22-09-2016
Anam Beo 100 Years 100 Faces Exhibition
100 Years 100 Faces is a collection of artworks from the art facilitators and participants of Anam Beo, Offaly's Arts, Health and Wellbeing Programme. Aisling Brennan, Rowena Keaveny, Jackie Lynch and Julie Spollen have facilitated and curated this exhibit of portraits, quilts, collage, lilting and reflections from the 2016 centenary year.
All of the artwork is based upon individuals within the community. It is an accumulation of portraits, old and new from Anam Beo participants. Rowena Keaveny and Julie Spollen together worked these faces into a colourful grid showing a diversity of talent and styles in the participants and facilitators approach to portraiture.
At Ofalia House in Edenderry, Aisling Brennan facilitated Music and Reminiscence workshops, involving songs chosen by individuals to represent people from the last 100 years. Singing sessions and stories were shared and reflected upon. Peter Kane, a member of Comhaltas for over 35 years demonstrates his voice as his instrument. Aisling recorded Peter in “Lilting” which will be on show during the exhibit.
Jackie Lynch's interest in Arpilleras quilts (Argentina) came to the fore with her process led workshops at Birr Community and Nursing Unit. As part of her 2016 programme Jackie explored with participants their family memories and stories of 1916 and the years following. Residents were invited to translate these into colourful textile art. Mounted on burlap these vivid quilts tell tales of everyday life during this eventful time in Irish history.
The Irish Wheelchair Association and Riada House became engrossed with their individual portraits and group collages produced during sessions with Julie Spollen. For the exhibition Julie has gone on to produce a short clip 'An old pedestal and a new song' using the portraits with a voice recording and music from the 1950's when there was a new positive and light energy being felt with the younger generation of that time.
Clara day Care, the IWA and Birr Mental Health Centre also enjoyed the art and recording sessions with Rowena Keaveny, creating a diverse range of artwork and a short clip with a conversation about times that were.
100 Years, 100 Faces had its launch in Tullamore Community Arts Centre (formerly Kilroys) with many of Anam Beo’s participants in attendance. Open to the public the exhibition was also attended as a workshop by a local school.
Supported by Offaly County Council Arts Office and the Offaly County Council 2016 Centenary Fund, the Dublin Mid-Leinster HSE, ANAM BEO the Arts Council. To find out more please visit www.anambeo.wordpress.com
15-09-2016
FREE EVENTS IN TULLAMORE COMMUNITY ARTS CENTRE
With a free line up of local, national and international acts, this year’s Culture Night Offaly takes place Friday 16th September is the biggest yet. Kilroy’s on High St, the site of the new arts centre in Tullamore will act as a Culture Night Carousel hosting Comedy, Dance, Music and Art Installations.
The 1st German Electrophonic Orchestra, led by Rochus Aust will perform ‘Girls and Stations’ after a train from Heuston Station, with their last stop being Clara to perform with musicians called Clara! On their way back they will do a special performance in the Arts Centre. From 10am installations, including Manchan Magan’s ‘Gaeilge Tomagotchi’ and Caroline Conway’s 100 year Zoetrope will be open to audiences. Music Generation Offaly Westmeath will present a mini lunchtime ‘Singfest’ with a partner primary school. Polish folk musician Jacek Lomejko, a Culture Night staple, will perform a selection of tunes and the Tullamore Rhymers will shake up the evening with spoken word and poetry. International contemporary dance artists Aisling O’Coinean and Roisin Harten present extracts from ‘Navigator’ exploring the tangible and intangible self as well as a piece titled ‘Hunger.’ Please note all events before 8pm suitable for children. Closing the evening is a comedy set by Jonathan Sheehan and Ashlee Bentley entitled ‘Box Sets’ and to end on a bang some New Wave music from The Fanzines to close the evening.
Culture Night is brought to you by the Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs and Offaly County Council.
27-07-2016
Tullamore Arts Centre will have a winter programme before construction
With the completion of the sale of Kilroy’s on High Street for the purpose of refurbishing it into the long awaited Arts Centre for Tullamore, the board of Tullamore Community Arts Centre have announced that, starting with Culture Night on Sept 16th, the new ‘venue’ will have an occasional programme of events over the winter. New signage on the window has tickled curiosity as to what might be afoot in the coming months. While the processes of redesign and tendering are underway, Foundation Arts (the annual festival which has occupied Kilroy’s since 2013) will evolve to bring a selection of artistic projects and events to the premises before construction starts. This means that High Street will become an occasional hot spot of cultural happenings, giving the town a flavour of what the centre will bring on a long term basis..
15-09-2016
Culture Night 2016
Mark your calendar; Culture Night Offaly returns on Fri 16th September for an evening of FREE events from music to theatre to comedy and everything in between. Keep an eye on facebook.com/culutrenightoffaly for more information.
27-07-2016
Foundation Arts Festival - An Invitation to Collaborate
This is an invitation to collaborate, to propose a project, be it visual, theatrical, musical, performative or filmic. The project must involve at least one professional artist and an organisation in Tullamore (community group, school, business etc) The project proposed should be a well thought through concept, involving a level of community engagement leading towards an outcome and public event of some description. To apply, please visit http://www.offaly.ie/eng/Services/Arts_and_Culture/News_Events/News/FOUNDATION-ARTS-An-Invitation-To-Collaborate.html or call the Arts Office on 057 9357400.
