Drogheda Arts Festival is back this week with live events across the town with street theatre, family fun, podcasts and visual arts.
Podcasts – Where are we now?
thirtythree-45 and Droichead Arts Centre
For Drogheda Arts Festival 2021, thirtythree-45 in association with Droichead Arts Centre is producing a podcast sound/music series which will be broadcast on ‘thirtythree-45’s’ website, Droichead Arts Centre’s podcast platform, and internet radio over August and September. The title is inspired by the David Bowie song of the same name. The song is reflective and nostalgic, a case of a man looking back on a life that once was, when the future is uncertain.
Each episode will consist of two works which will be at least 30 minutes each, except for Conor McMahon, episode four which will be one long form work. Works range from sound collage, voice, ambient, avant-garde, field recordings, electro acoustic to a hybrid of different forms. The pieces will be a deep listening experience, encouraging listeners to expand their conception of narrative and musicality. Use headphones where possible.
- 29 July Episode One : Claire Fitch and Diarmuid MacDiarmada
- 5 August Episode two : Orla Wren and Norman Westberg
- 12 August Episode Three : Liam Ryan and Thor Harris
- 19 August Episode Four : Conor MacMahon
- 27 August Episode Five : Niall Gregory and Hilary Mullarney
- 3 September Episode Six : Phil Christie and Tara Booth Mooney
Where are we now? can be heard directly from http://thirtythree-45.com, https://anchor.fm/droichead-arts-centre or any internet radio, phone, pc or tablet.
Transferring Perspectives by Garry Maguire
Tuesday, 10 August – Sunday, 15 August
Transferring Perspectives is a new piece of sculptural artwork, created by artist Garry Maguire that will move from one location to another during Drogheda Arts Festival 2021, adapting and changing to suit its environment. This week, the evolving work, which is made from wooden posts, rusted mild steel circles, paint, and steel bars will make its way along the banks of the Boyne changing location each day.
The locations for this piece of sculptural work are various sites along the river including Baltray, Donor’s Green, The Dale, Buttergate, Dominic’s Park, and the Ramparts. For each day that the work is in place, it will be photographed and recorded while being repositioned. It is hoped that members of the public will begin to engage with the artist, enquiring about the work and assist in the repositioning the work for themselves. Transferring Perspectives was awarded Drogheda Arts Festival commission.
This event is free and exact locations are available on www.droghedaartsfestival.ie
Big Telly Presents Right Up Your Street
Thursday 12 August – Sunday, 15 August
Right Up Your Street is a live action piece of game-theatre played by entire streets, with communities working together to solve the case.
The Story Destroyers have taken The Pookas and now our most cherished stories are at risk. Keeping in touch through WhatsApp and using a system of codes and hidden signs, participants must find a way to save the Pookas and these stories before it’s too late.
Drive By Shooting & Two Angels Play I Spy
Sunday 15 August
Drogheda Arts Festival presents Dumbworld’s unique blend of opera, street art and animation, presented as an outdoor video and sound installation with sound transmitted to wireless headphones. Written and directed by the award-winning team of John McIlduff and composer Brian Irvine, the two ten-minute operas will appear on the wall of Nevada Jack’s on Stockwell Street, before morphing into an animated video. Location: Nevada Jacks, Stockwell Street.This event is free but booking is essential.
He Did What? (aka Drive By Shooting), is a comic story of passion and revenge played out by octogenarians on zimmer frames. He’s been playing around with the next-door neighbour. She’s going to “shoot the fecker in the pecker” with his Daddy’s own gun. Two Angels stand high on a building overlooking the city, peering into the past and into the future as they wait for their duties to kick in. To pass the time, they play I Spy but as only angels can…
Dumbworld is a multidisciplinary, creative production company that makes work found at the intersection of music, image and words. Their body of work includes film, opera, documentary, oratorio, animation, public art installation, performance pieces, theatre and curatorial projects.
Justice: Never Enough by Abigail O’Brien
Friday, 4 September – Friday, 25 September
Highlanes Gallery is going offsite for this year’s Drogheda Arts Festival and with an exhibition of new work by artist Abigail O’Brien in a most unique space, the former Methodist Church, also on Laurence Street. Since 2007, Abigail O’Brien has been making work based on the four cardinal virtues, in both classical philosophy and Christian theology, of mind and character – Prudence, Fortitude, Temperance, and now, Justice. Central to the show is an installation, a real purple Aston Martin DB7 Volante – totally written off and partially cannibalised. Both air bags are blown and the windscreen shattered as it lies without engine or wheels – a twisted wreck she has titled ‘Harvey’. Art is important avenue which can raise critical consciousness and stimulate social change. The #MeToo movement, a social movement against sexual abuse and harassment began to spread after the trial and conviction of Harvey Weinstein in 2017 and was an important influence to O’Brien as she created work for Justice. The question is what is Justice?
For more information see: www.droghedaartsfestival.ie
All live/outdoor/offsite events will adhere to all Covid guidelines.
