On the 21st of September 2018 hundreds of different venues all around Ireland celebrated the 13th annual Culture Night, bringing together people of different age groups and backgrounds to enjoy and cherish all different forms of arts, ranging from visual arts to music, from dance to poetry, and from acrobatics to written word, theatre, to name but a few of the categories presented throughout the day. In Signal Arts Centre we made
our own contribution to this event by organizing a circus themed day with children’s activities, installations, and performances until late evening.

We collaborated with many different people and organizations to put together a day to remember and we wanted it to be a little of something for everyone. When the installations were up, we opened our doors for children’s workshops and activities, providing face painting, colouring, print tasks, games and, a hall of mirrors. After all that followed an art performance called “Transmission Diaries” which combined poetry reading with music and singing performed by O.R. Melling, Cha Krka and Sylvia Teva.

Our evening programme included two musicians and a dance act. A guitarist and singer, Simon Growney, started the night with a very strong interpretation of songs ranging from Iron Maiden to Simon & Garfunkel, followed by Cheyenne Black and her backing guitarist Dylan O. Cheyenne sang and played mainly songs that had been written by herself. Her marvelous song writing and strong voice truly reflected her individuality and style. The Zoryanna dancers, who have almost become a household name at Signal Arts Centre, finished the night with their ever so splendid
and fresh belly dance routines performing three different dances.

Signal Arts Centre’s Lorna Lennon and Andrew Freeland collaborated with The Bray Lakers who helped us to make large cardboard circus figures and bunting to decorate our place with. Margaret Walsh, and Ciaran Coogan prepared circus animals and carriages with the children of Little Bray Family Resource Centre.

Our volunteer and former staff member Aidan Lombard created the very snazzy poster for the event and our other former staff member Audrey Kane helped us with preparations. An artist, Conor McNally, displayed his 3D printer stick installations in our windows. He had made the sticks using recycled materials which he then used for forming many different animal figures.

Our own Signal Arts photographers, Jonathan Higgins and John McCann, helped us to document the day’s events by taking photos from the early
morning until the late evening. You will be able to find the photos on our Facebook account.

Prior to Culture Night, artist Rachel Fallon ran a workshop with one of our Sunbeam House art classes and prepared a “Circus” entrance sign and pillars. The Carmona Service’s Retirement Group prepared a very funky looking zebra statue that also functioned as a children’s game which proved to be very popular throughout the day.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who worked with us on the day, all the people mentioned above and also the rest of the team who contributed to the day. Donal Smyth, Conor Rafferty, Jade Butler, James Hayes, Sean Nolan, and Sean Murray. I am looking forward to the various different projects and events that Signal Arts Centre is going to be holding in the near future!

Kaisa