The 28th Earagail Arts Festival is underway and this year’s programme brings a host of internationally renowned artists and performers to Donegal.
Over the course of the next two weeks, the festival will host over 100 performances, workshops and events across the county.
This year’s festival has something for everyone from music, to spoken word, theatre, comedy, visual arts and outdoor and family events. Check out the full programme of events at www.eaf.ie and keep an eye out on Donegal Daily for our festival picks.
Fun For All the Family
There’s an array of exciting children and family oriented events and productions, including puppet shows and interactive dance and circus performances, with something for all the family to enjoy, from babies to young children, teenagers and adults.
The much loved fairy-tale of The Three Billy Goats Gruff is brought to life with a pinch of magic in a new production by Banyan Theatre. Specialising in producing quality theatre for first audiences, Banyan Theatre employs a dynamic blend of storytelling, puppetry and original music.
Gruff takes place Tuesday 19th July in the Balor Arts Centre (Ballybofey), and Wednesday 20th July in the Holy Trinity Parish Hall (Dunfanaghy). This classic theatre production is suitable for children aged 3 – 11 and lasts 45 minutes. Tickets cost €5 and can be booked via www.eaf.ie or by calling the festival box office on +353 (0) 74 91 20777.
Another not to be missed show, is the wonderful Fanzini Recording Company’s new limited edition long player “Circus Jukebox”, the greatest circus hits this side of a 45! Inspired by the glory days of vinyl, dance floors and diners, the Fanzini Recording Company brings a bespoke stage and a human size jukebox, where the audience chooses who plays and who stays.
Ground-breaking New Theatre Productions
Earagail Arts Festival presents a range of exciting new theatre productions in Donegal. In association with An Grianán Theatre and Donegal County Council, the Festival presents ‘Unified,’ a new production which will spin its way into the hearts of audiences across Donegal and beyond; while Prime Cut Productions gives Donegal theatre goers first look at its acclaimed new play, Scorch.
Radici Popolari (Italy)
Italian folk group, Radici Popolari who will perform as part of the Donegal International Folk & Roots Weekend which takes place in Letterkenny from Thursday, 14th – Sunday, 17th July. This band of Italian folk troubadours will be travelling through the North West bringing their own distinctive, regional style of Italian folk music to indoor and outdoor locations across Donegal and Derry.
Hailing from the Valle di Comino located between Lazio and Campania, the music of Radici Popolari (Popular Roots) is characterized by a range of traditional instrumentation such as accordion, guitar and violin, but more importantly by two symbols of their native region – the bagpipe and shawm (an ancient double-reed woodwind instrument).
Their repertoire includes popular traditional Italian songs of central/southern Italy: songs of courtship and celebration, trials and tribulations reflecting a bygone pastoral life.
Radici Popolari will perform seven concerts across five locations in Donegal and Derry from Wednesday, 13th – Sunday, 17th July. Letterkenny café, Florence Food Co. will host a special concert on Saturday, 16th July at 1pm. Admission is free to all events but early booking is advised via www.eaf.ie or the festival box office.
Earagail Arts Festival is funded by The Arts Council of Ireland, Fáilte Ireland and Donegal County Council.
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