KATHLEEN LONSDALE: A LIFE

BY MAEVE CLANCY

Commissioned by Riverbank Arts Centre and Kildare County Council Library Service.

Available free of charge from Riverbank Arts Centre and Kildare Library branches while stocks last!

DEIRDRE O’KANE – DEMENTED

Saturday 13 th May, 8pm

Tickets €22

There’s a point beyond burnout where all you can do is laugh, and funny woman Deirdre O’Kane has well and truly reached it. Deirdre returns to Riverbank with her sell-out show Demented.

“Unique star quality.” – The Guardian

"O’Kane dazzles the audience from start to finish’" - List.

"O’Kane quickly sets up a rhythm of her own and when she exits, applause follows her all the way down the street" - Scotsman.

Cinema

The Beasts

Monday 15 th May, 8pm

Tickets €7 (early bird) / €9 (on door)

French couple Antoine and Olga have fulfilled their lifelong dream of moving to the Galician countryside to set up their own small farm. Their refusal to sell their land to developers has created tensions with their neighbours, local brothers Xan and Loren, who want the development money for a chance at a new life in the city. Tensions boil over after an act of sabotage leads to increasingly tense and violent confrontations between the neighbours.

Rodrigo Sorogoyen’s engrossing thriller is a slowburn in the best possible way. Aided by remarkably naturalistic performances, this is a methodical film where the tension builds and builds in a manner that’s utterly compelling. It’s no surprise it dominated at Spain’s Goya film awards, where it won in nine categories including Best Film.

Directed by Rodrigo Sorogoyen | 137 mins | Cert TBC

Interactive Installation

FILMORE!

INTERACTIVE INSTALLATION

Wednesday 17 th May, 5.30pm, 7pm

Thursday 18 th May, 4pm & 5.30pm

Tickets to interactive installation €10

Combo ticket to live gig & installation €15

Filmore! is a transmedia experience consisting of an interactive installation, live performance and online spaces both apparent and otherwise. It tells the story of fictional school Safety Patrol officer Maximus C. Filmore. As to what that story is about, it's up to you to decide. You’ll be asked to revisit a past that never really existed as you try to uncover what happened to Filmore! and why? It’s a murder mystery meets scavenger hunt across digital and physical spaces.

You can investigate at the exhibition and come together to decide at the live gig.

Filmore! is a 2-part experience – see below for the live music performance info.

Please Note: Contains reference to mental health, depictions of violence and the use of smoke machines.

Music

MAX ZANGA PRESENTS FILMORE!

Thursday 18 th May, 8.30pm

Tickets to music performance €10

Combo ticket to live gig & installation €15

Filmore! is the moniker of Irish singer, songwriter, rapper and visual artist Max Zanga (Tebi Rex), leaning into the absurdity of the world today with a strong focus on power and violence using immersive storytelling throughout his music. Max was commissioned by Dublin Fringe Festival to create an installation combining striking visuals and imagery while exploring the complexities of youth and nostalgia using his character Filmore!, which went on to receive the George Fitzmaurice Award for experimental art.

Filmore! is a 2-part experience – see above for the interactive installation info.

Please Note: Contains reference to mental health, depictions of violence and the use of smoke machines.

7th Irish Military Seminar

Friday 19th - Saturday 20th May 2023

Ireland has a long, proud military tradition. The aim of this seminar is to look at all aspects of Irish military history, drawing chiefly on events and personnel from within our nation’s past. Great episodes in Ireland’s history are intermingled with escapades in far-off places such as Italy, Spain and the Congo.

Topics: The War of Independence, Civil War, Niemba, the Spanish Armada, World War II.

Friday, 19 May

Opening event and book launch: Stand you now for Ireland’s Cause. A biographical dictionary of Co. Kildare republican activists 1913-23, by James Durney, followed by ‘The Peacemakers of Niemba. The full story of the Congo ambush,’ by Tom McCaughren.

Saturday, 20 May

Full day of presentations by renowned authors and historians including Richard Doherty, Tony Gaynor, Francis Kelly, Tomás Mac Conmara and Síobhra Aiken.

Bookshop on site.

Hosted by Kildare County Council and the County Kildare Decade of Commemorations Committee.

Till

Monday 22 nd May, 8pm

Tickets €7 (early bird) / €9 (on door)

Till tells the heart-breaking true story of the historic lynching of 14-year-old Emmett Till — for whistling at a white woman in Money, Mississippi in 1955 — through the eyes of his mother Mamie Till-Mobley. Till-Mobley becomes a revolutionary by insisting that the world witness the horror of her brutally maimed son’s body in an open casket viewing as an act of defiance against oppression and hate. Told from her perspective and experience Till is a compelling drama exploring a mother’s audacity which became a lightning rod in the Civil Rights Movement.

Danielle Deadwyler’s transfixing performance as a broken woman who finds formidable strength within herself is the beating heart of this powerful, moving film.

Music

Far East Sounds

Wednesday 24 th May, 8pm

Tickets €15/€12

Far East Sounds is an interactive and immersive performance featuring works that meld the distinctly different musical languages and cultures of east and west, especially the sound world of the Balinese Gamelan. An interactive video installation projects the richness and biodiverse sounds from the natural landscape of South East Asia, enveloping the performance space. This installation plays an equal role with the performers on stage, prompting musical dialogues, and draws the audience into a realm filled with wild resonances.

Performed by:

Mei Yi Foo piano; Bartosz Woroch violin; Owen Gunnell percussion

Mei Yi Foo is Artist in Residence for 2022-23 at Maynooth University, in collaboration with Kildare County Council Arts Service, Music Generation Kildare and Music Generation Offaly/Westmeath.

Music

BEALTAINE CONCERT:

WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS

Thursday 25 th May, 12pm Free Event, booking essential

Past Times Community Choir and Voices of Spring will combine forces for this celebration of friendship and song to mark Bealtaine Festival 2023. Join the choirs as they take you on a musical journey from the 1800’s right up to the 1960’s, presenting the work of Burt Bacharach, The Beatles, Perry Como and lots more along the way.

Supported by KCC Arts Office and based in Naas and Celbridge respectively, Past Times and Voices of Spring are two large intergenerational community choirs with a special welcome for those living with dementia alongside their carers and wider communities. Musical directors Sadhbh O’Sullivan, Eric Hanlon and John O’Neill look forward to welcoming you to what promises to be an uplifting concert!

Music

LISA LAMBE – NIGHTVISITING

Friday 26th May, 8pm

Tickets €22/€20 ages 7-9

Internationally acclaimed Irish folk singer Lisa Lambe brings her new project NightVisiting , first commissioned by The National Famine Museum in Strokestown, County Roscommon, to Riverbank Arts Centre.

Lisa collaborates with renowned traditional musicians alongside local contributors to create a unique and bespoke performance at each venue. This performance includes musicians Wayne Sheehy, Tim Doyle and Mike Brookfield.

NightVisiting reconnects us to the social role that night time social house visits once played in our oral traditions and folklore, and in the preservation of our songs and stories from tender love songs to the bawdy, to songs of loss and longing.

NightVisiting is a celebration and a reimagining of those nights of sharing the old songs and stories.

4- PANEL COMIC WORKSHOP

WITH KATE ESCOLIN

Saturday 27th May, 10am

Tickets €10

There are hidden storytellers among us! But many kids have the same dilemma that professional writers face when confronted by a blank sheet of paper- “I don’t know what to write!” Encouraging kids to write is no easy feat. What makes comics a great fit for young storytellers is that they require only a few simple things to get started: a pencil, paper, and a basic understanding of important comic elements. A four-panel comic strip is like a fun but simple writing exercise in disguise.

In this 90-minute workshop they will be introduced to the key basics on how to create their own classic comic strip from beginning to middle to end.

Suitable for 7-9 years old. All materials provided.

WORKSHOP

ZINES ARE COOL! WORKSHOP

WITH KATE ESCOLIN

Saturday 27th May, 12pm

Tickets €10 ages 10-12

A whizz-bang introduction to zines, the little booklets that could. In this 90-minute workshop you’ll be learning to make your own 8 page folded zine, bringing your own idea to life.

Discover the world of zine making. A Zine (like magazine) is a handmade publication or mini book that you make yourself with a focus on being low-cost to make and produce and can be about almost anything. If you know about it, you can make a zine about it.

Each participant will go away with their own zine, a how-to fold worksheet and hopefully a new love for zine making!

All materials provided. 10-12 years old

Kate Escolin is an illustrator and comic artist based in Newbridge. Along with her illustrations she is most notably known for her colourful four panelled comics that focus on her life, conversations with friends and her experiences with the world around her. Kate is also a member of the Dublin Comic Arts Festival and comic seller at Little Deer Comics where she hosts workshops for all ages.

JOHN B. KEANE’S THE MATCHMAKER

Saturday 27 th May, 8pm Tickets €25/€23

One of Ireland’s leading dramatic actresses Norma Sheahan joins Jon Kenny (who was part of the Irish comic duo d’Unbelievables with Pat Shortt) for John B. Keane’s The Matchmaker Together they play a myriad of characters in this hilarious and earthy dramatic comedy.

The play follows the efforts of Dicky Mick Dicky O'Connor to make matches for the lonely and lovelorn. Using his inimitable way with words and his sense of “devilment” and wit, Keane delves into the longings, hungers, fears and foibles of this collection of lonely country people and creates a marvellously colourful world, taking us back to a simpler time, when phones were few and far between and the only web was one left behind by spiders.

Local Arts

Newbridge Drama Group Presents The Importance Of Being

EARNEST BY OSCAR WILDE

Wednesday 31st May – Saturday 3rd June, 8pm Tickets €15/€12

Newbridge Drama Group are delighted to return to Riverbank Arts Centre to present Oscar Wilde's best loved play this Summer - filled as it is with sparkling comedy, both in words and situation. The language, which is sometimes drily acidic and at other times startlingly apt, combined with absurd and hilarious situations make this play an unforgettable and heart-warming experience. The director is blessed with a superb cast for this wonderful play and all involved are looking forward to doing justice to the wonderful wit of Oscar Wilde.

Directed by Arthur Burke.

Kildare Art Collective

McKenna Gallery

Friday 2 nd June – Saturday 1 st July

Admission Free

Visual Arts

Kildare Art Collective return to the McKenna Gallery in June as part of June Fest with a group exhibition featuring the work of 15 collective members.

Unseen reveals what we generally do not, or cannot, see. This prompts us to question the invisible, the obscured and the unnoticed.

In this exhibition Kildare Art Collective take their work to a variety of fascinating places.

Addressing themes such as faith, philosophy, identity, time and memory this exhibition shines a light on the unseen. It explores the unnoticed, hidden or obscured and provides a view beneath the surface to another perspective. Unseen simultaneously refers to the limitations of our visual perceptions and also addresses observations that can transcend our everyday familiar experiences.

What can we see in ‘Unseen’? Quite a lot, as it happens!

Official opening Saturday 3rd June, 5pm. All welcome!

Carding With Keith

Saturday 3 rd June, 11am

Tickets €15

Join Keith Walsh for a workshop of card-making and mindfulness. Rediscover the joy and fun of drawing, colouring and writing, while creating original cards for yourself and for loved ones.

Over this 90-minute workshop, you can take time out to think about yourself and your life, and meet new people in a friendly environment.

Suitable for grown-ups of all ages, no art or drawing experience is necessary. All art materials provided. Keith Walsh is a Radio & TV Broadcaster and writer. Previously the lead anchor on RTÉ 2FM’s Early Morning Breakfast Show Breakfast Republic, Keith wrote his first play Pure Mental, which toured to 16 venues over 4 weeks in 2021 produced by Riverbank Arts Centre.

Local Arts

Fest Presents A Parlour Evening With Friends

JUNE

Sunday 4th June, 8pm

Tickets €10

All funds raised on the night will go to Newbridge Day Care Centre & Meals on Wheels.

Let our local artists entertain you with an evening of music, drama, poetry & song. Featuring Eimear Dempsey, Nicky Keogh, Aoise Dempsey & Stephen Connelly, Frankie Lane, Pud Barrett, Con Cummins, Conor Mahony & Alan Fitzgerald, Roisín McAlinden, Maria McDonald, Mary Linehan and Martin Connelly.

June Fest takes place in a range of venues from Friday 2nd to Monday 5th June – for the full programme see their website www.junefest.ie

Youth Theatre

Kildare Youth Theatre THE INDIGO COLLECTIVE

Tuesday 6 th June, 8pm Free event, booking essential

The Indigo Collective is a group of young people from Kildare who make theatre about LGBTQI+ identity. They have met weekly since January, exploring issues that concern them, and using narrative and theatre-making forms developed by artists Peter Hussey and Casey Hallahan. The performance forms part of an international project called Prism created by Crooked House Theatre. All week young people from around Europe are meeting to make theatre and explore how to be in solidarity with other young people from countries where being LGBTQI+ is problematic at best, and dangerous at worst.

The Indigo Collective is supported by funding from The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth.

Theatre

Decadent Theatre Presents From A Low And Quiet Sea

Thursday 8 th & Friday 9 th June, 8pm Tickets €20/€18

Adapted for the stage from Donal Ryan’s acclaimed, Booker Prize-nominated novel.

Four souls. Each searching for something they have lost. Each trying to make sense of the road they have chosen.

For Farouk, family is all.

Lampy is distracted.

For John, the game was always the lifeblood coursing through his veins.

Florence’s son is acting differently which forces her to look for answers, but she is afraid of the truth that lies within herself.

Four characters, four lost souls, searching for a version of home.

Adapted by Donal Ryan, the cast and Andrew Flynn. Directed by Andrew Flynn.

Cruinniú na nÓg:

Cruinniú na nÓg is a flagship initiative of the Creative Ireland Programme’s Creative Youth Plan to enable the creative potential of children and young people. Now in its fifth year Cruinniú na nÓg is a day of free activity for children and young people.

FAMILY WORKSHOP

FAMILY DRUMMING WORKSHOP

10am

Enjoy the energy of Group drumming in a friendly Group environment with Jabba Jabba Jembe!

This interactive workshop is family friendly allowing all ages to learn and play a vast range of Drums and Percussion instruments. Learn about the origins of the instruments, how to play rhythms with your body and voice, discover rhythms from across the globe.

All instruments are supplied for this event and no previous experience is needed to enjoy this event. This is an event for the whole family (children must be accompanied by an adult!)

FAMILY WORKSHOP ages 3-7

MOVING WORDS –

FAMILY STORY & DANCE WORKSHOP

12.30pm, 1.30pm & 2.30pm moving words is a story-time workshop with live dance performance for early years that combines dance & the reading of a selected picture book. ‘moving words’ aims to bring children closer to reading and dancing.

FAMILY WORKSHOP

CBI BOOK CLINIC

12pm - 3pm

Are you a young reader? Looking for a new series to delve into? Feeling uninspired by your bookshelves at home? Then pop along to Children’s Books

Ireland Book Clinic! Chat to the Book Doctor, consult on your favourite reads and leave with a prescription for your next book which you can take to your local bookshop or library!

Cruinniú na nÓg events will take place on Saturday 10th June. All events are free, booking is essential!

Music

Sharon Shannon

Saturday 10 th June, 8pm

Tickets €31

In June 1989 Sharon was rehearsing and demoing tracks for her first album, when she was whisked away to Glastonbury festival with The Waterboys. In the 30 years that have elapsed since then, Sharon has recorded 10 studio albums; 5 live albums, 4 best of compilations and 3 live concert DVDs.

She has received many awards including being the youngest ever recipient of the Meteor Lifetime Achievement Award in 2009. She has collaborated, recorded and toured with everyone from Willie Nelson, Bono, Shane MacGowan and John Prine to Nigel Kennedy and the RTÉ Concert Orchestra and had many hit records including The Galway Girl with Steve Earle, It's Christmastime Again with Wallis Bird and Go Tell the Devil with Imelda May.

Cinema

Eo

Monday 12 th June, 8pm

Tickets €7 (early bird) / €9 (on door)

EO is a grey donkey, living in a travelling circus where he performs alongside his beloved owner Sandra. But when circumstances outside of his control separate him from his mistress and the only life he has ever known, EO begins an adventurous journey through the modern European countryside. Along the way he has many encounters and experiences …

Unfolding through a series of vignettes and intermittently told from EO’s innocent viewpoint, 84-year old Polish writer-director Jerzy Skolimowski (Deep End, The Shout) exploits stunning cinematography and immersive sound design to create a bold, poetic fable-like story examining the ambiguous world we live in. The film was recently named 2022’s Best International Feature by the prestigious New York Film Critics Circle.

Directed by Jerzy Skolimowski | 88 mins | Cert 15A ages 3-5

Music

Music Network Presents

LINDA MAY HAN OH & FABIAN ALMAZAN

Thursday 15th June, 8pm

Tickets €18/€15

The lingering days of midsummer will be the perfect time to delight in the music of two leading jazz artists of our time: Malaysian-Australian bassist Linda May Han Oh and pianist Fabian Almazan. Almazan draws profound inspiration from his Cuban heritage, its natural environment, and his musical training in jazz and classical idioms—by bringing this together with Oh’s prodigiously gifted bass-playing and compositional talent, the result is a recipe for awe-inspiring musical brilliance. Displaying musical sensitivity and audacity in perfect proportion, these two players deliver an impeccably paired and unforgettable musical experience this June.

Early Years

Flip

Saturday 17th June, 11am & 1pm

Tickets: €8/€28 (family 0f 4 ticket)

Like children raging over the playground, that’s how the performers of Flip storm the stage… What follows is a whirling, twirling, tumbling, rumbling, jumping and flipping stream of playful necessity. Flip is an unstoppable ode to playing and connecting with each other. A performance full of movement, rhythm and beautiful chaos for children and grown-ups who can’t keep still…

FLIP is a dance performance for everyone 3+ ages 0-12m

FLIP received a YPCE Project Award from the Arts Council. Mónica Muñoz is supported by Branar Meitheal 2022-23.

Music

Anton Jablokov With Stefano Mocetti

WITH SPECIAL GUEST VLADIMIR JABLOKOV

Saturday 17 th June, 8pm

Tickets: €32/€30

Join violin sensation Anton Jablokov as he returns to Riverbank Arts Centre for a memorable performance with Swiss guitarist Stefano Mocetti. This unique fusion of blending violin and guitar in classical, traditional, and jazz music makes this duo truly dynamic.

The concert will include Spanish Dance - De Falla, Asturias, Hungarian Dance no 5, Danny Boy and Brazilian Song - Tico Tico No Fuba.

Featuring special guest Vladimir Jablokov on violin.

Early Years

Babylovesmusic

Monday 19th & Tuesday 20th June, Various Times

Tickets: €10 (baby & adult)

BabyLovesMusic is a unique concert for babies.

BabyLovesMusic is an informal concert for babies aged 0-12 months and their carers featuring four award-winning musicians – Tim Doyle, Kate Hearne, Anna Newell, and Eamon Sweeney – with musical arrangements by Malachy Robinson, of the Irish Chamber Orchestra.

An eclectic musical journey with a distinctly Irish feel, BabyLovesMusic features a rich variety of instruments including guitar, cello, accordion, fiddle, uilleann pipes, treble recorder, and lots more.

Supported by the Arts Council Touring Award.

Pride Screening

Blue Jean

Monday 19 th June, 8pm

Tickets : €7 (early bird) / €9 (on door) by

England, 1988. New education laws from Thatcher’s government threaten to further stigmatise homosexuality. Jean, recently divorced, is now in a happy relationship with her girlfriend Viv. Jean works as a PE teacher in a secondary school, but there she keeps her sexuality a secret. However, everything changes for her after she’s spotted by a student at a local gay bar.

Georgia Oakley’s award-winning debut feature is a moving coming out story and a reminder of the challenges the gay community faced just a generation ago (and, in many cases, still do today). Rosy McEwen is revelatory as Jean. Her performance is restrained yet expressive, and is further enhanced thanks to excellent support from Kerrie Hayes and newcomer Lucy Halliday.

Local Arts

WHAT ARE THE ODDS?

Thursday 22 nd – Saturday 24 th June, 8pm

Tickets €15/€12 ages 8-12

Set in the 1980s, Doreen and Peter have just moved into a rundown suburban apartment and finances are at an all-time low. But when Peter brings home a stranger who suddenly dies in their home, Doreen concocts a scam to pretend it is Peter who has died so they can claim the insurance money from his death. But things don’t go according to plan as their secret is exposed to an array of unusual characters who also want in on a piece of the action. But what are the odds of them getting away with it?

An hilarious two act comedy with intriguing dialogue and fast paced action!

Written and Directed by Dave Tiernan.

Make A Flip Book Animation Workshop

Saturday 24 th June, 10:30am

Tickets €12

Flip books are ideal for those interested in drawing and animation. You will learn how to use the basic principles of hand drawn animation to make your own stick-figure adventure.

The workshop is a mixture of live demonstrations, easy to follow drawing guides and practical handson creativity.

All materials are provided and you get to take your flip book home with you.

Joseph Orr is an award-winning stop motion animator with over 8 years of experience producing short films and delivering animation workshops around the country.

The Fabelmans

Monday 26 th June, 8pm

Tickets €7 (early bird) / €9 (on door)

New Jersey, 1952. Sammy Fabelman is the young son of Mitzi (Michelle Williams) and Burt (Paul Dano).

A trip to a Cecil B. DeMille movie is a transformative experience for Sammy, and his parents encourage him to start making 8mm home movies. As the years pass, Sammy’s filmmaking ambitions continue to grow… but he also starts noticing some troubling cracks in his parents’ marriage.

Now a half century into his extraordinary career, Steven Spielberg tells some of his own life story in The Fabelmans. He directly draws on his own experiences growing up – particularly his relationships with his parents – for this deeply personal film. It’s masterfully directed and packed with great performances, including some delightful supporting and cameo appearances.

Directed by Steven Spielberg | 151 mins | Cert 12A ages

Local Arts

Griese Youth Theatre Present Double Bill

Friday 30 th June – Saturday 1 st July , 7pm Tickets €12/€6

Griese Youth Theatre are delighted to be back on Riverbank’s stage with four different plays, including a work in progress for Brigid 1500.

Mystery, love, excitement and all things youthful and theatrical!

June 30th Double Bill at 7pm.

July 1st Double Bill at 7pm (suitable 12+)

This production has been supported by Youth Theatre Ireland’s Playshare and Perform YT Schemes. For more information please visit www.youththeatre.ie

Summer Camp

SONGWRITING SUMMER CAMP WITH MEGAN O’NEILL

Monday 3 rd – Friday 7 th July, 10am-2pm Tickets €120 ages 8-12

Back by popular demand!

Chart topping and multi award-winning singersongwriter Megan O’Neill is hosting a week long musical workshop for young people aged 9-12 years exploring song-writing, lyric writing, collaborating and performance.

Each student will write at least one full song in these four days (although some will write more) and there will be the option to design your own artwork and record your song towards the end of the workshop. On the last day (Friday 15th July) there will be a live performance where parents and friends will be invited and students can perform one of their own original songs live for the audience.

Please bring a packed lunch each day!

Route 66 Big Band

Saturday 8th July, 8pm

Tickets €20/€18

Music

Route 66 is a 16-piece Big Band with a big sound! Route 66 makes a very welcome return to Riverbank Arts Centre, bringing their unique mix of music which has proved a huge success in theatres all over Ireland. Fronted by a male and female singer and with a mix of brass, saxes and rhythm, Route 66 produces a fabulous sound. Their programme, which includes numbers made famous by Adele, Frank Sinatra, Amy Winehouse, Tom Jones plus many more, will have you calling for more at the end of the show. Expect a great night’s entertainment from this fabulous live band!

SUMMER CAMP

Brickflicks Summer Camp

Monday 10 th July – Friday 14 th July

Tickets €120

In this special BrickFlicks Stop Motion Animation Camp, learn all the basics of how to animate in stop motion using your favourite LEGO character. Shoot spells, fight superheroes, blast rockets or fall through portals, use your imagination to make your very own movies. With plenty of hands-on learning and simple demonstrations, Createschool will take you on a journey from having a cool idea to making it into an awesome movie. You will learn the different elements of stop motion animation as well as how to create a set, storyboard and plan for your movie, which you will then film, edit, and record.

Suitable for 8-12 years

Youth Theatre

Kildare Youth Theatre Double Bill

Monday 10 th July, 7pm

Tickets €8

The Leaving by Tom Swift.

This is a play about the impact of excessive drinking on a group of teenagers at a pivotal stage in their lives.

Directed by Sinead Mooney.

Citizenship by Mark Ravenhill

Citizenship brings us two teenagers, Tom and Amy, who are both exploring their identity and trying to find out who they are. They both want to be loved. Tom thinks he might be gay, but is unsure. And Amy wants someone to love.

Directed by Abdelmoneim Nassef.

Both plays contain sexual references, and mild swear words.

Workshops

Creative Writing Summer Camp

WITH EMMA -JANE LEESON

Monday 17 th – Friday 21 st July, 10am-2pm

Tickets €120

Creative Writing Summer Camp for 7-13 year olds. Learn how to write your own book in this 5-day camp hosted by Kildare author Emma-Jane Leeson. The camp will help students to develop their writing skills and to explore their love of writing in a fun, creative, encouraging environment.

Emma-Jane Leeson is the author of the Johnny Magory book series for children.

Our Place

McKenna Gallery

Friday 14th – Friday 28th July

Admission Free

Visual Arts

Our Place, playfully explores themes of happiness, human rights, and a sense of belonging by transforming the McKenna Gallery at Riverbank Arts Centre into a friendly multi-sensory environment through an electric combination of sound art, storytelling, tactile lighting, touchable sculptures and comfy seating for everyone to enjoy.

A soundscape will play through a system of 12 audio speakers in the gallery with adjustable volume. To further enhance this experience for everyone, three distinct sensory areas within the gallery space will be created including; a social seating area, a time out area, and a tactile string lighting and sculptural area. Lámh, braille and captioned descriptions of sound works will be available. A full breakdown of all accessible measures will be available on our website closer to the exhibition.

So come along to Our Place and listen to our sound art! Everyone is welcome.

Our Place is a new exhibition developed by artists Sinéad McCann and AlanJames Burns in close collaboration with artists, who are supported by Saint John of God Liffey Services, Aíne Walsh, David Carter, Keith Whelan, Laura Hickey, Aidan Winters, Conor Begley, David Carter, David Deane, Frances Quinn, Jonathan Smith, Niamh Fortune and Sean Winder. All creative decisions and ideas leading to the exhibition design were informed by collaborative workshops with all collaborators, including during a two-week residency in Riverbank Arts Centre in February 2023, funded by the Arts Council of Ireland Artist in Community Scheme, managed by Create Ireland.

Our Place is supported by Kildare’s Creative Ireland bursary awards 2023

Youth Theatre

Mouth Off

Friday 25 th August, 7pm

Free Event

Mouth Off is an international youth theatre project between Crooked House and FOCO, Spain. It is funded by the Erasmus+ programme of the European Union.

Twenty-four young people will spend one week working together to explore how to use various theatre methods in the service of making theatre to challenge hate speech and fake news.

This performance is a showcase of their work, an interactive performance created in a few days, followed by a discussion with the audience. All are welcome to attend.

Gift Vouchers

The perfect gift for the music, theatre or cinema fan in your life!

We have vouchers for:

Riverbank Arts Centre Gift Vouchers are valid for all event tickets and can be redeemed online or by phone/in person through our Box Office.

Ideal for birthdays, or as thank you gift, let someone pick their own perfect present of a night out to see their favourite band, a cinema date or family ticket to the theatre.