Ulster Bank Dublin Theatre Festival in Temple Bar this October

Ulster Bank Dublin Theatre Festival – Europe’s oldest specialist theatre festival – is set to celebrate its 53^rd year in 2010 with a programme packed with the best and brightest in contemporary theatre. Featuring new and award-winning productions, the Festival will bring the finest in Irish and international performance to 22 venues around Dublin!

Running from 30^th September – 17^th October, the Festival will present 31 shows from 10 countries in 22 venues around the city. Featuring awe-inspiring large scale productions as well as smaller, intimate events, this year’s Festival has something for everyone. Large or small, Dublin loves drama.

Temple Bar is home to more than 50 arts and cultural venues and this year’s Dublin Theatre Festival will bring events to the following cultural organisations in Temple Bar:

The Ark, A Cultural Centre for Children

The New Theatre

Irish Film Institute

Project Arts Centre

Smock Alley Theatre

Temple Bar Gallery and Studios

Check the full programme of events at http://dublintheatrefestival.com/

Delicious Theatre and Meal Deal at Project Arts Centre running until 4th September

This summer the classic Irish tale of The Colleen Bawn is brought vividly to life in a lively and entertaining new production at Project Arts Centre. From €34 and for no more than €45 per person you can enjoy:

• A two or three course pre-theatre meal at Conrad Gallagher’s ‘Salon des Saveurs’
• A free bottle of wine to accompany your meal
• Complimentary chauffeur service from the restaurant to the theatre
• And top it off with a performance of The Colleen Bawn at Project Arts Centre

The shows is running until the 4^th September so book your place now for a night to remember!

STEP 1
Book your tickets for The Colleen Bawn (from €12-22).
Book through Project Box Office at 01 8819 613 or Book your tickets online now.

STEP 2
Book your meal.
Conrad Gallagher’s Salon des Saveurs, on nearby Aungier Street, is offering patrons of Project Arts Centre a special pre-theatre offer. Choose from two courses for €18.95 or three for €22.95 and as an added bonus, they will throw in a free bottle of wine for two people and drop you to our door on time for the show with their complimentary chauffeur service.
Make your reservation with Salon des Saveurs directly on 01 4758 840
(please note that Salon des Saveurs is not open on Monday evenings).

STEP 3
Enjoy the show!

Filmbase launch new short film screening night on the first Thursday of every month!

Hosted at Filmbase on the first Thursday of every month, ShortSpace is a new place for filmmakers and film fans to get together, screen and discuss short films and short filmmaking.  Each month Filmbase will select a variety of short films based around a specific theme or topic. These films will be screened and then the filmmakers behind the films will be asked to talk about their experience in making each film.

The first ShortSpace will take place at 7pm on Thursday 2nd of September at Filmbase.  The films selected for the first ShortSpace are all first short films from a number of Irish filmmakers.  The night will kick off with a screening of short films including The Crush by Michael Creagh, Corduroy by Hugh O’Conor, The Door by Juanita Wilson, The Confession by Thomas Hefferon and An Cosc written by Hugh Travers and directed by Vincent Gallagher.  Joining us on the night filmmakers Hugh O’Conor, Juanita Wilson and Vincent Gallagher will take to the floor to discuss their experiences of making their first short film.

So whether you’re a fledgling filmmaker wondering how to get your first film off the ground or you’re a seasoned professional who’s interested in passing on your expertise then come along to ShortSpace at Filmbase!

Tickets for ShortSpace are €5 for Filmbase members and €8 for non-members and can be bought through Filmbase reception by calling 01 679 6716 or by dropping by in person during office hours (9.30 – 5.30, Mon – Fri).

Music in the Historic Quarter from 21st August-1st September

The Contemporary Music Centre presents Music in the Historic Quarter: An outdoor music trail and event programme throughout Dublin’s Historic Quarter

The streets of Dublin’s Historic Quarter are set to resound with the sound of new music from 21^st August to 1^st September 2010 as part of the Contemporary Music Centre’s new initiative, Music in the Historic Quarter. Music in the Historic Quarter consists of The Contemporary Music Centre Outdoor Music Trail and an event programme.

The Outdoor Music Trail features works by different Irish composers playing in five outdoor locations; an inner trail with three locations playing music outdoors daily from 1pm to 4pm and an extended trail incorporating the first three locations, plus two additional locations which can be followed and listened to with a smartphone. The extended trail employs the very latest in location-based, augmented reality technology and is available by downloading the free Layar app for iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4 and Android devices.

An extensive event programme follows from 21^st August to 1^st September involving St Audoen’s Church, The Amphitheatre at Dublin City Council, Christ Church Cathedral, St Patrick’s Cathedral, The Back Loft, City Hall, The Coach House and Smock Alley Theatre.

The Historic Quarter group was established along with 4 other quarters in Dublin City as part of Dublin Culture Night.

The Contemporary Music Centre Outdoor Music Trail is free. The event programme is mostly free. Some events have admission charges. Please refer to each event for booking and ticket information.

Visit www.cmc.ie/musictrail/ to download instructions along with an interactive music trail map and further details on all composers, works, locations and the event programme.

Temple Bar Cultural Trust unveiled the programme for the largest ever Culture Night!

20 Irish Cities, Towns, Counties & Islands to get Cultural on September 24^th 

Temple Bar Cultural Trust (TBCT) and Irish cultural legend Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh today (Wednesday 16^th August), at Dublin Castle, unveiled the incredible programme for Culture Night 2010.

On the 24^th September 20 cities, towns , counties and islands across our island will offer access to an amazing array of free late night culture and people can now see the full programme at www.culturenight.ie. This is the biggest Culture Night to date and it is expected that over half a million people nationwide will explore and engage with culture on September 24th.

The theme of this year’s Culture Night is ‘What Will You See?’ and there is plenty to choose from! The participating regions, Dublin, Galway City, Galway County – Oughterard, Cork, Limerick, Waterford, Wexford, Sligo, Mayo, Wicklow, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Westmeath, Letterkenny, Kerry, Carlow, Leitrim, Roscommon, and The Gaeltacht regions, will be transformed into cultural playgrounds with culture in all its forms including painting, poetry, dance, opera, traditional music, architecture, history, theatre and more, accessible to people of all ages.

A record 132 cultural venues in Dublin will open their doors for Culture Night this year including the Irish Museum of Modern Art, Light House Cinema, Freemasons’ Hall, National Museum of Ireland – Natural History, The Custom House, Quakers Meeting House, Irish Film Institute, National Leprechaun Museum, St Mary’s Abbey and many more.

To help visitors move around Dublin City on the night, Dublin Bus is providing free buses along three culture trails from 6pm to 11pm.  Buses will leave every 20 minutes from bus stops at Bachelor’s Walk, Aston Quay and Trinity College transporting visitors to outermost venues.

So save the date, the 24th September 2010 will be a night of cultural exploration and fun!

Culture Night is supported by the Department of Tourism, Culture and Sport in partnership with the regional arts offices and local authorities and partners include Fáilte Ireland and Dublin Tourism.

Volunteering on Culture Night Friday September 24th – Your city needs you!

Dublin Culture Night will take place on Friday September 24th, a night of entertainment, discovery and adventure in Dublin city as arts and cultural organisations and venues open their doors until late with hundreds of free tours, talks, performances and events for you, your family and friends to enjoy.  Culture Night is co-ordinated by Temple Bar Cultural Trust and supported by the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism in partnership with the regional arts offices and local authorities.  

In Dublin a record 132 venues will open their doors for Culture Night including Christ Church Cathedral, the National Museum of Ireland, the Science Gallery Trinity College, The Guinness Storehouse, Dublin Castle State Apartments, The Ark, A Cultural Centre for Children, the Chester Beatty Library and much more.

Culture Night is a hugely important event on the cultural calendar providing people with the opportunity to discover and enjoy the rich cultural offering of the country’s cultural venues at night.

Temple Bar Cultural Trust are looking to gather a team of well organised volunteers who would like to take part in this annual event.

The main tasks that we will need volunteer assistance for are:

• Guides on the Culture Night buses
• Assisting at Information Points
• Assisting stewards with the outdoor events
• Assisting at the Temple Bar Cultural Information Centre

Click here to sign up now our contact us at volunteer@templebar.ie  / 01 677 2255.

For further information on Culture Night visit www.culturenight.ie

Temple Bar Cultural Trust submission on the EU Green Paper

Temple Bar Cultural Trust made a submission to the European Commission in July in response to the EU Green Paper on the Cultural and Creative Industries. This submission was made on behalf of a ‘cultural coalition’ of over 50 individuals and organisations working in this sector.

We led this submission process because we believe that culture must be seen as resource for creativity and must be given greater prominence in the broader policies on the knowledge economy, innovation and social cohesion. The intention of our submission is to ensure that our strong cultural assets form part of the foundation of a powerful and creative economy and a cohesive society in Ireland and across Europe.

Creative Industries make a significant contribution to the Irish economy with existing estimates placing the total number employed in Ireland’s creative industries at 60,855 in 2006, generating a total added value of nearly €5.5bn in 2006 – approx. 3% of total Irish employment and 3.5% of total Irish GVA.

Because many cultural and creative industries are small businesses it has been difficult for those them to have their voices heard at national and EU level. Responding to this, the European Commission launched a public consultation in April on issues affecting this sector so that future policy could help create programmes and policies that are “fit for purpose”.

The Green Paper is a discussion document that allows for individual artists, creatives and cultural organisations working across the European Union to communicate directly with policy makers. Now that the consultation phase has finished, the Commission will begin the work of making changes to European law based on the feedback from Member States.

To read a copy of our submission visit www.icce.ie

20 towns, cities, counties and islands announce late opening on Sept 24th to mark the largest Culture Night ever!

Temple Bar Cultural Trust have revealed the date for Culture Night 2010, and announced the largest ever Culture Night will take place on Friday 24^th September 2010. 

This is the fifth year of Culture Night and 2010 sees the event expanding to 20 towns, cities, counties and islands across Ireland reaching as far as the islands of Tory and Inis Meáin marking the first time the Gaeltacht regions will host a Culture Night.  Having began as a small scale cultural event in 2005 in the Temple Bar area, the first Culture Night took place in Dublin in 2006 making this year’s expansion a significant milestone for organisers Temple Bar Cultural Trust as it brings closer their vision of an all-Ireland Culture Night, accessible to people of all ages, from all backgrounds.

Culture Night is essentially an evening where all forms of culture can be explored and enjoyed – museums, cathedrals, galleries, theatres, artist studios and other cultural venues will stay open late, with many open until 11pm, welcoming visitors of all ages in for a taste of free culture for one night.

Culture Night provides the platform to celebrate our distinct cultural and creative resources which are a source of great national pride and an essential element of our national competitiveness in a globalised world. Streets, venues and open-spaces will come alive with a rich cultural offering of electric atmosphere, colour, music, performance and workshops providing people with an opportunity to reacquaint or introduce themselves to a vast and rich cultural offering. 

Culture Night is co-ordinated by Temple Bar Cultural Trust and supported by the Department of Tourism, Culture and Sport in partnership with the regional arts offices and local authorities.  Other partners include Dublin Bus as transport partners, the Council of National Cultural Institutions and the OPW.

* The full programme of events and participating venues for Culture Night 2010 will be available on www.culturenight.ie from Wednesday  18^th August.

• Culture Night 2010 regions include; Dublin, Galway City and Galway County; Oughterard, Cork, Limerick, Waterford, Wexford, Sligo, Mayo, Wicklow, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Westmeath, Letterkenny, Kerry, Carlow, Leitrim, Roscommon, and The Gaeltacht regions, facilitated by Ealaín na Gaeltachta.
• Derry and Belfast will also hold a Culture Night on Friday 24^th September.

Industry- A unique vintage furniture shop opens in Temple Bar’s Old City

An eclectic new shop offering a mix of vintage, up-cycled and new furniture combined with unusual household accessories and quirky home furnishings has just opened in the heart of Dublin’s Temple Bar. Located on Smock Alley off Cow’s Lane in the Old City area of Temple Bar, INDUSTRY offers a unique and innovative style choice for Irish homes.

Owned and managed by 26 years old Dubliner, Vanessa Mac Innes, INDUSTRY specialises in industrial furniture from the 1930s and 40s which she sources from antique markets and vintage fairs throughout Europe.

INDUSTRY is the first specialist shop of its kind in Ireland. Vanessa, an interior designer, saw a gap in the market for home owners looking for something a little bit different.  “I love industrial design, these pieces were made at a time when the industrial revolution was at its height, metal became the new wood”.

Vanessa is passionate about industrial design, “the quality and workmanship is outstanding, Industrial furniture is definitely made to last. A lot of hard work has gone into hand selecting each unique piece for the shop,” says Mac Innes. “Everything has been carefully considered and personally chosen, nothing comes into the shop without a story!”

INDUSTRY is open from Tuesday to Saturday, for further details call Vanessa on 01-6139111 

Visit www.industrydesign.ie to find out more.

Events at The Gutter Bookshop this August

If you feel like doing something a little bit different, why not pop into The Gutter Book Shop on Cow’s Lane in the Old City area of Temple Bar and take part in their exciting literary events programme. 

If you are interested in booking a space for any of these events or indeed just want to know more please contact The Gutter Bookshop directly on 01 6799206 / info@gutterbookshop.com

The Classics Reading Group 
 Thursday 12th August at 6pm

The Classics Reading Group is a book club dedicated to reading the classic books. The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett is The Classics Reading Group book choice for August.

Temple Bar Cultural Trust Get Active Book Club for the Over 55s  Thursday 19th August at 11am

This is a new daytime book club as part of Get Active! A cultural programme for the active retired. Dreams From My Father by Barack Obama is the Get Active book club choice for August.

Temple Bar Cultural Trust Culture Club for Kids – Storycubes Event  Thursday 26th August at 10am

A children’s storytelling event as part of Temple Bar Cultural Trust’s Culture Club for Kids. Rory’s Storycubes are an innovative product designed to spark children’s imaginations and help them create imaginative stories.

The Gutter Bookshop Book Club 
 Thursday 26th August at 6pm

This is the general Gutter Bookshop’s book club who choose one book a month to read and discuss.  ‘The Twin’ by Gerbrand Bakker is the Book Club choice for August.