Interesting programme of events planned for Culture Night in Clonmel

Connect Through Culture

Culture Night / Oíche Chultúir is an annual, all-island public event that celebrates culture, creativity and the arts. On Friday September 18th County Tipperary is delighted to be hosting a fantastic mix of free live and virtual events across the County as part of the national celebration. This year has presented some new challenges, but we are working alongside our Culture Night partners across the County to create a memorable night for all. The full programme of activities along with booking details are now available on www.culturenighttipperary.ie  and www.culturenight.ie/tipperary 

Clonmel comes alive with a range of events on Culture Night 2020 presented in partnership with The South Tipperary Arts Centre, Clonmel Junction Festival, The Tipperary Museum of Hidden History and the sights and sounds of the town are drawn together in a jam packed programme of live and virtual events. 

South Tipperary Arts Centre moves to the Main Guard to present Bijou Opera with their mini Gala featuring Baritone Brendan Collins, Soprano Joan O’Malley and Pianist Niall Kinsella who will take you on a whirlwind journey through your favourite operas and operettas, in arias and duets filled with fun and romance!  

Also on Culture Night, South Tipperary Arts Centre is pleased to present a John Burke Retrospective Exhibition, curated by Catherine Marshall celebrating the work of one of Ireland's most innovative and influential sculptors in his own home town. The exhibition is composed of maquettes of key projects as well as newly commissioned photographs of key works in situ offering a small but comprehensive introduction to one of Ireland’s masters of modernist sculpture and public art.

A busy night for everyone at South Tipperary Arts Centre where, also on Culture Night, artist Sean Taylor presents a creative Soundwalk of Clonmel with an accompanying workshop. Join sound artist Sean Taylor on this Soundwalk which will enhance participant’s perception of sound and silence, offering a unique approach to understanding soundscapes, as well as offering movement/sound/and listening strategies. This Creative Soundwalk is open to everyone who is interested in exploring sound walking as a creative tool.  
 
A programme of Projections also feature on Culture Night, presented by Clonmel Junction Festival at the Main Guard, supported by Tipperary Culture Night 2020.  First up is The Lighthouse Journal, a Tipperary Arts Office commission, by Clonmel native Laurence O’Dwyer whose latest collection explores the past, present and future of a remote island in the Arctic. Stemming from time spent working on a lighthouse in Norway, Laurence O’Dwyer (poet and trail-runner) and Malte Olsson, aka Macalaus (indie game developer and musician) collaborated to create this ten minute film, giving a flavour and remoteness of the place.  Projected at 6pm, 7pm and 8pm

Also featuring in the series of projections will be I Oedipus, an aria from a new electronic opera iGirl by visionary composer Roger Doyle with libretto by acclaimed playwright Marina Carr. Clonmel Junction Arts Festival commissioned film maker and visual artist Trish McAdam to create an art music video for the aria sung by counter tenor Morgan Crowley. Projected at 6.20, 7.20 and 8.20pm

And finally, an opportunity to catch River Towns are Winged Towns, a stunning new  video showcasing  Clonmel Junction Arts Festival 2020 Spoken Word event, featuring work by local poets celebrating the heritage and nature of the River Suir.  In July 2020, a group of writers came together to celebrate The Boatmen’s Nature – both the heritage and nature of the River Suir - through poetry, song and prose, as part of Clonmel Junction Arts Festival 2020’s digital festival, curated by Eileen Acheson. 

Also in Clonmel, don’t miss two wonderful exhibitions by Clonmel based visual artists Mollie Anna King and Kriti Khatri at The Tipperary Museum of Hidden History which have been commissioned by Tipperary Culture Night. 

Mollie Anna’s installation is created in response to our current use of screens and room dividers as a means of control and containment. Touch, tactility and engaging with our built environment, though an important part of our daily lives, has been reduced to distanced interactions as our surroundings are imbued with a sense of hazard/risk. The structures on display highlight our need for stimulation and a sense of novelty in the places we inhabit and the lingering need to interact without barriers.

Kriti Khatri’s installation will portray ‘Knotting’ or ‘Macrame’: The art of knotting strings in patterns. This technique has its popular roots in 13th century Arabic culture and is one of many crafts revived by those who love working with their hands. After fading in popularity, Macramé saw resurgence in the 1970’s. Now, Macramé is back, making waves again through its contemporary patterns used in garments, accessories, wall hangings, curtains, table runners etc. that have revitalised the historic knotting technique with a cleaner and more natural look.
The Tipperary Museum of Hidden History also presents a Family Architectural Treasure Hunt of Clonmel and a talk on “Designing and Building the Tipperary Museum of Hidden History”. Full details at www.tipperarycoco.ie/museum 

Live online workshops with Music Generation Tipperary will be available throughout the weekend and singer songwriter Edel Meade from Clonmel presents a magical online performance of her latest songs. You can also check out three Tipperary based stories from renowned Traditional Storyteller Niall de Burca. 

It's all go in Clonmel on Culture Night, Friday September 18th.  For full details of these and all events check out www.culturenighttipperary.ie

Please note that due to COVID-19 restrictions and in line with government guidelines, booking is essential for all live events and numbers are limited. Please check details and requirements for individual events on www.culturenighttipperary.ie 

Culture Night is brought to you by The Arts Council in partnership with Tipperary County Council and local arts organisations.