Rory Mooney, 16 Aug
September is the month for culture across the country, as arts venues
throughout Ireland prepare to throw open their doors to celebrate
Culture Night, taking place on Friday, September 20.
Hundreds of free events will take place throughout villages, towns and
cities across the island of Ireland, helping venues connect with new
audiences and providing a platform for talent across a wide range of
genres.
Derry City and Strabane District Council is encouraging local arts
organisations to join the programme for this year’s celebration, and to
make the most of the opportunity to tap into new audiences.
Mayor of Derry and Strabane, Cllr Lillian Seenoi Barr, said it was a
unique platform for artists to showcase their work.
“Arts and Culture are so important within our local community and we
have a wealth of local talent here in Derry and Strabane. We need to
find more opportunities to bring that work to the fore and promote the
wonderful creative experiences and performers here in the North West.
“The fact that all the Culture Night events are free opens up the arts
to everyone, and will encourage more people to dip into new events and
venues and maybe discover something that really appeals to them. I
would really encourage our creative community to get involved in the
celebration, and make it a fabulous and vibrant experience for everyone
this year,” she said.
Culture Night 2024 will explore the themes of ‘Openness, Discovery,
Celebration and Belonging, and aims to take people on a voyage of
discovery into the arts.
John Kerr, Arts & Culture Manager at Derry City and Strabane District
Council, said the programme always provided an eclectic mix of
activities and events.
“Culture Night gives us the opportunity to explore our cultural
offering here in the North West and provide first class entertainment
for audiences, young and old. Venues throw open their doors to offer a
range of drop-in and short sessions, allowing people to enjoy a number
of free events over the course of the evening. It’s a great way of
engaging and inspiring new audiences and future artists.”
Find out more about the event and how you can get involved by going
to culturenight.ie
If you have an event you would like to promote as part of the Culture
Night programme then you can register the details online
at www.derrystrabane.com/what-s-on before September 7.