Cairde Connected
Cairde Sligo Arts Festival announces Cairde Connected – a programme of literary, music, performance and family events that will be broadcast online from Sligo this July 8 to 11.
Tara McGowan, Festival Director said “Due to the ongoing Covid 19 pandemic, we have decided we unfortunately cannot go ahead with the festival as planned. We’re gutted to have to put the plans aside BUT we have put together a programme of events which we will be sharing online so that we can keep that vital connection between festival, artists and audiences alive. We will be announcing the full programme soon so stay tuned for updates.”
Highlights will include a thought provoking and stimulating literary and performance programme under the banner of Cairde Word. Cairde’s literary programme has been growing year by year and now, more than ever, it’s vital for us to remain open to divergent voices and viewpoints, and to allow ourselves to be curious, inspired and moved. Curator Patrick Karl Curley will bring together a chorus of unique voices from the various disciplines of art, literature, spoken word, music and performance; featuring Alix Lambert, Emma Dabiri, Franki Elliot, Karl Geary, Demi Anter, Ruth Clinton & Niamh Moriarty, Sasha Terfous, Caragh Maxwell and Olivia Furey. A variation of our poetry trail of previous years, Vagabond Voices combines a selection of Irish and international perspectives through reading and performance over three days, Wednesday 8th, Thursday 9th, and Friday 10th of July.
An In conversation event with Sligo writer Louise Kennedy and poet Elaine Feeney will be broadcast on Wednesday 8th. A Non Fiction Panel on Thursday July 9th will feature Ian Maleney and Sara Baume facilitated by Niamh McCabe. Filmed in The Factory PerformanceSpace, Alice Lyons will be in conversation with Una Mannion on the publication of her latest work, Oona on Saturday July 11th. CSAF are delighted that these events are happening with the support of the SpotLit Literary Tourism Programme.
Music has always been at the beating heart of Cairde Sligo Arts Festival and Cairde Connected will provide a pulsating online programme for music lovers this July. ‘Whose Woods these are’ is an arboreal music & research project by multi-instrumentalist Natalia Beylis & cellist Eimear Reidy. The aim of the project is to bring audiences into woodland settings to listen to music amongst the trees in the hope that this will encourage people to relish time spent in nature and look after the woodlands. Ted Kelly (of Moxie) will share his new ‘lo-fi’ trad project featuring visuals filmed in a Sligo location on Thursday 9th.
A Trad Arts commission with Cathy Jordan (vocals, mandolin, percussion) , Claudia Schwab (fiddle, vocals) & Irene Buckley (virtual input) (electronics, vocals) present a unique and introspective body of sounds. In an intimate setting, the three musicians express their bond to traditional music, whereby ancient tradition is summoned to meet new burgeonings. This event will air on Friday, July 10th. Donal Dineen will broadcast a special Make Me An Island podcast on Saturday July 11th.
Kids will as always get a chance to boogie to Will Softly’s World music disco – a festival favourite blending old-skool classics with long lost alternative gems from all four corners of the Globe – a live broadcast will provide motivation for all parts of the body to shake rattle and roll!
In addition to July’s virtual programme, CSAF are continuing to work on a number of development projects throughout 2020. Cairde Young Curators, a programme where artist Andy Parsons is working with a group of 15 to 19 year-olds on curating an aspect of the festival programme continues online. Residencies taking place in 2020 include a project inspired by the works of Dorothy Cross with Junk Ensemble in November; a residency with Theatre Maker Sorcha Fox in collaboration with Sligo Arts Service and the Hawk’s Well Theatre and continued development work on Uprooted with Brokentalkers in Autumn 2020.