4 September 2022
By Tom Collins
tom@TheCork.ie
This year’s Culture Night, on September 23rd, will see venues all over the country open their doors, late into the night. From music to the arts, to comedy, fashion, and literature, entertainment lovers are in for a real treat as more than 1,000 live events are planned. Cork City’s Culture Night Programme has an astonishing array of events which will appear in online listings and printed fliers around the city over the next weeks.
“Culture in all its genres lifts our spirits, so I’m absolutely delighted to see how inclusive, and how suitable for all ages, our Culture night on September 23rd will be. It’s family friendly and entirely free… be prepared to enjoy yourself” says Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr. Deirdre Forde.
A hugely anticipated, annual, all Ireland event , Culture Night / Oíche Chultúir celebrates culture, creativity, and the arts, and seeks to actively promote the belief that this rich and varied culture is alive, treasured, and nurtured in people’s lives.
Cork’s own Circus Factory will open their doors for the first time to give visitors a view in to how they get creative, and they will also perform throughout the city in iconic locations like the Coal Quay. “Da Buttera,” the renowned Butter Exchange Band, invite people to their rehearsal space to learn more about this historic Band. Now a firm favourite fixture on the Culture Night Calendar, a visit to The English Market After Dark, with traditional music accompanying a stall crawl, could be followed by a trip to Rebel City Distillery, who will open the doors at their facility, located in the old Ford Factory, and share how they make their Mhaarani Gin and Rebel City Absinthe. Douglas Library will celebrate the musical legacy of Rory Gallagher, Taste, Microdisney, and the Sultans of Ping, Cork Printmakers will screen a Film Installation with live music, and Cork City Gaol will feature a performance by the Cork Light Orchestra. Waterstones will host a book reading by Conal Creedon and Michelle Dunne, UCC’s JP Quinn will read from his book Bees at UCC and also offer campus tours, MTU Cork School of Music will host Building Tours and performances by many of their gifted students, The Opera House, The Everyman, The Crawford Gallery and Nano Nagle Place will be amongst the many, many venues offering family friendly events.
Minister for Culture and Arts Catherine Martin said Culture Night is “pushing the boundaries” this year by supporting and promoting the night-time economy.
Pictured at the launch of Culture Night Cork City 2022 are Lord Mayor, Cllr. Deirdre Fordre, with performers Lisa O’Sullivan & Mike (Tosh) O’Sullivan, who feature in “Dragon’s Tail” by Marie Brett. This short film installation with live music, will play in the courtyard at Cork Printmakers on Wandesford Quay, one of the many highlights of Culture Night on Friday, September 23rd.
Full details on www.CorkCity.ie/CultureNight
Picture Clare Keogh
Pictured at the launch of Culture Night Cork City 2022 are performers Lisa O’Sullivan & Mike (Tosh) O’Sullivan, who feature in “Dragon’s Tail” by Marie Brett. This short film installation with live music, will play in the courtyard at Cork Printmakers on Wandesford Quay, one of the many highlights of Culture Night on Friday, September 23rd. Full details on www.CorkCity.ie/CultureNight
Picture Clare Keogh
“Culture Night is always a special night in the calendar and this year will be even more exciting as we celebrate Culture Night Late,” she said. “It is really encouraging to see Culture Night supporting and promoting the night-time economy with a programme of late-night flagship events and facilitating later openings of arts and cultural venues across the country. The additional funding for this initiative will help promote this late-night culture and provide opportunities for artists and venues to try something new.”
Arts Council Director Maureen Kennelly said Culture Night is essentially a “full return” to in-person events and a night for us all to come together and enjoy the best of Ireland’s culture. “What’s really good about it is it’s intergenerational, so you have all ages so it’s a very family friendly event,” she said. “It’s all entirely free and at a time when many of us have cost of living concerns on our minds it’s great that you can actually sample Ireland’s culture for free and it gives people a good snapshot of what’s available all year round and it allows you to experiment.”
For more information on Cork City Culture Night 2022, visit www.CorkCity.ie/culturenight. Keep up to date with programme additions by following the conversation online #CultureNight / #OícheChultúir and #CorkCultureNight. Check out Facebookcorkcityarts or Twitter and Instagram @corkcityarts
