Imagine Arts Festival turns 25 this year, and from Tuesday 20 to Sunday 25 October it takes over venues right across Waterford City with theatre, circus, dance, music, visual art, heritage and Irish-language events. This year’s theme is In Memories We Grow. Here are ten ways to spend the week, in date order.
1. Drop into the Festival Hub
Daily, 10am–6pm | WCQ Community and Cultural Hub, O’Connell Street | Free
The festival’s home for the week. Wander through The Scattering installation, listen to What Persists, a new work by Commissioned Artist Chris Falconer (Waiting Space), and take in exhibitions from Niamh Ní Chearbhaill and Waterford Creatives Network, Angela Fewer, Anne McDonnell, Martina Furlong and Emily A. Thompson. It’s also the place to pick up a programme and find out what’s on that day.
2. Take a lunch break with a play
Tuesday 20 – Sunday 25 October | St Patrick’s Gateway Centre
Three plays, two dates each, mostly at 1pm. Catch In Case You Didn’t Know by Martina Collender (Tue and Fri), The Patron Saint of Side Chicks by Nicola Spendlove (Wed and Sat) or Maggot Mind by Steven Walsh (Thu at 1pm, Sun at 4pm).
3. Go underground for Reginald’s Tower Prison Tales
Tuesday 20 and Wednesday 21 October, 8pm | Garter Lane Studios Basement
Stories from one of Waterford’s oldest landmarks, told in the basement of Garter Lane.
4. Step into A Corpo Libero with CoisCéim
Wednesday 21 October, 4pm and 7pm | St Patrick’s Gateway Centre
CoisCéim Dance Theatre brings Silvia Gribaudi’s A Corpo Libero to Waterford, a piece that combines virtual reality with movement.
5. Meet the Artists in Residence
Masterclasses Wednesday 21 and Thursday 22 October, 6pm | Showcase Saturday 24 October, 6pm | St Patrick’s Gateway Centre
For the first time, the residency is delivered through Irish. Songwriter Síomha Brock and playwright Ciara Ní É each lead a masterclass during the week (both now sold out), then share what they’ve made together at Saturday’s showcase.
6. See The Scattering in performance
Thursday 22 and Friday 23 October, 5pm and 8pm | Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 October, 2pm | Festival Hub
Will Flanagan and Alchemy Arts’ installation is free to visit all week, but it’s in these ticketed performances that it really comes to life. Tickets on sale now.
7. Get to the Whozyerman? album launch
Friday 23 October, 9pm | Bank Lane (upstairs)
Paul Savage launches his new album as Whozyerman?, presented with Luca Records. An intimate room, so book early.
8. Start Saturday with Booze, Blaas & Banter
Saturday 24 October, from 9am | Jordan’s American Bar
The festival’s Saturday-morning heritage gathering, blaas included. Can’t make it down? Waterford in Your Pocket will be livestreaming.
9. Bring the small ones to Desert Bloom
Saturday 24 October, 12pm, 2pm and 4pm
Circus250 and Angelica Santander’s Desert Bloom is made for younger audiences and their grown-ups. Sessions are small, so book ahead.
10. Raise a glass at the 25th Anniversary Cabaret
Saturday 24 October, 8pm | Bank Lane
Curated by Shauna Farrell and Wayne Power, a mixed-artform night out to celebrate 25 years of Imagine. Tickets on sale now.
And to finish: The Legendary Dead
Sunday 25 October, 9pm
The festival closes with The Legendary Dead Pub Trail, a night of Waterford folklore and spectacle on the move.
Keep an eye out too for Banners for Waterford, bunting made by students from schools across the city and county, on display during festival week.
Full programme and tickets: imagineartsfestival.com
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