DUBLIN will be putting its best face forward as the country prepares to celebrate this year’s Culture Night.
A total of 34 regions, towns and cities are participating in this, the eighth Culture Night, to be staged.
An incredible fusion of cultural events can be seen around the country on Friday, September 20 as museums, galleries, theatres, churches, historic houses, artists’ studios and cultural institutions throw open their doors.
Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Jimmy Deenihan, unveiled details of the night during a colourful launch in Dublin’s city centre.
“I am delighted to launch the annual Culture Night celebrations,
? Minister Deenihan said.
“The extraordinary night of cultural festivities has grown each year since its inception in 2006 with inspiring commitment from local authorities, cultural organisations and participants throughout the country.
“There is a diverse programme of performances, events and exhibitions available to the public. Figures show increased tourist numbers for the nationwide event, and in this – the year of the Gathering – even greater numbers can be expected to participate.
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He added:
“I would like to personally commend all the volunteers and staff of the various locations nationwide who work tirelessly to ensure that Culture Night is a success.”
As a special element of the programme this year, the RTÃ? Concert Orchestra will perform an exclusive one-off performance in Meeting House Square, Temple Bar.
The performance will be broadcast live from the magical outdoor venue on Arena on RTÃ? Radio 1.
In 2012, a record 300,000 people took to the streets across the cities and towns of Ireland to enjoy the incredible atmosphere and unique experience and even more participants are expected in 2013.
New highlights this year include historic tours of inner city Dublin from longtime residents with the Mountjoy Square Society, and a delicious Edible Art installation in The Doorway Gallery.
There’s a whole host of new venues on board this year including the Art Tunnel Smithfield, the Zoological Museum, The Little Museum of Dublin, Archbishop Marsh’s Library, Big Smoke Writing Factory and The Mendicity Institution Trust which will all be opening their doors late into the night.
Other Dublin highlights include a Family Culture Trail, which is an initiative comprised of 12 separate organisations, presenting fascinating objects of discovery from The Stokes Tapestry to The Great Auk.
Each intriguing object will be surrounded by a range of activities and specially staged events on Culture Night.
Telling Tales of Town Planning in the Art Tunnel, Smithfield features fascinating stories by members of the local community.
Meanwhile, the Mountjoy Square Society will open two of its private houses to the public.
Karin O’Flanagan, long-time resident of the square, will lead the walking tour which will start at 5pm from her house at number 54, while over in number 47, Bernadette Manning will host a traditional Dublin evening of 18th and early 19th century song and craic.
In Temple Bar there will be talks on
‘Hedgerow Remedies’, explaining the beneficial properties of herbal remedies that can be created from common plants and showing how tinctures and creams are used for hedgerow herbalism.
There will also be an exhibition entitled
‘The Story of the Earth’ in the museum gallery of Trinity College.
For a full programme of details visit the website www.culturenight.ie