Droichead Arts Centre Programme | January - July 2022

We're delighted to welcome you back to the arts centre where we are slowly easing restrictions and increasing our capacity in a safe and considered way. For the moment we will continue to operate at reduced capacity in order to ensure our patrons feel comfortable and safe coming back to us! We want to thank you for your continued support over the past two years. This digital version of our brochure is a preview of what's coming up, not everything is here yet, but we wanted to share it with you. We plan to have a printed version in the coming weeks. Remember you can book tickets at our Stockwell Street Box Office Tue – Sat 10am – 4pm or 24 hours a day online at droichead.com.

WELCOME This spring, in line with government guidelines, we are slowly easing restrictions and increasing our capacity in a safe and considered way. Seating for the moment will be unallocated, and we will notify you of your seats in advance. In order to keep everyone safe we will require you to wear a mask at all times. Please read our Covid guidelines at droichead.com before you arrive. Thank you for your cooperation with us at this time, and welcome back.

HOW TO BOOK

FREE ONLINE BOOKING

OPENING HOURS

Tickets may be purchased online up to 6.00pm on the day of the performance. You will receive a confirmation email. No booking charge applies online.

Tue to Sat. Reopens 30 mins before event on performance nights.

www.droichead.com

BY TELEPHONE

All tickets booked via phone and in person at our Box Office are subject to €1 booking fee per ticket.

CONCESSION TICKETS

Concession rate tickets are available on selected shows and apply to senior citizens (over 65), students, children, people with disabilities and those unwaged. To avail of concession appropriate ID is required.

GROUP BOOKINGS

Ticket discounts are available on selected shows for groups of 10 or more. Please contact box office to enquire.

TICKET COLLECTIONS

E-Tickets will be checked on arrival via smart phone or printed at home version.

PAYMENT

Payment is by card machine only at this time.

Box Office: 10am - 4pm ACCESS

Droichead Arts Centre, Stockwell Street is a fully accessible venue with adapted toilet and lift access to the theatre and gallery. There are further updates around accessibility coming to our venue + website in the coming months. Please inform us by phone at the time of booking if you have any additional requirements or require wheelchair spaces in the theatre. Barlow House is also fully accessible.

PARKING

For night time performances, we suggest parking in the Town Centre Shopping Centre on Dyer Street. This carpark remains open until 12.30am every night. Please note there is an hourly charge for this carpark.

LATECOMERS

Latecomers will not be admitted until a suitable break in the performance and at the discretion of management.

REFUNDS

We regret that tickets cannot be exchanged or refunded after purchase.

EVENTS AT A GLANCE JANUARY 4 Dec – 26 Feb

Borrowed Ground

28 - 29

Every Brilliant Thing

11 - 13

SOLO: Out On The Weekend

Visual Art

15

Redemption of a Rogue

Theatre

24

Crowman

Theatre

29 Mar 2 Apr

The Hag

Theatre

FEBRUARY Work in Progress

3

Click

8

Arracht

19

Wires, Strings & Other Things

26

Drogheda Creative Writers

Film Club Music Literature

MARCH

Music Film Club

APRIL 1 - 30

DRAWDA

5

Rose Plays Julie

9 - 10

Tarry Flynn

12

Deadly Cuts

Public art programme Film Club Theatre Film Club

3 - 12

LMETB Art & Photography Exhibition

Visual Art

14

Making a Mark

Theatre

8

Wildfire

Film Club

23

The Examination

Theatre

9

VMDIFF | Hive

Objects and Oscillations

19 Mar 16 Apr

30 Apr 18 Jun

Walking Peripheral Lines

Film Visual Art

Visual Art

EVENTS AT A GLANCE MAY 14

DKIT Show Case

20 - 21

Boyne Valley International Film Festival

28

Long Woman's Grave

31 May 4 Jun

Canaries

JUNE Music Film

11

The Visit

Theatre

23

Pride & Prejudice

Theatre

JULY

Music Theatre

2

Cinderella

Theatre

LMETB ROBERT BALLAGH ART & PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION 2022 THU 03 MAR – SAT 12 MAR

The Louth & Meath Education and Training Board (LMETB) Robert Ballagh Art & Photography Competition, in its’ seventh year is open to students and learners attending LMETB’s 18 Secondary Schools, three Post Leaving Cert Colleges, three VTOS Centres, nine Youthreach Centres and four Community National Schools.

There are six categories with a total of thirty prizes on offer. The competition judge is one of Ireland’s most well-known living Artist, Robert Ballagh. A universal Photography Section is judged by internationally renowned Drogheda Photographer, Des Clinton.

VISUAL ARTS BORROWED GROUND SAT 04 DEC 2021 – SAT 26 FEB 2022

The Borrowed Ground Artist Collective consists of ten professional artists based in Louth and East Meath. Set up in association with Droichead Arts Centre in 2019 the collective came together as an experimental artists' studios and residency that took place in the gallery. The project demonstrated the need for dedicated artists' studio spaces in Drogheda and highlighted the importance of valuing and supporting visual artists in the north east region.

While the Arts Centre was closed in 2020, the collective created art pieces for bespoke posters as part of Droichead’s Connection Project. This exhibition features these works and more from the artists. A report on the collective by curator Dorothy Smith will be launched end of Feb. Borrowed Ground Artists: Vivienne Byrne, Nuala Early, Jillian Gott, Laura Gramzow, Brian Hegarty, Breda Marron, Kieran McNulty, Violet Shirran, Rodney Thornton and Dee Walsh.

6

VISUAL ARTS WALKING PERIPHERAL LINES

RODNEY THORNTON - FIRST SOLO | CURATED BY DOROTHY SMITH SAT 19 MAR – SAT 16 APR

Wondering Wall, Oil on Canvas, 60cm x 50cm (detail)

Thornton lives and works in Drogheda. His drawings and paintings explore his and our surroundings and investigate the spaces where urban meets suburban meets rural. Focusing on drawing from life and to en plein air painting; recording and affording significance to the everyday, looking at and exploring where he lives; the bridges, street corners and shopping centres of Drogheda, the council estate at the edge of town, derelict farms, empty shipping containers, patchy development and abandoned spaces of the periphery, overlooked and forgotten places. His work moves from the urban to the suburban to the rural giving a sense of walking and exploring frequently but thoughtfully, observing one typology morphing into the other.

www.droichead.com

7

VISUAL ARTS OBJECTS AND OSCILLATIONS

BRIAN HEGARTY | PRESENTED BY DROICHEAD ARTS CENTRE | IN ASSOCIATION WITH DROGHEDA ARTS FESTIVAL 2022 30 APR - 18 JUN

Over the last few years the vinyl lp cover has become the medium of choice within Brian’s practice, folding together his interest in appropriated imagery and his enthusiasm for music. While past works were a direct recontextualizing of images from the record sleeves new work aims to open up the narrative, reworking the source material into a more abstract terrain. The artist’s practice relies on improvisation where decisions are made in response rather than through imposition. There is a symbiotic relationship between Brian’s experience of music and the visual language of his work. Structures and strategies found in music where the idea of inverting and juxtaposing creates new possibilities has become an underpinning within my work.

This exhibition will also feature aspects from 'thirtythree-45' a crossover project in Brian's practice where he promotes underground music, runs a D.I.Y music label, publishes photo zines and streams an internet radio station.

8

THEATRE CLUB EVERY BRILLIANT THING

BY DUNCAN MACMILLAN WITH JONNY DONAHOE

PRESENTS NEW DRAMA CLICK

WRITTEN BY ADRIAN MORIARTY

FRI 28 & SAT 29 JAN | 8PM | €22/€20

THU 3 FEB | 8PM | €5

Start your new year with a play about all the things worth living for. Amy Conroy stars in this new production of Duncan Macmillan’s worldwide smash Every Brilliant Thing. You’re seven years old. Mum’s in hospital. Dad says she’s ‘done something stupid’. She finds it hard to be happy. You start to make a list of everything that’s brilliant about the world.

"Nora loves Antoine. Antoine loves Nora. But what happens when loving one person isn’t enough?"

"Neil Simon meets Sonya Kelly in Aidan Moriarty’s Sparkling new comedy about love, hurt and polyamory."

Directed by Ronan Leahy. Featuring Kwaku Fortune, Martha Breen and Aidan Moriarty. Dramaturgy Tanya Dean.

This rehearsed reading is made possible by an Arts Council Comission, and the continued support of the Northeast Network (Droichead Arts Centre, Solstice Arts and An Táin Arts Centre).

DROICHEAD PRESENTS DRAMA | 6 GREAT PLAYS FOR €76

Set up in 2017, and heading into its eighth season, Droichead Theatre Club brings audiences together to see a play, and like a book club, our audiences can share their views, thoughts and impressions informally post show with the cast and creatives. If this is your first or your 50th play, it doesn't matter, come along, and be part of the drama at Droichead.

www.droichead.com

9

THEATRE CLUB CROWMAN

PATRICK KAVANAGH’S TARRY FLYNN

THU 24 MAR | 8PM | €20/€18

SAT 9 & SUN 10 APR | 8PM | €20/€18

BY KATIE HOLLY | FEATURING JON KENNY

“Crowman” is Dan Lonergan’s account of the hilarious characters that inhabit his life on a daily basis and a love story that never was. By turns poignant and comic Kenny carries the audience on a roller-coaster ride from his childhood to middle-age, from the hurling pitch to the pub and from one uproariously funny character to the other. It is about lost love and the sense of belonging and not belonging to a small community. Most of all it is about the humanity and decency of the local characters found in every rural village and town in Ireland.

"Kenny is brilliant in the role" - The Irish Examiner

10

ADAPTED FOR THE STAGE BY CONALL MORRISON | DIRECTED BY AARON MONAGHAN | NOMAD THEATRE NETWORK IN ASSOCIATION WITH LIVIN’ DRED THEATRE COMPANY

Kavanagh’s theatrical love-letter to life in rural Ireland “Tarry was sitting closer than ever he had sat to a girl before. And it was the girl he had dreamt of. He was terribly unhappy.”

Set in 1930’s Cavan, Tarry Flynn tells the hilarious story of the farmer, poet and lover-from-afar, and his quest for big fields, young women and the meaning of life.

Cast: Bryan Burroughs, Colin Campbell, Alexandra Conlon, Manus Halligan, Megan McDonnell, Niamh McGrath, Sarah Madigan, Matthew Malone & Seamus O’Rourke This production has been funded by the Arts Council with support from Cavan County Council.

THEATRE CLUB MAKING A MARK

BY SHAUN DUNNE | TALKING SHOP ENSEMBLE + RUN OF THE MILL THU 14 APR | 8PM | €16/€14

Mark has competed in the World Games, played King Lear before packed houses and packed bags for 20 years in Tesco’s...

But that’s not even half the story. Part live interview, part self-led confessional, this is Mark’s life and he’s ready to take a seat at the table. Ambition, disruption, grief and frustration.

He hopes this show will be the making of him. Are you ready for what he has to say?

Featuring Mark Smith and Aisling Byrne WINNER: - Dublin Fringe Festival Judge's Choice Award, 2019

DROICHEAD PRESENTS DRAMA | 6 GREAT PLAYS FOR €76

Set up in 2017, and heading into its eighth season, Droichead Theatre Club brings audiences together to see a play, and like a book club, our audiences can share their views, thoughts and impressions informally post show with the cast and creatives. If this is your first or your 50th play, it doesn't matter, come along, and be part of the drama at Droichead.

www.droichead.com

11

THEATRE CLUB THE EXAMINATION

BY FEIDLIM CANNON & GARY KEEGAN | BROKENTALKERS SAT 23 APR | 8PM | €18/16

"I’d like the people to know I’m not an animal. Did I cause harm? Yes. Should I be punished? Of course. But do I deserve my human rights?

Absolutely I do."

The Examination is the award-winning production by Brokentalkers exploring mental health and human rights in the prison system.

Performed by Brokentalkers’ Gary Keegan and stand-up comedian and former prisoner Willie White.  "No easy escapes in Brokentalkers’ sly, provocative play" - The Irish Times

12

LITERATURE – OUTREACH WITH LIVE NETWORK YOURS SINCERELY

A writer will undertake a short virtual residency at Droichead Arts Centre for a number of weeks, corresponding by letters with a small group from the locality. “Yours Sincerely” in 2021 was a huge success and this year, our writer will pen five letters over the course of five weeks, at the end of which there will be a cup of tea with the writer and the group to meet and chat. People in the group have the opportunity to write letters back over the course of the project, if they wish to.

GIVE A POEM GET A POEM

Droichead are delighted to announce the return of GIVE A POEM, GET A POEM, following on from its success in 2021.

A children's poetry project devised by our Literature Audience Development Officer, Dani Gill. Part of Cruinniú na nÓg 2022.

More details on droichead.com.

THE ZINES PROJECT

A participatory ezine project for young people with Sarah Marie Griffin. Participants will be encouraged to consider writing their own zines, and workshops will take place at Droichead. The group will have the opportunity to meet Sarah, and make the zines at the end of the project. A zine is a small circulation publication of original or appropriated texts and images.

Audience: Ages 13-18 (12 persons in each group)

www.droichead.com

13

LITERATURE DROGHEDA CREATIVE WRITERS EVENING

14

THE LIGHTHOUSE PROJECT

SAT 26 FEB | TIME ETC. TBC

SUMMER 2022

Droichead Arts Centre are thrilled to announce an evening of poetry and spoken word curated by Droichead's Literature Audience Development Officer, Dani Gill. Featuring a number of writers from Drogheda Creative Writers group including Roger Hudson, Emer Davis, Brian Quinn, Dawn Staudt, and Marian Clarke.

In 2021 the Droichead Arts Centre partnered with The Lighthouse Project to consider the three lights at Mornington, the entry point for ships and boats to Drogheda town. A group of artists visited the site in September and have since been producing original work that will be presented later this year. The artists are: Writer Jessica Traynor, Filmmaker Laura Sheeran, Musicians SJ McCardle and Roisin Ward McMorrow, and Visual Artist Jackie Hudson Lawlor. The Lighthouse Project is a national initiative where sites across the island feature each year and a group of artists respond to their origins, stories, and surrounding landscape. The project came out of a wider EU Literary Engagement Project where curators designed new models for literature. This project is designed by Dani Gill, Literary Audience Development Officer, Droichead Arts Centre. In association with Drogheda Port.

SUMMER THEATRE THE VISIT SAT 11 JUN | 8PM

Rose has washed and ironed her cowgirl shirt and skirt. She carries it on a hanger. She likes the way the fringe swings when she wears it. Makes her feel glamourous. Adventurous.

Brave. She stands on the empty stage and looks out into the auditorium. Imagining what it will be like when it is full. Which it will be. Tonight. When the choir perform.

In the quiet of the theatre, she finds herself thinking back on the events of that morning, the events of last year, the last twenty years. When did she stop being her? Rose thinks about her dead husband Stephen, and her sons, and the man who knocked on her door.

A funny, heart-warming, touching new play that explores a hidden social reality we are only beginning to understand.

‘The Visit’ was originally funded by an Arts Council Theatre Project Award with significant additional support provided by Draíocht Blanchardstown, and presented at Dublin Theatre Festival 2021. In 2022 The Visit will go on tour, starting in Draíocht, thanks to a Touring Award from the Arts Council.

Venues to be announced shortly.

www.droichead.com

15

OPEN AIR THEATRE AT OLDBRIDGE HOUSE BY CHAPTERHOUSE THEATRE PRIDE AND PREJUDICE THU 23 JUN | 6.30PM | TICKETS ADULTS €20 | CHILD €12 | FAMILY (2 ADULTS & 2 CHILDREN) €58

Take a step back in time with Chapterhouse Theatre Company to meet Elizabeth Bennet, Jane Austen’s notorious heroine. When Elizabeth meets the terse and abrupt Mr. Darcy, she loathes him at first sight. But is there more to him than meets the eye? Brought to life by award-winning writer Laura Turner, this adaptation has been a favourite of Chapterhouse audiences for years and will be a joy to perform once again outdoors at historical Oldbridge.

“Hilarious, well cast and a reassuringly English way to spend a fine summer’s evening.” - Nottingham Post Gates open at 5.30pm to allow you to park and find a picnic space. The event will go ahead rain or shine. Please bring your own rugs or low back seating only, and do consider the weather when dressing for the event.

16

COME AND EXPERIENCE ALL THE JOY OF LIVE THEATRE IN THE OPEN AIR CINDERELLA SAT 02 JUL | 6.30PM | TICKETS ADULTS €20 | CHILD €12 | FAMILY (2 ADULTS & 2 CHILDREN) €58

Following on a hugely successful children’s production of Sleeping Beauty, Chapterhouse is once more creating theatre under the stars for families and children of all ages. In Cinderella, audiences will follow the adventures of Louisa and her friends who, evacuated to the countryside during World War II, find fun and song in enacting this wonderful story.

The result is a piece of storytelling in a style that comes close to Enid Blyton’s much loved Famous Five adventures, while still celebrating the original fairy tale romance of Cinderella.

Gates open at 5.30pm to allow you to park and find a picnic space. The event will go ahead rain or shine. Please bring your own rugs or low back seating only, and do consider the weather when dressing for the event.

www.droichead.com

17

FILM FILM CLUB MEMBERS BUNDLE: 5 FILMS FOR €25

ARRACHT

WILDFIRE

TUE 08 FEB | 8PM | €8

TUE 08 MAR | 8PM | €8

DIR: TOMÁS Ó SÚILLEABHÁIN | IRELAND 2019 | 90 MIN | CERT 12A

Colmán Sharkey, a fisherman living in Connemara, visits his Landlord to plead for clemency for his starving community.

After a violent altercation forces him on the run, he fleas, living in an island cave in isolation. Starving, grieving, on the verge of giving up, he meets a sick young girl and a life-saving friendship develops. "Featuring beautifully balanced compositions by the cinematographer Kate McCullough – putting shape on chaos…A powerful Irish film claims its place in a great tradition" - Donald Clark, The Irish Times

18

DIR: CATHY BRADY | UK & IRELAND 2019 | 85 MIN | CERT 15A

Having disappeared from her border town in Northern Ireland, Kelly (Nika McGuigan) suddenly shows up on the doorstep of her sister, Lauren (Nora-Jane Noone). Kelly’s reappearance upends Lauren’s stable life, bringing to the fore, a deep-seated trauma related to the mysterious death of their mother.

Cathy Brady’s debut is an emotionally stirring exploration of reconciliation and familial bonds. "Savagely powerful, directed with an unshowy but acute eye, this is a terrific feature debut from the writer and director Cathy Brady." - Wendy Ide, Observer

FILM FILM CLUB MEMBERS BUNDLE: 5 FILMS FOR €25

REDEMPTION OF A ROGUE

ROSE PLAYS JULIE

TUE 15 MAR | 8PM | €8

TUE 05 APR | 8PM | €8

DIR: PHILIP DOHERTY | UK & IRELAND 2020 | 93 MIN | CERT 16

DIR: JOE LAWLOR AND CHRISTINE MOLLOY | IRELAND 2019 | 100 MIN | CERT 15A

Prodigal son Jimmy Cullen returns home to make peace with his dying father. Within moments of Jimmy’s arrival, the old man breathes his last and the heavens open. All that remains is to organise the funeral, except his father’s will stipulates he cannot be buried on a wet day, and it doesn’t look like it’s going to stop raining …

Veterinarian student Rose has been searching for her birth mother. She longs to know the facts of her true identity. When she discovers that her mother is a well-known actress, she reaches out - despite her mother having stated she wants no contact. They meet, and an awful secret is revealed, one that pushes Rose onto a dark path.

"Black humour interspersed with mad visions flesh out the dark themes. … Here is a film clawed up from the damp soil and smeared imaginatively across the screen."

- Donald Clarke, The Irish Times

"Christine Molloy and Joe Lawlor’s best work yet. … It is a really powerful film and Brady’s final dialogue scene exerts a lethal grip."

- Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian

www.droichead.com

19

FILM DEADLY CUTS

HIVE

TUE 12 APR | 8PM | €8

WED 9 MAR | 8PM | €8

DIR: RACHEL CAREY | IRELAND 2021 | 90 MIN | CERT 15A

A black comedy set in a working-class Dublin hair salon where the stylists become accidental vigilantes and community heroes as they take on the gang members and gentrifiers threatening their community.

"Deadly Cuts is ridiculously, deliciously over-the-top and a laugh a minute from beginning to end. A cut above the competition."

- RTÉ Winner-Discovery Award, Rachel Carey; Dublin International Film Festival 2021

20

VIRGIN MEDIA DUBLIN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

DIR: BLERTA BASHOLLI 2021 | 84 MIN | CERT CLUB

Sundance triple award winner HIVE is a searing drama based on the true story of Fahrije (Yllka Gashi), who, like many of the other women in her patriarchal village, has lived with fading hope and burgeoning grief since her husband went missing during the war in Kosovo. In order to provide for her struggling family, she pulls the other widows in her community together to launch a business selling a local food product.

The first film in Sundance history to win all three main awards - the Grand Jury Prize, the Audience Award and the Directing Award - in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition

FAMILY WIRES, STRINGS & OTHER THINGS COMMISSIONED & PRODUCED BY THE ARK AND MUSIC NETWORK SAT 19 FEB | 1.30PM | €8

Meet Ed, Andreea and James, three totally different people with one thing in common - they are crazy about music and sound.

Ed can usually be found in a corner, building unusual electronic instruments, tinkering with his own world of sound. Andreea plays the viola beautifully and reads complicated sheets of music as if they were fairy tales. And James? Well, James wanders a labyrinth of sound like an explorer, connecting and disrupting with his bass clarinet as he goes.

Anything can happen as they find each other and start to invent music together. What stories will they share when, with your help, they explore the magic and mystery of how to compose, perform and improvise?

WIRES, STRINGS & OTHER THINGS is a music performance that encourages you to always be curious.

Composer & Musical Director: Brian Irvine

www.droichead.com

21

MUSIC

SOLO: OUT ON THE WEEKEND EMMA LANGFORD WITH THERESA ST. GERARD'S CHURCH, DROGHEDA

22

STEO WALL

HIGHLANES GALLERY

FRI 11 MAR | 8PM | €16

SAT 12 MAR | 3PM | €14

Award-winning songwriter and singer Emma Langford comes to Drogheda for the inaugural night of the festival. Described by the Irish Times as “a treasure in Ireland’s music scene”, Emma was awarded the RTÉ Folk Award for Best Emerging Artist in 2018, and was nominated for Best Folk Singer in 2020 and 21. She received the Music Network RESONATE residency, and Arts Council Agility Award in ’21 to support her continuing musical exploration of women in Irish history.

Also performing on the night is Theresa, a vocalist and songwriter living in Beaulieu, Co. Louth. After studying and playing jazz, classical, musical theatre and popular music, Theresa has channelled these influences into her own compositions.

Steo Wall is a striking wordsmith and songwriter with a unique musical style, dubbed "Irish soul music" by Damien Dempsey.

Hot Press magazine described him as “one of the country's most thrilling talents”.

Steo brings the alchemy of his thrilling live set, blending folk, hip-hop and any number of other eclectic styles.

SOLO, produced in association with LMFM, returns to Droichead Arts Centre in March 2022 with a brand new format and another stellar lineup of award-winning local and national artists. Curated by SJ McArdle, once again showcasing some of the most original and incisive voices in Irish music taking the form of a weekend mini-festival!

MUSIC A LAZARUS SOUL WITH CAIMAN HALL SAT 12 MAR | 8PM | €20

SOLO: Out On The Weekend is delighted to present the critically acclaimed A Lazarus Soul, with their unique brand of raw, genuine, unmistakably Dublin inspired storytelling to Drogheda with an acoustic performance from Brian Brannigan and Joe Chester.

A Lazarus Soul, led by Brian Brannigan, have produced four albums to date, with the most recent, 2019’s The D They Put Between the R & L, earning a place on almost every albums of the year list in the country. Also appearing on the night will be songwriter, singer and multi-instrumentalist Caimin Hall, a deeply accomplished folk songwriter and veteran of legendary Drogheda-area bands like Harafish, The Cacks and The Great Okwardo.

SONG CIRCLE | SUN 13 MAR | 4PM | €12

SOLO: Out on the Weekend concludes with a very special, intimate celebration of the power of song. “Song Circle” features performances from four artists presented in the round and in a spirit of collaboration. Sive, a songwriter and musician dubbed 'one of the most inspiring and exciting artists of our time' by Female First UK, Josh Johnston a pianist, singer and songwriter, Shaz Oye an alumnus of the very first SOLO in 2014 and musician and curator SJ McArdle.

www.droichead.com

23

DROGHEDA CLASSICAL MUSIC 7.30PM | TICKETS: €20 DÉNES VÁRJON | PIANO | FRI 4 FEB

Hungarian pianist, Dénes Várjon’s will perform popular works by Bach, Mozart and Chopin.

MUSICI IRELAND (FOUR HANDS AND FOUR VOICES) | FRI 25 MAR

Featuring a selection of familiar works by Schubert including his F minor piano duet, a selection of humorous songs by Liza Lehmann the concert ends with Brahms’ love song waltzes for all six musicians.

JULIUS DRAKE (PIANO), BETH TAYLOR (MEZZO-SOPRANO) & TIMOTHY RIDOUT (VIOLA) | THU 7 APR

For this song recital, internationally celebrated pianist Julius Drake performs a programme of glorious works by Schumann and Brahms.

VADIM GLUZMAN (VIOLIN), JOHANNES MOSER (CELLO) & YEVGENY SUDBIN (PIANO) | SAT 14 MAY

For this song recital, internationally celebrated pianist Julius Drake performs a programme of glorious works by Schumann and Brahms.

24

MUSIC LONG WOMAN’S GRAVE SAT 28 MAY | 8PM | €20

Long Woman’s Grave is a brand new collaboration between three well-loved names in Irish Traditional Music – Nuala Kennedy (The Alt, Orialla: vocals, flute), SJ McArdle (ex-Kern: vocals, guitar, mandolin) and Trevor Hutchinson (Lúnasa, ex-The Waterboys: bass).

The trio’s repertoire reflects both their deep grounding in the tradition and a questing love of the urban and rural music of Nuala and SJ’s home county of Louth, blending traditional song with new original compositions.

LWG’s first single, “High Germany”, was recorded entirely during lockdown at all three members’ homes in Ennis, Drogheda and Dublin. It was an immediate hit with folk presenters on BBC Radio Ulster, BBC Scotland, RTÉ Radio 1 and Radio na Gaeltachta among others. A new single is due for release shortly.

"Nuala Kennedy’s voice is some match for SJ McArdle’s husky tones. Feels super fresh. It’s gorgeous!" - Donal Scannell

www.droichead.com

25

THEATRE THE HAG

CANARIES BY BERNARD FARRELL

TUE 29 MAR – SAT 02 APR | 8PM | €15

TUE 31 MAY – SAT 04 JUN | 8PM | €15

ST BRIGID’S DRAMA GROUP

DULEEK DRAMA PLAYERS

Droichead are delighted to announce the return of The Hag, after the show was cancelled mid way through their run in March 2020. The Hag, an original play, written and directed

by Fintan (Ogie) Harmon, one of the group's own members, is a hilarious situation comedy in two acts.

Canaries tells the tale of one unforgettable Spanish holiday but not necessarily for the right reasons. Arguably playwright Bernard Farrell’s funniest play Canaries follows the adventures of three Irish couples as they seek to escape their everyday lives on a holiday island.

Centred on the occasion of a stag and hen party travelling to France, where planned events don't go quite go as anticipated.

With a large cast, this witty, clever and entertaining show is not to be missed.

The jokes fly thick and fast, but each couple discovers that in a place where no one knows you, nothing and no one is quite what they seem…

Hilarity ensues with secrets revealed and true identities discovered in a thoroughly entertaining farce that leave audiences crying with laughter and just a touch of pathos.

26

PUBLIC ART PROGRAMME DRAWDA

DROGHEDA URBAN ART TRAIL – EMBRACING OUR MYTHOLOGICAL PAST APRIL 2022

DRAWDA is a curated multidisciplinary public arts programme led by Droichead Arts Centre and Love Drogheda B.I.D.S (Business Improvement District Scheme), in partnership with curators Dee Walsh and Brian Hegarty (33-45), and Louth County Council Arts Office. The project will be delivered across a number of strands which will draw on Drogheda’s significant rich mythology and architecture. The first strand, the creation of six outdoor murals by local, national and international artists is already underway with the completion of one piece by Ciaran Dunlevy. Followed by a mini one day festival in April 2022 with five pieces being delivered in close proximity to each other. Additionally there will be an outreach programme with artists working in local schools throughout March and an urban art trail, comprising of short documentaries, and an audio trail telling the stories of the murals, featuring specially commissioned music for each mural. Funded by the Arts Council under In the Open | Faoin Spéir Initiative, Louth County Council, Love Drogheda BIDS and Town & Village Accelerated Measures funding.

www.droichead.com

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FESTIVALS DROGHEDA ARTS FESTIVAL 2022 27 APR – 2 MAY

#DAF22 We're Back & Live!

Drogheda Arts Festival is delighted to be back with an exclusive programme of events; online, offsite, outdoors and most especially live over the May Bank Holiday Weekend. The Arts Festival will present a variety of events including music, theatre, literature, family fun and visual arts.

Drogheda Arts Festival exists to engage, challenge and entertain audiences through an eclectic mix of creative works across all art forms and for all ages, and looks forward to a future where this remains as our core value. Our opportunity now is to look forward and picture a festival that will ebb and flow with the changes and concerns of the community who shape it.

More details to be announced soon on droghedaartsfestival.ie.

BOYNE VALLEY INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2022 20 - 21 MAY

This year we’re thrilled to present the very first Boyne Valley International Film Festival produced in collaboration with Droichead Arts Centre and filmmaker Frank W. Kelly.

In the Land of Myth and Legend, Story Comes to Life.

An annual event celebrating Irish and International film, with a special focus on films made in the Boyne Valley region, and by film makers in this region. Showcasing film makers from Louth/Meath, from Drogheda to Navan, Trim to Kells and the towns and villages in-between. Stay tuned for more news including special events with casts & crews plus Q&A’s! Watch this space and keep an eye on droichead.com for full info!

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DROICHEAD ARTS CENTRE SUPPORTING ART AND ARTISTS IN THE NORTH EAST REGION. Create a compelling programme of work that supports artists and nurtures audiences.

As per our Strategy 2021 -2025, this is at the heart of who we are and what we do. It is why we exist. To put the arts at the heart of peoples’ lives we need to ensure two things. We need to take care to create a programme that is of interest and relevant to all those within our many, diverse communities. We also need to enable artists to make work of ambition. As such, we want to create an ecology which nurtures art and artists, and which makes the production and presentation of high-quality work available. We do this by providing a suite of artist development supports including residence programmes, artists in association, awards and bursaries, partnership, commissions, opportunities to showcase work through productions and co productions, and solo and group exhibitions.

In 2022 we are excited to announce our associate artist and companies. First up is Red Bear Productions, with writer/director Tracy Martin and actor Aoibhéann McCann. This innovative company present dynamic theatre & film, telling unique stories of the human experience. We will also work with theatre maker, Michelle Read who brought us On A House Like A Fire, online as part of Bealtaine Festival in 2021. Michelle will have a short residency at Droichead, which includes live performances of the show, and an engagement and outreach programme. We are also delighted to reveal our Artist in Association for 2022, film maker Frank Kelly, more details on his plans coming soon.

Frank was a recipient of one of our Artist Bursaries in spring 2021, and our next round of bursaries will open the end of May. Our work with the Borrowed Ground Collective will continue, and news on their new studios will be released in the coming weeks. Dorothy Smith will also join us as our Visual Arts Curator in Residence from May this year, and joins our team of curators, which includes Dani Gill, Brian Hegarty and SJ McArdle. Our ambition is simple. We want to make art. We want to share art. We want to make art matter.

www.droichead.com

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FIRST SOLO AWARD Our First Solo Award offers support at a key point in the careers of local visual artists, also open to all professional artists in the region who have yet to present a solo show. We provide space and facilities for artists to work in.

Announcing First Solo 2023: Submissions Open from Mon 28 Feb – Thu 31 Mar 2022. Details on droichead.com.

OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMME We want to extend experiences of the arts to as many people as possible within our communities. We want the arts in Droichead to be of, by and for the people of Drogheda, East Meath and Louth. We look forward to imagining and developing new ways for participation and for creating our future. In 2022, our plans include: a month long programme with schools and youth organisations as part of our DRAWDA project (see pge 27) a Literature programme with the LIVE Network (see pg 13). Later this year Back in the Groove with Kieran Gallagher (KadaKaBoom Arts) returns for primary schools, and we plan to further develop our Spooks Parade for Halloween, involving more children.

ONGOING ACTIVITIES DROICHEAD YOUTH THEATRE

DRAMA CLASSES FOR CHILDREN

DYT has been central to theatrical life in Drogheda since its foundation in 1991. The Youth Theatre serves multiple purposes, including drama training, and development of social, educational and personal skills.

Droichead Arts Centre, Barlow House New classes will begin on March 1st, call 041 9833946 for more details or check out droichead.com

For more details email rita.mcquillan@droichead.com

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Drama is a fun and playful way to be creative, developing confidence in your child through role play, drama exercises, storytelling, physical movement and games.

WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS.

At Droichead Arts Centre, we want to ensure more people across all our communities know the arts in their lives.

We are dependent on the support of our audience and our community in keeping culture and art at the heart of communities in Drogheda, East Meath and Louth. By becoming a Friend, a corporate sponsor or donating even a small amount, you enable the Centre to continue to support artists and bring you the very best of local, national and international talent. Droichead Art Centre is a charity and your support makes all the difference.

BE OUR FRIEND

INDIVIDUAL FRIEND €50 | PAIR €100 | CORPORATE FRIEND €250 You, your family or your company can support us by becoming a Friend of the Arts Centre. By becoming a Friend you help us deliver our ambitious outreach programme, bringing the world of arts, culture and creativity into the community. For more information contact friends@droichead.com | 041 9875140 www.droichead.com

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Stockwell St, Drogheda & Barlow House, Drogheda

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