Opera Briefs: The Royal Irish Academy of Music and the Lir National Academy of Dramatic Art are collaborating to bring two operas to the Abbey Theatre. The operas have a central theme that circulates around women, the control of women, and warnings to women, yet both operas are vastly different in their settings. The first opera is Il Ballo delle ingrate, (the dance of the ungrateful women). First performed in 1608, this opera ballet was composed by Claudio Monteverdi and takes place in the mouth of the underworld, with Venus, Pluto and Cupid taking central roles. Cupid asks Pluto to bring the spirits of women who are rejecting his arrows and scorning lovers to the underworld to see what fate awaits them, and serves ultimately as a warning to women. This will be set against Judith Weir’s brand new opera Scipio’s Dream, centering around the tongue in cheek idea of putting duty before love and excitement. Opera Briefs will run from the 27th-29th March on the Peacock Stage in the Abbey Theatre. Tickets €18- €22.
Retro Drive In Movies : This hugely popular event is back at the Leopardstown Racecourse and Shannon Airport for 2018. This event will bring you right back to the era of drive in movies, and will play classics such as Stand by Me, E.T, Mary Poppins and Back to the Future . Tickets start at €30.90, and go up for seven seater cars. All of the usual cinema confectionery will be available, as well as an onsite barista, a barbecue, doughnuts and a wood fire pizzeria. This event will run from 31st March -2nd April with movies running at 3pm, 6pm and 9pm.
Liliane Lijn : To mark the 40th anniversary of the founding of the Douglas Hyde Gallery in Trinity College Dublin, the gallery will show new exhibitions under the name the Artists Eye, which aims at acknowledging the role artists play in influencing other artistic practises. Tamara Henderson, a young Canadian Artist has invited artist Liliane Lijn to present her work in the gallery. Lijn is known for being a pioneer in the evolution of kinetic art and the merging of art and science. Her interest in poetry and feminism and access to industrial materials and tools have led to the production of outstanding ,accomplished sculpture and art. For this exhibition, Lijn has chosen her piece Look a Doll!My mother’s story to present in gallery 2. Based on her mother’s story of anti semitism and her fleeing to America coming up to World war II, the idea occured when Lijn had a disturbing dream that prompted her to ask her mum about the experiences, from which a book My Mother’s Voice, and the film were created. Lijn is fascinated by personal and family experiences, and uses this film as a tool to ‘hold a memory’ .The film is compiled of interview footage between Lijn and her mother and archival footage. Admission to this event is free.
Coming Home :Art and the Great Hunger: In an effort to strengthen the link between Ireland and its diaspora, the Quinnipiac University in Hamden,Connecticut are sending their entire collection from Ireland’s Great Hunger Museum in the University to two vastly different locations, Skibbereen and Dublin Castle. These artworks never before on Irish soil, will represent the links between Ireland and America and the death and emigration faced by millions of people. This event will run until June and admission is free.
Holly Lloyd – Arts & Events Editor
