Anam Festival returns in April

THE Anam festival might be only celebrating its second year this April, but it’s already becoming a firm favourite with fans of culture and the arts.

The programme is a fantastic celebration of arts, ideas and creativity in North Dublin and this year it’s being once again curated and produced by South Wind Blows (creators of the popular Other Voices RTÉ TV show and festival) with a team led by director and renowned Irish musician, Philip King.

Anam 2019 features an inspiring line-up of talent that showcases North Dublin’s buzzing creativity. The two-day event will see leading artists and musicians perform alongside DCU staff and students, and people from the surrounding communities.

It includes concerts, readings, films, masterclasses and discussions, with events across the three university campuses in Glasnevin, Drumcondra and All Hallows.

This year promises an exciting and eclectic line-up of music, featuring everything from choral concerts to hip hop.

The festival features acts such as Mango + Mathman, Delorentos, Tebi Rex, Natalya O'Flaherty and Katie Gallagher.

The atmospheric surrounds of All Hallows church will host a trad and folk concert called Heart of the Rowl, with contributions from David Keenan, Cormac Begley & Libby McCrohan and Landless.

There will also be readings featuring Melatu uche Okorie and participants from the Fighting Words programme and a literary/poetry event curated by Derek Hand, Marina Carr and Réaltán Ni Leannáin.

A number of thought-provoking panel discussions are also planned, two of which will explore important themes such as the relationship between music and film and the facilitation of hate speech by social media platforms.

The festival itself emerged as part of DCU’s five-year strategic plan, where the university has committed to nurturing creativity and culture across its campuses.

With that in mind, DCU set about rolling out an active programme of cultural activities for students, staff and local communities around the University – with the ultimate goal of creating a North Dublin Cultural Quarter.

The success of Anam Festival is a clear sign that people in the area have got behind the bid to develop a vibrant artistic hub on the Northside. 

Anam runs on April 3 and 4. For more information visit www.dcu.ie/anam