We've chosen a handful of choice cultural happenings from this year's packed Culture Night programme on Friday, September 22nd - find out about RTÉ's Culture Night offerings here, and find an event near you here.
LIMERICK: Top 8 Hip-Hop Showcase
Top 8, who have been organising hugely successful hip-hop events for the last decade, are presenting a free over 18's social gathering for Culture Night in collaboration with Dance Limerick in the form of 2 sessions. This event hopes to showcase the rich and underground culture of neo-Irish-Afrolism which is a healthy blend of Irish, UK, West-African and American culture with dance cyphers and performances from Limerick's own Strange Boy and Dublin-based Yankari Afro beat collective.
BELFAST: Spoken Word Poetry Slam
The Thomas MacDonagh Museum is hosting an informal spoken word poetry slam, as part of the Thomas MacDonagh Hedge School, which runs from 20th - 24th September. Enjoy spoken word readings by the community and guests of poems by Thomas MacDonagh and others. Special guest on the night is Stephen Sexton, the Belfast-based author of If All the World and Love Were Young and Cheryl's Destinies, to read his new Poetry as Commemoration commission The Head of a Man.
Queer party Strawberries invites audiences to come and get immersed in an electronic music event that will illuminate Meeting House Square for Culture Night Dublin 2023. Let the enchanting beats and melodies honour diversity and unity, while the music guides you in a safe and open setting. Get ready to dance, connect, and create lasting memories at this extraordinary occasion. Resident DJ Soria, Bull Horris and Tadgh K (Dublin Modular), and Efa O'Neill will traverse a range of genres and tempos to create a night full of atmospheric dance-floor moments!
DONEGAL: The History Of Goth With John Robb
The Regional Culture Centre in Letterkenny welcomes musician and author John Robb to County Donegal to discuss his new book, The Art of Darkness: The History of Goth. This event will consist of a talk from the author and audience Q&A, followed by a signing. The book is packed with interviews with the likes of Andrew Eldritch, Killing Joke, Bauhaus, The Cult, The Banshees, The Damned, Einsturzende Neubauten, Danielle Dax, Johnny Marr, Trent Reznor, Adam Ant, Laibach, The Cure, Nick Cave, and many others.
CARLOW: The Big Sing and Ping Pong Disco
For Culture Night 2023, VISUAL Carlow along with a host of artists will create an evening of music, cabaret, performance and dance, to bring people together in the spirit of joy and fun. Push your wild instincts and demented desire in a joyously outrageous, flashy, trashy, paradise! This DIY collective of creatives, artists and queerdo's, blends the concepts of clubbing and performance set in the beautiful surroundings of VISUAL’s gallery spaces. Led by talented conductor Mary Ormond O'Brien, there will be performances and dance routines from the Ping Pong Girls plus special guests. Guest DJ's will bring the audience on a magic carpet ride through Nu Cosmic Disco, 80's italo house, dark bubbling electronic synths and just the right amount of high energy!
GALWAY: Still Crazy After All These Years
A career retrospective exhibition of one of Ireland's funniest cartoonists, Tom Matthews, on the occasion of his 70th birthday, in tandem with the launch of the programme of events for the 7th Galway Cartoon Festival. Tom Mathews’ cartoons have appeared in the Irish Times and the Sunday Independent, as well as Hot Press, Cara Magazine, The Yellow Press and countless other publications. He has had well over 30 solo cartoon exhibitions, and his paintings have been exhibited in Living Art, the National Portrait Show and at the RHA. He has illustrated many books, written a novel and published three volumes of cartoons as well as many other works of humour and art. His cartoons are in public and private collections, and his poetry has been collected in several volumes.
CORK: The Electronic Music Council presents Faoi Choim Na HOí-che
In a celebration of the mesmerizing interplay between sound, vision, and movement, Faoi Choim na hOíche is an extraordinary exploration of our shared human experience.Be transported to a world where electronic dance music and culture come alive in awe-inspiring ways - all from within the enchanting embrace of Cork's City Hall. This extraordinary collaborative event fusing audio-visual, art, and body immersive experiences reveals the transformative power of electronic music on people and place. Get ready for an exhilarating journey through the depths of modern music technology and culture as we bridge the gap between past and present.
LEITRIM: Evening With An Author – Colum McCann
Join internationally acclaimed author Colum McCann for a reading and discussion session about his fiction in Femagh. Colum McCann is an Irish author and his literary fiction works include Let the Great World Spin, TransAtlantic and Apeirogon. He is also the co-founder & president of Narrative 4, an international empathy non-profit organisation. As part of the evening, we will also hear stories from local Transition Year students who have undertaken a Narrative 4 story exchange programme.
Join Nenagh Arts Centre for Culture Night and experience the mesmerizing Siolta Circus! In the year 2222, a small eccentric tribe embarks on a quest for survival, seeking food, shelter, and a bit of craic. Watch in awe as they traverse the desolate landscape, leaving a trail of chaos with their jaw-dropping acrobatics and bags of absurdity! Get ready to burst into laughter as they swoop in, establish their camp, and make themselves at home. This explosive acrobatic show, set in a dystopian future, will uplift audiences of all ages. Prepare for a whirlwind of entertainment that lasts 30 minutes and is directed by the talented Alain Servant, with captivating music composed by John Linnane. Additionally, don't miss the opportunity to participate in the Siolta Circus workshop! Learn firsthand the secrets behind their impressive acrobatic skills and unleash your inner performer...
Find out more about this year's Culture Night programme here.
