Culture Night / Oíche Chultúir 2021 is coming this Friday 17th September, with a programme packed with over a thousand of rich and diverse events taking place in towns, cities and villages across the country. With 80% of events scheduled to be ‘in-person’, Culture Night invites everyone, everywhere to ‘Come Together Again’ and discover and celebrate all that our culture is today.
This national ‘moment’ connects everyone to cultural activities locally and nationally and is brought to you by the Arts Council in partnership with local authorities and cultural organisations throughout the island of Ireland and puts a spotlight on the quality and breadth of Ireland’s existing cultural offerings and institutions.
With a captivating celebration of Irish culture today, the programme spans from architecture to comedy, circus to dance, film to literature, museums to music, heritage to sport and science to fashion, to name but a few….Culture Night / Oíche Chultúir 2021 will take place on Friday, 17th September.
Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin TD said;
“Culture Night/Oíche Chultúir has become a significant date in the country’s cultural calendar in the last few years. This year it takes on even greater significance. As we emerge from the pandemic, it gives us a much-needed opportunity to celebrate as a nation our rich and diverse culture and arts sector. It is also important to acknowledge that most of the events scheduled this year are to be held in-person marking a major turning point in our road to recovery. I would like to commend the Arts Council, local authorities and arts groups throughout the country who have, despite continued challenging circumstances, provided a wide ranging and extensive programme of events for us all to enjoy online and in-person.”
The Night-time Economy Taskforce, established by Minister Catherine Martin has brought together a range of stakeholders from across Government and the Night-Time Economy sector to develop an innovative approach to supporting and developing a vibrant, diverse and sustainable night-time economy. As part of the work of this Taskforce, the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media has made funding available to the Arts Council to progress a number of Night-time Economy events on Culutre Night, directed towards enabling venues to remain open later as well as to hosting electronic arts events in Dublin, Limerick and Galway.
Maureen Kennelly, Director of the Arts Council said;
“We are so excited that Culture Night is indeed about Coming Together Again with 80% of events for Friday being in person and with many late night openings around the country. I wish to extend our deep appreciation to everyone who has worked hard to make Culture Night part of a safe return to arts and culture. It provides opportunities for the public to discover and enjoy on one joyful night all the elements that contribute to our year round cultural feast. For those who cannot make it in person on Culture Night, there is plenty to explore online and broadcast on television and radio too for all ages and interests.”
Draw Along With Laureate na nOg is presented by The Arts Council and Laureate na nÓg, Áine Ní Ghlinn in partnership with Children’s Books Ireland. Áine will read from her Irish language story Boscadán, and will be joined by illustrator Tarsila Krüse who will draw along while children can listen to the story and design their own robot, accessible through the Culture Night website. The video can be used in the classroom on Culture Night and at home, and will be available for 72 hours from Friday morning 17th September.
Some new additions to the programme include The Butler Gallery, Kilkenny celebrates World Music Evening with a collection of music and dance from around the world including ‘Maracatu Ilha Brilhante’ (MiB), Farah Elle and The South Sudanese Song and Dance Troupe. James Collins and Tom McDonnell, two of the last remaining Traveller Tinsmiths in Ireland, have returned to the tradition of handcrafting household objects such as jugs, pails and ponchers and will give a Traditional Traveller Tinsmithing Demonstration in Wood Quay Amphitheatre, Dublin 8. Traveller women, Molly Collins and Sheila Reilly, will also be on-site to share memories about the traditional Traveller life. Through performance, song, and storytelling, James Joyce Centre - Ulysses For Kids, brings Ulysses to life and explains the elements at the heart of the book – the importance of curiosity; the trickiness of family relationships and love; and why everyone needs a place to call home. Glenisland National School, Mayo is hosting a 100% interactive Bodhrán workshop where everyone will get their hands on a bodhrán and learn to play along to famous Irish songs. Galway Community Circus will host the battle of all battles, Circus Style! Performed by professional circus entertainers and anyone who shows up and wants to have a go, this fun, silly, laugh out loud event will have you cheering, laughing and falling in love with all things Circus. An Cibeal Draíochta (Magical Gathering) will be held to showcase the beauty of music, Sean Nós dancing, art and poetry in An Díseart Gardens, Dingle.
RTÉ celebrates its partnership with Culture Night with specially commissioned television performances along with themed programming, content and reports across television, radio, and online platforms. RTE.ie/Culture will also offer a selection of events from across the country. Arena on RTÉ Radio 1 will feature coverage of projects and events taking place around the country in the days leading up to the night itself. The Lyric Concert with Paul Herriott on RTÉ lyric fm with the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra will have a Culture Night theme and feature a reading of Peter and The Wolf by Tommy Tiernan - watch the stream live online via RTÉ Culture. A Nationwide Culture Night Special will bring stories from arts communities who have struggled and triumphed in the last year, along with highlights from their Culture Night programmes. Later in the evening, The Late Late Show will celebrate Culture Night with a specially commissioned opening performance which is guaranteed to be spectacular.
Celebrating the values of Openness, Discovery, Celebration & Belonging Culture Night / Oíche Chultúir 2021 is brought to you by the Arts Council, in partnership with local authorities and cultural organisations throughout the island of Ireland and thanks to their continued support all activities are free. Annually it spans a range of culture, arts, heritage, education, hospitality, tourism, health and commercial and corporate enterprise. A broad expanse of people, organisations and venues help make it happen each year including artists, performing groups, galleries, museums, sports clubs, libraries, arts centres, craft workers, studios and workshops, theatres, schools, community groups, local authorities, government departments, state agencies and public bodies, transport companies, universities, shops and many more.
For more information on Culture Night / Oíche Chultúir 2021 check out www.culturenight.ie or join the conversation on social media channels at Culture Night Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and TikTok.
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