February 2012 Twelfth Annual NUI Galway Arts Festival Opens

Múscailt, NUI Galway's week-long Spring Arts Festival, opens today (Monday, 6 February) and will run until Friday, 10 February.  Revolving around the theme of Illumination/Soiliú, this year Múscailt hosts a superb line-up of art, music, performance and sculpture.

The NUI Galway Artsoc's annual show, this year entitled ‘Derelicte’, will consist of drawings, paintings, textiles and pop-up sculptures, with guest artist, Sinéad Aldridge, will deliver an illustrated lecture entitled ‘Stop Making Sense-Play Havoc’.

GUMS, the NUI Galway Musical Society, will once again entertain the audience with their new musical, ‘Spring Awakening’. Other performances throughout the week will include the hit puppet show ‘Mise Scéal Cailín’, poetry slam with MC Pete Mullineaux, NUI Galway staff and students will perform in ‘Solo Show’ and Dramsoc will produce ‘The Clean House’ by Sarah Ruhl.

COLOURS Street Theatre Company’s ‘sculptures on wheels’ will be popping up in unexpected locations throughout the week. Other activities throughout the week will include juggling, magic, films, fiction and poetry, with performances from NUI Galway students, staff, alumni, local and national artists, and local filmmakers.

Music will feature strongly during Muscáilt with a variety of performances ranging from classical music to traditional with performances from Rolf Hind, the NUI Galway Orchestra, Tradsoc, Choralsoc and Diploma in Trad music students. The judges and public will decice the winner of the ‘Witless Band Competition Final’ which will take place in the Student Union Bar.

Speaking about the Festival, Fionnuala Gallagher, Arts Officer, NUI Galway said, “This year is a celebration of ‘Illuminations’ that are physical, mental, audio, visual and emotional, using the full colour spectrum. Many of the events are free and we urge the public to come along and attend all activities during the week.”

All exhibitions are open Monday – Friday, for information on any of the events visit www.muscailt.nuigalway.ie or contact the Arts Office at 091 493766 or 091 495098.

Tickets for events and info on Society events will be available from the Socsbox at 091 492852 or socsbox@socs.nuigalway.ie. Spring Awakening tickets are also available from Town Hall Theatre www.tht.ie or 091 569777.


-ENDS-

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                      Osclaíonn an 12ú Féile Bhliantúil Ealaíon de chuid OÉ Gaillimh

D’oscail Féile Ealaíon an Earraigh, Múscailt, in OÉ Gaillimh inniu (Dé Luain, an 6 Feabhra) agus mairfidh sí go dtí Dé hAoine, an 10 Feabhra.  Bunaithe ar an téama Soilsiú, beidh sárchlár imeachtaí ar siúl ag Féile Múscailt na bliana seo – ealaín, ceol, taibhiú agus dealbhadóireacht san áireamh.

Mar chuid de ‘Derelicte’,  seó bliantúil an Artsoc, beidh líníochtaí, péintéireachtaí, teicstílí agus preabdhealbha; agus tabharfaidh aoi speisialta, an t-ealaíontóir Sinéad Aldridge, léacht le léaráidí dar teideal ‘Stop Making Sense-Play Havoc’.

Cuirfidh Cumann Ceoldrámaíochta na hOllscoile (GUMS), an ceoldráma nua, ‘Spring Awakening’, i láthair. I measc na rudaí eile a bheidh le feiceáil le linn na seachtaine beidh ‘MISE Scéal Cailín’, seó puipéad, craobh filíochta le Pete Mullineaux mar fhear an tí; scríbhinní agus léirithe nua ó mhic léinn agus ó fhoireann OÉ Gaillimh sa ‘SOLO Show’ chomh maith le léiriú de ‘The Clean House’ le Sarah Ruhl, á chur i láthair ag an Dramsoc.

Beidh ‘sculptures on wheels’ le COLOURS Street Theater Company ag preabadh aníos ar fud na háite le linn na seachtaine. I measc na ngníomhaíochtaí eile a bheidh ar siúl i rith na seachtaine, beidh lámhchleasaíocht, seónna draíochta, scannáin, ficsean agus filíocht, agus léirithe ó mhic léinn, ó fhoireann agus ó alumni OÉ Gaillimh, ealaíontóirí áitiúla agus náisiúnta, agus lucht áitiúil scannánaíochta.

Beidh áit lárnach ag an gceol i bhFéile Múscailt idir cheol clasaiceach agus cheol traidisiúnta agus leithéidí Rolf Hind, Ceolfhoireann OÉ Gaillimh, an Tradsoc, an Choralsoc agus mic léinn an Dioplóma sa Cheol Traidisiúnta ag ceol le linn na seachtaine. Beidh Craobhchomórtas na mBannaí Witless ar siúl i mBeár Chomhaltas na Mac Léinn, áit a mbeidh vóta ag na moltóirí agus ag an bpobal.

Ag labhairt faoin bhFéile, dúirt Oifigeach Ealaíon OÉ Gaillimh, Fionnuala Gallagher, “Is ceiliúradh ar ‘Shoilsiú’ é Féile na bliana seo, soilsiú a bhaineann leis an duine go fisiceach, a bhaineann leis an inchinn, le héisteacht, le feiceáil agus le mothúcháin ag baint úsáide as speictream ildaite. Tá go leor de na himeachtaí ar fáil saor in aisce agus mholfainn don phobal teacht agus freastal ar na hócáidí ar fad i rith na seachtaine.”

Tá na taispeántais ar fad ar oscailt Dé Luain – Dé hAoine. Chun eolas a fháil faoi aon cheann de na himeachtaí, téigh chuig www.muscailt.nuigalway.ie  nó glaoigh ar an Oifig Ealaíon ag 091 493766 nó 091 495098.

Beidh ticéid ar fáil do na himeachtaí ar fad, chomh maith le heolas fúthu, ón Socsbox ag 091 492852 nó socsbox@socs.nuigalway.ie.  Is féidir ticéid do Spring Awakening a fháil chomh maith ó Amharclann na Cathrach ag www.tht.ie nó 091 569777.

-CRÍOCH-