Special guest, poet Rita Ann Higgins, has launched the 12th annual NUI Galway Arts Festival programme, Múscailt, which runs from 6-10 February. The Festival contains a superb programme of music, art, performance and film, with many free events to which the public are welcome.

This year’s theme is Illumination/Soilsiú and fun features include pop-up sculptures, protest art, street art, origami, hip-hop and a ‘yarn bomb’, where structures on campus receive bespoke knitwear.  Deep Sea/Deep Space, a video installation created for the Sea2sky Festival held in 2011, will be on show in the University Art Gallery. Marielle MacLeman, artist in residence with Geology and Zoology, will show new works at the Zoology and Marine Biology Museum and will be in residence at the James Mitchell Geology Museum throughout the week.

Special guest artist, Sinéad Aldridge, will launch Artsoc’s annual show ‘Derelicte’ and deliver an illustrated lecture entitled ‘Stop Making Sense-Play Havoc’, on protest art or the aesthetics of resistance. Anthony J. Faulder-Mawson will transform a glass bridge on campus and five selected artists will show proposals for large-scale original art-works for the NUI Galway campus. Former MA students of Art Therapy will also present new work in ‘Sacred Space-Porous Place’ in the Arts Millennium Building.

Juggling and magic join forces as guest artiste Yann Frisch performs a superb magic manipulation act in the Bailey Allen Hall. The Galway Musical Society, GUMS, will perform the new musical, ‘Spring Awakening’, in the Town Hall Theatre. The ‘Witless Band Competition Final’ takes place in the Student Union Bar with judges and public vote, while Music for Galway features the remarkable Rolf Hind on piano, playing ‘Debussy and Beyond’ in the Aula Maxima. NUI Galway Orchestra, Tradsoc, Choralsoc and Diplóma in Trad music students also perform.

The Bank of Ireland Student Theatre will host ‘Mise Scéal Cailín’, the hit puppet show from Branar; a Poetry Slam with MC Pete Mullineaux; new writings and performances from NUI Galway’s students and staff in ‘Solo Show’ and a production of ‘The Clean House’ by Sarah Ruhl, performed by Dramsoc. Comicsoc takes on the ‘24 Hour Comic Book Challenge’ where these bright young artists will draw, write, edit and publish a comic within one full day. Huston Film School students present a selection of their new works and Anime Manga soc and Filmsoc show their favourites. Current staff and alumni will showcase published fiction and poetry and local filmmakers will present new short works.

NUI Galway’s President Jim Browne extends an open invitation to the public to attend the closing event of Múscailt, ‘The Galway Music Residency-NUI Galway Sponsor’s Concert’, at 1pm on Friday, 10 February, in the Bailey Allen Hall. The specially chosen programme includes Air by J.S. Bach, Swan by Camille Saint-Saëns, and the exciting ‘Finale from the American Quartet’ by Antonin Dvorák, all performed by Galway ensemble-in-residence, ConTempo Quartet, in association with Arts in Action.

Commenting on this year’s line up, Fionnuala Gallagher, NUI Galway Arts Officer says, “Our theme this year, Illumination, represents a bursting forth of ideas from all of the art-forms. Múscailt 2012 will be provocative and fun and there is room for interaction, debate and feedback throughout the week. Everyone is welcome to participate.”

All exhibitions are open Monday - Friday. For full information see www.muscailt.nuigalway.ie. For a copy of the programme 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.

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                               Seolann OÉ Gaillimh an 12ú Féile Bhliantúil Ealaíon

Inniu sheol an t-aoi speisialta, an file Rita Ann Higgins an 12ú clár bliantúil d’Fhéile Ealaíon OÉ Gaillimh, Múscailt, a bheidh ar siúl ón 6-10 Feabhra. Tá clár iontach ceoil, ealaíne, léirithe agus scannáin ag an bhFéile, agus tá go leor de na himeachtaí saor in aisce agus fáilte roimh chách chucu.

Is é Soilsiú téama na bliana seo agus i measc na nithe iontacha a bheidh le feiceáil beidh preabdhealbha, ealaín agóide, ealaín sráide, origami, hip-hap agus “buama cniotála", áit a bhfaighidh struchtúir ar an gcampas ábhar cniotála aonuaire. Taispeánfar Deep Sea/Deep Space, físeán a rinneadh don Fhéile Sea2sky, i nGailearaí Ealaíne na hOllscoile. Beidh saothair nua le Marielle MacLeman, an tEalaíontóir Cónaitheach le Geolaíocht agus Zó-eolaíocht, le feiceáil ag doras Mhúsaem na Zó-eolaíochta agus in situ i Músaem Geolaíochta James Mitchell ar feadh na seachtaine.

Seolfaidh aoi speisialta, an t-ealaíontóir Sinéad Aldridge, ‘Derelicte’, seó bliantúil an Artsoc agus tabharfaidh sí léacht le léaráidí dar teideal ‘Stop Making Sense-Play Havoc’, léacht faoi ealaín agóide nó aeistéiticí friotaíochta. Léireoidh Anthony J. Faulder Mawson droichead gloine ar an gcampas agus taispeánfaidh cúigear ealaíontóirí roghnaithe tograí do bhunsaothair ealaíne ar mhórscála do champas OÉ Gaillimh. Taispeánfaidh iar-mhic léinn Teiripe Ealaíne saothar nua in Sacred Space-Porous Place in Áras Dán na Mílaoise.

Tiocfaidh an chleasaíocht agus an draíocht le chéile nuair a fheicfear Yann Frisch, aoi-thaibheoir, i mbun a cheirde i Halla Bailey Allen. Cuirfidh Cumann Ceoldrámaíochta na hOllscoile an ceoldráma nua, ‘Spring Awakening’, i láthair sa Dubhlann. Beidh ‘Craobhchomórtas na mBannaí Witless’ ar siúl i mBeár Chomhaltas na Mac Léinn, áit a mbeidh vóta ag na moltóirí agus ag an bpobal. Chomh maith leis sin beidh Rolf Hind le cloisteáil ar an bpianó ag casadh ‘Debussy and Beyond’ san Aula Maxima mar chuid de Music for Galway. Beidh Ceolfhoireann OÉ Gaillimh, an Tradsoc, an Choralsoc agus mic léinn ón Dioplóma sa cheol traidisiúnta ar stáitse chomh maith.

I measc na rudaí a bheidh le feiceáil in Amharclann Bhanc na hÉireann beidh ‘Mise Scéal Cailín’, an seó puipéad ón gComhlacht Amharclainne Branar; Craobh Filíochta le Duaiseanna agus Pete Mullineaux mar fhear an tí; scríbhinní agus léirithe nua ó mhic léinn agus ó fhoireann OÉ Gaillimh sa ‘Seó SOLO’ chomh maith le léiriú de The Clean House le Sarah Ruhl, á chur i láthair ag an Dramsoc. Beidh dúshlán ‘Leabhar Grinn 24 uair an chloig’ ar siúl ag an Comicsoc, áit a ndéanfaidh na healaíontóirí óga is cumasaí i nGaillimh leabhar grinn a tharraingt, a scríobh, a chur in eagar agus a chur ar fáil laistigh de lá amháin.  Cuirfidh mic léinn ó Scoil Scannán Huston rogha dá saothair nua i láthair agus taispeánfaidh an cumann Anime Manga agus an Filmsoc na saothair is ansa leo. Taispeánfaidh cuid den fhoireann reatha agus an alumni ficsean agus filíocht atá foilsithe, agus cuirfidh lucht áitiúil scannánaíochta saothair nua ghearra i láthair.

Tugann an tUachtarán James J. Browne cuireadh oscailte don phobal chuig searmanas dúnta Múscailt, ‘Ceolchoirm Urraithe OÉ Gaillimh leis an Galway Music Residency’ Dé hAoine, an 10 Feabhra ag 1pm i Halla Bailey Allen. Ar an gclár speisialta seo tá Air le J.S. Bach, Swan le Camille Saint-Saëns, agus an ‘Finale spleodrach ón Quartet Meiriceánach’ le Antonin Dvořák, agus iad ar fad á léiriú ag Ensemble Cónaithe na Gaillimhe, ConTempo Quartet i gcomhar le Arts in Action.

Agus í ag tagairt d’imeachtaí na bliana seo, dúirt Fionnuala Gallagher, Oifigeach Ealaíon OÉ Gaillimh, “Cuimsíonn téama na bliana seo, Soilsiú, maidhm smaointe ó gach cineál ealaíne. Beidh Múscailt 2012 gríosaitheach agus spraíúil agus beidh neart deiseanna idirghníomhaíochta, díospóireachta agus aiseolais le linn na seachtaine. Tá fáilte roimh chách a bheith páirteach.”

Beidh na taispeántais ar fad ar oscailt Dé Luain – Dé hAoine. Chun tuilleadh eolais a fháil féach www.muscailt.nuigalway.ie.  Chun cóip den chlár a fháil déan teagmháil leis an Oifig Ealaíon ag 091 493766 nó 091 495098. Beidh ticéid do na himeachtaí chomh maith le heolas faoi imeachtaí ar fáil 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.

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