Following the success of its first year, ‘The Ties That Bind’, a Shared Island cultural exchange project, returns this summer with a second collaboration between Levis’ Corner House in Ballydehob and The Duncairn theatre in Belfast, where The Duncairn will take over Ballydehob from the 10th to the 13th July.
The duo, two of Ireland’s best known intimate venues from opposite corners of the island, have teamed up to explore their mutual creative links in collaboration with Cork County Council and Belfast City Council.
Last year, local artists from each community took part in residential exchanges, swapping the rural picturesque village of Ballydehob for the inner city environs of Belfast and vice versa.
The two organisations successfully took over each other’s venues for weekends of music, spoken word, and storytelling.
This year’s programme begins with a four-day festival-style takeover of Levis’ Corner House by artists, volunteers and staff from the Duncairn, bringing Belfast’s diverse cultural scene to rural West Cork.
On Friday, July 11th, there will be a headline performance from the Joshua Burnside Trio, with a ‘Creative Collective & Friends Showcase’ on Saturday, July 12th.
On the following Sunday, a day of family-friendly arts and crafts, music, conversation, and food is planned to wrap up the weekend.
The new mayor of Cork county, Cllr. Mary Linehan Foley, said it was wonderful to witness this deepening relationship between Ballydehob and Belfast, ‘as a result of this unique project.’
‘Our two diverse artistic communities have developed cross border relationships as a result of artists residency exchanges, mentoring, and these wonderful takeover weekends. “The Ties That Bind” offers more than the sum of its parts; it builds lasting artistic and personal relationships.’
Across the weekend, there will be a variety of smaller events by Belfast-based artists including poetry, cinema, trad sessions, and pop-up musical performances taking place throughout Ballydehob and surrounding areas.
It will be a showcase of Belfast’s creative scene with a large turnout expected to join in the celebrations.
