Culture Night will take place this Friday September 16th and will see an array of free events all over the country, with Dublin being the largest centre. Beginning in 2005, Culture Night has blossomed into an essential evening on the arts calendar.
Cultural venues such as galleries, museums and historic buildings will all open for free tours, performances, readings and workshops. Culture Night is an opportunity for people to get more involved in their community and to realise the full potential the arts have to grow community spirit and to showcase what their area has to offer. It is also a great way to launch local organisations onto the national scene.
Most importantly, Culture Night gives the people of the country a free, easily accessible night of entertainment that may spark a whole new interest in the arts and educate them on the boundaries that can be pushed through different mediums.
Culture Night brings in many voices, and brings important issues to the forefront using artistic mediums. Amnesty International are constructing a mock dwelling of a refugees makeshift home in places like Calais, where people will be invited to hear stories and poetry from those forces away from their homes due to conflict.
Lantern Intercultural Centre (on Synge Street) will provide a history of the Afghan community through visual art and the launch of ‘Afghanistan through the Mirror’. Aras Chonain Ionad Chultur will host a heritage evening of Irish music and dance in Clondalkin with film, set dancing lessons and music.
The night is a nearly once off chance to look around some of Ireland’s fascinating historical buildings, such as Airfield Estate, the Freemasons Grand Lodge and Cullenwood House. Aras an Uachtarain, home of the President Michael D Higgins, also throws open its door for guided tours, and will feature live music and theatre.
Temple Bar will expectedly come alive on the night, with the usual ‘artsy’ haunts of the Abbey Theatre and the School of Music and Drama featuring at the forefront.
The 1st German Electrophonic Orchestra will being playing at moving gig on a train. Starting from Heuston Station they will play from Dublin to Galway at each station, bringing Irish and German musicians together.
A full line up of all of the free events in every part of the country can be found on www.culturenight.ie, where it is with certainty that many of the planned events will spark curiosity among the public.
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Holly Lloyd | Arts & Events Editor
