• Wanda: Feminism and Moving Image

    Belfast’s feminist film festival, WANDA: Feminism & Moving Image, returns for its second outing later this week. Opening on Thursday, October 31st and running until Sunday, November 3, the festival have pulled out the stops to present a wonderfully diverse programme, spanning new and retrospective films and features directed by women. Launching at Queen’s Film Theatre with The Juniper Tree, this year’s programme features, among many other screenings, discussions and panels across the city, the NI premiere of Kim Longinotto’s critically-acclaimed Irish-produced documentary Shooting the Mafia. Co-director Rose Baker said, “As the festival’s key aim is to revisit ‘lost’ films by…

  • A Litany of Failures Announce Volume III and Fundraising Gig

    After triumphant failures in 2018 and 2016, A Litany Of Failures – an independent, cross-border compilation series featuring the best in alternative Irish music – is back.  Ahead of another double-vinyl release in July 2020, A Litany Of Failures is curating a series of fundraiser gigs around Ireland. These will feature the curdled cream of the indie scene, with the first gig taking place on Friday 25th October in JaJa Studios in Stoneybatter, Dublin 7.  A BYOB show, music on the night comes from Belfast indie psych quartet Junk Drawer – check out their NI Music Prize-nominated single ‘Year of the Sofa‘ – the Paddy Hanna fronted…

  • Hyperobjects @ Catalyst Arts

    Catalyst Arts Gallery’s latest exhibition, Hyperobjects, runs from Thursday, November 7 until December 5, with its opening night featuring a sonic performance from Jez Riley French with his piece, island | fjórar (dissolve). French uses uses intuitive composition, field recording, improvisation & photography to explore emotive responses to places and situations, with an interest in largely unnoticed, unreachable sounds. He has recorded resonances of architectural spaces and structures, the sounds of insects feeding, and recently spent time recording the sound of glaciers melting in Iceland. His work has been exhibited in the Tate Modern & Britain, Iceland’s Harpa & Mengi, The Whitworth, the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, and…

  • A4 Sounds Presents: Ten Past Seven & Aonghus McEvoy Trio

    Sometimes-slinking, sometimes-monolithic, always-dynamic Kerry instrumental trio Ten Past Seven play their first Dublin headline show in a number of years with a performance at gig & art space A4 Sounds this Saturday, October 12. They’ve just recorded their new album at Dublin’s Guerrilla Studios, set for release in 2010, ten years after their last album, Bothar Buí, which featured an appearance from Katie Kim, and remixes by Kevin Blake, Toby Kaar, Molotov Ape & Laura Sheeran. Sharing the bill is Woven Skull member, composer & guitar explorer Aonghus McEvoy‘s trio. Expect hypnotic, deconstructed music rooted in blues, jazz, and the underbelly of primitivism. Have a listen to his work on…

  • the arts column: October 1st

    This week we’ve details on a pair of exhibition openings, a new series of talks, an open studio, an exciting on-site performance and an open call for artist. As always, if you have an event, talk, exhibition, or would like to recommend one please get in touch via aidan[at]thethinair.net Open Call | Dublin Art Book Fair Dublin’s Art Book Fair returns this Novemeber to Temple Bar Gallery + Studios and they’ve announced details of an open call for artists’ books. This year, which is the 9th edition of the fair, is guest curated by Dr Kathleen James-Chakraborty, Professor of Art History…

  • the arts column: October 8th

    This week we’ve details on a number of exciting exhibitions that are opening, and their associated events, a volunteer opportunity, and a day-long artists’ seminar taking place this weekend. As always, if you have an event, talk, exhibition, or would like to recommend one please get in touch via aidan[at]thethinair.net Exhibition Opening | Green of Red, Dublin This coming Thursday (October, 10th) sees the opening of a new exhibition featuring the work of Xavier Theunis. The French-Belgian artist uses a broad range of medium including painting, photography and installation, and this is the first solo show for the artist in Ireland. The opening…

  • the arts column: October 16th

    This week we’ve details on a pair of a number of employment opportunites, an artist talks, a series of family friendly workshops, and an opening night performance. As always, if you have an event, talk, exhibition, or would like to recommend one please get in touch via aidan[at]thethinair.ne Opportunity | The Model, Sligo The Model in Sligo have recently announced that they are seeking applications for a new director. The role is on a five-year fixed term contract ,with the gallery advising that the below experience is required: “The successful candidate will have the necessary expertise and experience to lead and manage…

  • The Songs of Daniel Johnston @ The Black Gate

    Daniel Johnston fans, rejoice. A tribute night to the late, great U.S. musician and cartoonist will take place at the Black Gate in Galway on October 26th. Kicking off from 10pm, the event will feature Blackbird & Crow, Dylan Murphy, A Lilac Decline, Brendan Dolan (A Band Called Wanda) and New Pope performing the music of Johnston, who passed on September 11th, aged 58. Tickets cost €10 and can be bought here. Things kick off from 9pm. Revisit Jack Rudden’s obituary to Johnston here.

  • Long Beyond Sundown @ The Menagerie

    Take a look around you. It’s officially the time of the season, is it not? The evenings are growing darker, doomy vibrations linger unseen in the air and you’ve suddenly got an inexplicable desire to frequent your local graveyard after-hours. We hear you. We do. As does Ben Harris, main man with Belfast garage maestos The Dreads and all-round apostle and advocate of the aforementioned. Throughout the month of October, Harris will present Long Beyond Sundown, a collection of films exploring folklore, witchcraft and the occult at Belfast venue the Menagerie. And what a fine, handpicked selection it is, too. Delving into the likes of colonialism,…

  • Spook Screen Film Festival

    Cork-based production company Deep Red – named for Argento’s 1975 masterpiece – hold their their Spook Screen festival this weekend, which takes in a range of appropriate environments for a fully immersive horror & fantasy experience, accompanied by Q&As with special guests, in association with Cork Cinemas Kicking off on Friday the 13th at Triskel Arts Centre is 1991’s Robin Hood, which stars Patrick Bergin and Uma Thurman. The former will be in attendance at the event, giving a talk beforehand on the film, as well as his other work. Its second night is an audience with Hammer horror & James Bond star Caroline Munro, who…