January 2013 ‘Merriment and What Not’ Unleashed for 13th NUI Galway Múscailt Festival

Maeve Mulrennan, Head of Visual Arts, Galway Arts Centre, today (Wednesday, 16 January) launched the 13th annual NUI Galway Arts Festival programme, Múscailt. The Festival, which runs from 4-8 February, contains a superb programme of art, music, performance, dance, literature and film revolving around this year’s theme of ‘Merriment and What Not’.

This year's festival hosts an array of international, national and local artists including special guest, Mario Pirovano, who will perform ‘Francis the Holy Jester’ written by nobel-prize winner Dario Fo. Mario is the only actor that Dario Fo has permitted to perform this piece. Triko Cirkus Teatar (Best Independent Theatre Company in Croatia in 2012) will bring their hit show ‘Slavuj/Nightingale/Rossigno, including four theatre clowns in the style of Jacques LeCoq and three musicians, directed by Lee DeLong. This is their only show in Ireland.

New work is a very important feature of each Múscailt Festival and artist Conor Gallagher will install ‘Channels’, an ambitious, mixed media show where original paintings and driftwood sculptures meet. The foyer of the Bank of Ireland Student Theatre will house new installations and art objects by Nick Hitchcox, Maria Hitchcox and Hannah O’Reilly, and Robin Jones will blur the distinction between drawing and sculpture in his outdoor ‘Temporary Work’. Artsoc will present their annual show in Áras na Mac Léinn and the duo of art student Paul Kearney and local artist, Podge Daly, will exhibit new oil paintings entitled ‘Reflections & Fragments’ in the University Art Gallery.

Nick Danziger, international photographer and film-maker and Adjunct Professor at the NUI Galway’s Huston School of Film & Digital Media and the Irish Centre for Human Rights, will display ‘The British’, a collection of photographs of Great Britain in the 1990s.

Closer to home, Women’s ID Project, portrays women in their lives and communities in the Westside and Ballybane in Galway.  New band Immis, Una Ní Fhlannagáin, Brewen Favrau and Ger Chambers, on harp, pipes and accordion will delight and inspire with music full of soul and drive.

Chorchestrad’s performance on the opening night of Múscailt promises to be a highlight. After a spectacular experiment last year, the three societies, the NUI Galway Orchestra, Choral Soc and Trad Soc will join forces again on newly selected material. Traditional music will also feature with performances from students of the Dioplóma sna Dána (Cóiriú agus Stáitsiú an Cheoil Thraidisiúnta). The Witless Band Competition Final will take place in the Student Union Bar on Tuesday, 5 February.

Live artist, Áine Phillips, will perform ‘Spectral’, with sound by Trevor Knight, and will also deliver the opening address at a one-day seminar on interdisciplinary artistic collaboration, entitled ‘All Collaborators will be shot’. During the seminar professional artists and collaborators will give presentations, and the public are invited to join proceedings. 

Galway University Musical Society (GUMS) will perform the rock opera, ‘RENT’, with music and lyrics by Jonathan Larson, based on Puccini’s opera La Bohéme in the Black Box, from 5-9 February. ‘RENT’ tells the story of a group of impoverished young artists and musicians struggling to survive and create in New York’s Lower East Side, finding their voices and living for today.  

Múscailt hosts the premiere of new performances including ‘Glowpunk’, written and performed by Frank Cronin, a student who has been living in a tent on campus since September and is a distillation of his experiences. Local artists Esti Siles, Judith Bernhardt and Helen Caird will perform ‘MOVE’, a new dance meets painting performance. SOLO SHOW will showcase seven original ‘five-minute monologues’ by NUI Galway’s students and staff and the Colours Theatre Company premieres a new one-man show ‘The Statue’.

President Jim Browne extends an open invitation to the public to attend the ‘The Galway Music Residency-NUI Galway Sponsor’s Concert’, at 1pm on Thursday, 7 February in the Bailey Allen Hall. The specially chosen programme ‘A brief history of classical music from Bach to Beatles’ includes ‘The Arrival of Queen of Sheba’ by George Friedrich Handel, ‘Meditation’ by Jules Massenet and ‘Rag Tim’ by Scott Joplin, all performed by Galway Ensemble-in-Residence, ConTempo Quartet, in association with NUI Galway’s Arts in Action programme.

Literature today can take many forms as will be revealed when current staff and alumni read from their latest ‘exploits’ in writing and the Writers Society will present an evening of new student writing.

This year new artwork created on-site at NUI Galway will include: a large-scale original photographic work for Áras Moyola by local photographer Aengus McMahon; exhibits by painting and drawing classes on the balcony of Áras na Mac Léinn; new work by artist Marina Wild in DERI ‘Art’ Café; and a revamp of the Yarn Bomb Sculpture by NUI Galway Knitting and Crochet Group.

Commenting on this year's line up, Fionnuala Gallagher, NUI Galway Arts Officer said: “Our theme this year, ‘Merriment and What Not’, comes courtesy of Eyeore in Winnie-the-Pooh, and encourages the creative act that bursts forth with unexpected results. Everyone is welcome to participate.”

All exhibitions are open Monday to Friday and open to the public, with many of the events free to attend. For further information, or for a copy of the programme, visit www.muscailt.nuigalway.ie or contact the Arts Office at 493766 or 495098. Tickets for events will be available from the Socsbox at 091 492852 or socsbox@socs.nuigalway.ie. RENT tickets are also available from Town Hall Theatre www.tht.ie or 569777.

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13^ú Féile Múscailt in OÉ Gaillimh le Téama Cruthaitheach

Sheol Maeve Mulrennan, Ceannaire na dTaibh-Ealaíon in Ionad Ealaíon na Gaillimhe, an clár do 13ú féile ealaíon bhliantúil OÉ Gaillimh, Múscailt, inniu (Dé Céadaoin, an 16 Eanáir). Beidh an Fhéile ar siúl 4-8 Feabhra, agus tá clár iontach ealaíon, ceoil, léirithe, damhsa, litríochta agus scannánaíochta geallta. Is é téama na bliana seo ‘Merriment and What Not’.

Tá ealaíontóirí idirnáisiúnta, náisiúnta agus áitiúla ar chlár na bliana seo agus an t-aoi speisialta, Mario Pirovano, a léireoidh ‘Francis the Holy Jester’ scríofa ag Dario Fo a bhuaigh duais nobel. Is é Mario an t-aon aisteoir ar lig Dario Fo dó a shaothar a léiriú. Tabharfaidh Triko Cirkus Teatar (An Compántas Neamhspleách is fearr sa Chróit in 2012) a seó cáiliúil ‘Slavuj/Nightingale/Rossignol’, go hÉirinn. Beidh ceathrar bobaide amharclainne i stíl Jacques LeCoq agus triúr ceoltóirí, faoi stiúir Lee DeLong sa seó. Is é seo an t-aon seó acu in Éirinn.

Gné an-tábhachtach den Fhéile Múscailt gach bliain saothair nua agus cuirfidh an t-ealaíontóir Conor Gallagher an seó ‘Channels’ ar taispeáint. Seó ilmheáin, uaillmhianach measctha é seo a thugann bunphéintéireacht le chéile le dealbhóireacht adhmaid raice. Ar taispeáint i bhforhalla Amharclann Bhanc na hÉireann beidh saothair nua le Nick Hitchcox, Maria Hitchcox agus Hannah O’Reilly, agus beidh saothar taobh amuigh ag Robin Jones dar teideal ‘Temporary Work’ atá idir líníocht agus dealbhóireacht. Cuirfidh Artsoc a seó bliantúil i láthair in Áras na Mac Léinn agus beidh taispeántas olaphictiúr ag an mac léinn ealaíne, Paul Kearney, agus an t-ealaíontóir áitiúil, Podge Daly, dar teideal ‘Reflections & Fragments’ le feiceáil i nDánlann na hOllscoile.

Cuirfidh Nick Danziger, grianghrafadóir idirnáisiúnta agus scannánóir agus Ollamh Cúnta i Scoil Scannán & Meán Digiteach Huston agus san Ionad Éireannach um Chearta an Duine in OÉ Gaillimh ‘The British’ ar taispeáint, bailiúchán grianghraf as an mBreatain sna 1990idí.

Níos gaire de bhaile, léireoidh Women’s ID Project, saol agus pobal na mban ar an Taobh Thiar agus sa Bhaile Bán i nGaillimh.  Bainfidh daoine an-sult as an mbanna nua Immis, Una Ní Fhlannagáin, Brewen Favrau agus Ger Chambers, ar an gcláirseach, ar an bhfeadán agus ar an gcairdín.

Is cinnte go mbeidh Chorchestrad ina bhuaicphointe an chéad oíche de Mhúscailt. Turgnamh a bhí anseo anuraidh ar éirigh go hiontach leis agus tiocfaidh na trí chumann, Ceolfhoireann OÉ Gaillimh, an Cumann Córúil agus an Cumann Traidisiúnta le chéile arís i mbliana le hábhar nua. Beidh ceolchoirm lóin á reáchtáil ag mic léinn an Dioplóma sna Dána-Cóiriú & Stáitsiú an Cheoil Thraidisiúnta. Beidh craobhchomórtas na mBannaí Witless ar siúl i mBeár Chomhaltas na Mac Léinn Dé Máirt, an 5 Feabhra.

Léireoidh an t-ealaíontóir beo, Aine Phillips, ‘Spectral’, fuaim le Trevor Knight, agus tabharfaidh sí an chéad léacht ag seimineár lae ar comhpháirtíocht idirdhisciplíneach ealaíne, dar teideal ‘All Collaborators will be shot’. I rith an tseimineáir, beidh ealaíontóirí gairmiúla agus a gcomhpháirtithe i mbun oibre agus tugtar cuireadh don phobal a bheith páirteach. 

Cuirfidh Cumann Ceoldrámaíochta Ollscoil na Gaillimhe (GUMS) an ceoldráma rac, ‘RENT’ ar stáitse, le ceol agus liricí le Jonathan Larson, bunaithe ar cheoldráma Puccini, La Bohéme, ó 5-9 Feabhra. Insíonn ‘RENT’ scéal grúpa ealaíontóirí agus ceoltóirí óga bochta atá ag iarraidh maireachtáil agus a bheith cruthaitheach i Nua Eabhrac, agus iad ar thóir a nguth agus ag baint suilt as an saol. 

Léireofar den chéad uair riamh saothair nua cosúil le ‘Glowpunk’ i rith Múscailt, scríofa agus léirithe ag Frank Cronin, mac léinn atá ina chónaí i bpuball ar an gcampas ó Mheán Fómhair. Is cur síos atá sa saothar ar a thaithí. Léireoidh na healaíontóirí áitiúla Esti Siles, Judith Bernhardt agus Helen Caird ‘MOVE’, damhsa nua measctha le péinteáil. Is éard is SOLO SHOW ann seacht ‘monalóg cúig nóiméad’ le mic léinn agus comhaltaí foirne OÉ Gaillimh agus den chéad uair riamh léireoidh Colours Theatre Company an seó aonair ‘The Statue’. 

Ba mhaith leis an Uachtarán Jim Browne cuireadh oscailte a thabhairt don phobal freastal ar Cheol Cónaitheach na Gaillimhe - Ceolchoirm Urraitheoirí OÉ Gaillimh, ag 1pm Déardaoin, an 7 Feabhra i Halla Bailey Allen. Sa chlár seo a cuireadh le chéile go speisialta ‘A brief history of classical music from Bach to Beatles’ beidh ‘The Arrival of Queen of Sheba’ le George Friedrich Handel, ‘Meditation’ le Jules Massenet agus ‘Rag Time’ le Scott Joplin. Is iad Ensemble Cónaithe na Gaillimhe, ConTempo Quartet, i gcomhar le clár na nEalaíon Cruthaitheach in OÉ Gaillimh a bheidh i mbun siamsaíochta.

Is iomaí crutha a bhíonn ar litríocht sa lá atá inniu ann mar a bheidh le feiceáil nuair a léifidh comhaltaí foirne agus alumni a saothar scríofa is deireanaí agus cuirfidh Cumann na Scríbhneoirí tráthnóna scríbhneoireachta nua na mac léinn i láthair.

I mbliana, i measc na n-ealaíon nua a cruthaíodh ar an láthair in OÉ Gaillimh tá: saothar ollmhór grianghraf d’Áras Mhaighe Seola leis an ealaíontóir áitiúil Aengus McMahon; taispeántais péintéireachta agus líníochta ar an mbalcóin in Áras na Mac Léinn; saothar nua leis an ealaíontóir Marina Wild sa chaife ‘Art’ in DERI; agus athchóiriú iomlán nua ar an mBuama Snátha a rinne Grúpa Cniotála agus Cróise OÉ Gaillimh.

Bhí an méid seo a leanas le rá ag Fionnuala Gallagher, Oifigeach Ealaíon OÉ Gaillimh, faoi chlár na bliana seo: “Thógamar téama na bliana seo, ‘Merriment and What Not’, ó Eyeore in Winnie-the-Pooh, mar go spreagann sé an chruthaitheacht agus is as sin a eascraíonn torthaí nach bhfuil súil leo. Tá fáilte roimh chách a bheith páirteach.”

Tá gach taispeántas oscailte Luan go hAoine don phobal, agus tá go leor de na himeachtaí saor in aisce. Tá eolas breise agus cóip den chlár le fáil ar www.muscailt.nuigalway.ie nó téigh i dteagmháil leis an Oifig Ealaíon ar 493766 nó 495098. Beidh ticéid do na himeachtaí ar fáil ón Socsbox ag 091 492852 nó socsbox@socs.nuigalway.ie. Tá ticéid RENT ar fáil ó Amharclann na Cathrach chomh maith www.tht.ie nó 569777.

-Críoch-