Carlow Arts Festival 2024
The festival displays a vibrant programme of events featuring a dynamic range of entertainment and arts and transforms Carlow into a cultural hub.
The First Three Show Announcements for Carlow Arts Festival 2024
Prior to the full festival programme announcement later in April, we are delighted to announce three shows presented at VISUAL on stage in June.
Theatre and Children
A SUBURBAN LEGEND by Caitríona Ní Mhurchú & Little Wolf Productions
Wednesday 5 + Thursday 6 June 2024
A lonely twelve-year old with a bucketload of street smarts discovers resilience and how to stand up for herself against EPIC odds in the charming, and only sometimes scary, A Suburban Legend.
“There are magical beings who grant your every wish. But I didn’t meet one of those. I met the other type. The scarier sort. The magical beings who would eat you for breakfast. I know. They tried to eat me. And that’s not a word of a lie . . . ”
The Otherworld crashes into ordinary life in this visually inventive tale, as Caitríona Ní Mhurchú builds live images with micro-cameras to Niall Toner Jr’s specially commissioned soundtrack. Drawing on the ancient myths of Tuatha Dé Dannan and their mortal enemies – The Formorians.
Book Tickets at https://www.carlowartsfestival.ie/whats-on/festival-programme/a-suburban-legend
For School shows, email info@carlowartsfestival.ie
Circus and Dance
THE GAMES WE PLAY by Gandini Juggling
Friday 7 June 2024
The Games We Play is an absorbing mix of juggling, dance, and philosophy. Co-founders/directors Sean Gandini and Kati Ylä-Hokkala invite us to enter the joyous and complex world of juggling and choreography with this eye-opening user guide to their performance. It is an animated self-portrait of a pioneering duo and their company, with a repertoire of some thirty productions staged more than six thousand times all over the world.
With The Games We Play, Sean and Kati invite you to enter their world of making and choreographing juggling in a lecture that pretends to be a show (or is it a show that pretends to be a lecture?) presented by the esteemed duo who have unparalleled alchemy on and off stage.
The Games We Play embarks on a journey through the idea of juggling with juggling. Sean and Kati delve into the foundations of the art form in a fun and playful way. At its core, the work of Gandini Juggling is a celebratory exploration of juggling. What is juggling? What can it be? And what is art? What can art be? Each of their productions is an attempt at answering these questions in their own inimitable style.
Book Tickets at https://www.carlowartsfestival.ie/whats-on/festival-programme/the-games-we-play
Music and Storytelling
BY THE LIGHT OF THE SILVERY MOON by Aindrias de Staic
Sunday 9 June 2024
By The Light of The Silvery Moon is a special evening of Irish stories for grown-ups, told through words, sounds and music with storyteller/Seanchaí Aindrias de Staic. He is supported by harpist Aisling Lyons and percussionist Brian Fleming.
Strongly influenced by previous bards like Raifteri an Fhíle, Brian Merriman, and Aindrias MacCruitín, this storytelling show sees the wandering bard, with his rustic violin and other such accompaniments travel the roads of Ireland telling tales and short stories to eager audiences in the towns and villages of rural Ireland and across western Europe.
Aindrias’ style is a fast paced, lively innovative approach to the ancient Irish art form, yet his work is firmly rooted in the traditional storytelling styles of the west of Ireland. Inspired by his work in folklore, nature, and the traditional arts, Aindrias brings us on a journey through tales of villages lost to the sea, misadventures of wandering musicians, humorous recitations, abridged folkloric myths, and of course his own self-penned outrageous tales of otherworldly events.
Book Tickets at https://www.carlowartsfestival.ie/whats-on/festival-programme/by-the-light-of-the-silvery-moon
Visual and Performing Arts
ARTWORKS 2024 ‘Behind the Curtain’
Thursday 6 June – Sunday 1 September 2024
In addition to these fantastic shows, we are also delighted to present BEHIND THE CURTAIN, this year’s summer exhibition at VISUAL, which includes the work of acclaimed visual artist Ulla von Brandenburg, alongside artworks drawn from our annual open call programme. Behind the Curtain will run from Thursday 6 June – Sunday 1 September.
Full list of exhibiting artists will be available on our website prior to the exhibition.
Ulla von Brandenburg: Exhibition and Performances
Exhibition: Thursday 6 June – Sunday 1 September 2024
Performances: Thursday 6 – Saturday 8 June 2024
Accompanying her solo exhibition in VISUAL’s Main Gallery, over the course of the festival Ulla von Brandenburg will present a series of performances within the exhibition. Featuring her frequent collaborators Benoit Résillot, Julia Mosse and Giuseppe Molino, along with Irish performers, these performances will use music, song, costume, and movement to bring the exhibition to life. Peformances are free and un-ticketed, but capacity may be limited. Several performances a day will occur on the 6, 7 and 8 June – check VISUAL’s website and social media for more details, including times.