ArtScape: The fact that a major sponsorship agreement for Cork's year as European Capital of Culture 2005 must remain anonymous for some time exemplifies the continuing reluctance of the organisation to give a detailed account of its plans to the public, writes Mary Leland.
The trouble is that the arts world in Cork is rocketing onward, leaving Cork 2005 in the shade as new appointments are primed to take effect this month, beginning with the arrival of Penny Rae as new director of Triskel Arts Centre, where she replaces Alison Fordham. Rae comes to Cork from the British Council and is relocating from London; of some interest to the personnel at Cork 2005 is the fact that her husband, Robert Palmer, was the director both of the immensely successful Glasgow year as European Capital of Culture in 1990 and of Brussels in 2001. This month also sees the arrival at University College Cork of Prof James Elkins of the Art Institute of Chicago, who replaces Alastair Rowan as head of the university's History of Art department. Lured to Cork by UCC's President Gerry Wrixon, Elkins is a charismatic specialist in visual culture and his appointment is a coup for the university. Also at UCC, the new Lewis Glucksman Gallery gets its first director, Fiona Kearney, who was formerly visual arts officer at UCC and has been involved in the gallery since its inception.
Of course, Cork 2005 has a much wider brief than can be covered by any of these appointments. But as far as news goes, all that it has to match such developments are the agreement of the President, Mrs McAleese, to be patron of the event, the winding-up of more than 80 contractual negotiations for its year-long programme and the success of the interactive programme announced last autumn. The promise is for 90 separate events, most of them to be revealed in February, with the details of the international strands held back until October.
Druid gets funding
Galway's Druid Theatre has secured "one of the final pieces in a very important funding jigsaw", according to its managing director, Fergal McGrath, writes Lorna Siggins. Galway City Council has €150,000 over the next three years towards refurbishing the company's venue at Chapel Lane. The €1.2 million project will begin over the coming months, and is the first substantial change to the premises since the warehouses, when owned by the McDonagh family, were fitted out by Druid in 1979. Very little has been done since then, due to lack of funds. However, the McDonaghs donated the building to the theatre company in 1996 on its 21st birthday. First piece in the crucial "funding jigsaw" required to make the most of this gift was a €635,000 grant, which was awarded to Druid two years ago by the then Minister for Arts, Síle de Valera. The company undertook fundraising efforts, and the city council's commitment has now been warmly welcomed by McGrath.
Planning permission has been granted for the refurbishment, which is "archaeologically sensitive", given that the theatre and adjoining buildings are in the heart of the city's medieval quarter. The proposed works comprise limited alterations to the existing buildings and refurbishment of the foyer, rehearsal, administration and performance space. McGrath says a strategy of "conservation and repair" will be pursued by architects O'Donnell & Tuomey, best known for its work on the Irish Film Centre and the National Photographic Centre.
In a separate development, Galway's Taibhdhearc theatre, which has been celebrating its 75th anniversary, may be able to screen films in the venue in the coming months. It has just been given a capital grant of €40,000 by the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Éamon Ó Cuiv, towards a sound and lighting system.
Slovenian art attack
With the Minister for the Arts, John O'Donoghue, due to announce on Wednesday the full programme of cultural events to mark the Irish EU Presidency, the Art Projects Network has declared the first Irish visit by Slovenian art collective Neue Slowenische Kunst (NSK), which will bring theatre, visual arts, music, and performances to a number of Dublin locations in May. An NSK "State in Time" office in Project, Temple Bar will be open to the public, offering information about the collective and its work.
Also in Project, the NSK art collective, IRWIN, will mount a show tracing the events and dialogue leading to EU enlargement. It will unveil a new work that will be commissioned specifically for this Dublin event.
In Temple Bar Gallery & Studios, the NSK Department of Pure & Applied Philosophy, under the direction of Peter Mlakar, will provide what is being billed as "an artistic/philosophical performance". In The Helix, the Noordung theatre company, under the direction of Dragan Zivadinov, will give a performance of his work, Supremat. The NSK film, Predictions of Fire, which gives insights into the early days of NSK in former Yugoslavia, will be shown in the Irish Film Institute, while Laibach, a group seen as the pre-cursors of industrial music, play the Temple Bar Music Centre. Further details: 086-2471114 www.artprojectsnetwork.net
Everyman new play
The Everyman Palace Theatre, in association with Cork 2005: European Capital of Culture, is looking to commission a new play for a full-scale production on the main stage of the Everyman Palace in late 2005. Playwrights are invited to submit an idea for a play they propose to write, along with an example of previous work. In issuing a brief to playwrights, the Everyman states: "Cork will be the European Capital of Culture; an experience that provokes questions about the meaning of culture, Europe and city life in general. We invite playwrights to take any of these ideas as a point of departure and encourage them to respond in any way they choose." A shortlist will be compiled and writers called for interview at the Everyman Palace next March/April 2004. For more information, contact Tom Creed at the Everyman Palace Studio on 021-4557827 or e-mail tcreedept@eircom.net
Barnstorm future
Barnstorm Theatre Company has announced details of a new writing project aimed at developing theatre scripts for young audiences. The "New Plays for Young Audiences" project invites writers to participate in a series of writing workshops, culminating in a number of public rehearsed readings of their work. Facilitated by playwright Ken Bourke, the workshops will take place in Kilkenny in February, April and June with the readings in August, to coincide with Kilkenny Arts Festival. Interested writers should submit to Barnstorm an outline/idea of a play for young audiences, along with a letter of application and a short CV, by Friday, January 9th. For information, contact Barnstorm on 056-7751266 or e-mail newplays@barnstorm.ie
Short Cuts
Brazilian artist Tonico Lemos Auad, currently showing at Project, Dublin, has been shortlisted for the prestigious €65,000 Beck's Future Award, which is run by the Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA) in London. One of 10 artists on the shortlist, his show, Moonbeam 851, continues at Project until January 20th. Auad sculpts animal forms out of carpet fluff and draws on bananas. The Beck's Futures winner will be announced in late April and an exhibition of the shortlisted artists' work will open in March at the ICA, London, and run until May 16th.
Northern Ireland actor Adrian Dunbar is to make his debut as a director with a new production of Brian Friel's Philadelphia, Here I Come! The production, for the Association of Regional Theatres Northern Ireland (ARTNI) opens at the end of this month in the Millennium Forum Derry. The production will travel to Dublin and open in the Gaiety on February 16th. Enniskillen-born Dunbar, who is best known for his film and TV appearances, performed in Conall Morrison's production of Tom Murphy's Conversations on a Homecoming in Belfast and Dublin in 2002. The lead roles of Public and Private Gar will be played by Ruaidhri Conroy and Marty Rea. ARTNI has been set up by TheMarket Place Theatre, Armagh, Ardhowen Theatre, Enniskillen, Burnavon Arts and Cultural Centre, Cookstown, Riverside Theatre, Coleraine and The Millennium Forum, Derry, in an attempt to create high quality work.
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