy, who is a fine art and portrait photographer with Red Couch Studios, Michael Diggin of Irish Landscape Photography and Michael O' Meara of Custom Framing Services. All the judges agreed that the standard of the photographs received for the first round was beyond all expectations," added Mike.

When quizzed about the entries for the first heat, Mike said, "The sheer number of entries was only seconded by the overall technical quality of the pics. And we're expecting a flood of entries for the second phase of the competition by the August 28th deadline because of the huge numbers of photos that are taken in the summertime."

"The photographers are asked to bear the theme in mind when submitting their work," added Mike, "but we encourage a liberal interpretation and we're looking forward to receiving a wide diversity of styles and subject matter."

When asked about digital manipulation, Mike had this to say, "With digital cameras in everyone's arsenal and this year's broad theme, we can't rule out digital manipulation, nor would we want to. Digital photography is an exciting medium and we encourage people to play around and to be as creative and artistic as they like!"

Photographs may be black and white or colour and must measure 6" X 8". Contestants must submit a hard copy of the picture to Mike Foley at Samhlaiocht, The Old Presbytery, Lower Castle Street, Tralee. For those submitting photographs taken with a digital camera please also email a copy to mike@samhlaiocht.com citing 'Samhlaiocht Photography Competition' in the subject line.

All winning entries will be professionally mounted and framed and will remain the property of the artist after the exhibition. The Framing Prize is kindly sponsored by O' Meara Fast Framing Service in Tralee Shopping Centre. Selected photographs will be displayed in the Samhlaiocht gallery in the Old Presbytery on Lower Castle Street in the heart of Tralee as part of Samhlaiocht's ongoing search for emerging talent.

The exhibition will take place from the October 1st until October 23rd, 2009.

Please include your name, address, a contact phone number, email and the title of each photograph submitted with both hard and soft copies of the photographs.

The closing date for entries to the second heat is Friday, August 28^th.

For more information on Samhlaiocht please log on to www.samhlaiocht.com or call 066 712 9934

Samhlaiocht is supported through grant aid from The Arts Council, Kerry County Council, Failte Ireland and Culture Ireland and by the generous corporate sponsorship of Kerry Group

Kerry Film Festival Issues Call for Entries

2009-06-08T08:46:00.000-07:00

Declan Cassidy's WHATEVER TURNS YOU ON
Winner Best Irish Short KFF 2008

The Samhlaiocht Kerry Film Festival, which is celebrating ten years of bringing film to the people of Kerry, has issued a call for entries for the Kerry Film Festival 2009, which runs from October 31st to November 7th.

"The Kerry Film Festival is committed to playing a leading role in providing a forum for emerging talent in film," said Jason O' Mahony, Director of the Kerry Film Festival. "This dedication is evidenced by both the quality of the films screened and the prizes on offer, with a top cash prize of 5,000 euro for KFF's Best Director, as well as a number of prizes in other categories including Best Irish Short, Best International Short, Best Documentary Short and Best Animated Short."

All prizes including Best Director will be selected by a jury of internationally renowned film professionals. Past adjudicators of the Kerry Film Festival Short Film Competition have included such luminaries as Liam Neeson, Jim Sheridan, Neil Jordan and Gabriel Byrne.

When asked what makes KFF special O, Mahony said, "I think having so many of the filmmakers on hand to speak about their films and their creative journey ensures a rewarding film festival experience for both the filmmaker and the audience. One of the advantages of KFF, I suppose, is that it's such an intimate little festival but the quality of the films and quality of the adjudicators consistently punches above its weight."

While the main focus of the festival will continue to be on shorts, this year sees an extension of the programme. "Last year was our most successful Festival so far," said O' Mahony. "We screened more films to more people in more venues that ever before and this year we're hoping to top that!" The 2009 edition of the Festival will see an expansion of the feature programme which proved so successful in 2008, KFF 2009 will also see more Education screenings, more active retired screenings and a larger workshop programme.

For more information on the Kerry Film Festival or to download application forms please log on to www.kerryfilmfestival.com

Samhlaiocht Issues Call for 2010 Gallery Programme

2009-06-02T07:32:00.000-07:00

"As part of Samhlaiocht's ongoing collaboration with Artists we're inviting them to submit work for consideration for our 2010 Gallery programme," said Jason O' Mahony, Director of Samhlaiocht. "The past two years have been wonderfully successful for us in terms of exhibitions. We had more exhibitions, sold more paintings and discovered more talent than ever before. We're hoping that 2010 will bring more of the same and that this call for entries will attract the best and brightest up-and-coming artists from through out Ireland, while also attracting more established artists looking for an additional platform for their work."

The submission is open to all Artists. Applications are invited from individual artists, or groups of artists, working in any medium for inclusion in the 2010 Samhlaiocht Gallery Programme.

Applications should be submitted in writing by Friday, July 10th.

The Application should contain:
1. Current Biography or CV.
2. Artist's Statement (max. 400 words) and Exhibition Proposal (max. 200 words)
3. 10 - 12 high quality images of the work. Images can be submitted as digital prints, photographs, slides, or jpeg format.
4. Image list with titles, medium and dimensions clearly labelled.

The Samhlaiocht Gallery first opened in July 1999 in Maine Street, Tralee. The philosophy behind the Gallery mirrors the overall philosophy of Samhlaiocht, which is to help, promote and establish up-and coming Artists, provide a platform for more established artists and facilitate community groups working in any artistic medium.

The New Samhlaiocht Gallery is located in the Old Presbytery on Lower Castle Street in the heart of Tralee. The Gallery is open from 10 am to 5 pm, Monday to Friday, is free to visit and all are welcome.

Please address your applications to:
Trish Thompson, Art Gallery Coordinator, Samhlaiocht, The Old Presbytery, Lower Castle St. Tralee or email trish@samhlaiocht.com or phone 066 7129934.

For more information on Samhlaiocht please log on to www.samhlaiocht.com

Samhlaiocht is supported through grant aid from The Arts Council, Kerry County Council, Failte Ireland and by the generous corporate sponsorship of Kerry Group.

Golden Years on the Silver Screen

2009-05-28T05:25:00.000-07:00

With the Cannes Film Festival just finishing and a wonderfully successful spring season behind them Kerry Film Festival, in association with Siamsa Tire, have announced a tantalising line-up of films for their summer season of active retired screenings. The screenings will take place in Siamsa Tire in Tralee, on the first Thursday of the month, and are for active-retired groups and all retired individuals.

"We were delighted with the turn out for the spring season of screenings for the active retired," said Jason O' Mahony, Kerry Film Festival Director, "and we thought it would be a wonderful idea to do some additional screenings during the summer months. Thankfully Siamsa Tire agreed and we're delighted to be able to screen classic films in such a wonderful venue!"

First out of the gates is Billy Wilder's screwball masterpiece SOME LIKE IT HOT (1959) with Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon and the immortal Marilyn Monroe handed the best comedy roles of their careers. When two musicians witness a mob hit, they flee the state in an all female band disguised as women, but further complications, as was always the way in Wilder's films, set in. The film will screen in Siamsa Tire at 2:00 pm on June 4th, the first Thursday in June, and it's not to be missed!

Next up, on Thursday, July 2nd, is Gene Kelly in SINGING IN THE RAIN (1952). It tells the tale of a silent film production company and cast that make a difficult transition to sound. It's an all singing, all swinging, glorious feeling Technicolor Musical! Gene Kelly co-directed as well as starring in this double Oscar nominated classic.

Finally on Thursday, August 6th, John Wayne stars as Ethan Edwards, a Civil War veteran that spends years searching for his young niece who was captured by Indians in the John Ford classic THE SEARCHERS (1956). As the film sweeps from the glorious, great Southwest to the Canadian border, Ethan's motivation becomes increasingly questionable. Possibly the best western ever made, starring the unquestionably greatest Cowboy of all time - John Wayne!

"Our Spring screenings were a monumental success and the audience begged us not to shut down for the Summer as had been originally planned but we were in a difficult position financially and didn't think we would be able to continue with the free screenings," said Jason. "But we examined out finances and discovered that with a nominal charge to the audience we would be able to keep going so we asked the audience and they were all for it!"

"We're delighted to be able to continue," added Jason, "and with a cost of just 2 euro per head that includes teas or coffees and biscuits for everyone attending we really think it's a recession busting deal!"

The films will start at 2:00 pm sharp, so groups are encouraged to arrive at 1:30 pm to enjoy the social atmosphere, have a chat and grab a cup of tea or coffee. Interested parties are asked to contact the Kerry Film Festival on 066 712 9934 and all active retired groups and individuals are welcome at the Kerry Film Festival Active Retired Summer Season where they will enjoy their Golden Years with classic films on the Silver Screen!

All films screen at 2:00 pm in Siamsa Tire in Tralee and all take place on the first Thursday of the month. For more information please call Kerry Film Festival on 066 712 9934.

For more information on the Kerry Film Festival please log onto www.kerryfilmfestival.com

For more information on Samhlaiocht please log on to www.samhlaiocht.com

A fusion of Roots, Folk & Rock from Donnacha Toomey

2009-05-11T03:30:00.000-07:00

Here's a quick pop quiz for you: How many times has Bob Dylan hit the top of the Billboard Album charts in America? Before this week the answer was four - this week it's five - now that his latest, TOGETHER THROUGH LIFE, has debuted at the very top of the charts.

This could bode well for Kerry's latest singer / songwriter, Donnacha Toomey. Donnacha's album has also just been released and, while he can't match Sir Bob for longevity, there are very definite similarities between their song writing styles - both write lyrics that speak to the soul while stirring the mind.

The similarities finish there, however, and Donnacha would, while tipping his hat at Dylan, acknowledge the greater influences of legendary John Martyn, the electrifying guitarist and singer whose music blurred the boundaries between folk, jazz, rock 'n' roll and the blues.

"The man was simply one of the most gifted artists of our time," says Donnacha, "the world suffered a huge loss with his untimely passing in January."

The album, titled Carnival of Colours, is Donnacha's debut album release. It's an 11 track studio recording and is the perfect introduction to his thoughtful, intelligent style of roots based material. He has a broad, eclectic mix of influences which he magically yet subtly blends together. Drawing on Irish, US and British folk and inspired by the aforementioned legends Dylan and Martyn by way of Chet Atkins via cult favourites Ron Sexsmith and Kings of Convenience, Donnacha has produced an album that has been hailed for its thoughtful and thought-provoking qualities.

"I know there are a lot of influences in there," laughs Donnacha, "I suppose I've been playing music since I was seven or eight years old. My parents are musically inclined, my Mom sings in a choir and my Dad is a button accordion player who loves traditional Irish music. I was a big fan of all the music they listened to but especially early rock 'n' roll."

Listening to Donnacha expound on music is a near educational experience! He draws from such a rich assortment of influences and diversity of styles, yet is so adept at linking them together and forming interesting and reflective asides that it's no wonder the songs on the album are so perfectly formed!

"Back when I started playing music I was listening to a lot of 50's and 60's music. I’ve been a lifelong fan of Scotty Moore, who played in Elvis' band, and a fan of a lot of fingerstyle guitarists ever since," adds Donnacha. "I listened mostly to Chet Atkins, Mississippi John Hurt, Doc Watson and Ry Cooder. I also listened to a lot of folk musicians, like John Martyn, who is actually Scottish but settled down here in Ireland before he passed away so tragically in January. So, I try to take many elements of roots, bluegrass, folk, country and different kinds of acoustic material and put it together into something of my own."

It's a rich mix that comes to fruition on Carnival of Colours. He's helped out on the album by local Bass legend James Kennedy.

"I loved James's bass playing from the minute I heard it," says Donnacha. "It adds a whole new dimension to the music and has really brought out the best in the songs, I couldn't ask for anything more. The first thing that got my foot tapping when I was a child was Elvis' original 3 piece band with Scotty Moore and Bill Black. There was no drummer, they just used that thumping bass line for rhythm and I hear that energy in the way James plays the bass. To fully appreciate James's music you just have to hear him play!"

And despite its relative newness, Donnacha's debut is picking up quite a bit of radio play. "Emilia" was featured on RTE Radio 1's Late Date programme on the week of its release while the opening track, "Early One", was featured on Roots Freeway, also on RTE Radio 1. The album was recently featured on 4 FM and has gained interest in the UK. Another of the songs, "Been a Long Time Now", has been picked to feature on an American compilation album, "Acoustika", that will be out next month on general release.

Donnacha, who is based in Tralee is taking all this success in his stride. The songs exude a quiet confidence and you get the feeling that it’s only a matter of time before people are listing Donnacha Toomey as an influence!

"Carnival of Colours" is now available on iTunes, CDbaby and Amazon and in all good music stores.

For more information please visit www.donnachatoomey.com or www.myspace.com/donnachatoomey

Arts Council April Newsletter

2009-04-30T06:04:00.000-07:00

1. Statement by Pat Moylan, Chairman of the Arts Council

A statement by Chairman, Pat Moylan on the additional reduction to the Arts Council budget for 2009.

2. Arts Council’s event guide ready for launch

The Arts Council is requesting all funded organisations and individuals to submit public events for inclusion in a new online guide.

3. Traditional arts information meetings

In the coming months, the Arts Council's traditional arts team, will be traveling around the midlands/Leinster to take part in a number of information meetings.

4. Theatre consultation process

The Arts Council is to consult with members of the theatre community on how best to meet future challenges regarding funding the production and presentation of professional theatre.

5. New public art website

The new public art website will now be launched in May.

6. News from the arts community

Opportunities in the arts community in April include information on the upcoming deadline for submitting short films to the Galway Film Fleadh; a scholarship opportunity from Music Network for an intensive professional development course called Making Overtures 2009 and a call for artists/projects for use of the Back Loft, the multi-purpose space of La Cathedral Studios.

7. International news from the Cultural Contact Point

News from the CCP in April includes: information on upcoming culture programme infodays in Barcelona, Vilnius and Brussels; a call for proposals for a youth in action programme; an open call for applications for a space pilot project for artist mobility; a notice on the photo contest IMAGO europae 2009 and details of a seminar on delivering public services in times of a financial crises in Maastricht in July.

Ground Breaking Musician Coming to Club Head

2009-04-06T07:23:00.000-07:00

Ground breaking electronic musician Matt Elliott whose music has matured into a more folk inspired acoustic sound plays a special Easter Weekend ClubHeadBangBang event this Saturday, 11th of April, support act on the Night is local trio 'ToneVain', as well as ClubHeadBangBang dj's.

Entry to the concert is free to all and doors open at 9pm.

Matt's long-awaited return to Ireland will see him playing only two exclusive dates, Whelans in Dublin and ClubHeadBangBang in Tralee. On previous visits to Ireland Matt has played at the Electric Picnic and as part of Donal Dineen's 'Month of Sundays' tour alongside the likes of Milosh, Lisa Hannigan and Jape.

About Matt Elliott:
Matt Elliott has rather an atypical course. He used to work under the pseudo name The Third Eye Foundation, an emblematic figure of the English electronic scene recognized for his atypical electro tinted by drum' N bass.

Since his first album under his own name "The mess we made" ( on Domino Records), Matt Elliott has turned to compositions much more folk based, forsaking the laptop and the machines and turning more traditional instruments, guitar, piano and violin.

Amongst the many products of the fertile Bristol music scene of the 1990s, Matt Elliott represents something of an oddity.

When "trip-hop" was flavour of the month, Matt was instead exploring space rock and experimental drone music. In 1996, Matt began releasing under the moniker Third Eye Foundation, and with his stark and brutal approach to electronica unwittingly became a pioneer of something called "drill'n'bass". Then, whilst many were struggling to transcend the electronic aesthetic that had become associated with the city, Matt married sampling and electronics with acoustic instruments, song and voice for the critically-acclaimed The Mess We Made. Now, having left his native Bristol altogether and settled in rural France, Matt continues to release albums that have variously been described as folk, vaudeville and chanson française.

His fiercely independent approach has won him many admirers, and Matt has completed remixes for Mogwai, Thurston Moore, Blonde Redhead, and Yann Tiersen amongst others. Matt also continues to collaborate with long-term friends Hood, and lends his playing to many more records, as guitarist, drummer, clarinetest, viola player and programmer. Matt has toured far and wide over the last twelve years, recently appearing at Primavera Sound, Benicassim and Electric Picnic.

For more information please log onto:

http://www.thirdeyefoundation.com

http://www.myspace.com/mattelliotandthethirdeye

http://www.fiverosespress.net/?p=1169

Samhlaiocht Transforms Empty Tralee Shop

2009-04-03T06:18:00.000-07:00

It's difficult to open a newspaper or turn on a television or radio these days without hearing about the current economic climate. Evidence of the downturn is palpable in the number of disused and vacant shops in the towns and villages through out Ireland. Tralee, unfortunately, is currently suffering from a similar fate and the current talk of Tralee town is the number of empty shops in the town centre.

Help, however, is on hand. Samhlaiocht, the leading Arts Organisation in Kerry, has come up with an innovative and Artistic way to brighten the town, offer a free Artistic event to the public while at the same time tying in with their landmark Easter Arts Festival, which takes place from April 10th to April 13th, over the Easter Weekend.

Imaginarium, an exhibition of contemporary art, will take place during the Festival, but Imaginarium is not the usual type of exhibition, it will take place in a disused shop on Castle Street! Gary Brosnan, who owns the vacant shop, says, "I thought it was great when Samhlaiocht came to me to see if they could use the shop. I think it’s a fantastic idea."

Jason O' Mahony, Director of Samhlaiocht, is equally full of praise for Gary, "I think it's brilliant that he's agreed to get involved. It shows a willingness to work towards some greater common good. This is about brightening up Tralee and Gary's selflessly giving us the premises completely free of charge for the weekend and we're absolutely delighted about it! We'd love to turn the whole town into one huge interactive Arts exhibition!"

Imaginarium is one of a series of short-term exhibitions that will take place in Ireland and America during 2009 and is the brain wave of American Artist and organizer, Sean Naftel. The exhibition will feature work from six artists from home and abroad, coming from as far away as America and Germany and from as close to home as Kerry.

"I'm delighted that the exhibition will take place as part of the Samhlaíocht Easter Arts Festival," said Sean, "it's great to get the opportunity to showcase work by exciting, emerging international artists to new audiences."

Imaginarium is part of a larger programme which Sean is curating called Roving Project, which is a wandering gallery project that occupies empty storefronts, transforming them into short-term gallery spaces. This year the project will use empty shops in Ballyvaughan and Tralee as well as venues in Kansas City and Boston.

Sean goes on to explain, "There are a lot of empty shops around at this time both in Ireland and America with the economy slowing down, but it turns out to have a positive side because it provides a great chance for young artists to have their work seen even if only for a few days. It's really exciting."

The theme of this year's Samhlaiocht Festival is 'Imagination' to coincide with 2009 being the European Year of Creativity and with the fact that 'Samhlaiocht' is a translation of 'Imagination' as Gaeilge. In addition to this all artists use the imagination, whether in the exploration of their work or in devising new and exciting venues to display their work. The Imaginarium Exhibition embraces all these ideals, creating a space where imagination can be born and thrive without interruption or judgment, free from everyday restrictions, the exhibition will reveal possibilities heretofore unknown.

Imaginarium will be officially opened at 7:00 pm on Thursday, April 9th and will open at various hours over the Easter Festival Weekend. It features work by Sean Naftel, Chris Attenborough, Erin Traecy, Emmet Kierans, Kerstin Schaefer and Kerry artist Roisín McGuigan. For more information or to find out exact opening times please call into the Samhlaiocht office, located in The Old Presbytery, on Lower Castle Street, in the heart of Tralee and pick up a Programme Guide.

For more information on Samhlaiocht please log onto www.samhlaiocht.com

For more information on Roving Project please log onto www.rovingproject.com

Getting a Handel on It

2009-04-02T06:37:00.000-07:00

The 2009 Dublin Handel Festival is well and truly launched and tickets are selling fast with some shows already sold out!

The festival takes place from the 13th to the 19th of April in the Old City area of Temple Bar and other historic venues throughout Dublin. Celebrating the 250th anniversary of Handel's death, Temple Bar Cultural Trust presents a full programme packed with Handel highlights including concerts, theatre, workshops, tours, talk, family activities and newly commissioned work. The hugely popular "Messiah on the Street" which opens the festival on April 13th is an outdoor experience not to be missed!

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FULL PROGRAMME OF EVENTS