Voices Rising – A Very Special Concert At The Birr Theatre And Arts Centre

A very special concert is being held in Birr Theatre & Arts Centre on Saturday 28 May in support of a new outdoor community arts facility in Cloughjordan.

Planning permission has been granted for a new Community Amphitheatre, to be located in lands owned by the educational charity, Sustainable Projects Ireland, developing the ecovillage in the town of Cloughjordan.

Cormac Lally

The concert ‘Voices Rising’ will celebrate Ireland’s ‘Spoken Word’ tradition, and promises to be an incendiary evening that mixes poetry, storytelling, humour, music and film with revolutionary passion!  Notorious troubadour Fergus Costello, champion spoken-word poet Cormac Lally (Scene of the Rhyme), and activist-rapper Temper-Mental MissElayneous (Connected, RTE 2) will share the stage with local artist Niall Cahir and Cloughjordan band Weave.

The promoters hope the project will demonstrate that community-led initiatives are the key to rural regeneration and local economic resilience. The community arts facility will contribute significantly to the cultural and tourism infrastructure of North Tipperary/ West Offaly. It will be a venue for a diverse range of cultural events; professional and amateur drama, music concerts and recitals, educational talks and workshops, and outdoor film screenings.

Through popular and innovative programming, the amphitheatre will attract increased numbers of visitors thereby benefitting the local economy.  Project Co-ordinator Michael Canney, said, “the principal beneficiaries of this project will be the young people of the area – both as participants and spectators at events. Keeping young people engaged in community activities, nurturing life-skills and an cultivating interest in arts and culture, is our ultimate goal.”

Voices Rising, Birr Theatre & Arts Centre, Saturday 28 May, 8pm. €15/10. To book: www.birrtheatre.com Box Office (057) 91 22-9-11