By Conor Forrest
A VARIETY of fascinating events are set to take place around Kildare on Culture Night this Friday 22 September.
Culture Night is an annual island-wide public event that shines a light on all aspects of culture, creativity and the arts. On this night, doors are open late and all venues and events are available to the public free of charge.
Over the last few months, Kildare Co Council has received applications from all over the county from those who want to share their talent, culture, creativity and interests.
This year’s programme showcases the diversity of arts and culture in Kildare and offers a programme that fosters openness and encourages participation, valuing equality, inclusion, accessibility and diversity.
The line-up in Athy this Culture Night includes ‘Vibrations and Visuals’ from Athy Sing and Sign. It’s an opportunity to explore vibrations with Kiara Geoghegan and unleash your creativity in a stained glass painting workshop from 6-7pm in Athy Youth Café on Meeting Lane. Email [email protected] to book your place.
Incidentally, Athy Sing and Sign will host its annual Irish Sign Language (ISL) Festival in the town the following day (Saturday 23 September), featuring aerial performance, cycling on the Blueway, live caricatures and much more! See athysingandsign.com for more details.
Athy Library will host a Culture Night celebration of the 60th anniversary of country music superstar Johnny Cash’s visit to the town.
Using the original set list, the 1963 concert will be recreated with people who were there on the night, and country star Shane Sullivan will lead his band in the songs. The event is organised by Colm Walsh and will run from 6-7.30pm.
Also in Athy, join Kasia Eliasz for ********Earthing*******, an experimental music project exploring the sounds of climate change in Athy Community Arts Centre. In the same venue, later in the evening, Capella Productions and ADMS presents *********Anyone Who Had a Heart********* a night of Burt Bacharach songs performed by the next generation of talented local singers. Visitors are invited to join artist Cathy Callan to make a large-scale collaborative art work called *********Here’s Looking at You*********in the Irish Wheelchair Association, Athy. From 7-9pm, staff at Kildare Town Heritage Centre (which is worth a visit any day) will tell and read stories of St Brigid in English, Irish and Italian during an event open to people of all ages. There are limited spaces, so email [email protected] to reserve your space in advance.
History buffs might also be interested in stopping by the Curragh Military Museum, which will open its doors late on Culture Night (4-8pm). The museum, which was recently renovated, celebrates the history of the Curragh Camp and its surroundings, the history of the British Army on the Curragh from 1855 to 1922, and the history of the Irish Defence Forces. Among the fascinating items on display is the Sliabh na mBan Rolls Royce armoured car which was part of the escort for General Michael Collins ambushed on 22 August 1922 at Béal na Bláth.
Over in Naas, you could join the Kildare North Ukulele Club in Naas Library for some toe-tapping, sing-along fun for all the family! The group, which meets weekly on a Monday night on a barge in Robertstown, first got together in the spring of 2022. They’re inviting everyone to come along to the library from 5-6pm on Culture Night and try out their first chords.
The Moat Theatre, meanwhile, is encouraging people to join Darn Skippy Productions’ immersive journey through Shakespeare’s *********Hamlet**********, adapted and directed by Lianne O’Shea. The show will be performed at 4pm, 6pm, 8pm and 10pm and moves through the backstage areas and staircases of the theatre. Booking is required – see moattheatre.com for more details.
Across in Newbridge, Mothers Artists Makers (MAM Ireland) are running an informal evening of theatre, music and spoken word in ARAS (Abbey Regional Addiction Services). It promises to be a fantastic night out that will leave you inspired and entertained. Booking is required – email [email protected].
In Kilcullen Library, from 7-9pm, local writer and photographer Brian Byrne will look back over almost 50 years of chronicling happenings and people in his hometown and his work as a broadcaster; motoring and travel journalism, and his forays into poetry and fiction.
This is just a snapshot of some of the different types of events planned for this Friday in some of our towns and villages. There’s plenty more on the agenda – for a full list of Culture Night events across Kildare, see culturenight.ie.
You can also join the conversation on Kildare Arts Service Social Media Channels: Facebook: Arts in Co Kildare, @kildareartsservice X: Kildare Arts Service, @ArtsInCoKildare Instagram: KCC Arts Service, @arts_in_co_kildare YouTube: Kildare Arts Service
