On display at Butler Gallery, Kilkenny during the 2013 Kilkenny Arts Festival. One of the many works of Bob And Roberta Smith in Kilkenny for the festival stretch. Video to follow of the piece in rotation…
Tag: kilkenny arts festival
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Tujacques, The Fall at Set Theatre
Mark E Smith’s The Fall took to the Set stage as part of the Kilkenny Arts Festival last night with Dublin-based Toujacques opening the proceedings around 10.15pm or so. (more…)
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BITCHES, Fight Like Apes at Kilkenny Arts Festival
BITCHES (@peaceandbitches) kicked off the musical proceedings at Billy Byrne’s on night seven of the 2013 Kilkenny Arts Festival, the band making their festival debut.
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Seti The First, Biggles Flys Again at Kilkenny Arts Festival
New Music Night has turned up some great acts over the years as part of the Kilkenny Arts Festival and this year the hand dealt contained The Cold Draw (formerly The Thomas Donoghue Band), Seti The First and Biggles Flys Again. (more…)
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David Kitt, Seamus Fogarty at Set Theatre
Closing out the third day of the 2013 Kilkenny Arts Festival was David Kitt, with Seamus Fogarty, above, opening the proceedings. Both have been involved in the festival on different occasions over the last few years. Of course, we were the late arrivals, missing all but the last two tunes from Seamus Fogarty before David Kitt, below, took to the stage.
Kitt later introduced Margie Lewis to the proceedings, here’s what happened…
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Kilkenny Arts Festival 2013 Day 3: Camerata Ireland (with video)
When I first started covering the Arts Festival back in 2008/09, I was a complete newcomer to classical music. Flash forward to 2012 and into 2013 and presenting The Arts Show for KCLR96FM and I’ve got a totally different appreciation of all things classical.
So much so, that last night, even from the back of the cathedral filming, I was absolutely in my element, music-wise.
Granted, I had to get as close as I could to the action when the Shostokavich piece was being performed, featuring trumpet player Alison Balsom (pictured below).
Even from the opening few minutes, the entire first act felt like you were in the most epic of movies but it has to be said, that first half performance alone was one of the best things to happen to the programming of the classical strand in years (and I’ve been to almost all the classical gigs in the past five festivals). More of the same for next year, please.
The result of the filming? Check it out below…
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Anthony Joseph & The Spasm Band at Kilkenny Arts Festival
Anthony Joseph & The Spasm Band absolutely lifted the roof of Set Theatre last night. It’s been a while since I’ve shot photo and video in front of an absolutely belting speaker stack, but the results will make for great additions to the festival highlights coverage.
Here’s two select stills from last night’s stomping gig, with video on the way over on YouTube.
The semi-seated affair seemed to last all of a few minutes before the dancefloor at Set filled for a relentless, funky, 90 minutes-or-so-ish bout of dancing and all kinds of body-shape-moving and throwing.
A cracking way to wind out day 2 of this year’s Kilkenny Arts Festival.
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Kilkenny Arts Festival Day 2: Bob And Roberta Smith Opens
Bob And Roberta Smith’s show officially opened this afternoon, beginning for us with a trip to the Heritage Council to take in the ‘Bob Walk And Talk’ around some of the sites of Bob And Roberta Smith’s work, pictured (right, above) with the lady posing as Hannah Arendt (I should have gotten her name, will ask her tomorrow).
You can dress as and experience Hannah Arendt in The Bishop’s Robing Room at the rear of The Heritage Council.
The lady in question herself. Take part in the whole experience by donning some 1940’s costumes, reading some of Hannah Arendt’s published books and chat about the background of the show.
If you make tracks to Rothe House this festival, you’ll find these Talking Sticks outside the main area for Bob’s work on Parliament Street, where you’ve also got the chance to hop on the soap box and have your say with the possibility of your answers to the show’s many questions appearing on the wall of the Butler Gallery during the festival.
The remainder of the above form part of Bob And Roberta Smith’s show at Butler Gallery in Kilkenny Castle. It’s also the first show in the history of the festival (as well as being Bob’s first Irish show) to feature the Discover Pen, allowing those who are visually impaired to fully participate in the exhibition.
If you don’t make the festival, the show continues into the next month, but drop down before next weekend to have a chance to meet the man in question himself.
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Kilkenny Arts Festival 2013: Day 1
Day one hitting the 2013 Kilkenny Arts Festival trail as part of the Event Media / Mycrofilms / Ross Costigan powerhouse of coverage. Here’s some select shots from the B cam for the day. (more…)
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Bob And Roberta Smith: Bonfire
Today was Day 0 for our documentary crew for the 40th Kilkenny Arts Festival and it kicked off with some on-camera chats with Bob and Roberta Smith.
Bob’s work is the core of the Visual Arts strand for this year’s festival and this work, Bonfire, can be seen in the reception area of County Hall and is open to all at the very least on weekdays.
Keep an eye on KilkennyArts.ie tomorrow and throughout the week for clips from Bob, discussings his work, and those reacting to it throughout the festival.
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Kilkenny Arts Festival Needs You
I’m back on the festival trail again this year with the Kilkenny Arts Festival and they’re looking for volunteers (see Facebook) on the ground and on the road from August 5th to 20th (the festival itself runs from August 6th to 15th this year). There is no previous experience necessary for festival volunteers, with the minimum requirement being that you are at least 14 years old. If successful, you’ll be briefed on your role a full week before the festival, though the closing date to get your application in is this Friday July 23rd.
Days volunteering may be short, long, a real mixed bag of things but it can be a great way to see a festival and meet some new folk at the same time.
The festival team are also looking for drivers throughout the festival. If you’re aged 25 or over and have a full, clean driving license and are interested in working as a driver on the festival, get in touch with Valerie on 056 7763663. Drivers with Class D (minibus) licenses are also required. The forms are also available to download here.
Note: The above clip is part of a conversation I had with Theatre and Dance curator Tom Creed ahead of this year’s festival. Thanks to the Project Arts Centre in Dublin for letting us use the space in the afternoon. I’ll be blogging my way through the Festival over at KilkennyArts.ie.
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Kilkenny Arts Festival Launches
ONE OF the highlights of my calendar year (and that of Kilkenny) is the Kilkenny Arts Festival. Now in its 36th year, this year’s festival runs from August 6th to 15th and is packed to the hilt with the best in music, theatre and dance, visual arts, literature, children’s events and more. A long time spectator, last year was the first year I’ve volunteered on the festival and I’m back (along with John Morton) in the same role last year in producing the online content for the festival duration (and blogging the festival via the KAF blog).
That started yesterday with the launch in Dublin where Fergus Shiel put a group of professional singers through their paces to announce the KAF programme for 2010 through a choral performance. The same will be repeated in Kilkenny on August 14th where Fergus will lead a group of around 200 singers through a performance in St. Canice’s Catherdral where works will include Rossini’s Sabat Mater and Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy.
Check out the video above, or watch the Qik clip of the launch yesterday as it happened.
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Blogging The Arts Festival
The Kilkenny Arts Festival, now in its 36th year, opened on Friday night and for the duration of the festival I’ll be hiding out over on the festival blog, with myself and John Morton making contributions to the festival content manning the blog / Twitter and video output until Sunday the 16th.
For me personally it’s a fantastic way to see the festival, having missed out on much of last year’s offerings due to our own (via Devious Theatre) commitments to producing Smitten (2008). Friday took in Aleksandar Madzar, Aka Moon and Black Machine opening to a weekend featuring RSAG, Julie Feeney, Amiina and much more. Throughout the week I’ll be attending a myriad of theatre, music, visual arts, crafts and literature events and working on bringing those to the web for the festival.
If you’re attending anything at the Kilkenny Arts Festival or talking about it on Twitter, there’s also the #kaf hashtag that’s currently being used to track festival chatter online. If you do manage to spot me at an event, be sure and say hello.