A walking gallery and a Harp Trail will enchant visitors during Kinsale Arts Weekend
This summer’s show will go on.
That’s the message from the team behind Kinsale Arts Weekend (KAW), with this year’s instalment of the festival now confirmed for July 10th-12th, 2020.
Kinsale will host a wealth of arts events and displays, all safely within the confines of the current Covid-19 guidelines. A full programme of drive-in theatre and musical events means that you can enjoy it all from the safety of your car.
The specially-adapted programme includes a choral work based on Derek Mahon’s poem Everything is Going to be Alright, a walking gallery, a harp trail, an underground children’s art exhibition and a carpool karaoke competition.
Here are 5 events we’re looking forward to:
POETRY
The poem Everything is Going to be Alright has been a solace for many during the pandemic. Kinsale Arts Weekend has commissioned the acclaimed composer Philip Pope to set it to music. Pope’s work will be performed by a choir made up of local singers in a special virtual recital for Kinsale Arts Weekend.
For those souls still searching, poetic absolution is on hand with Poetry Confessions featuring Kinsale poets Matthew Geden, Niamh Prior and Fiona Smith.
MUSIC
The harp has always held a special place in our culture and KAW has honoured that tradition with performances by renowned harpist Marina Cassidy over the years. As a celebration of UNESCO’s recent recognition of the Irish harp as “culturally unique”, there will be a Harp Trail on the pedestrianised Main Street from Bastion to Bruno’s on Sunday afternoon.
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ART
Hope will also be at the thematic forefront in the showcase of artwork by local Kinsale artists featured in the walking gallery. For those keen to learn, Kit French will demonstrate the basics of picture making and the principles of painting outside in a pre-recorded demo. This year will also celebrate the artists of the future with children’s work on exhibit in the drive-through exhibition at Supervalu underground car park.
WRITING
Niamh Prior will give an online creative writing workshop for young people aged 12-17 on Saturday, July 11th at 11am. Ticket are €5 via Eventbrite. Songwriter Louis Wild will outline his process for creating exciting, original music, giving an introduction to the core skills of lyric writing, melody and harmony too.
THEATRE
There will be no shortage of drama on the Saile drive-in stage with plays including The Cute Whore. This work, performed by Eve O’Mahony, shines a light on Georgian Ireland seen through the memoirs of an extraordinary woman and repentant madam, Margaret Leeson. The perils of life at sea in 1860 will be brought to life in The Bulman performed by David Peare and RSVP presents three short plays exploring themes such as love, hope and fear under the direction of Yvonne Coughlan.
Download the full programme here.
