Feast of activity at Portumna arts festival

Written by Staff Reporter

Wednesday, 10 September 2008

A host of activities are planned for Shorelines Arts Festival, Portumna’s arts festival, which runs from Thursday 11 to Sunday 14 September. This year’s festival will feature everything from exhibitions, readings, poetry to a treasure hunt.

A photographic exhibition titled ‘The Eye of The Beholder’ by Joe Geoghegan will run throughout the festival. The exhibition links two of the towns groups, the Camera Club and the Portumna Pen Pushers.

Well-known TV personality and lover of Arts, Paidraig Breathnach, will launch the exhibition on Thursday 11 September in the Portumna Convent Chapel at 7.30pm.

In conjunction with this exhibition, local artists, active retirement groups, local art classes and special need groups will host an exhibition of paintings, wood work, silk work, sketches, bog oak and glass work under the able hands of curator, Tommie Madden. This exhibition will run daily for the weekend and admission is free.

A Car Treasure Hunt will begin from the Town Square from 6pm on Friday 12 September. Cars must register from 6pm at a cost of €40 per car for a mystery trip that will take in a 25km trip. At 9pm in the new Chapel in Portumna Retirement Village, a reading by guests Iggy Mc Govern and Derek Coyle will take place. Admission is free and all are welcome. This is a Poetry Ireland Event-and Shorelines are delighted to have their support.

Workshops form a large part of Saturday's programmes where three writing workshops will run concurrently catering for active retirement groups, writing groups and young people. All workshops require pre-booking and cost €10.

Facilitators are Martin Dyar, Iggy Mc Govern and Derek Coyle- all three are experienced writers and will provide all with encouragement and inspiration. Members of the Maple Poetry Group will facilitate a special hour with the residents of Portumna Retirement Village sharing rhymes and recitations, reminiscences and stories.

On Saturday 13 September at 2pm in Portumna Town Hall, Paula Short of Loughrea Youth Theatre will facilitate a Drama/Dance workshop for children from six years and up. This is booking very quickly as Paula is well known for the success of Loughrea's Youth Theatre. This will end with a performance for parents at 5pm.

Saturday evening features a Piano/Poetry Duo in Portumna Castle at 8pm. This will feature ‘The Shore’ a reading with Martin Dyar and original music with Conor Walsh. Admission is free and all are welcome to this venue. The Shorelines Committee is very grateful to the OPW for use of one of Portumna's historic sites.

At noon on Sunday 14 September an informal gathering for soup, song and sambos will take place in Horan's bar when lines of songs, verse and music will be washed down with a hearty bowl of soup and Horan's famous sandwiches!

A relaxing mid-day treat to prepare all for an afternoon of African Drumming in the Social Centre, Portumna Retirement Village. Eddie O'Neill, a well known drummer/percussionist/rhythm therapist will facilitate this event open to all age groups and the cost as for all workshops is €10 and pre-booking is advised.

Meanwhile, teenagers will be taking part in a Youth Theatre Workshop in Portumna Town Hall at 2.30pm. This will be led by i102104FM personality, Fergal Darcy.

The festival ends with an hour to honour a member of Portumna Pen Pushers, who passed away earlier this year. Barbara Kennedy will be remembered in An Gairdin at 5pm.

Further information may be obtained by visiting www.portumnaartsgroup.com or by calling 087-2931055 or 087- 3689507.

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