Tonight its Culture Night, that time of year when major institutions in towns and cities up and down the country open up their doors for a late night showing of their work. It is starting from 5pm-12pm and in 34 towns and cities throughout Ireland with many late night galleries, studies, workshops, concerts and shows on offer opening their doors to the public free of charge.
Plays, concerts, and late night art exhibitions are some of the better known attractions but there is so much more to Culture night than watching late night shows and cultural events. It offers many more events of note both entertaining and educational for people of all ages to enjoy free of charge. Artists and many lesser known institutions and cultural organisations will be opening up their doors and inviting everyone in to see inside their world and catch a glimpse of how they work.
In the capital there is an extra vibe this year with RTÉ Radio One hosting a three hour Arena Special live from Dublin’s Temple Bar featuring the RTÉ Concert Orchestra as well as Julie Feeney, O Emperor, The Walls and Lunasa. That event kicks off at 7pm with host Sean Rocks acting as MC for the event. Also in culture night in Dublin is a specially-commissioned work from contemporary Irish composer Stephen Gardner, performed by the RTÉ Concert Orchestra featuring comedy trio The Nualas and a performance of plays written by the late Maeve Binchy.
In Cork you can pop into the English market for a late evening snack before wandering around and taking in the many things of note in the city from exhibitions to exploring major cultural institutions at night. For a magnificent view of the city why not pop into Shandon bells and towers (st annes church), checkout the stars and the work of local astronomers in the Blackrock observatory or if the books of Dan Brown have intrigued you, you can catch a glimpse inside the mysterious world of the Freemasons at their local cork branch. And that is just a tiny fraction of what is in offer in cork city. There is plenty more for people of all interests and ages nationwide. The cities and towns all 34 of them involved will be abuzz as they each celebrate their unique cultural history and works.
With culture night encapsulating so much from the worlds of music, dance, theatre, the spoken word and literature and beyond it is a night to check out your local town or city and explore and appreciate its many hidden cultural gems. Throughout the night there will be a chance to see visual art on display in late night galleries, shows and artists studios specially opened to the public. Concerts, shows, late night street food stalls, special tours (bus are operating to take people to a variety of places of interest), workshops and exhibitions are also part of this year’s programme and sure to entertain and educate us to our unique culture. For more details checkout www.culturenight.ie.