Art is everywhere in West Cork. In the scenery, in the people and in the atmosphere.
The 10th anniversary Skibbereen Arts Festival pays homage to this vital fabric of their community with an amazing programme of music, theatre, sound, film, poetry, exhibitions, installations, workshops, walks, talks and a spectacular futuristic street party.
To mark this special edition they have invited 10 other west Cork festivals to collaborate and co-host events, proving once again why west Cork is Ireland’s premier festival destination!
Highlights include the very special ‘From Bamako to Birmingham: Amadou & Mariam and The Blind Boys of Alabama’, ‘The Blindboy Live Podcast’, the 10th annual Canon Goodman Concert with The Máirtín O’Connor Trio, the return of one of the world’s premier sound artists Chris Watson and a cine-concert screening of the 1920 Gothic classic Nosferatu with a reimagined score by Irene Buckley.
There’s 10 top-class plays including Donal O’Kelly’s The Cambria, Joxer Daly Esq! featuring Phelim Drew, a play about breaking bread taking place in a bakery and 4 Plays in a Day by UK company Theatre in the Fields.
Skibbereen itself becomes a gallery for the week with an amazing array of exhibitions and installations taking place. Exhibitions include new work by Donald Teskey, Michael Quane, a large exhibition by artists from the Kilkenny Collective for Arts Talent (KCAT) and a retrospective exhibit of photographs celebrating the career of local photographer Michael Minihane.
As always, Skibbereen Arts Festival promotes the positive effect of the arts on our wellbeing across a range of events including films, workshops, exhibits, talks and a very special festival within a festival, Skibbereen FeelGood.
Other highlights include The Wonders of the Wake, featuring Kevin Toolis and The Henry Girls, acclaimed novelist Alex Barclay, Irish Early Music group Ensemble Dagda, a movie in the walled garden of Liss Ard Estate, a Tour de Art by bicycle, the Best of Fastnet Film Festival and the spectacular opening street party Moon Dance celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Moon landings.
The ethos of this remarkable festival is ‘inclusion and accessibility’ and everything is very reasonably priced with many free events and many opportunities to view or to take part. Undoubtedly The place to be this summer is Skibbereen Arts Festival 2019.
Full details available at www.skibbereenartsfestival.com
10 Partner Festivals
Ballydehob Jazz Festival; Baltimore Fiddle Fair;
Cape Clear International Storytelling Festival; Clonakilty International Guitar Festival;
Drimoleague Singing Festival;
Fastnet Film Festival;
Masters of Tradition; West Cork Chamber Music Festival;
West Cork Fit-up Festival;
West Cork Literary Festival.
