Eleven locations across County Wicklow will see activities take place as part of the annual Culture Night (Oíche Chultúir) on Friday, 23^rd September.

Culture Night is a national moment, celebrating culture, creativity and the arts. It seeks to actively promote the rich and varied culture treasured and nurtured in people’s lives, today and every day, across Ireland

Delivered nationwide in cities, towns, villages and rural locations all activities are made available to the public free of charge.

This year, Wicklow Arts Office have collaborated, supported, and funded a range of events and activities across the county for Culture Night, thanks to the continued support of the Arts Council, Creative Ireland and the Local Live Performance Programming Scheme provided by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media and Creative Ireland.

With 11 locations across County Wicklow, the programme includes a diverse range of experiences purposefully created and selected to surprise and delight all ages.

Arklow Music and Arts present Arklow Culture Crawl featuring local musicians, bands, artists, poets, and actors on a guided tour of the town’s cultural and historic sites – https://culturenight.ie/event/arklow-culture-crawl/.

In Baltinglass, Aisling Ennis (harp) and soprano Catherine Redding (singer) will present ‘Songs to the Moon,’ a recital of evocative and charming selections by Fauré, Debussy, Bellini and Strauss, with two more performances yet to be announced.

West Wicklow Chamber Music Festival presents a feast of party-fuelled rhythmic virtuosity with Bangers & Crash Duo, Caitríona Frost and Paddy Nolan, who are two of Ireland’s most accomplished percussionists. Later in the evening the Yurodny Ensemble treat us to an energising musical melting pot of new interpretations of traditional music from around the world. It promises to be a magical musical evening in the stunning setting of The Avon, on the shores of the Blessington Lakes – https://culturenight.ie/event/west-wicklow-chamber-music-festival-presents-bangers-crash-duo/.

Mermaid Arts Centre is hosting three events for Culture Night including: Abacus, a contemporary dance performance of nine women and 18 buckets choreographed by Laura Murphy, taking place on the Bray seafront – https://culturenight.ie/event/abacus/; singer Susan O’Neill in concert at the Mermaid – https://culturenight.ie/event/susan-oneill-concert/; and extended opening hours for the Blacker Than Any Blindness exhibition by artist Michael Durand – https://culturenight.ie/event/extended-gallery-opening-hours-blacker-than-any-blindness-by-michael-durand/.

Music in Calary have invited award-winning Wicklow classical musicians Annette Cleary (cello), John Feeley (guitar), and David O’Doherty (violin) to perform in the 19th Century Calary Church – https://culturenight.ie/event/a-night-of-music-in-calary-church/.

Dunlavin’s Market Square, will play host to a unique evening of gastronomy with an Interactive a Cookery Demonstration by Catherine Fulvio, followed by performances by four of Ireland’s finest musicians, Niamh Kavanagh (singer), Lynda O’Connor (violin), Gerald Peregrine (cello), and Brian Connor (Piano).  This family friendly evening is rounded off by a by local singer-songwriter, Amy Barrett, in concert – https://culturenight.ie/event/amy-barrett-live-in-concert/.

The Whale Theatre showcases an intergenerational celebration of jazz music featuring some of Ireland’s most celebrated jazz masters alongside a new generation of emerging young jazz musicians – https://culturenight.ie/event/generations-of-jazz-at-the-whale-theatre/.

Bray Jazz Festival will stage a double-bill of live music at the 18th Century St. Saviour’s Church in the heart of Rathdrum village, presenting live performances by bands led by Bray-born jazz singer Aoife Doyle, and by Arklow-based Irish jazz guitar legend, Nigel Mooney – https://culturenight.ie/event/jazz-at-st-saviours/.

The Courthouse Arts Centre is bringing a multi-dimensional experience of sound and vision to Tinahely with presents live music with on stage by Mark Caplice, Layzee Gold and Sam Ali, while visual artist, Liing Heaney will animate the townscape buildings with projections from her film exploring Tomnafinnoge Woods – https://culturenight.ie/event/dimensional/.

Finally, Wicklow Arts Office in collaboration with Wicklow Library Services have curated an exciting programme of fun-filled activities and workshops for children and adults at Baltinglass, Carnew, Dunlavin, Rathdrum and Wicklow Town Libraries including:

• Baltinglass Library – Felt making – https://culturenight.ie/event/felt-making-workshop/ and painting workshops – https://culturenight.ie/event/painting-workshop/ in Baltinglass Library;
• Carnew Library – A children’s An interactive workshop exploring 3D printed replicas and real dinosaurs fossils for children – https://culturenight.ie/event/lukes-deadly-dinosaurs/, followed by a poetry open mic session with Lorcan Brennan – https://culturenight.ie/event/poetry-open-mic-with-lorcan-brennan/ at Carnew Library;
• Dunlavin Library – traditional craft workshops such as candle making – https://culturenight.ie/event/candle-making-with-karen/ and willow weaving – https://culturenight.ie/event/wicklow-willow-weaving-workshop/ at Dunlavin Library;
• Rathdrum Library – Geli Printmaking with Whitedoodle Art – https://culturenight.ie/event/geli-printmaking-with-white-doodle-art/ and Mosaic Making – https://culturenight.ie/event/mosaic-making-workshop/ in Rathdrum Library;
• Wicklow Library – And a Podcasting Workshop with Createschool – https://culturenight.ie/event/createschool-podcasting-workshop/ and Make your own personalised Ex-libris/Bookplate workshop for adults in Wicklow Library – https://culturenight.ie/event/make-your-own-personalised-ex-libris-bookplate/.

For more information and booking visit www.culturenight.ie/events/.