'YOU can’t teach your granny how to suck eggs', as the saying goes, and there’s no-one can teach Ray Giffen how to run an arts centre.
Even after spending a month looking at the arts scene in New York, thanks to the Arts Council’s Anne O’Donoghue Award, the main thing that Ray learnt was that he couldn’t do everything himself, that delegation was a virtue not a weakness and that he should look at his work more strategically in order that his vision would be made future-proof for generations to come.
And so it has come to pass, that Ray and his small staff now have two interns – one from Northeastern University in Boston and the other from the University of Ulster – both involved in the running of a centre that has community in the real sense at its heart.
And it’s traditional music that has been sending the pulse soaring since the centre opened in 2014.
For anyone who has had the pleasure of being at the Duncairn Arts Centre in north Belfast, they will know that Ray is a dynamo who lights up the beautiful space with his endless enthusiasm and passion and for the coming season at the Duncairn, he has lined up a series of concerts that will be, like many before them, unforgettable.
It’s a very different scene nowadays than it was when Ray started volunteering at An Droichead in south Belfast, now also a magnet for the best in traditional music.
“Back then, you’d maybe get maybe three concerts at the Cultúrlann, a céilí at An Droichead and a concert or two somewhere else, the early Open House festival would have done some stuff over a weekend and that was it,” he recalls.
“Now, you cannot go a week without being able to get a very high-standard traditional music experience in Belfast. I think we are the envy of many cities throughout Ireland.
“We’ve been told that trad music is dead and that it is too much hard work and that the audiences weren’t there. What I’ve seen is that the music is thriving where you can have three great trad events that would be very well supported and that with the limited population we have here. We are not Dublin, but we can still draw audiences that can compete with Dublin, even though we don’t have the large venues that they have.”
Ray has seen the Duncairn develop new audiences for traditional music in his time there and he is especially delighted that the trad newbies are from all sections of society here, people how have realised what a great and varied art-from Irish traditions music is. No doubt many of them will be BYO-ing for a host of great shows this coming autumn/winter.
There are almost two concerts in one tomorrow evening as Eddi Reader and the Alan Kelly Gang take the stage at the Duncairn Avenue venue. The Gang are of course top-notch traditional musicians while Eddi can do anything from the songs of Robbie Burns to the pop hits of the 50s and 60s that were a staple of house parties when she was growing up in Glasgow.
“Exactly, that’s one of the reasons why I love this show,” says Ray. “That’s the kind of house I grew up in where we had music and singing and card schools and neighbours and a real sense of community but sadly everything is being homogenised now even within the home,” says Ray.
There’s no fear of blandness entering the Duncairn. however. Ray has long been a fan of Lisa O’Neill, a singer of impeccable honesty and grace. The fact that she will be guesting with Lankum, who will be playing songs from their new album on December 1, makes this one of the most anticipated gigs of the winter, but having said that they will be in competition with the lovely Lisa Hannigan who is doing two shows on November 4, one for an all-aged audience and a night gig as well. It's going to be brilliant to hear songs from her album At Swim live in the beautiful surroundings of the former Presbyterian Church.
Also in the Duncairn upcoming line-up are the fabulous Máirtín Ó Connor band (with Cathal Hayden and Seamie O'Dowd); two duos in the form of Zoe Conway and John McIntyre playing with Barry Kerr and Síle Denvir; Bronagh Gallagher (that is going to be one belter!); and Anthony Toner.
"We have a monthly music event called Live and Local set in our art gallery and curated by guitarist Gavin Ferris, We really wan to show the huge creativity that north Belfast has to offer,” Ray adds.
:: Full details at theduncairn.com
