Yahoo News Michelle O'Neill and Emma Little-Pengelly to kick start all-women arts festival in Derry on Thursday
Michelle O'Neill and Emma Little-Pengelly will be on stage together in Derry on Thursday to kick start a new four-day all-women arts festival.
The new YES festival, dubbed a "festival of female creativity" by organisers, is inspired by James Joyce's most famous female character Molly Bloom.
The First and Deputy First Ministers are set to kick the festival off with a conversation on "women and leadership" at St Columb's Hall.
Read more: Miriam Margoyles, Harriet Walter, Fiona Shaw and Cush Jumbo set for Derry for four-day arts festival
Following a Civic Reception in the city’s historic Guildhall, the special event in St Columb’s Hall will be hosted by Martina Devlin, writer, newspaper columnist and curator of the No Ordinary Women strand of YES.
YES, a celebration of female creativity and the work of James Joyce and his most famous female character, Molly Bloom, will be taking place from June 13-16th in Derry and north Donegal.
The four-day festival features a range of free family-friendly events from theatre, dance and visual arts, to film, talks, circus, rap, song and much more. The festival is the culmination of the two-year ULYSSES European Odyssey (2022-2024), the Europe-wide cultural programme celebrating Joyce's masterpiece Ulysses.
The four-day festival will see local female artists joined by performers from 16 cities across Europe to perform in a variety of venues and public spaces. The programme includes theatre, dance, visual arts, film, writing, photography, circus, DJs, rap and song, with something for everyone.
Other events in the YES festival include:
For the first time, ‘Bloomsday’, the annual celebration of Joyce’s masterpiece Ulysses which is celebrated on the 16th June, will become ‘Molly Bloomsday’ as YES pulls the traditional annual celebrations north from Dublin. Thursday 13-Sunday 16 June at the Volta Cinema, YES Hub, St Columb’s Hall: The world premiere of The Molly Films, a fresh presentation of a literary masterpiece, directed by Ukrainian filmmaker, Sophie Muzychenko and featuring Dame Harriet Walter, Fiona Shaw, Adjoa Andoh, Siobhán McSweeney and Eve Hewson. The Molly Films will also screen worldwide, digitally, at dawn (4.38am) on Monday 17 June, as the final event of Molly Bloomsday. Sunday 16 June, 4pm-6pm at Ebrington Square, Derry~Londonderry: SIRENSCIRCUS - a joyous sonic world premiere experience at Derry’s waterside. SIRENSCIRCUS is a 21st century, ever-changing collaboration between Joyce and US composer (and huge Joyce fan) John Cage, featuring over 100 musicians, performers, audience participants and probably every musical instrument you can imagine. Thursday 13-Sunday 16 June at the YES Hub, St. Columb’s Hall: ‘No Ordinary Women (NOW)’ - a discussion and ideas festival all of its own. Speakers include former President of Ireland Mary Robinson, Baroness Shami Chakrabarti, Orla Guerin and Caoilfhionn Gallagher KC. Sunday 16 June 16, 7.30pm at the Millennium Forum, Derry~Londonderry: O Rocks! -Music and poetry from one of Ireland’s most celebrated artists, Imelda May, who will also be in conversation on her songwriting and debut poetry collection, A Lick and A Promise. Sunday 16 June, 3pm-4pm on the Derry City Walls: Molly’s Parade - an unprecedented and exhilarating event, bringing together parading bands from both traditions, providing an immense city soundtrack, inspired by Molly Bloom’s love of marching military bands. Thursday 13-Sunday 16 June at Ebrington Square: The Molly Bed, a large-scale interactive installation by artist Tracey Lindsay, conveying messages from women around the world. 13 – 16 June, venues in Derry~Londonderry and Donegal: The Sixteen Nations - a vibrant programme of events, celebrating the diverse creativity of international female artists. Theatres, galleries, music venues, pubs and outdoor spaces will host celebrated and emerging artists representing photography, music, documentary film, DJs, visual and textile art, dance, circus and song. 8am on Sunday 16 June- 2am on Monday 17 June: Molly Bloomsday will see Ulysses’ Dublin scenes re-interpreted across the compelling and evocative urban and rural scenery of Ireland’s north-west. A glorious reimagining of Bloomsday in the city’s streets, bars, historic Guildhall Square and walls and the beaches and coastline of Donegal, decorated with folklore, mythology and Irish history.
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