DOWN Arts Centre have a packed weekend of workshops and performances coming up to suit all shapes and sizes.
Onxa0Friday 16 Novemberxa0at 8pm,xa0The Corncrakesxa0play live, followed onxa0Saturday 17 November at 8pmxa0by Nuala McKeever’s new comedy,xa0In the Window,xa0and an afternoon of music withxa0The Story of Gilbert and Sullivanxa0at 3pm onxa0Sunday 18 November.xa0In addition to all this we have creative workshops for children and grown ups.
The Corncrakesxa0are a Belfast-based band that fuses acoustic folk and pop influences. They are currently promoting their new album, ‘Ingo and the Bouncy Castle’, the result of a two-year studio collaboration with producer Mudd Wallace. The band consists of bouzouki-playing singer-songwriter Dave Robb, whose lyrics have been described as ‘powerful and universal’ by The Scotsman, guitarist Paul Webster and singers Meabh Cormachan and Caroline Pugh.
Listen to The Concrakes playing MEXICOxa0- traditional music meets the modern.
The band have recently played at the Fiddlers Green Folk Festival, the Atlantic Sessions in Coleraine and the Belfast Nashville Festival. Come and hear the catchy melodies, distinctive harmonies and instrumentation of the Corncrakes in their Downpatrick debut onxa0Friday 16 November.xa0 For a taste of what to expect, you can find them on YouTube.
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Onxa0Saturday 17 Novemberxa0DAC is delighted to welcome back comedian and actressxa0Nuala McKeeverxa0with her new one-woman comedy show,xa0In The Window.
Things never go the way Margaret wants them to. She’s lonely. No husband, no kids. Her job’s rubbish. She can’t even get the timer on her DVD recorder to work properly. But tonight’s different. Tonight, she’s in charge. She’s got a bottle of booze and a bottle of pills and she’s going to end it all in one last gesture of capability.
Unfortunately, Margaret hasn’t reckoned on the sudden appearance of Chris, a nervy young man who’s just come in the window of her house and is standing in front of her with what looks like a gun in his pocket.xa0 Margaret is delighted! xa0She wants to make him tea and have a nice chat. Chris is panicked. He wants her to shut up and do what he says.
In this dark comedy, Nuala McKeever takes an hilarious and often poignant look at what happens when two very different people are thrown together unexpectedly for one life-changing night.
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Onxa0Sunday 18 Novemberxa0why not spend the afternoon in the relaxing and entertaining company of Gilbert and Sullivan?xa0 Tim Hurst-Brown and Peter Hewitt presentxa0The Story of Gilbert and Sullivanxa0as seen through the eyes of George Grossmith, the actor who created the comic roles in the Savoy Operas.
Tim Hurst-Brown plays Grossmith, ably assisted at the pianoforte by Peter Hewitt. Grossmith gives us an insight into both W.S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan and enables us to meet the Sergeant of Police, Ko-Ko, The Lord Chancellor, Major-General Stanley et al.xa0The Story Of Gilbert and Sullivanxa0is a light-hearted afternoon of stories, songs, poems and music centred on the immortal Savoy Operas. If you are a G and S fan then this occasion is an absolute must.
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If you’re feeling creative why not come along to ourxa0Fabric Necklaces and Braceletsxa0workshop on Saturday 17 November from 10.30am – 3pm? Tutor Janice McHenry will assist participants in using different fabrics and embellishments to create a simple necklace or bracelet.xa0 Also on Saturday 17 November, our artist-in-residence, Diane Lyness, will be running axa0Wire Workshopxa0for children aged 11-14 years, from 11am – 1pm.xa0 Diane will assist participants in using materials such as tin, feather, fabric and wire to create a piece of 3D art to take home.
