We are delighted to be back for another jam-packed festival. The theme for 2023 is ‘Journeys’ and this weekend promises a lot of them, through time and space and story. But first, every journey starts with a single step, or in our case, a single meeting. I’d like to thank the committee who volunteer year round to put on this festival, as well as our sponsors who make it possible.
Our music lineup is diverse this year, with Pa Sheehy headlining Saturday night in Brú Ború. But we also have a tribute to Leonard Cohen, Harp and Fiddle from Jane and Jill and, for the first time in a long time, we will close the festival with a night at the opera. The excellent Bolton Lecture series continues with world renowned historian William Dalrymple who will speak on the legacy of the British Empire in India. As always, we have another excellent theatre piece, Cahal Flynn’s ‘Pure Medicine’, a journey back into his memories of the old men his mother nursed and the stories they told.
On a different kind of journey, we have Fidget Feet here for the first time with their show called House!, a delightful mix of aerial dance, bingo and performance. As well as the excellent performers from Fidget Feet, you will see many local faces popping up.
For the last number of years, we have been grateful to have Catherine Marshall curate our visual arts programme. Once again, she has brought several fantastic artists. This year, we welcome two more artists. Manar Al Shouha’s work is formed in reaction to the civil war in her native Syria, while Pat Curran is influenced by inner city Dublin. On very different journeys, it is wonderful to see such diverse artists make a stop at Cashel.
We also have two excellent local artists displaying their work. Petronelle Clifton Brown has journeyed worldwide and that informs her exhibition ‘Going to the Islands’. Then we have Mark Fitzell’s journey through the ages, with 100 portraits of Cashel people. We have also commissioned Subashini Goda to create a new piece of work combining Indian and Irish dance, showing a journey between cultures (see what I did there). With Michelle Lawrence and her dancers, as well as our local Indian dance group, the piece will cross continents in a story about the Seven Sisters.
Meanwhile, every street in Cashel hides a thousand stories. This year, we were determined to record some of them. As you walk through the town this year, keep an eye out for posters with quotes and QR codes to access a whole treasure trove of stories from and about Cashel from local writers and community groups.
As always, there’s more, between Latin Fusion dance, film, craft displays, a class on the power of aroma, street theatre, a fire show, drumming and more. Come, take a journey with us into the arts, I guarantee there’s something for everyone.
Claire Fox
Chairperson Cashel Arts Festival
2023 Brochure Design: Lisa Manton Illustration https://lisamanton.com
Inspired by this year’s theme ‘JOURNEYS’ “For the brochure colour palette I have taken inspiration from the beautiful sunsets over the Rock of Cashel that we so often see. I have also merged these colours with that of the Cashel Arts Festival Logo to make a custom pallet for this design. With regards to the theme itself, the general idea is a compilation of many different elements that are a nod to the theme itself. The Rock Of Cashel is the first thing many people see when they are returning home to Cashel or perhaps visiting for the first time on their journeys. The road represents the journeys people take through life and perhaps through creative endeavours. Lastly, the use of flowers is to represent our growth as artists, art enthusiasts and more through life as we bloom!“
Lisa Manton is an illustrator and designer from Cashel. She graduated from the Limerick School of Art and Design in 2013 where she majored in Fine Art, Printmaking and Contemporary Practice. Since graduating, Lisa has focused on developing her own personal illustration style which embraces fun colour palettes, ideas and textures. Lisa’s catalogue of work includes: commercial and editorial illustrations, NFT digital art, greeting card design and production with clients spanning from around the world!
