January 2007 East meets West theme at Múscailt Fleadh Imboilg '07

NUI Galway's seventh Springtime Arts Festival Múscailt (meaning 'to awaken/inspire/celebrate) will officially open on Monday, 5 February at 1.00pm in the Aula Maxima. This year the festival has joined forces with the Celtic Fleadh Imboilg for a new and exciting programme that will see the campus come alive with concerts, theatre, dance, exhibitions, storytelling, film and live performances.

Múscailt Fleadh Imboilg '07 will open the week-long programme with No Crows, a band with a global repertoire, including Traditional and Eastern Music. This year's festival, running until Friday, 9 February, celebrates the Celtic Fertility Festival meeting Chinese New Year. Everyone is welcome to attend a programme of mainly free events featuring a wealth of talent from global and local artists.

The Fleadh Imboilg is the ancient Celtic celebration for the start of spring. Established by the NUI Galway History Society last year, this traditional festival of renewal and hope is focused on organising fun events while also raising money for charity. This year's programme includes a trip to Gairdín Bhríde in Connemara, which reflects ancient Irish Celtic spirituality, and Spraoi Bhríde, a fund-raising drive in Galway city.

NUI Galway Arts Officer, Fionnuala Gallagher, says: "Múscailt Fleadh Imboilg 2007 is a culture fest, where East meets West and Old meets New, celebrating diverse art forms, often together. Traditional arts such as storytelling, circus and juggling meet experimental performance and visual arts. It aims to bring people together in an act of celebration. The brief is to change the spaces that we study and work in for one week, to do a Spring clean, excite all our senses and most of all, enjoy."

Highlights of this year's festival include:

• No Crows, featuring former Waterboys' rock fiddler Steve Wickham, Anna Heuston on the cello/mandolin, Felip Carbonell, on flamenco/manouche guitar and Eddie Lee on double bass. The band will be joined by special guests including Salit, a Malaysian Martial art/dance act; Cry of the Celt, a rollicking Irish dance troupe and a performance by ensemble-in-residence, ConTempo, who have arranged a piece specially for the occasion.
• A production of South Pacific by the Galway University Musical Society. The society's annual production runs from 6 – 10 February 2007 in the Black Box Theatre. Further information and tickets are available at www.muscailt.nuigalway.ie or by contacting the info/ticket desk at 091-492852; email:socsbox@socs.nuigalway.ie.
• A commission of art pieces on 'Transparency and Body' will exhibit in various buildings across the campus. Site specific works by 14 students from the Burren College of Art, Múscailt Bóirne, will adorn glass corridors throughout the University and Martina Hynan's new work Liminal Being will be on display in Áras Moyola.
• Original theatre featuring in this year's programme includes the One Act Play Series competing for the Jerome Hynes Best Production Award. Other theatrical highlights include the premier of 'Living with Johnny Depp', by Toot and Coo, and Taxi Rank by Janēva Dance Company, which arrives fresh from a successful run at Project '06.

Múscailt Fleadh Imboilg '07 presents the perfect opportunity to take part in the cultural life of NUI Galway. The festival is supported by Galway University Foundation, AIB and NUI Galway Arts Office.

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For more information check: www.nuigalway.ie/arts_office/ Tel. Arts Office: 091 512062