Culture vultures set sights on city bonanza
A little bit of culture never went astray! With culture on every corner in Cork, the city is about to come alive for its annual Cork City Culture Night.
There is less than four weeks to go until over 100 participating venues, streets and public spaces are filled with sights and sounds of music, dance, theatre, art and much more.
Launched yesterday, Wednesday 28 August, by Cork City Culture Night Ambassador and ‘Derry Girls’ star, Siobhán McSweeney, this year’s event boasts a programme of events that is set to draw crowds in their droves into the city on 20 September.
Cork’s Culture Night celebrations in 2019 will reach farther afield than previous years thanks to the recent boundary extension, which has seen the city bounds stretch to areas such as Ballincollig, Glanmire, Blarney, Douglas and Whites Cross. Those unable to make it into the centre of the city can take in events such as a photography exhibition and short film screening at Ballincollig’s Gunpowder Mills Centre and a trad music session in Glanmire.
Speaking at the launch at the Triskel Arts Centre, Lord Mayor of Cork Cllr John Sheehan commented: “Cork plays a huge role in maintaining Ireland’s reputation for the vast cultural heritage and sheer volume of talent that exists here, across all facets of the arts. Culture Night in particular offers us a unique opportunity to showcase the many wonderful strings to this city’s bow, in terms of drama, music, literature, art and much more. I would encourage the people of Cork to make a point of circling 20 September in their calendars, to take the opportunity to tour this wonderful city of ours over the course of the evening, and to soak up the many free events on offer across more than 100 artistic and cultural venues. It’s truly a chance for us all to ‘Wrap Up in Culture’ and lose ourselves in a little magic for one night only.”
Highlights include CUH's tours of its in-house art collection from 5pm with 32 artworks on loan from Paul and Aileen Finucane, while the Quay Co-Op will play host to an evening of short film, presented by IndieCork Festival and kicking off at 7pm. Pitch'd Circus Arts Festival returns for 2019 and will feature street performances and circus spectacles, including a teenage circus club at Skiddy's Plaza, building to the explosive highlight of the Inferno Fire Show, which will light up the skies of the Coal Quay.
Siobhán McSweeney shared her enthusiasm over her status as ambassador of Cork City Culture Night. “I feel truly honoured to be the ambassador for an event that embraces and celebrates the rich culture that exists in my home city. Although I've spent the past 15 years working all across Ireland and the UK, my support of Cork and its affiliation to the arts has never waned.
“Cork City Culture Night has been in existence for more than a decade and there is a reason for such longevity; this city's relationship with theatre, film, art, music and more is enduring and I hope we continue to cherish our creativity for many years to come.”
The Cork Independent is proud to be media partners along with Cork’s RedFM. Visit culturenightcork.ie or keep up to date with programme additions by following the conversation online #CorkCultureNight and #LOVECulture. Check out Facebook\corkcityarts or Twitter @corkcityarts.