Fab 40 for westport arts festival

THE 40th Westport Arts Festival kicks off this evening (Wednesday, September 30) with an eclectic mix of events for all ages across all art forms.

The literary programme includes award-winning writer John Banville, whose novel, The Sea, won the Man Booker Prize. There will also be readings from Donal Ryan, Martin Dyar, Geraldine Mills and Orfhlaith Foyle.

Music fans won’t be disappointed, with a number of concerts encompassing a variety of musical styles taking place. The opening night features a very special event when archival footage of Mayo, courtesy of the Irish Film Institute, will be screened in the Town Hall Theatre accompanied by a new soundscape, ‘Draíocht Mhaigh Eo - The Magic of Mayo’, which has been composed by two Westport-based musicians, Achill native Des Cafferkey and Polish native Bartholomew de Boer - find out more here.

Among the many musical events, the festival headline act are Alabama 3 who will be performing in Hotel Westport, with support will from local band Fresh Evidence. This is a great opportunity for these young musicians to perform before the musicians who provided the theme music to the hit series The Sopranos take to the stage.

Film, photography and the visual arts all form a strong part of this year’s programme. Among the films to be screened are Ó Ghaillimh go dtí an Ghrianlann, about the North of Disko expedition which set sail from Killary Harbour and travelled a 2,000 nautical mile journey to the north west of Greenland.

There will be a number of art exhibitions around the town over the course of the festival, a highlight being Kathrina Rupit's permanent large-scale street mural at Westport skateboard park.

Besides all that there will be a sean-nós dancing workshop open to dancers of all ages, a performance by Aindrias de Staic from TG4 (via Shrule!), and an illustrated lecture by Dr. Anne O’Dowd, hosted by Westport Civic Trust, about straw, hay and rushes in Irish folk tradition.

Meanwhile, the streets of Westport will come alive as the festival hosts a very special community parade on Sunday (October 4). The parade will be organised in conjunction with Westport Smarter Travel and will feature the world renowned street theatre company Macnas.

For further details, specific times and prices, see the colourful festival brochure, call to the Town Hall Theatre, visit the festival website at www.westportartsfestival.com, email info@westportartsfestival.com, or find Westport Arts Festival on Facebook and Twitter.