The Cultural Connectedness Exchange Day is a time and place for members of the network to come together and make plans, voice sector concerns and learn from other creative people about their practice.
Irish and Northern artists, along with those who commission Irish work in England, come together for a series of engaging sessions in which we discuss our creative work, experience artist-led interactions and make connections. This is a day for professional networking, peer-to-peer conversations and activity that helps to build a better creative community.
Itinerary
10:00 Intro and ‘Just a Minute’ intros
10.45 The Irish Embassy, its Northern Consulate and cultural promotion in Britain
11:00 What does ‘cultural connectedness’ mean to you? (Group talks, 15mins; 15mins feedback/discussion)
11:30 What do artists/organisations want from CCEN? (split artists and organisations, 20mins; feedback 10mins)
12:00 Gerry Molumby – ways of working with dementia
12:30 Lunch
13:30 The Representation of Irishness on stage (Hawkseed)
14:15 I am Irish – what is Irishness and how do we include everyone?
15:00 Maz O’Connor: using folklore in contemporary work
15:45 Reflect on the day and note positive outcomes.
16:00 End
Image © Emgib Akyurt
Find out more about the network here.
We are proud to state this event is linked with Black History Month and the Cuture Liverpool programme.
Recording of this event
https://youtu.be/uXFtGfEEKdg
Original listing
A regular meeting of Irish and Northern Irish artists, and the organisations that commission Irish and Northern Irish work, this session will reflect on the Cultural Connectedness Day at the start of the Festival. It will be a chance to reconnect (following the Cultural Connectedness Exchange Day on Thurs 21 Oct) and make creative plans for the year ahead.
Find out more about the network here.
Draft agenda for this session runs thus:
Tour of the Zoom room – intros and opportunities
Reflect on Cultural Connectedness Day findings/experiences
Start a clash calendar of events for 2022 and think about common themes
Plan next meetings for 2022
What do we want Irish cultural funders to do for us? + updates.
Following on from his solo show (at the Phil’s Music Room on Sat 23 Oct), Matt picks up his other hat to host Cocoons, a weekly podcast in which he is joined by incredible artists from around the world.
Together they explore stories and songs, exchanging memories and sharing (musical) notes.
Cocoons was first curated by Irish artists Matt McGinn and Cormac Neeson, at the beginning of the original lockdowns (March 2020). Since then, it has supported performances from hundreds of incredible artists (Brian Kennedy, Mary Coughlan, Duke Special and JC Stewart, to name just four) and raised over £12,000 for charities hardest-hit by the pandemic.
Guesting will be BLÁNID, a Northern Irish Devonian, with a voice that’s been compared to Kate Bush, Sinéad O’Connor and Joni Mitchell. Having released her debut album Fool’s Gold this year, this fresh indie-folk voice is not to be missed, in this usual blend of interview and seisiún; historic surrounds and Festival set-up. We are also expecting some local talent (including KingFast) and Liverpool stories. This will be a generous event, full of kind exchanges and warmth; a positive way to spend a Sunday evening with friends.
?
We are proud to state this event is linked with Black History Month and the Cuture Liverpool programme.
Recording of 25 Oct 2021: A Revolutionary Century
https://www.youtube.com/live/Zld7mg7QtNg?si=HC7K3qMlqk2jBswR
Original posting
Join authors Greg Queiry and Jack Byrne for a conversation about the image -and reality- of the Irish Community in Liverpool.
Using their publications as reference, they’ll discuss the myths and reality of the city nicknamed ‘Ireland’s second capital’.
Greg’s history book, In Hardship and Hope (G&K Publishing, 2017), charts the earliest development of the Irish in Liverpool; through the traumatic famine-period, up to modern times. As the organiser of many walking tours, a poet and teacher, Greg brings an expertise in history, especially of Liverpool’s north end communities. Jack Byrne’s fictional novel, Under The Bridge (Northodox Press, 2021) takes its starting point as the post-WW2 wave of emigration from Ireland to the UK, as well as his lived-experience of a ‘Catholic not Irish’ upbringing in Speke.
From the Kimmage ‘brigade’ Garrison in the 1916 rising, to Brendan’s Behan’s arrival in Liverpool; through the difficult period of the ‘Troubles’, Liverpool -the city- and the island of Ireland have always been connected. Whatever your connection to the Irish experience or Liverpool, this conversation promises to be interesting and informative.
This event is partnered with The Liverpool Literacy Agency and #2021LiverpoolWrites.
?
The talk will be broadcast on YouTube (search for the Liverpool Irish Festival channel), which requires no tickets. If you would like to be part of the live Zoom transmission, and take part in the online Q&A, you will need to book. Ticket numbers are limited. Once you have booked, Eventbrite (the booking system) will send you all the necessary links to gain access to the event on the evening.
Cancelled
We are sorry to say that, for performer health reasons, we are no longer able to run this show. We will endeavour to bring Colm Keegan and Laura Durrant back to Liverpool in future. All tickets will be refunded via the Philharmonic’s Box Office. Please see the Festival’s other music listings for exceptional musical talent during the 10 day Festival period.
[lif_events ids=”3043,3231,3245,3240,3264″ heading=”Alternative music events to browse at #LIF2021″]
Original listing
Colm Keegan and Laura Durrant: Live celebrates the joint talents of this musical couple.
Colm Keegan and Laura Durrant are international stars, running Scots-Irish castle tours and large music tours of the USA, alongside educational careers. Multi award-winning Irish singer and musician Colm Keegan is best known as one of the principal singers in PBS’s sensation show: Celtic Thunder, which led to him meeting his soon-to-be musical partner and wife, Glaswegian cellist Laura Durrant, also a member.
A Dubliner born and bred, Colm may still only be 30, but has already achieved an extensive career to date, having set up his own music school and undertaken numerous world tours. Laura is a native of Glasgow in Scotland, where they both now reside. Laura comes from a musical family (her father is renowned viola player James Durrant), which influenced her attendance at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland before joining Barrowland Ballet. As well as music, Laura is a talented actor and dancer and both are qualified teachers.
In what some might call a far cry from their days of personal invitations to play at the Pentagon, Colm and Laura join us to present an intimate live event at the Liverpool Philharmonic Music Room.
More info:
W: colmkeegan.com / ckonlineteaching.com
F: @ LauraDurrantCello @ ColmKeeganSinger
T: @laursadurrant @ColmKeeganMusic
NB: The Liverpool Philharmonic has entry requirements aligned with Covid-19 safety. If attending, please make sure you are aware of these and are able to pass their requirements. Information is at this link.
This 2 hour walk through the former heartland of Liverpool’s Irish community, will look at schools, statues and graveyards to explore what is left of the areas rich heritage, rousing some old ghosts along the way.
Led by historian Greg Quiery, this walk explores the dense history of a world-famous district. Featuring the stories of heroic men and women; footballers and rock stars; two hidden statues; a graveyard and the legends of Dandy Pat and James Carling. The walk ends at St Anthony’s church, a short bus ride from town.
As with the South Liverpool and Irish Heritage walks, places are limited so we advise you book early to avoid disappointment.
This in an outdoor walk; please be weather prepared, comfortable and hydrated. We will observe Covid-19 regulations as at the date of the walk. Walkers should act responsibly, including having a mask available in the event streets or locations are busy. We will do all we can to maintain social distancing, but need your active co-operation in this.
This year’s walks are held in memory of Vin Finn, Festival volunteer and Irish community champion.
Meet at entrance to Central Library.
On this 2 hour walk you will discover the Irish connection to many of the historic buildings in the Hope Street and Rodney Street areas, and hear from some of the colourful characters who populated them.
Led by historian Greg Quiery, we advise you book early to avoid disappointment.
Anyone interested in this may also like the Scotland Road and Irish Heritage walks.
This in an outdoor walk; please be weather prepared, comfortable and hydrated. We will observe Covid-19 regulations as at the date of the walk. Walkers should act responsibly, including having a mask available in the event streets or locations are busy. We will do all we can to maintain social distancing, but need your active co-operation in this.
This year’s walks are held in memory of Vin Finn, Festival volunteer and Irish community champion.
Meet at the Famine Memorial in St Luke’s Gardens, Leece St.
? ?
The Letters of John McGahern provides fresh insight into the life, and work, of one of Ireland’s greatest literary figures; John McGahern (1934-2006).
Best known for his banned second novel, The Dark (1965), and his Booker Prize shortlisted -state of the nation masterpiece- Amongst Women (1990), McGahern was the author of six novels and four short-story collections, plus a play and a memoir. Admired for the sparing grace of his prose, and the startling accuracy of his depictions of Irish life in the second half of the twentieth century, his work won plaudits and prizes in Britain, Ireland, the USA and France.
The Letters consists of over 1,200 communications sent by McGahern to friends, family and fellow writers, over 63 years. Beginning with a childhood thank you note, to his father, it closes with an email to Irish poet Paul Durcan, dictated from his death bed. Accompanying these remarkable documents is an introduction and explanatory notes from the editor, Professor Frank Shovlin, Professor of Irish Literature in English of the Institute of Irish Studies, University of Liverpool.
The launch consists of a lecture from Professor Shovlin based on his research when editing McGahern’s correspondence. A native of the west of Ireland, Professor Shovlin was educated at University College Galway and University of Oxford. He is the author of three academic monographs and numerous essays on aspects of Irish writing.
University of Liverpool (final venue to be confirmed) and online.
Matt McGinn is a seasoned Irish musician with a number of albums under his belt (and more in production!).
He has collaborators the world over. Having grown up during The Troubles, music was a way for Matt to engage in expression and find peace. He wondered if he could create peace through music and, working with artists in war torn environments, created Lessons of War.
Having explored his beautiful documentary of the same name at #LIF2020, tonight we hear the music -live- along with stories of his experience making the album and the opportunities that can be found in sharing, collaborating and putting a little generosity out in the world.
Image © Bruce Clements
Additional info:
Matt McGinn is a singer songwriter and producer from the foothills of the Mourne Mountains (Co. Down, NI). He has released four studio albums to date, all of which -and notably Lessons of War- were critically acclaimed.
The Line of Best Fit said Lessons of War was a “Plaintive and devastating reassessment of the futility of war, its horrors, effects and after-effects…”. Its lead single Bubblegum was penned with Mick Flannery. After playing it Tom Robinson of BBC 6 Music exclaimed”…now, wasn’t that just extraordinary?” Matt’s latest release Something became the most played song on BBC Radio Ulster (March 2021) and was playlisted on RTE Radio 1. His previous single Annie (Many Moons Ago) was described by Hotpress Magazine as “without doubt, one of the best singles you will hear this year…”.
Since lockdown began in March of 2020, Matt -with fellow performer Cormac Neeson of The Answer- have developed and run the online platform Cocoons (facebook.com/groups/cocoons). Now well past its 60th week, it is a gender balanced platform that has seen performances from over 140 established artists all around the word and raised over £12,000 for various charities.
W: mattmcginnmusic.com
F: @mattmcginnmusic
T: @MattMcGinnMusic
NB: The Liverpool Philharmonic has entry requirements aligned with Covid-19 safety. If attending, please make sure you are aware of these and are able to pass their requirements. Information is at this link.
Over the last two centuries, the histories of Ireland and Merseyside have become inextricably linked through the port of Liverpool.
During the nineteenth century, millions of Irish emigrants passed through the port while hundreds of thousands made the city their home.
On Merseyside, Irish history has become interwoven with the histories of countries and communities across the globe who also settled in the city. In this podcast, recorded in front of a live Festival audience, Irish historian and creator of The Irish History Podcast (irishhistorypodcast.ie), Fin Dwyer, will talk to local people about their family histories, which embody these fascinating links between Liverpool, Ireland and the wider world.
The event is held in partnership with The Irish History Podcast. Look out for its broadcast later in the year.
??
We are proud to state this event is linked with Black History Month and the Cuture Liverpool programme.
