Park Life - Saturday
Cavan Arts Festival parking available at Cavan Institute, next door.
Saturday 20th May, 11am
Big Top Tent, Con Smith Park, Cavan Town
Kyle Riley & Little Folk - On The Road
Kyle Riley & Little Folk - On The Road is an early years music session for children aged 1-5 years (6 or even older) and their accompanying adults.
Tickets €10 per child, accompanying adult goes free
Saturday 20th May, 12pm
Big Top Tent, Con Smith Park, Cavan Town
Come Sing With Me
Music Generation Cavan/Monaghan, Come Sing With Me Choir is based in the Town hall, Cavan. This new initiative was set up to support and give young singers the opportunity to develop their voices, build confidence, self-esteem and to get involved in our community in a musical environment.
Our Choir is made up of over 20 Young singers across Cavan. Our choir is directed by the extremely talented Niamh Mc Cormack and Clare Crehan.
Saturday 20th May, 12:30pm
CON SMITH PARK, CAVAN
Tape That, by Hands Down Circus
Tape That is a playful exploration of the world we live in; when challenges present themselves, how many issues can be fixed with a few rolls of duct tape?
Tape That is a charming, light-hearted, non-verbal acrobatic duet. Two performers construct a visual world using colourful tape, object manipulation & partner acrobatics. A simple roll of tape transforms from DJ decks to a spyglass & is stretched to create physical barriers & obstacles for the performers to navigate.
Hands Down Circus is an acrobatic duo made up of Carys Nicholls & Graham Milligan, currently based in Belfast. Hands Down Circus is a new contemporary circus theatre company who are already touring Europe with their innovative & exciting new shows.
Saturday 20th May, 1pm
CON SMITH PARK, CAVAN
Bealach na Bó Finne: Herd of White Cows
A concert to celebrate the launch of Bealach na Bó Finne, a catalog of imagery, poetry and new music from The Gathering In project with lead artist Tom Meskell as part of Faoin Spéir. This concert will include the good and great of Cavan and surrounding county talent with Daragh Slacke and a band including Barry Fitzgerald, Pat McManus, Andrew Lynch, Peter Denton, Clara Rose and Noel Monahan, poet.
Saturday 20th May, 2pm
CON SMITH PARK, CAVAN
Ta Ta Tum!
Ta Tum Tum! is a music show designed for families to explore samba music through popular and original music in a creative, integrative and fun way. It explores body awareness and different rhythms used in Brazilian music. The performance is interactive and allows children and adults to play real instruments from Brazil used in Samba. It explores subjects such as diversity, equality and cultural differences. Ta Tum Tum has been funded by Kildare County Council, Creative Ireland and the Riverbank Arts Centre.
Saturday 20th May, 2-4pm
CON SMITH PARK, CAVAN
An Gaeltacht Bheag
Clár Imeachtaí - Programme
2:20pm: Comhrá Gaeilge - Gaelic Conversation
2:40pm: Logainmneacha - Placenames
3:00pm: Canaimis! - Let’s Sing!
3:20pm: Comhrá Gaeilge - Gaelic Conversation
3:40pm: Logainmneacha - Placenames
Saturday 20th May, 3pm
CON SMITH PARK, CAVAN
On Tish, by Síolta Circus
In the year 2222 a small but eccentric tribe of noisy, boisterous beings are on the hunt for food, shelter & a bit of craic. As they roam the desolate landscape they create chaos as they go with jaw dropping acrobatics & bagloads of absurdity. Prepare to laugh out loud as they sweep in, set up camp & make themselves at home.
An uplifting whirlwind of a dystopian future, this is an explosive acrobatic show for all ages.
Performers : Michelle Thoburn, Jacob Anderson, Ali Stanger, Henrik Gard & Aoife Raleigh
Directed by Alain Servant. Music by John Linnane.
Saturday 20th May, 3:30pm
CON SMITH PARK, CAVAN
Baby Rave
An entire generation of currently very small people will soon be big people and have really good taste in absolutely banging tunes as we continue with what can only be described as the Clubbing event of the Year, our Baby Rave.
With DJ Flynnstar
Saturday 20th May, 4pm
CON SMITH PARK, CAVAN
Creative Sounds Music Generation Performance
Music Generation Cavan/Monaghan, Leitrim, Longford, and Roscommon formed a new performance group called Creative Sounds which is a collaborative, inclusive music project for young people.
This group have worked together to compose, perform and record a number of original pieces of music inspired by a range of musical genres. This group are sure to get you on your feet dancing!
Saturday 20th May, 12-5pm
CON SMITH PARK, CAVAN
Horsebox Theatre
No time or space in your life for anything? We have the perfect entertainment solution for you. You are cordially invited to attend a free five-minute concert in this lavish, luxurious, and thoroughly delightful, tiny Victorian theatre (built into a horsebox).
Bring your Mam, your sister and her mate and you’ll have made it another sell-out show! Catch the amazing, virtuosic, stupefying (incredibly Spanish) BERNIE and his magic guitar.
Saturday 20th May, 12-5pm
CON SMITH PARK, CAVAN
Array Collective
Lay of the Land
The Black Pig’s Dyke was one of the themes explored in Array Collective’s 2021 Turner Prize winning show The Druthaib’s Ball. Utilising a variety of approaches such as protests, rallies, public talks, exhibitions and social media the collective’s work focuses on human rights and identity. The group uses themes from Irish folklore and mythology to reimagine identity, where binaries are eroded leading to fluid and nuanced characters.
A day of Performance Art at the Cavan Arts Festival at Con Smith Park will present each artist’s response to the folklore surrounding The Black Pig’s Dyke. Drawing on identity politics, queer histories and the body as a border, the artists in The Lay of the Land take multiple approaches to responding to the ancient earthwork.
Saturday 20th May, 12-5pm
CON SMITH PARK, CAVAN
DISTRO Exhibition
Distro (which is slang for an independent distributor of zines and other forms of alternative press) is a pop-up exhibition that brings together a collection of over 70 independent and self-published artists’ books with the aim of introducing the practice of artist publishing to rural Ireland. Artist’s books are not to be confused with ‘how to’ books on art, or the art book whose purpose is to display artworks made in another medium, they are publications that have been considered as artworks in their own way, such as photobooks or zines. Distro features works from a range of artists and collectives from all across Ireland and abroad.
Saturday 20th May, 8pm
Big top Double Bill - CON SMITH PARK, CAVAN
Eddie Cruizer and The Savage Hearts
Headed up by former The Strypes drummer Evan Walsh, join this all new, all blues-wailing garage rock outfit in a musical salute to unsung rock ’n’ roll wild man Eddie Cruizer.
Badhands
Badhands are a 5 piece band from Dublin fronted by songwriter and award-winning composer Dan Fitzpatrick. Often compared to Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, the band has released 2 critically acclaimed albums, and sold out Dublin shows in The Workmans Club and Whelans.
€10 per person
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A magical four days and nights of art and culture in the heart of Cavan Town