Bandon's Engage Arts Festival celebrates nine years of culture

BY SIOBHÁN CRONIN

MUSIC, song, photography, arts and much more will all form part of one of Ireland’s leading arts festivals.

The Bandon’s Engage Arts Festival takes place this year  from September 29th-October 2nd and is celebrating its ninth year with a packed programme of over twenty performances in a number of locations across the town. 

Another highlight, on the opening night, is a screening of the 1928 silent movie Joan of Arc, with a new musical score composed by Kinsale-based musician Irene Buckley. 

James McVinnie, on organ, and Cork soprano Emma Nash will perform the work which was written using the text and structure of a Requiem Mass.

Crash Ensemble will be musicians in residence for the duration of the festival, and will perform on Friday night with Katie Kim – two weeks ahead of the launch of her latest album. 

This performance takes place in Bandon courthouse and booking is very much advised, as seating is limited. On Saturday afternoon, the Ensemble will do ‘a crash course in listening’ and later that night will perform with Adrian Crowley. 

Visual art always plays a large part in the Bandon Engage festival programme and this year artists taking part include painter Richard Gorman, who currently has a show in Castletown House in Co Kildare. 

There is also a site-specific installation at the Allin Institute, by Angela Fulcher, performance artist Alex Conway will perform, and painter Michael Canning will also exhibit his work. 

Photographer Damian Drohan is creating a project based on Bandon Mart, commissioned by Cork County Council. 

For dance enthusiasts choreographers and artistic directors, Megan and Jessica Kennedy will discuss their work with Junk Ensemble.

Many child-friendly activities will take place in Riverview shopping centre on both Saturday and Sunday and the Clonakilty Brass Band will give a recital, as will local Bandon choir the Glaslinn. 

Bandon poet Brian O’Driscoll reads in the library and local actress, Pauline O’Driscoll, will perform ‘You Have it all Backwards’ on the closing night of the festival.

John Scott and Irish Modern Dance Theatre are also delighted to return to Bandon while multi award-winning author, Sara Baume, and acclaimed poet Bernard O’Donoghue give a joint reading. 

There will be a performance of the well-received, ‘After Sarah Miles’ by Michael Mulcahy. 

The premiere of a work by composer Ian Wilson, and performed by saxophonist, Cathal Roche and pianist Izumi Kimura, will also take place at this year’s festival.

See www.engageartsfestival.com for more.