CHERISH THE Ladies, the 13-year old jazz guitar prodigy Andreas Varady and comedy group Dead Cat Bounce are among the acts at this year’s Clifden Community Arts Week.
Poets and writers Harry Clifton, Dermot Healy, Louis de Paor, Eileán Ní Chuilleanáin, Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill, Tom Paulin and Macdara Woods will also contribute to the programme next month.
Details of the State’s longest-running community arts event were announced by poet Michael Coady last night in Clifden, Co Galway.
Music, theatre, film, comedy, talks and a dedicated schools programme are integral to the event, which is co-ordinated by Brendan Flynn and runs from September 15th to 25th.
Labour Party presidential candidate and politician Michael D Higgins and Hennessy First Fiction award winner Siobhán Mannion will give readings, and the Irish Chamber Orchestra will perform in concert with fiddle player Martin Hayes and guitarist Dennis Cahill.
Other musical elements include the RTÉ Vanburgh Quartet, the Alan Kelly Gang and Scottish songstress Eddi Reader, pianist John O’Conor, the Cor Chuil Aodha choir with Peadar Ó Riada and sean-nós group The Listeners.
Slovak-born jazz guitarist of gypsy descent, Andreas Varady (13), will play, as will fellow jazz musician Martin Taylor. Varady was just four years old when he took to the instrument.
To mark 2011 Year of Craft, basket-maker Joe Hogan will give workshops, while Prof Dermot Diamond will explore The Science of Flann O'Brienwith actor Fergus Cronin. A multimedia commemoration will be held to celebrate the centenary of explorations by Sir Ernest Shackleton, and Dr Éimear O'Connor HRHA will speak about the life and work of artist Sean Keating.
Full details of the 34th Clifden Community Arts Festival are on the website clifdenartsweek.ie.