THE IRISH COLLEGE in Paris begins a celebration of Irish culture and creativity in September with a range of events including a stage adaption in French of Roddy Doyle's two novels, The Woman Who Walked into Doors and Paula Spencer, from the actor Olwen Fouéré; Homage, a literary evening to celebrate the life of the late Nuala O'Faolain, and exhibitions by artist Sean McSweeney and sculptor Eileen MacDonagh, writes Catherine Foley.
The celebration is part of a six-month European cultural season, which aims to give the French public a chance to sample a different EU member state's culture each week and mark
France's presidency of the union. So, during La Semaine de L'Irlande (Irish week), which runs from September 15th to 22nd, there will be "a choice of diverse, challenging and fun events in the Irish College and in other locations," says Sheila Pratschke, director of the Irish College, Le Centre Culturel Irlandais.
John Carney's award-winning film, Once, will also be screened during La Semaine de L'Irlande.
Pratschke also explains that the scheduling of Irish cultural events will continue right through La Saison Culturelle Européenne, which runs until the end of the year. One of the highlighted events is a literature festival in October, with the participation of poets and writers including Derek Mahon, Harry Clifton, Medbh McGuckian, John F Deane, Claire Kilroy, Deirdre Madden and Dermot Bolger, to celebrate 30 years of Poetry Ireland.
"We are gearing all the time towards making people known in France. Even though they are very successful in the English speaking world, it's often a surprise to French people to discover them," says Pratschke.
Other highlights in the programme include a photographic exhibition, Faith, based on Jackie Nickerson's exploration of Irish Catholic institutions, which will open on October 29th. In November, Featherhead Productions will present Slat, a performance piece for theatre, with Rebecca Collins, Robbie Harris, Julie Feeney and Trevor Knight, who conceived the piece. In December, events include the IIB Bank Music in Great Irish Houses presentation of Ian Wilson's The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World, which will be narrated by Gavin Friday, with music from Carol McGonnell on clarinet, Elizabeth Cooney on violin, Richard Harwood on cello and Finghin Collins on piano.
Lyric appointment
After all the talk about if and who and when, Belfast's Lyric Theatre has gone ahead and done the deed, writes Jane Coyle.
The theatre has announced that its new artistic director will be Richard Croxford, who, for some years, has headed up Replay Productions, the North's highly regarded theatre-in-education company. The appointment is seen as another important step for the Lyric along the road to the £17 million (€21.4 million) theatre due to open in spring 2010.
Passers-by cannot fail to have noticed the big empty space at the bottom of Ridgeway Street, where, until just a couple of months ago, the Lyric stood. A bank of empty seating is a sole, spooky reminder of what used to be. So until the new building begins to take shape, encouraging news about future developments will be widely welcomed.
Croxford has been in the business for 24 years. During the considerable time that he has lived and worked in Belfast, he has become a hugely popular figure, who will be seen as a safe, fair and imaginative pair of hands As an actor, he appeared in theatres across the UK, Ireland and Europe; he worked in the West End and toured with companies such as the English Shakespeare Company and the Broadway Musical Company.
One of the most memorable of his many Lyric roles was as Shylock in David Grant's dark production of The Merchant of Venice. He has also directed for the theatre and, indeed, his rollicking The Wizard of Oz - for which he recruited Liam Neeson to be the voice of Oz - saw in the 2008 New Year and closed the doors on the old Lyric building.
While keeping a sharp eye on both the educational curriculum and the public arena, he has taken Replay to even higher levels of achievement, with a string of entertaining and powerful productions such as New Kid, which focused on Belfast's immigrant communities, and the site specific Macbeth in Crumlin Road Gaol, which was the sell-out hit of the 2007 Belfast Festival at Queen's. When its four-week run ended, there were still 1,000 names on the waiting list for tickets.
Croxford expressed his feelings at his appointment with characteristic enthusiasm: "I am immensely proud to have been chosen as the Lyric's new artistic director and look forward to building on the incredible canon of work the Lyric has produced over the years," he said. "I want to retain and develop audiences with a programme of work, which is entertaining and stimulating, as well as being current, credible and challenging. Exciting times lie ahead."
He will take up his duties in late November and will direct a number of off-site productions in 2009, while working alongside executive director Michael Diskin in planning the programme for the opening seasons at the new theatre. Rehearsals have just begun for the Lyric's Irish premiere of Abbie Spallen's critically acclaimed Pumpgirl, directed by Andrew Flynn, which opens at Queen's Drama Centre on September 1st and tours around Ireland.
Archive comes of age
The Irish Traditional Music Archive reached its majority on July 29th when it celebrated its 21st birthday. Over that time it has developed more than half a million content items relating to Irish traditional music, which encompass sound recordings, sheet music, books, ballad sheets, videos, photographs, posters, etc.
The ITMA marked its birthday celebrations with the launch by its chairman, Cathal Goan, of the first phase of its online archive and its considerable collection of digitised materials. As its director, Nicholas Carolan emphasised, this will now mean than anyone from San Francisco to Tierra del Fuego will be able to access catalogues, databases, sound recordings, print materials and video images as easily as anyone stepping through the front door of 73 Merrion Square. The ITMA is one of two traditional music agencies (the other being Na Píobairí Uilleann) which now receive core funding from the Arts Council. Speaking at the launch, outgoing Arts Council chairwoman, Dr Olive Braiden, gave assurances that the current level of funding allocated to all aspects of the traditional arts in Ireland - which stands at over €4 million annually - will be maintained. This was good news in these recessionary times. In particular, she underlined the role of traditional music, song and dance in legacy and remembrance, and congratulated the ITMA on ensuring that their archive is at the service of traditional music expression worldwide.
A career in the arts
CreativeCareers.ie, a new website for jobs and opportunities in the arts, creative and cultural sector, recently started up, getting more than 1,000 hits in its first 48 hours. The site, run by Brendan Mac Evilly, covers the creative sector including film, TV, radio, journalism, heritage, fashion, design, acting, and performance and animation, as well as management and educational jobs in the creative field. It also features third-level courses in the creative sector, internship and volunteering opportunities, and offers career advice.
The CreativeCareers site is looking for established professionals in all creative lines of work to offer practical advice. Job advertising costs €50, and all other postings and opportunities are free. www.creativecareers.ie
artscape@irish-times.ie