Cairde Sligo Arts Festival
Cairde Sligo Arts Festival returns this week, July 5th - 10th
It’s nearly that time of year again where the Cairde Arts Festival takes over the town with an incredible range of music, theatre, dance, family events, visual art and a feast of outdoor fun. Sligo will transform into a kaleidoscope of colourful cultural happenings as visual artists, performers, musicians, comedians and writers descend on Sligo town from 5th to 10th July. Not to mention all the spectators who attend events, many of which are free!
The arts festival’s third annual open submission exhibition, Cairde Visual, opens on Tuesday 6pm on July 5th at the Hyde Bridge Gallery. This year’s show boasts up to 60 artworks from local, regional, national and international artists and features a great diversity of media. The team behind the exhibition are pleased to announce the return of the Hyde Bridge Gallery Award, The Model Award and the exciting new additions of The Hamilton Gallery Award and the SG Education Award. Thank you to all of these organisations for their exceptional support.
Cairde is delighted to present a great array of both established and up and coming performers at this year’s festival. Kicking off with a free live performance the Lords of Strut, strut into town on Wednesday 6th July. The show with no audience, only participants. Where you cut loose and you let your inner freak out! Experience one full night out in under an hour. Iconic tunes that changed the face of music fashion and art. Dancing always has been and always will be a political act!
More free cultural happenings on Thursday July 7th with Naomi Draper & Mark Garry’s ‘A seed’s A Star’ exhibition opening at The Hamilton Gallery at 6pm and Illuminations taking place at The Book Mart at 8pm. Naomi Draper and Mark Garry involve elements of nature in their work in a variety of ways, making works that are measured and quiet, often requiring meticulous systems of construction. Both artists integrate craft techniques as a means to explore our associative connection with the natural world. This collection of sculptures and two dimensional works subtly questions the fragility of the relationship between humans and nature and the poetic potential of plants.
Illuminations is a literary wunderkammer of poetry, spoken word, music and performance that has been running since August 2013. Cairde Sligo Arts Festival in association with Illuminations are proud to present a very special evening featuring the talents of internationally renowned writer Kevin Barry and award winning poet Paul McMahon. Held in The Bookmart it provides a welcoming and informal atmosphere in which you can read your own work, the work of others or just sit and listen. Refreshments provided, but feel free to bring (vegetarian) food or wine! Capacity is very limited so come early.
And all the way from Lithuania on Friday 8th July is Dance Theatre Dansema for two interactive dance and circus performance for children aged 0–3 years. Taking place at The Factory Performance Space at 12pm and 3pm, Colourful Games is beautifully crafted and exquisitely delivered, full of unexpected and colourful wonders, that invites the children to explore, interact and discover new things both on and off the stage. Crawl, jump, grasp, drop. Smile, frown, share and make friends. All the playful games of babies and small children as they explore the world in their first few years of life.
Music as always is a key feature in the programme with electro dub from Amica at the Swagman on Wednesday, acclaimed singer songwriter Declan O’Rourke at the Hawk’s Well on Friday, world music duo Alpaca Social Club at McGarrigles later on Friday, Congolese rumba & soukous by Tropicana Musica on Saturday followed by one world DJ Will Softly and finally a tribute to the uilleann pipes with The Pipes The Pipes at The Model on Sunday. Not to forget Songs by the Sea - a new series of live music in collaboration with Bluestack Records which will take place on Wednesday and Thursday in seaside cafés.
On Sunday July 10, Park Fest marks the final day celebrations of Cairde Sligo Arts Festival and is a day-long event featuring music, theatre, storytelling, circus and art workshops with a range of food & craft stalls serving delicious goods where the emphasis is on local. We invite you to join us for a world of wonder & delight and magical happenings in curious spaces – expect the unexpected and allow your own imagination to run free!
For information on all events and booking log onto www.cairdefestival.com.
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