February 2002 NUI Galway's Múscailt 02 Spring Festival

From creative dance to classical music, provocative drama to poetry and story telling - all this and more will be featured in Múscailt 02, NUI, Galway s Spring Festival, which will take place from the 18Th to the 22nd of February, 2002. An apt title for this original and innovative festival, múscailt means to awaken, inspire, celebrate.

John McGahern, Finghin Collins, Mick Lally and Joe Steve Ó Neachtain will be participating in the festival, which aims to showcase and celebrate the artistic achievements of the University Community – the students, staff and graduates on and off campus – as well as those of internationally renowned artists.

The student societies have a significant role in the festival s programme. Focus 2002 is a photographic exhibition presented by the Photographic Society. While the Music Society is tapping into the diverse musical energy on campus with Witless , a contemporary bands mini-festival, the University's relatively new Chamber Orchestra will also be performing. The musical, Fiddler on the Roof involves the collective talents of six of the largest college societies and is sure to play to packed audiences in the Black Box Theatre.

One of Ireland s most popular writers, John McGahern will read from his new novel, That the May face the Rising Sun on the 19 February. Mick Lally will read a selection of poems on festival opening day, while other poetry readings featuring University Writer-in-residence, Trevor Joyce, Patrick Carton and Peter Jankowski will take place throughout the week.

The theatrical highlight of the festival is Inis Theatre Company's critically acclaimed presentation of Jane Austen s only novel-of -letters, Lady Susan. This hour long rollercoaster ride through a world of machinations, secrets and illicit liaisons was a sell out show in the 2001 Dublin Fringe Festival and is touring to Galway especially for Múscailt 02.

Garry Hynes will perform the relaunch of the Literary and Debating Society s Criterion magazine on 21 February. A journal of new writing of both the students of NUI, Galway and local writers, Criterion was published by the Arts Society on and off between 1953 and 1991. Among those formerly involved in its production were Michael D. Higgins, Gerald Dawe and Ian Kilroy, while writers for it included Rita Ann Higgins, Julian Gough, Caitlin Maude, John McGahern, and Fred Johnston.

Galway based theatre company, Catastrophe, returns to their alma mater as a part of Muscailt to perform Falling Pianos. Following the lives of two self-reflexive characters controlled by an unknown author, the play ranges in style from slapstick comedy to thoughtful drama and satirizes themes including religion, friendship, death and the woman sitting in the second row!

"Múscailt 02 is a 'don't miss' event," says Emily Cullen, NUI, Galway s Arts Officer and festival Co-ordinator, "not only because the students have invested it with so much energy and enthusiasm but also because the quality programme we have put together is guaranteed to appeal to a wide variety of tastes." Muscáilt 02 is supported by funds raised from NUI, Galway graduates through the Alumni Annual Fund and Kombucha is the festival's product sponsor.

Information from: Máire Mhic Uidhir, Press Officer, NUI, Galway. Tel. 091 750418