6 minute read
ARTS ROUND-UP
NI MENTAL HEALTH ENLIGHTEN EXHIBITION
ARTS FESTIVAL Hambly & Hambly is a unique gallery and multi-purpose space for the North West designed around a core belief in the value of arts, culture, conservation and education. Situated in the Grade II listed Dunbar House in Enniskillen, the gallery celebrates art of all mediums with a strong vision of progression, development and collaboration. In June the Gallery will run “At Home With Hambly & Hambly”, a special feature which will extend from the basement gallery throughout the house and include exhibitions, interviews and discussions of works by Wolfgang Buttress, Eamon Colman, Gary Robinson and Anna Hryniewicz. The NI Mental Health Arts Festival Part of the programme will include the (NIMHAF) took place from 10-16 May launch of Hambly & Hambly’s new exhibition, 2021 (to coincide with Mental Health ENLIGHTEN 14, which profiles the activities Awareness Week). As a response to the and outcomes of an exciting year for call for a Loneliness Strategy in Northern this innovative gallery and cultural hub.Ireland, this year’s festival included a ENLIGHTEN features winning pieces of art specially commissioned publication on from the fortnightly callout the gallery have the theme of ‘Loneliness’ which linked to been making to artists of all mediums. Hambly artworks, soundscapes and dance pieces & Hambly are delighted by the huge number on the NIMHAF website. of artists participating in the initiative which is
This year’s festival was officially launched a response to other artists’ works in a visual art at Framewerks Gallery, Belfast. In attendance were artists EG Dunne and Wee Nuls, and Noelle McAlinden, NI Mental Health Arts Festival board member, artist, curator and arts activist.
This year’s programme contained varied, vivid arts events which created a platform for high-quality artwork that deals compassionately and intelligently with mental health. Events included: The Art of Conversation with Noelle McAlinden, a series of authentic conversations with fellow creatives across NI; and The Art of Loneliness Panel Discussion which saw artists and performers reflecting on the theme of loneliness. Hosted by Noelle McAlinden and Frank Liddy, the panel also featured invited guests: Joe Nawaz,
Nuala McKeever, Lorna Smyth, Siobhan Ferguson, Mel Bradley, Matt Deery and John Deery.
For more information: www.nimhaf. org
relay. Gallery owner and director Ciara Hambly, said: “The quality of the work submitted in response to the ENLIGHTEN challenge has been superb, exceeding all our expectations. We look forward to showcasing the winning and highly commended pieces in the ENLIGHTEN exhibition alongside a feature of works by our long-standing represented artists and some welcome newcomers who are creating bodies of work specifically for this innovate show.” Noelle McAlinden with Tommy Long, visual Hambly & Hambly are particularly thrilled to artist and arts facilitator. welcome a new collection of paintings from the internationally award-winning sculptor Wolfgang Buttress who fully endorses the gallery’s initiatives: “I am delighted to be presenting new work at the unique and innovative Hambly & Hambly gallery in June 2021 for the ENLIGHTEN exhibition. The new pieces have been informed by the landscape of the north of Ireland which inspired the sculpture Rise.”
The ENLIGHTEN exhibition opens on the 19th June 2021. For more information on the gallery, visit: hamblyandhambly.com Profit & Loss Oil on canvas Laurence O’Toole. Carlo Gebler reads his writing at Hambly & Hambly. THE ULSTER HALL CELEBRATES ITS 159TH BIRTHDAY!
The Ulster Hall, which has been the pulse of Belfast’s live entertainment scene and night-time economy, has recently celebrated its 159th birthday. If walls could talk, they would tell stories of Charles Dickens’ famous Christmas Carol reading, guitar melodies by rock-legends Red Hot Chilli Peppers and stunning performances by the Ulster Orchestra. Although still closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ulster Hall still celebrated its birthday and iconic identity with an online campaign reminiscing past events, emotional connections and incredible #IWasThereWhen moments. After the revolutionary Live from the Ulster Hall digital series, the prestigious status of the Ulster Hall is not slowing down with the top artists wanting to play the iconic venue in 2022 and beyond. Check out what’s
coming up at www.ulsterhall.co.uk
Ulster Hall gig, photo: Tremaine Gregg
REVIEW: DUKE SPECIAL GRAMOPHONE CLUB
By Kellie Burch
Lockdown did not stop Accidental Theatre from launching an exciting virtual programme of events over the spring months. Accidental Awakening saw the theatre bring fantastic new gigs, workshops and theatre to audiences far and wide.
One such event was the Duke Special Gramophone Club. The show, which was streamed live on Friday 30th April, the day outdoor hospitality resumed, opened on a very positive note. Filmed on location in the Accidental Theatre on Shaftesbury Square, Belfast, Duke Special gleefully exclaimed, “There are people outside!”
This session of the Gramophone Club kept up the lively atmosphere as Duke Special and Temperance Society Chip Bailey were joined by a range of unmissable guests including: songwriter and poet FRMR, research associate in the creative industries department at Ulster University Dr Hyojung Sun and singer/actress Camille O’ Sullivan.
The Gramophone Club, which is currently being run as a series of shows in association with Accidental Theatre, is very much like a modern-day variety showcase. In addition to the special guests, there was musical shenanigans, such as songs from the extensive Duke Special back catalogue, “another 78 for the gramophone” from Greg’s Greats, Chip’s wonderful world of instruments and tintinnabulations, exploring old sheet music, unearthing and dancing along to hidden gems of the 7RPM world and newly written songs.
Whilst Covid-19 has meant that we have been pining for live shows, this exceptional event was a fantastic substitute. Duke Special and Chip are superb hosts who complement each other perfectly. The recording is extremely professional - whilst it may look slick it retains an intimate quality. There was also a question and comment feature; the audience were warmly encouraged to participate and so at times you could almost forget you weren’t all in the same room together. The quality and diversity of the music showcased was sublime whilst the stories of the guests interviewed were fascinating. The result was an unforgettable experience that you will be eager to repeat.
The Duke Special Gramophone Club took place on 30th April. The next session will take place on 2nd July. For more information visit: accidentaltheatre.co.uk
BELFAST PHOTO FESTIVAL RETURNS
Belfast Photo Festival, Northern Ireland’s premier visual arts festival, is set to return in June with a vibrant online and offline programme of immersive exhibitions and large-scale outdoor art works to be showcased in galleries and public spaces throughout Belfast.
Running from 3 – 30 June, the festival will be one of the first of its kind to facilitate a largely in-person festival experience following the recent easing of lockdown restrictions. Alongside its physical exhibitions, the festival will also host an extensive programme of online talks and events. Taking “Future(s)” as its theme, this year’s festival tackles issues as diverse as climate change, migration, the advancement of technology, government surveillance and the power of protest, to explore how the future is shaped by our actions in the present.
Festival highlights include: American artist Davion Alston; the first solo exhibition of renowned artist Zanele Muholi on the island of Ireland; Mandy Barker’s impressive LUNASEA; Simon Norfolk and Klaus Thymann’s ‘Shroud’; Swiss artist Marcel Rickli asks how we might warn future generations about sites of toxic nuclear waste; and David Vintiner and Gem Fletcher’s exhibition on transhumanism, at University of Atypical.
Belfast Photo Festival takes place online, in public spaces across Belfast and in partner institutions: Belfast Exposed,
Golden Thread Gallery, Cultúrlann,
University of Atypical, and The Naughton Gallery at Queen’s University.
