February 2016 NUI Galway Launches 16th Múscailt Festival Programme

NUI Galway’s 16th annual Arts Festival programme, Múscailt, was launched today by singer and songwriter Sharon Murphy. The Festival, which runs from 6-9 March, will contain a superb programme of art, music, performance, song, sculpture, talks and workshops, and all events are free and open to the public.

This year’s theme is ‘Seas an Fód/Stand Your Ground’ and seeks to celebrate several festivals at once including Mother’s day, Seachtain na Gaeilge and International Women’s Day, as well as the birth of Spring and creativity. The programme also contains a number of bilingual events, Irish/English and also Spanish/English.

The festival will open on Sunday, 6 March, Mother’s Day, with a Mindful Movement Workshop, led by choreographer Bernadette Divilly, on the theme of Mother. A special concert will follow later that evening with special guests West Liberty University Singers, USA, led by Dr Scott Glysson, who will perform Bernstein’s Psalms, with renowned guest organist Jonathan Emmons, in Galway Cathedral. NUI Galway’s Choralsoc, Unitunes - the University’s staff and student choir, and Testostertones will open the concert.

Art and installation will feature heavily during with week including: ‘156 Steps’, an exhibition of sculpture, artworks and video installation by artist Anne O’Byrne; ‘Creatures from the Campus’ by Colours Street Theatre; and a solo show of portraits and paintings by Owen Durkan.

Sculptor Donnacha Cahill has built a large scale gramophone especially for Múscailt, and this will be a portable stage and music player throughout the festival. Representing ‘Romantic Notions’, the Gramaphone will take a few unscheduled detours around the city during the festival and the public are invited to participate.

Events throughout the week include:

• Two exhibitions including ‘Yield’, a group exhibition of paintings and drawings, and ‘Focus 16’, a selected exhibition of Photsoc’s best works.
• ‘Loophead’, solo dance performances by James O’Connell.
• ‘Jane’s Next Step’ by Aine Gallagher, a bi-lingual romp through an Irish class with Jane, who has accidentally been crowned Ireland’s fifth funniest Irish-speaking comedian.
• ‘Seacht Seacht le Rogha Bhríde’. Run in collaboration with Flirt FM and Seachtain na Gaeilge, Bríd Ní Mhaoileoin will MC a workshop and singing session with seven songs.
• Singer and songwriter Sharon Murphy will showcase her new album ‘Where I Belong’.
• ‘Nights at the Circus’, a Victorian funfair organised by the Victorian Society.
• Contemplative Dance Workshop on International Women’s Day, led by Bernadette Divilly, will investigate the work done by women, paid and unpaid, and will give an opportunity to dance and validate the contribution of women to the work field.
• The SOLO SHOW will showcase seven original ‘five-minute monologues’ from staff and students.
• JuanJo Sierra Alcala will present his award-winning Nature Photography from around the world.
• Susan Stenger, a flautist, composer and soundscape artist for film and installation, will give an audio-visual presentation of her work and include a short performance by John Cage.
• James Fleming will perform a new one-man show ‘The Spinner’ on the mystical adventures of a cockeyed cowboy seeking justice upon the streets of his urban prairie.

Commenting on this year’s line up, Fionnuala Gallagher, NUI Galway Arts Officer, said: “Our theme this year, ‘Seas an Fod/Stand Your Ground’, reminds us to look around us and the programme of events reflect this. Everyone is welcome to participate.”

All exhibitions are open seven days and free to attend. For the full programme of events or further information visit www.muscailt.nuigalway.ie or contact NUI Galway’s Arts Office at or 091 495098.

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Clár an 16ú Féile Múscailt seolta in OÉ Gaillimh

Sheol an t-amhránaí agus an cumadóir amhrán Sharon Murphy clár na féile Múscailt, féile ealaíon bhliantúil OÉ Gaillimh, inniu. Beidh féile na bliana seo, an séú ceann déag, ar siúl ó 6-9 Márta. Beidh neart imeachtaí den scoth ar siúl lena linn, idir ealaín, ceol, léiriúcháin, amhránaíocht, dealbhóireacht, cainteanna agus ceardlanna. Beidh na himeachtaí ar fad saor in aisce agus beidh fáilte roimh chách.  

‘Seas an Fód’ téama na féile i mbliana. Déanfar ceiliúradh inti ar Lá na Máithreacha, Seachtain na Gaeilge agus Lá Idirnáisiúnta na mBan, agus ar thús an earraigh agus na cruthaitheachta. Tá cúpla imeacht dátheangach (Gaeilge/Béarla agus Spáinnis/Béarla) ar an gclár.

Cuirfear tús leis an bhféile Dé Domhnaigh, 6 Márta, Lá na Máithreacha, le Ceardlann Gluaiseachtaí Machnamhacha ar théama na máthar faoi stiúir an chóireagrafaí Bernadette Divilly. Beidh ceolchoirm speisialta ar siúl níos déanaí an tráthnóna sin a mbeidh na haíonna speisialta West Liberty University Singers, SAM, páirteach inti faoi stiúir an Dr Scott Glysson. Cuirfidh Glysson, i gcomhar leis an aoi-orgánaí Jonathan Emmons, Sailm Bernstein i láthair in Ardeaglais na Gaillimhe. Cuirfidh Unitunes – cór fhoireann agus mhic léinn na hOllscoile – agus Testostertones tús leis an gceolchoirm.

Beidh an-bhéim ar an ealaín agus ar ealaín suiteála i rith na seachtaine. Ar na taispeántais a bheidh ar siúl beidh ‘156 Steps’, taispeántas dealbhóireachta, saothair ealaíne agus suiteáil físe leis an ealaíontóir Anne O’Byrne; ‘Creatures from the Campus’ le Colours Street Theatre; agus seó aonair portráidí agus pictiúr le Owen Durkan.

Tá gramafón ollmhór tógtha ag an dealbhóir Donnacha Cahill don fhéile. Beidh sé ag feidhmiú mar stáitse agus mar sheinnteoir ceoil iniompartha. ‘Nóisin Rómánsúla’ an téama a bheidh ag an nGramafón agus beidh sé le feiceáil in áiteanna éagsúla ar fud na cathrach i rith na féile. Iarrtar ar an bpobal a bheith páirteach sna hócáidí seo.

Seo a leanas cuid de na himeachtaí eile a bheidh ar siúl i rith na seachtaine:

• Dhá thaispeántas: ‘Yield’, grúpthaispeántas pictiúr agus líníochtaí, agus ‘Focus 16’, taispeántas de scothshaothair Photsoc.
• ‘Loophead’, léiriúcháin rince aonair le James O’Connell.
• ‘Jane’s Next Step’ le hÁine Gallagher, sciuird dhátheangach trí rang Gaeilge le Jane, bean a bhí sa chúigiú háit de thaisme i gcomórtas na mban agus na bhfear grinn a bhfuil Gaeilge acu.
• ‘Seacht Seacht le Rogha Bhríde’. I gcomhar le Flirt FM agus Seachtain na Gaeilge, beidh Bríd Ní Mhaoileoin i mbun ceardlainne agus seisiún amhránaíochta ina gcanfar seacht n-amhrán.
• Tabharfaidh an t-amhránaí agus an cumadóir amhrán Sharon Murphy blaiseadh dúinn dá halbam nua ‘Where I Belong’.
• ‘Nights at the Circus’, aonach siamsaíochta Victeoiriach atá á eagrú ag Cumann na Victeoiriach.
• Beidh ceardlann sa Rince Machnamhach ar siúl ar Lá Idirnáisiúnta na mBan, faoi stiúir Bernadette Divilly. Déanfar iniúchadh sa cheardlann ar obair na mban, idir obair íoctha agus obair neamhíoctha, agus beidh deis ag daoine damhsa a dhéanamh agus deimhniú a thabhairt ar a bhfuil déanta ag na mná ó thaobh oibre de.
• SOLO SHOW - seacht ‘monalóg cúig nóiméad’ nuascríofa ó chomhaltaí foirne agus ó mhic léinn.
• Cuirfidh JuanJo Sierra Alcala a chuid Grianghraf den Dúlra as gach cearn den domhan i láthair.
• Déanfaidh Susan Stenger, ar fliúiteadóir agus cumadóir ceoil í agus a bhíonn ina healaíontóir fuaime le haghaidh scannán agus ealaín suiteála, cur i láthair closamhairc ar a saothar. Beidh léiriúchán gairid le John Cage le feiceáil chomh maith.
• Cuirfidh James Fleming seó aonair nua ‘The Spinner’ ar stáitse, seó faoi na heachtraí rúndiamhra a bhaineann do bhuachaill bó atá ar thóir na córa ar shráideanna a fhéarthailte uirbeacha.

Bhí an méid seo a leanas le rá ag Fionnuala Gallagher, Oifigeach Ealaíon OÉ Gaillimh faoin bhféile: “Cuireann téama na bliana seo, ‘Seas an Fód’, ar ár súile dúinn gur cheart dúinn breathnú inár dtimpeall agus léiríonn clár imeachtaí na féile é sin. Tá fáilte roimh chách.”

Beidh na taispeántais ar fad oscailte ar feadh seacht lá agus iad saor in aisce. Tá clár iomlán na n-imeachtaí agus tuilleadh eolais le fáil ag www.muscailt.nuigalway.ie nó is féidir teagmháil a dhéanamh le hOifig Ealaíon OÉ Gaillimh ag 091 495098.

-Críoch-