Cold day, warm welcome

It was a week of Nordic associations, what with the bitingly cold weather, and all the Scandinavian parties going on. On Monday, the third Dublin International Theatre Symposium was launched in the Samuel Beckett Centre in Trinity. The symposium was showcasing performances and workshops by theatre companies from Japan, Poland, Denmark, Belgium, Austria, the UK, France and Italy, as well as Ireland.

Among the visiting theatrical folk was Ewa Wojciak from Teatr Osmego Dnia in Poznan, Poland. "It is colder here in Dublin than it is in Poland," she said, astonished, while her fellow colleagues agreed. "Colder than Austria," said playwright Friedrich Zauner, who lives close to the Bavarian border, and was well wrapped up in a floorlength coat. Zauner was looking forward to seeing his play A Day of Reckoning - which has been translated from German for the symposium - performed in English for the first time today by England's Greenwich Studio Theatre.

The symposium was organised by Pan Pan Theatre, in association with the Samuel Beckett Centre and ArtsLab. Among the guests there to support their countrymen were Dr Michael Postl, cultural attache for the Austrian Embassy; Harold Fish, director of the British Council; Henri de Coignac, the French Ambassador; and the Provost of Trinity College, Dr Thomas Mitchell.

Everyone gathered in the theatre to hear Gavin Quinn, the artistic director of Pan Pan, introduce the President, Mrs McAleese, who was to do the official honours. She looked curiously around her with the air of one recognising long-familiar territory before she began her speech, and said, "This theatre now occupies the place where I used to try to park my car illegally all those years ago!"

Also saying a few words was Prof Dennis Kennedy, the director of the Samuel Beckett Centre. The speeches throughout were signed by professional signer, Lorraine Leeson.

Following the speeches, there was a performance of a 15-minute extract from Kanzan, by the Japanese company, Tomoe Shizune and Hakutobo. The lights went down and Kagaya Sannae appeared alone on stage in an orange kimono. She performed the piece to extraordinary drum music in the style of Butoh, which is a type of stylised, spiritual dance.

Afterwards, the guests gathered in the foyer for a drinks reception and to muse upon the meaning of the Japanese performance. "Well, Riverdance it sure isn't," said someone from the throng.

Among those who had come along was Cliodhna Shaffrey, the Dun Laoghaire/Rathdown arts officer, who was talking to Aisling McLoughlin of Red Lemon Youth Theatre. What about Dorothy Cross's long-awaited ghost ship in Dun Laoghaire's harbour that we've heard so much about? "It'll be there in the harbour for three weeks from February 3rd," Cliodhna confirmed.

Ad Awards

The social calendar in January is a bit like waiting for buses. Nothing for days and then three events chug along at the same time. On Thursday night, one needed to be a type of Flann O'Brien Third Policeman, half-man, half-bike character to get from event to event.

The Advertising Agency of the Year Awards were presented by Michael Cullen, editor of Marketing at a reception in the Conrad Hotel. Michael had just about recovered from jet-lag, following his celebration of the New Year in Perth, Australia.

The awards have been going for eight years, and winning for the second time was agency DDFH&BJWT. The award was accepted with delight by managing director, Jim Donnelly. Among the projects the agency has covered lately was the launch of TV3. They also covered the "A Good Sense of Heineken" ads, which have been giving those Budweiser frogs a hop for their money - or should that be for their beer.

Also attending were the judges, Dave Hammond of Today FM; Tim Healy of Mercator Research; Liam Holland of The Irish Times; Pat Kiely of TV3; Melaine Morris of d'Side; Kristi O'Sullivan of the More Group; Eithne Ryan of Carlton Screen Advertising; and Des Whelan of WLR FM. This year's panel of judges was chaired by John Casey, chief executive of the Marketing Institute.

Nordic Take

Spaces: A Nordic Art Exhibition was the name of the exhibition which opened at the Crypt Arts Centre in Dublin Castle on Thursday evening. Finnish artist, Joonas Sirvio and Swedish artist Gabriella "Gala" Legillon have been based in Ireland for almost three years and decided to exhibit together after meeting at an Irish-Nordic gathering in Dublin some time ago.

Both of them were inspired by our skies of rain to produce several canvases with Irish themes, with one of Joonas's pieces simply entitled Rain. Other of his paintings were called Blues in the Castle, Restless Castle, and Bright Castle - no doubt inspired by the exhibition's location, deep within Dublin Castle.

Timo Jalkanen, the Finnish ambassador, with Per Lindstrom, the charge d'affaires of the Swedish embassy, did the opening honours. Those wonderful effervescent Corkonians, the Bubble Brothers, provided the champagne. The champagne labels, designed by painters from west Cork, such as Cormac Boydell and Charles Tyrell, made an alternative exhibition all of their own.

Get into the Spirit

Not far away, in the Viking Centre on Essex Quay, more people were assembling for a blast of Nordic culture, past and present. The new Lakes and Mountains of Scandinavia brochure, which profiles Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden, was being launched in fine style.

It was a busy time for diplomats Timo Jalkanen, and Per Linstrom, on their second launch of the night. They joined embassy colleagues; Ulrik Federspiel the Danish ambassador; Helge Vindenes, the Norwegian ambassador; and Felicity McCartan, the honorary consul for Iceland.

Guests were told by the diplomats that the collective total of visitors from Ireland was just 20,000, and that they'd love to see more of us heading north this year, with the improved flight services now available to Scandinavian capitals from Dublin.

Among those munching with nostalgia on the smoked trout nibbles were Soren Damstrup and Ulla Pakarinen of the Finnish Tourist Board; Hannes Hilmarsson, of Icelandair; Per Holte of the Norwegian Tourist Board; and Barbro McAusland of the Swedish Travel and Tourism Council.

Trays of Aquavite, the unusual spirit-based drink of which each Scandinavian country has its own version, were doing the rounds. Among those trying it out were Grainne Byrne, whose PR company, Grainne Byrne Communications, organised the event, and her colleague, Ger Hennessy.

After the speeches, many of the guests stayed on to dance to the Boo- gie All-Stars band, and to begin practising for those forthcoming Eurovision parties. The five-members of the band answered to the redoubtable names of Donna L'Amour, Brad, Sylvester, Travis, and The Don.

In the Ring

Also on Thursday was the premiere of Southpaw. This is the story of amateur boxer, Francis Barrett: the young Galway Traveller who competed so gallantly in the 1996 Olympics, and who excited much media interest in the process.

Southpaw has been made by Clarence Pictures, directed by Liam McGrath and produced by duo Rob Walpole and Paddy Breathnach, still riding high on the success of I Went Down. The documentary film tells the story of two years in the life of Francis Barrett, who has since married and lives in London with his two children.

The premiere, which was held at Virgin Cinemas, was in aid of SARI - Sport Against Racism in Ireland. Among those who attended were Francis and his wife, Kathleen Barrett; Olympic medallist Michael Curruth and his wife, Pauline; boxer Nicholas Cruz Hernandez; Louis Leo, who coaches Francis in England; Brendan Ingle; director Jim Sheridan; actor Brendan Gleeson; and composer Dario Marianelli.

After the movie, there was a party in the apposite setting of the Ringside Bar in the National Stadium.

Behind the Door

On Friday, there was a shindig at Collins Barracks for the launch of the third series of Beyond the Hall Door, which no doubt will be watched with interest by the increasing numbers who actually possess their own hall doors. In addition to kicking off the new 13-part series, director Michael O'Connell also announced details of a spin-off exhibition from the interiors programme, which will be held in the Point in September.

Roisin Murphy and Catherine Giovannelli, who co-present the show with Bernice Harrison, were there, chatting away to the assembled guests, several of whom have contributed to the new series. Among them was Robin Hegarty of design consultancy, Language, taking a night off from organising his forthcoming February wedding to Vaari Claffey of Temple Bar Galleries.

Also invited were fashion designer Marc O'Neill, and Marina Hughes of Venus productions, who will be co-producing Gerry Stembridge's new movie, All About Adam. Caroline Rowan was taking a breather after the seasonal rush on her new interiors shop Capsule, in the Westbury Mall. Only 300 and whatever days to the next rush.