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4th February 2012
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EVENTS
Welcome to events in the Ards, where you'll find a comprehensive list of what's going on in and around the Borough during the next few months. From regular, much loved events to one-off specials, you'll find it all here.
For further information about any events in the Ards, please contact the Tourist Information Centre, Tel: 028 9182 6846, E: events@ards-council.gov.uk or download the latest Events and Arts Guides here.
ARE YOU ORGANISING AN EVENT? CAN WE HELP YOU WITH PUBLICITY?
Twice a year Ards Tourism produces an event guide which is distributed widely to Tourist Information Centres, accommodation providers and attractions throughout Ireland. If you are organising an event in the Borough of Ards and it is open to the public we will include information free of charge. All you need to do is download the form below, complete and email it to events@ards-council.gov.uk . The information will also be included in our weekly bulletin to accommodation providers and listed on the Council web site. To be included in the Spring/Summer Events Guide to be published in April 2012, your information needs to be with us by Wednesday 22 February 2012.
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Events in Ards Borough
Dr Bell worked for many years at the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum where he was an expert on the history of agriculture in Northern Ireland. He will be looking at some of the well known families in Co. Down many of whom have held land for many generations and continue to work their holdings today. All visitors welcome.
Ards Art Centre, Town Hall, Conway Square, Newtownards
8pm
Macrame is an ancient knotting technique that is making a comeback. Micro-macrame helps you create astonishing pieces of jewellery and decorative items using fine cords and beads.
First we'll be exploring the basic knots used in macramé, then will practice them by designing and making a beaded bracelet.
9 John Street Court, Newtownards, BT23 4JQ
6pm - 8pm
Admission: £8 Max 6 people, booking essential.
T: 028 9182 3757
W: www.alabjewellery.org.uk
The event is a short circuit karting meeting organised by the 500 Motor Racing Club of Ireland and features direct drive junior and senior classes. The event is the final round of the Kirkistown Karting Winter Series. Full catering service provided.
Kirkistown Racing Circuit, 130 Rubane Road, Kircubbin
10am - 3pm
Admission: spectator admission is free
T: 028 4277 1325 / 028 9186 1429
W: www.kirkistown.com
Mount Stewart opens it doors to future brides and grooms to showcase all that it has to offer as a magnificent, unique wedding venue. Our wedding coordinators are on hand to help with any queries and discuss the wide range of possibilities here for a spectacular wedding day.
2pm - 5pm
Admission: Adult £6.36 Child £3.18 Family £15.90 (Members free)
T: 028 4278 8387
W: www.nationaltrust.org.uk
Come along to the global village and enjoy tastes, sights and sounds from around the world. Visit a variety of continents in our tented bazaar and sample their unique foods and crafts, then relax around the global campfire to enjoy the beats and rhythms of live music from the many diverse areas of the world.
In association with Beyond Skin www.beyondskin.net
Admission - £8 and £6 cons
Goups of 10 or more - 50% discount
Family ticket - £15 (2 adults + 2 children)
Non alcoholic refreshments provided.
Customers may bring a bottle (no spirits please!).
7pm, Ards Arts Centre
Tel: 028 9181 0803
www.ardsarts.com
Join our resident birding expert Dot Blakely and learn more about all types of birds in and around the grounds. All levels welcome.
10.30am
Admission: Normal Adult £5.91, Concession £4.50 (over 65 years, full-time students, unemployed), Child £2.91, Family £15.91 (2A & 2C)
T: 028 9187 4146
W: www.wwt.org.uk/castle-espie
Following a crackin' show at the 15th Ards International Guitar Festival we welcome back the inimitable duo of Steve Amos & David McCann to entertain you with ballads and lyricism.
After a career in the finance industry Steve has finally found his true niche in life as a writer and performer of comedy songs. Few subject are out of bounds and he is willing to kick any person or subject when they are down!
He has recorded three CDs and sales have been phenomenal, exceeded only by complaints and returns.
Bangor based singer songwriter Dave McCann will serenade you with a sweet
voice and a great touch on his guitar. His music has invited comparison with artists such as Ralph McTell, Jacques Brel, Morrissey, Don McLean and James
Taylor. Yet none of these comparisons, separately or together, fully describe the exceptional style of music David writes and plays.
www.steveamos.info
www.davidmccann.bandcamp.com
8pm. Ards Arts Centre
£5
Tel: 028 9181 0803
www.ardsarts.com
An evening of 3 One Act Plays.
Web theatre, 49 North Street, Newtownards.
Fri 24th & Sat 25th February 2012
Tickets £10 and £8 Concession
Box Office 028 9182 8234
An evening of 3 One Act Plays.
Web theatre, 49 North Street, Newtownards.
Fri 24th & Sat 25th February 2012
Tickets £10 and £8 Concession
Box Office 028 9182 8234
This market features local foods, bakery, preserves and craftwork.
Market House, The Square, Portaferry
9am - 12noon
Ramble through the lesser known areas of Mount Stewart with an experienced guide and work up an appetite for a meal in the Bay Restaurant.
11.30am - 2pm
T: 028 4278 8387 Booking Essential
W: www.nationaltrust.org.uk
Mr Roger Dixon will give a talk entitled 'The Great Houses of Belfast and their Families'. Refreshments will be provided afterwards.
The Sailing Club, 20 Shore Street, Donaghadee
7.45pm
Admission: £2
T: 028 9188 4790
W: www.donaghadeehistoricalsociety.org.uk
- FRIDAY 30 MARCH
Cupar Pilson's compositions mainly depict scenes from North Down where he lives and he also loves to paint life in 'pre-troubles' Belfast (circa 1960's) . His first love has always been to paint landscapes in acrylics, watercolour and mixed media. In recent years figures have tended to dominate, so much that the landscape has become secondary to the foreground subject matter. Humour and a certain naivety of style is a hallmark of his work.
The Old Post Office, Lisbane
Mon - Fri 9am - 5pm
Admission: Free
T: 028 9754 3335
W: www.oldpostofficelisbane.co.uk
- 30th March 2012
The N.I. Embroidery Guild was set up in 1980 to promote the craft and exhibition of embroidery and aims to raise public awareness of the high standard of textile work in Northern Ireland by exhibiting the work of members.
The theme for this exhibition is "Celebrating 2012." This theme was chosen as there is so much going on in this particular year - the centenary of the sinking of the Titanic with all the renewed interest in the industrial heritage of Northern Ireland with special reference to shipbuilding, the Queen's Diamond Jubilee and the London 2012 Olympic Games.
Ards Arts Centre, Conway Square, Newtownards.
Admission free.
Tel: 028 9181 0803
www.ardsarts.com
- 31st March 2012
Alice Burns studied at the University of Ulster, Belfast where she received a BA in Fine and Applied Art in 2010. Her work often crosses disciplines utilising
innovative processes and materials to push the boundaries of her artwork and that of the viewer. Her interests lie with post conflict society, memory and sustainable processes.
Loci of Memory is concerned with the preservation of memory within spatial
environments, enabling the retention, recovery and [re] telling of individual and collective memory using sculpture, image and sound.
Ards Arts Centre, Conway Square, Newtownards.
Admission free.
Tel: 028 9181 0803
www.ardsarts.com
- MONDAY 30 APRIL
Yvonne Braithwaite a local landscape artist captures local scenes on acrylic.
The Old Post Office, Lisbane
Mon - Sat 9am - 5pm
Admission: Free
T: 028 9754 3335
W: www.oldpostofficelisbane.co.uk
& SUNDAY 4 MARCH
Join our conservation team as they peel back the covers and wake the house for the start of the new season. Packed with demonstrations, handy hints and tips, this event will get you in the mood to get stuck in with your own spring cleaning.
11am - 3pm
Admission: Adult £6.36 Child £3.18 Family £15.90 (Members free) Booking essential
T: 028 4278 8387
W: www.nationaltrust.org.uk
Come along to the property and sell your treasures or browse around the many stalls.
9am - 12noon
Admission: Cars £5, Vans £10, Trailers £15 (no admission charge for public attending)
T: 028 4278 8387
W: www.nationaltrust.org.uk
Enjoy a healthy (or not so healthy) breakfast at The Old Post Office with all donations in aid of Cancer Research.
The Old Post Office, Lisbane
7am - 10am
Admission: Free
T: 028 9754 3335
W: www.postofficelisbane.co.uk
Macrame is an ancient knotting technique that is making a comeback. Micro-macrame helps you create astonishing pieces of jewellery and decorative items using fine cords and beads.
First we'll be exploring the basic knots used in macrame, then will practice them by creating a pair of earrings. Silver earring hooks are available at workshop for £4 a pair.
9 John Street Court, Newtownards, BT23 4JQ
6pm - 8pm
Admission: £8 Max 6 people, booking essential.
T: 028 9182 3757
W: www.alabjewellery.co.uk
& SUNDAY 11 MARCH
Come along and enjoy all the Mount Stewart House and Gardens has to offer as it opens its doors for the new season and browse through a vast array of second hand books for sale. Donations welcome.
10am - 5pm
Admission: Free
T: 028 4278 8387
W: www.nationaltrust.org.uk
Roger Dixon is the librarian at the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum. He has studied the growth of Belfast from a small town to a large industrial city and has looked especially at the homes of many of the leading landowners and industrialists who lived in the city and whose homes reflect Belfast's social and industrial history in the 19th and 20th centuries. All visitors welcome.
Ards Art Centre, Town Hall, Conway Square, Newtownards
8pm
Written and directed by Sam McCready with Joan McCready as Lady Gregory of
Coole Park.
This production, which has been performed world-wide, toured Ireland in 2005; it returns in response to demands that it must be seen here again.
In this entertaining and moving one-woman play, Lady Gregory, founder of
the Abbey Theatre, speaks frankly about her extraordinary life; her family, her politics, and her love affairs.
The role of Lady Gregory is performed with sensitivity and style by Joan McCready, whose recent performance in the Holocaust play, A Time to Speak, received rave reviews from the local press.
"I loved it. Joan McCready's performance was nothing less than a 'tour de force.' Paddy O'Flaherty, BBC Radio.
Presented by Two-for-One Productions. 8pm, The Web Theatre, North Street,
Newtownards
£10 (£8 concession)
Tel: 028 9181 0803
www.ardsarts.com
This market features local foods, bakery, preserves and craftwork.
Market House, The Square, Portaferry
9am - 12noon
- SATURDAY 24 MARCH
Six nights of plays performed by some of the best amateur drama groups in Ireland. Awards will be presented on the final night. The winners hope to compete in the Ulster finals and the All Ireland Finals later in the year. The programme of plays will be available on the theatre website in February 2012.
Web Theatre, North Street, Newtownards
7.30pm each night
Admission: £8 per play /£35 season ticket (admittance for all six plays)
Booking office: 028 9182 8234
W: www.webtheatre.biz
Enjoy a fun day out with family and friends as you take the opportunity to discover more about the myths and legends that surround Mount Stewart - garden trails, children's activities, story telling and more!
11am - 4pm
Admission: Adult £7 Child £3.50 Family (2A & 3C) £17.50 (Members free)
T: 028 4278 8387
W: www.nationaltrust.org.uk
Join our resident birding expert Dot Blakely and learn more about all types of birds in and around the grounds. All levels welcome.
10.30am
Admission: Normal Adult £5.91, Concession £4.50 (over 65 years, full-time students, unemployed), Child £2.91, Family £15.91 (2A & 2C)
T: 028 9187 4146
W: www.wwt.org.uk/castle-espie
The Corncrakes are a Belfast based band that fuses acoustic folk and pop
influences. They are currently promoting the album "Ingo and the Bouncy Castle", the result of two year's studio collaboration with producer Mudd Wallace.
Two of the Corncrakes tracks "Willow Tree" and "Lady Dixon's" have received considerable airplay on BBC local radio throughout the UK. The band has recently played at the Fiddlers Green Folk Festival, the Atlantic Sessions on the North Coast
and the Belfast Nashville Festival.
The Corncrakes are Dave Robb (vocals, bouzouki), Helen Mahaffy (vocals) and Paul Webster (guitar, mandolin).
8pm, Ards Arts centre
£5
Tel: 028 9181 0803
www.ardsarts.com
This market features local foods, bakery, preserves and craftwork.
Market House, The Square, Portaferry
9am - 12noon
Join our gardeners as they take you on a guided walk through the beautiful Rhododendron wood and gardens then enjoy a hearty 2 course meal in the Bay Restaurant. Suitable clothing and footwear is advised.
11.30am
Admission: Adult £15 Child £8 Booking essential
T: 028 4278 8387
W: www.nationaltrust.org.uk
Mr Richard Parkinson will give a talk entitled 'Voices of World War II'. Refreshments will be provided afterwards.
The Sailing Club, 20 Shore Street, Donaghadee
7.45pm
Admission: £2
T: 028 9188 4790
W: www.donaghadeehistoricalsociety.org.uk
Join Marie Curie at one of Northern Ireland's most iconic landmarks and take that courageous step over the top of the tower to raise vital funds for the organisation's nursing service.
As well as taking on such an exciting and daring event, participants can enjoy spectacular views of the beautiful Ards Penninsula, Belfast and even as far as the Mournes.
The Scrabo Tower abseil is returning for its fifth year making it one of Marie Curie Cancer Care's most popular adrenaline events!
Participants must be over the age of 14 and under 17 stone. Anyone under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
Contact details:
Visit www.mariecurie.org.uk/events or call us on 08700 340 040
This market features local foods, bakery, preserves and craftwork.
Market House, The Square, Portaferry
9am - 12noon
- 28th April 2012
"A blind lady once asked if she could touch my paintings. Watching her explore my paintings with her fingers was a significant moment of realisation for me. Perhaps I should involve other senses, not just sight, to evoke atmosphere and
convey ideas. I looked for ways to make my art more sensory through the use of music and touch" Maurice Orr.
In October 2009 Maurice completed a four week residency in Skagastrond,
Iceland, where he returned in 2010 for this Unlimited commission to deliver inspiring work by disabled and deaf artists for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. It is the inspiration of this unique landscape and its people,
mirrored with his home on the North Antrim coast, and a chance encounter with a North Atlantic fish processing factory, that led to this exhibition.
The coast, fish leather and oil painting are central to this exhibition. It is one for the senses. It has been a process of work that has pushed the artist's abilities to the best he could achieve and on a scale like never before. It brings forward an
understanding of visual art through many senses, and a deeper understanding of disability access for all audiences.
Ards Arts Centre, Conway Square, Newtownards.
Admission free.
Tel: 028 9181 0803
www.ardsarts.com
- 26th April 2012
An enchanting exhibition of flame worked glass flowers and free blown pods are inspired by the natural environment where Emma spent her formative years in the west of Ireland. She is particularly interested in how traditions and custom root a person to a place. Superstitious practices and tales about fairy rings relayed by her Grandfather were the norm growing up in Westport and were particularly
influential.
Observe intricate flame-worked fuchsia, honeysuckle and daisy chains, each characteristically unique like the environment that inspired their conception.
Emma Bourke is based in Westport and graduated in 2009 with BDes; Honours in Craft Design in Glass from the National College of Art and Design in Dublin.
Ards Arts Centre, Conway Square, Newtownards.
Admission free.
Tel: 028 9181 0803
www.ardsarts.com
Local children's author, Catherine Charley, has written a book about her
great-great-great-grandfather, Captain William Pirrie, who was the
grandfather of Lord Pirrie, and great-grandfather of Thomas Andrews.
Find out more about this exciting sea-captain, 'Grandfather of
Titanic', and listen to other stories of Titanic.
Donaghadee Library, 11am
Booking on 91882507
Comber Library, 2pm
Booking on 91872610
Admission Free
Anthony has built a strong reputation for the connections he makes with audiences through his songs, his warm, intimate vocal style, his between-song storytelling and his peerless guitar playing.
Response to his latest album Light below the Door has been overwhelmingly positive. He's a road veteran of countless live bands, and has enjoyed the spotlight with his own songs but on this tour he wants your help!
You have the chance to choose some of the material for this show by suggesting your favourite songs to be included in the performance, just email Anthony on anthonytonermusic@gmail.com with your chosen song.
Anthony is always a sell out at Ards Arts so book early to avoid disappointment.
8pm, Ards Arts Centre
£5
Tel: 028 9181 0803
www.ardsarts.com
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