Countdown on for a night of free culture

THE countdown has started for this year's Culture Night, the annual all-island public event that celebrates culture, creativity and the arts, with many events scheduled for West Cork.

The free night takes place on Friday, 22nd September and is an opportunity to explore local arts, cultural organisations, and venues of all shapes and sizes.

Venus will extend their opening hours until late, to allow people to explore special events and performances including tours, talks and workshops – all free.

There's plenty to choose in the extensive Cork programme, including the Cork Craft & Design Market; diary writing in workshops with memoirist and West Cork resident Alice Carey, a dance performance at Uillinn, and the Mizen peninsula will host a art residency under the name ‘Tombolo'. A two-week art residency on Brow Head will culminate in a ten-day exhibition in which the public are invited to journey to the tip of the peninsula to experience the site and the works that respond to it. 

In addition to the exhibition site, there will also be scheduled cultural activities happening throughout the opening and closing weekends at Brow Head. 

These will include a walking tour of the exhibition trail hosted by a local historian and one of the Tombolo artists and live music performances in nearby O'Sullivan's pub, Crookhaven. 

Other happenings include Lay of the Land pop up food stall and Bosca Beatha, the mobile sauna. See more at www.layoftheland.ie.

There will also be fabulous food and entertainment at the new Culture Dome in Clonakilty, live music from the likes of Steve Poltz in Ballydehob, history talks on Whiddy Island, global stories in Carrigaline, and more.

All the West Cork events are available under the Cork County and West Cork tabs on www.culturenightcorkcounty.ie