NEWLY DISCOVERED 1930s Hollywood films about hurling, a performance artist who washes feet and a symposium devoted to 40 years of Irish feminism are among the eclectic attractions at Kilkenny Arts Festival, which begins today.
The 10-day event, now in its 37th year, will be formally launched by Minister for Culture Mary Hanafin this evening. An extensive programme, featuring classical and popular music, dance, visual art, theatre, readings and children’s activities is expected to draw an estimated 23,000 visitors.
Organisers said that accommodation in Kilkenny was fully booked for this weekend and next, although there was still some availability midweek.
Festival chief executive Damien Downes was “proud of the quality of the programme given the economic circumstances”. His budget had been cut by 10 per cent since last year – “down to €900,000” – but he said quality had been maintained by “taking advantage of low hotel room rates and cheap flights [for visiting performers] and cheaper advertising costs”.
The most eagerly anticipated event is tomorrow night's sold-out lecture by Robert Fisk, the London Independent's Middle East correspondent.
Given the festival’s location in the hurling heartlands, there is also much interest in next Monday’s screening of short films made in Hollywood in the 1930s to introduce American cinema audiences to Ireland’s national sport. But Mr Downes said some tickets are still available as “the GAA crowd are walk-ups”.
Other festival highlights include one of Britain's leading choirs, The Cardinall's Musick, performing Tudor masterpieces; a symposium, When I'm Sixty-Four, on the subject of pension reform, chaired by Fintan O'Toole; and the first exhibition devoted to the "sculptural constructions" of Tony O'Malley, the late Kilkenny-born artist, at the Butler Gallery.
Next Friday, Diarmaid Ferriter, UCD's professor of modern Irish history, will chair a debate on 40 years of Irish feminism. The event will be preceded by the first showing in 40 years of the Irish film I Can't . . . I Can't(also known as Wedding Night), which Bishop Cornelius Lucey tried to have withdrawn from the Cork Film Festival in 1969 because "with its nude and semi-nude scenes it must lead to immodest thoughts".
At Kilkenny Castle yesterday Belfast-based theatre company Ponydance explained that their show, Where Did It All Go Right?, is based on "four people in a bar, trying to get out of it". Kilkenny publicans are hoping for the reverse and looking forward to a bumper festival.
For further information about the festival, including ticket availability and bookings, contact the box office on 056-7752175 or visit the website, kilkennyarts.ie.