Launch of the Drogheda Arts Festival at Highlanes Gallery

Well here it is the low down on the Arts Festival, well it starts to night with the opening at the Highlanes and then down to the excellent Mobile Evolution, a dance piece by Clare Cunningham an Edinburgh Fringe award winner, then when you think there couldn't be anything more to do there is ZERO 7 at the Purple Room in the Star and Cresent. WOW I'm wrecked just saying it all and then up again in the morning to West Street Wonderland.

OH can't believe it's this weekend

Well it's upon us the Drogheda Arts Festival 2010.

Yeah the Arts Fest is Here.

Tomorrow is the launch of the Drogheda Arts Festival 2010 in the Highlanes Gallery at 7pm with RTE's John Kelly and check out the THE MARIENBAD PALACE while your there.

Zero 7

Lucky Drogheda having a Grammy nominated artist coming to the Town, Sam Hardaker one half of Zero 7 is here to play a DJ set in The Purple Room, with support from External Sounds DJ's.
Friday 30th April
Purple Room, Fair Green.

Not long now....

Well you lucky people.

Well things are hotting up here in Arts Fest HQ and you are in for a real treat as Conall Quinn's new play on Sunday 3rd May in The Droichead Arts Centre at 8.30pm.

Henry is on the look-out for German submarines but all he really wants to do is fire his flare gun. Alice has decided to run away from home again, and Edward's wife is blowing kisses at him.There's also the body of the American pilot to bury…

www.upstate.ie

Things running swimmingly

West Street Wondeland

We are on track for what is going to be a great festival and with the Fringe happening along side there is definitely something for everyone.
Kids of all ages should make their way down to West St and Narrow West St for the wonderland that will transform the whole street into a family party and learning center with bands, performers and workshops... You'll have a ball.

T- Minus 8 days and counting

Soon all systems will be go for the Arts festival now only 8 days to go and hey, tickets for certain events are selling out fast (must be the good weather) and with plenty on the weekend you will have no excuses than to get out and enjoy the Festival.

Remember Dervish tickets are €5 off for to day only so get 'em while there hot.

Only from the Highlanes Gallery 041 9807114

Money Off

Yeah you lucky folks get out there and get your tickets for one of Ireland's best Trad bands Dervish live at the Barbican Centre Monday 3rd at 8.30pm and get into the box office at the Highlanes and quote "Facebook" to get €5 off how good is that.

West St. Wonderland

Peter O'Byrne (centre) will host you make me Laugh with Niamh Shaw

Workshops on West Street:

Laughing in the face......Cartoon workshop 12pm-1.30pm.

Changing the ending.....Interactive "Forum Theatre" Performance.2.30pm-4.00pm

You Make Me Laugh......Comedy & Satire on the stage.4.30pm-6.00pm

Where i hear you ask are these workshops.
Many of the empty shops in west street will be converted into workshops for the day as well as workshops in the Abbey Dance Studios.
We have award winning performers handling the classes and kids from 13 to adult will be made into artist's, comedians and actors.

Have you signed up for Newsletter

Yes indeed folks there is a brand spanking new newsletter on the way and if you haven't already signed up for one sign up right away and if you guys want there is a 3 for 2 special offer on certain performances.. like we say it's going to be epic.

Calling all the hero's

You cool folks, we need some great people to help out over the May bank holiday weekend. You will have a great time and get a spanking sparkly new Drogheda Arts Festival T-shirt and see some great performances and make this years festival a great 'un.

Contact us @ Arts Festival Towers

droghedaartsfestival@gmail.com

The Marienbad Palace

The Marienbad Palace brings together works by Laura Buckley, Diana Copperwhite, Jorge De la Garza, Alicja Kwade, Haroon Mirza and Ian Monroe. The works shown within the exhibition explore ideas of reality beyond our everyday experiences of space and time. This exhibition is worth a close look and is free to the public

“Sooner or later the process will halt, at that moment revealing the true dimensions of the world we inhabit, and which the visual centres of our timid brains have concealed from us.”

JG Ballard, The Enormous Space

The Scotch Hall Food Fair

If you enjoying the magnificent events that are on Saturday on West Street Wonderland and are feeling a bit hungry why not take yourself down Scotch Hall for the Food Fair on Sat & Sun 1st and 2nd of May. Featuring food demo's, farmer market and "Grow your Own" demo's and seminars.

Learn some top cooking tips and enjoy a few nibbles while being entertained by music and street spectacles on the banks of the Boyne.

Review of Cirque de Legume.

It’s billed as “the greatest vegetable circus on earth”, and who can dispute Cirque de Légume’s claim? Clowns Jaimie Carswell and Nancy Trotter storm the stage, armed only with a cratefull of vegetables. A cabbage becomes a rabid animal. A radish hypnotises a woman. An onion performs a striptease. Again and again the audience are asked “how about that?”

Irish Times

ME (Mobile Evolution)

If you guys are able to make it to a Herald Angel Award Winner 2009 dance piece at the Drogheda Arts Festival on Fri 30th April you will be in for something very special indeed.

A winner a the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2009 this piece will make you think and wonder in amazement.

Evolution is a 17min solo dance piece, created in 2007 for the Dublin Fringe Festival. It is a biographical work telling the story of Claire's journey into learning to dance, alongside the story of the medical interventions that she has experienced throughout her life. In particular it is the story of how her body has changed and developed - particularly with regard to working in dance. There is recorded and live text (English) in the piece.

Music of Sofia Gubaidulina

One of the world’s greatest composer’s, Russian born Sofia Gubaidulina will bring her world renowned contemporary music to the Drogheda Arts Festival on the evening of the 1^st May.

Gubaidulina (pronounced ‘goo-bye-DOO-lee-nah) who is visiting Ireland for the first time, will attend a composer portrait concert at St Peter’s Church, Drogheda in which highly acclaimed performers including Ivan Monighetti, the Dublin Guitar Quartet, Malachy Robinson, the Heath Quartet, The Oriel Trio and Dermot Dunne will perform a range of her works.

Her unique music is marked by the use of unusual instrumental combinations and tunings and shows her interest in folk and ritual instruments from Russia, the Caucasus region and Asia.

Sometimes, fiery and sometimes as soft as a rose, her music includes elements of Christian spirituality, musical symbolism, unique structures derived from fragmentation and repetition of simple material. Early on in her career, she was supported by Dmitri Shostakovich who recognised the musical gift that she possesses.

Wellhope you seen the billboard

Hey the people have you seen the billboards around they should keep you informed and if you like you can sign up to our newsletter on droghedartsfestival@gmail.com.. and get a personal letter about they festival.

And hey guys no more capital letter where there shouldn't BE.

Yabba Dabba DO

Final touches being sorted as we speak great line up for West Street wonderland and The Trad day in Millmount featuring traditional Foods, Crafts and Music and listen out for the Cannon fire to signal the start of the day...A must for kids and the Kid inside you....
http://www.millmount.net/

Irish times article

Louth Contemporary Music Society is adding to the list of world renowned composers by bringing acclaimed Russian composer Sofia Gubaidulina to the county. Gubaidulina’s first visit to Ireland will be a highlight of this year’s Drogheda Arts Festival on the May bank holiday weekend. The Russian will be here for a concert celebrating her work, The Fire and the Rose: the Music of Sofia Gubaidulina, in St Peter’s Church, Drogheda on May 1st, after a film on her life and work in the Droichead Arts Centre.

Also in Drogheda Arts Festival will be a world premiere of an Upstate production of Conall Quinn’s – winner of this year’s Stewart Parker award – The Ones Who Kill Shooting Stars. Commissioned by the festival and directed by Paul Hayes, it’s described as an entertaining and surreal tale of love and death set on a Co Louth beach during the second World War.

Another festival commission is The Marienbad Palace, a visual art exhibition curated by Jacqui McIntosh, exploring ideas of reality where virtual reality is always competing, will be in two venues – Droichead Arts Centre and the Highlanes gallery – and will feature works by Laura Buckley, Diana Copperwhite, Jorge De La Garza, Alicja Kwade, Haroon Mirza and Ian Monroe and takes its title from JG Ballard’s 1989 short story “The Enormous Space” and Alain Resnais’ seminal 1961 film Last Year in Marienbad. Other highlights include dancer/choreographer Claire Cunningham’s, ME (Mobile/Evolution), Cirque de Légume’s show and South Korean born pianist Young-Choon Park.

WELL guys and gals

Well with a big belly full of chocolate eggs you could work all the excess off at the arts Fest on the May bank Holiday weekend and check out the Programme of event and get yourself down to see local band Biko @ the West Street wonderland

WEll less than a month to go..

The count down is on and the trigger is cocked for a festival that well rock your socks of weather it's dance, art, or music we have it.... All so we have the Fringe happening along side us as well so worth a look pep's

In your face April Fools day

HEY did anyone get you with a fool.... hope not but here at Arts Fest HQ we wouldn't dream of doing anything of the sort... only to tell you that Jimi Hendrix will be playing the West St. wonderland Stage so get out there spread the news and for Jimi's Sake BUY TICKETS