Today saw the beginning of the 11th annual NUI Galway Múscailt Spring Arts Festival, which will run until Saturday, 12 February. This year NUI Galway will host a superb line-up of opera, music, performance, sculpture and visual art revolving around the theme of Exploration, offering an escape into the world of fantasy, astronomy and history. Múscailt has invited special guest artists to create new work on campus, linking art and science. This year's festival hosts an array of Irish and international artists, performances by Gatto Marte, Dermot Healy, Treasa Ní Nhiolláin, NUI Galway Chamber Orchestra and the RTÉ Vanbrugh Quartet. Writer/storyteller Rab Swannock Fulton and artist Marina Wild have also created a new children's show entitled Pirates, Dragons and Moon Monsters for the Múscailt festival. New drama comes from the recently formed University College Players with a new play by Shane Daly-Hughes entitled NOT FOR OSCAR and GUMS, the NUI Galway Musical Society, will perform the rock musical, The Wedding Singer. The Colours Theatre Company will put on a new dance theatre piece, entitled The Red Apple Tree and Dramsoc will play The Lime-Tree Bower. Ana Perez Pereda, renowned Spanish Sculptor, and Artist José María Molina will spend three weeks on campus and create hanging sculptures in a project linking Art and Science. The NUI Galway Artsoc's annual show, this year entitled Black Hold Paradies, will consist of drawings, paintings, textiles and sculpture Alongside special guests, local artists, staff and students have also created work specifically for Múscailt and annual events including performances by the orchestra and choir are present as always. Speaking about the Festival, Fionnuala Gallagher, Arts Officer, NUI Galway said, "February is a time of creation and I invite everyone to visit the university and sample our exhibitions and performances. Almost everything is free or affordably priced. Come join the fun!" The Múscailt festival is produced by the Arts office at NUI Galway, and all events are open to the public. For full programme, details and further information about the festival visit www.muscailt.nuigalway.ie, or call the NUI Galway Arts Office at 493766 or 495098. -Ends-