OPERETTA, light opera and musical comedy singers, apply know for the R and R bursary, this year combined with a bursary from the Siemans Nixdorf Feis Cheoil competition, and carrying a prize fund of £3,000; the absolute deadline for applications is this Saturday - phone 01-6767365 for details... L'Imaginaire Irlandais, the much flagged festival of Irish culture in France, has had its press launch date pushed back, for a second time - the January 25th date has been scuppered by the difficulty of dove tailing the schedules of the French Minister of Foreign Affairs, Henri De Charette, with that of our own Michael D.; the press launch will now take place on an as yet unconfirmed date in February... The Arts Council of Northern Ireland's budget has gone up three per cent for this administrative year... The Red Lemon Youth Theatre is looking for new members in the 14 to 18 age group - phone 01-2806147 and ask for Deirdre Enright...

Italian tenor, Mario Malagnini sings in the New Year Opera Gala at the National Concert Hall on Saturday night, at the University Concert Hall, Limerick, on Tuesday 23rd, and at the City Hall, Cork, on Saturday 27th...