THE Belfast International Arts Festival will return next month, bringing 26 days of cultural events to venues across the city.
Running from October 2 to November 5, this year's festival is set to open on both sides of the Atlantic thanks to its collaboration with Cahoots NI on the Belfast-based theatre company's latest stage show, The Vanishing Elephant, which will open at the New Victory Theatre on Broadway in New York on October 14.
Meanwhile, here in Belfast, Gary Mitchell's play Burnt Out (October 11 to November 4, the Lyric) will officially open the festival to local audiences.
"Belfast International Arts Festival has always been fertile ground to platform and showcase the very best artistic talent from home and abroad – and this year's festival continues that tradition, offering an autumn programme that is truly international," says Richard Wakely, festival chief executive and artistic director.
"This simultaneous opening embodies so much of what we strive for as a festival. It champions new work by our rich artistic community and it amplifies homegrown voices, bringing local talent to the international stage.
"We're very proud of this year's programme, which brings together today's leading artists, writers, thinkers and cultural observers to offer something for all audiences – from the array of authors represented in the talks and ideas strand, to the genre-hopping gig line-up, theatrical delights featuring the bravest and brightest writers and performers, free events as part of our commitment to nurture the arts at the heart of local communities, and so much more."
SIGNATURE EVENTS
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SIGNATURE events for 2023 include a triple bill at the Grand Opera House: first up is An Evening with The Belfast Ensemble and Marc Almond (October 17), a special two-part event that sees the ensemble joined by Canadian soprano Rebecca Caine in the first half to perform music from the award-winning Abomination: A DUP Opera, and pop icon Marc Almond performing his multi-award-winning song cycle, Ten Plagues, in the second.
Next, Dungiven-born indie-folk favourite Cara Dillon will perform at the Grand Opera House on October 18 with songs from her new album Coming Home, accompanied by original music written by her husband Sam Lakeman, while FIQ! by Groupe Acrobatique de Tanger (October 20 to 21) will bring acrobatic feats, figures, music, sketches, choreography and colourful visuals by Hassan Hajjaj to the stage of the Belfast venue.
THEATRE
THEATRICAL highlights include the return of Pat Kinevane and Fishamble Theatre Company with the critically acclaimed King (October 27 to 28), work.txt by Nathan Ellis (October 24 to 25), and Rhino (October 18 to 29), a new adaptation of Rhinoceros by Eugene Ionesco from Tinderbox Theatre Company.
MUSIC
MUSIC and music-related events for this year include Magherafelt-born music agent and promoter Paul Charles (October 14, The MAC), who will host a workshop and discuss his new autobiography, Adventures in Wonderland, Country Roads (October 14, The MAC) with Ontario-based duo Aaron & Aimee Allen and the multi-award winning Gary Quinn, Elégie: Rachmaninoff – A Heart in Exile (October 15, The MAC) featuring Henry Goodman accompanied by pianist Lucy Parham for a performance chronicling the life of composer Sergei Rachmaninoff, plus concerts by Rodrigo y Gabriela (October 17, The Ulster Hall), Squid (October 24, Mandela Hall) and Teenage Fanclub (November 3, Mandela Hall).
LITERATURE
DISCUSSING their latest literary releases as part of this year's Talks and Ideas strand will be authors Gary Younge (October 17, Ulster University), Mick Herron (October 20, Crescent Arts Centre), Jacqueline Crooks and Santanu Bhattacharya (October 31, No Alibis), Keina Yoshida (November 1, No Alibis), Claire Kilroy and Mike McCormack (November 2, Crescent Arts Centre), Rachel Connolly and Nicole Flattery (November 3, No Alibis), Megan Nolan and Paul Murray (November 4, Crescent Arts Centre) and many others.
SPECIAL EVENTS
DELIVERING a special keynote address on leadership (October 19, Ulster University) will be this year's Festival Featured Artist, Nicholas McCarthy, who made history in 2012 when he became the only one-handed pianist ever to graduate from London's Royal College of Music. Nicholas will also make a special guest appearance with the Ulster Orchestra (October 20, Ulster Hall) and perform a special free concert (October 27, Ulster University) alongside Derry-based ensemble Acoustronic.
Visit belfastinternationalartsfestival.com for full programme information.
