Paul Behan | Societies Editor
The University Times Trinity Arts Festival Blog is back by popular demand! We’re covering everyone’s favourite arts festival. Day one kicked off to an incredible start with Cake Styling, Henna, a Guerilla Gig, Pottery, Photogram, Scottish Reel Dancing, Shadow Puppets, Fire Juggling and a Jazz/Funk night event. Tuesday offered Raverobics, Play Dough, Shamanic Journey, a Guerilla Gig, a play, Jim Fitzpatrick, the Trinity Arts Collection Tour, a Google Translate Slam, an installation art piece, a film screening and a night of spoken work & theatre!
Henna Workshop
Marcella Caruso
Photos by Anna Kykilahti
The Henna workshop was a smashing success today in the atrium! After briefly introducing the history and general tips behind henna designs, the organizers (from the Trinity Indian Society) passed out some common henna designs and blank paper and pens for people to create their own. Such a popular workshop, more than twice as many people showed up than were supposed to. Thankfully, the organizers smoothed over this hiccup with ease and paired up participants to brainstorm some images and practice using the henna pens, which feel like a cross between glitter glue pens and ink. After some much-needed practice, the participants got to work creating some truly beautiful and distinctive designs!
Tales From The Shadows
David Donovan
Photos by Kate Haley
Upon walking in the door you’re transported back to a time before technology as a thorny ornate backdrop sets the stage for a boy’s quest to discover why he couldn’t feel fear. As the scenes change and beautifully crafted characters and props dance across the screen, you get the impression that these could have been sections of an ancient tapestry. The talented storytellers harken back to a simpler time through their unique craft. In this charming, quaint and slightly absurd story, the boy creates a problem out of an asset. As he interacts with ghosts and demons, kings and princesses he continually doubts himself, something easy for the audience to relate to in this fantasy tale. This primitive connection to the past whisks you away from modern life but still engages and excites. The simplicity of the piece taps into a piece of everyone’s childhood and deserves the applause from each and every audience who vie
Pictogram
Photos by Claire O’Nuallain
Cal Soc: The Reeling
Dominic McGrath
Photos by Sarah Jennings
The Caledonian Society provided a large group of reeling virgins with a baptism of fire today. Despite the disconcerting lack of Scottish accents on display, the enthusiasm of the teachers and the thumping traditional music more than made up for it.
There was a hint of nervousness among the assembled crowd as the committee members of CalSoc lined up to demonstrate such dances as the ominously titled ‘Stripping the Willow’, a dance that involved a large amount of spinning, and as with most Scottish dancing, a large portion of rhythm and co-ordination.
For someone lacking neither, this was a daunting challenge, but inspired by the enthusiasm of the CalSoc members, notably First Year Rep James Ware (who dances like a Scottish Fred Astaire), I took to the floor with reckless abandon, and managed, mostly thanks to a very understanding dancing partner, not to embarrass myself completely. All in all, our invitation to the St Andrews Ball next year will be welcomed with open arms. After an hour of reeling, I think it’s time to invest in a pair of Trews.
Cake Styling
Orla Howells
Photos by Lorna Staines
TAF 2015 was launched today with the cupcake decorating workshop in the GMB. Tanya from Novel-T Cakes led the workshop while 17 hungry, yet eager students watched in awe as she effortlessly crafted miniature iced works of art before our very eyes.
As February is approaching, the theme of the workshop was Valentine’s Day cupcakes. “Kitchy, I know.” said Tanya, but everyone embraced the theme and by the end of the session, everyone had managed to master the art of icing and embellishment, creating cupcakes which looked far too good to eat and photogenic enough for Instagram.
Before the workshop, many people admitted that they didn’t have much experience in decorating cakes. Personally, my expertise doesn’t stretch much further than making Rice Krispie buns. However by the end of the workshop we’d all produced gourmet cupcakes which could have been in The Great British Bake Off (Tanya is definitely a match for Mary Berry).
This popular event was a great way to launch TAF and I’m now even more excited for the week ahead.
Fire Juggling
Photos by Claire O’Nuallain)
Decade
Saoirse Anton
Photos by Adam Boate
I was tired as I wandered down to TAF’s first night-time event, Decade, this evening; I had come into college at 10am and, to be honest, was ready to go home and curl up in my duvet. However, now as I write this at 11 minutes past midnight, I’m ready to dance all night! The evening’s entertainment was first class. The show opened with 5-piece blues rock ‘n’ roll band The Dead Sets who warmed the audience up and got them into a musical mood with some 12 bar blues, a trip to a Wild West saloon and their excellent single “Smoking Gun.”
Following this, Rachel and the Lavelles slowed the tone and took us on a sumptuous turn about some old jazz classics including Gershwin’s “Summertime” and Carmichael and Gorrell’s “Georgia on my Mind.” They finished their set with a fun, upbeat rendition of “Wade in the Water” which had the audience clapping and dancing in their seats as Lavelle’s voice soared through the room.
This set everyone up nicely for the headline act, The Noel Fortune Orchestra. I saw these guys play at the Players Ball last week and loved them so was very excited to get to hear them again. True to form, they were top notch, playing a variety of superb renditions of swing classics including “A String of Pearls,” “St. James Infirmary,” and, of course, the golden song of swing, “Sing, Sing, Sing” by Louis Prima, which had everyone bopping along.
Decade blew away any trace of Monday blues and kicked off TAF in true style with a talent-filled, relaxed and swinging evening of music, dancing and fun.
T-JOLT Google Translate
Jennifer Aust
Hill Street
Phoebe Moore
A crowd of keen TAF members appeared to watch the documentary ‘Hill Street’ directed by JJ Rolfe. This documentary followed the rise of Skate boarding in Ireland. From its tentative beginning, starting with the small but respected skate shop in the infamous Hill Street known as ‘Clives’, to its prominent place and eventual recognition in Society today. Watching as a self-proclaimed skate board clutz, I could only admire the founders of this four wheeled revolution. What is clearly a risky sport at the best of times had even more to face at its emergence; the originals having to deal with enraged police men and hostile, tough locals fighting for their turf (or your money as the case may be). Despite huge opposition, the sport continued amongst a committed core that fought for its recognition as more than just vandalism and youth culture but a legitimate sport and a “physical art form”. The established skate parks of today, then existed on the railings, steps and marbled walls of spots like Baggott Street and central bank, constantly moving and re locating once the police became too annoying.
Skating for them was like “a video game that can’t be completed” with new tricks and improvements constantly being invented. It is a story that is still being written, and although the skaters today have it relatively easy in terms of public sympathy and readily available skate parks, their stunts are anything but. The result is breath taking and quite intriguing…I have to say I’m tempted!
Arch Soc Play Dough
Photo by Eimear Gough
Raverobics
Aida Lago
Photos by Claire O’Nuallain
To kick off TAF Tuesday Players Theater held an intense aerobics session to the beat of great tunes such as ABBA’s Dancing Queen. The dynamic fast food duo of Burger and Chips (a.k.a. Brian and Emer) hosted it and they proved to be even better than coffee in the task of waking us up. There was dancing, there was stretching .and there was a lot of air punching. We tried to keep Emer’s pace and I am proud to say that sometimes we succeded. After a few songs Big Ol’Brian realized we were in fact too energetic so he changed the music and we went on relaxation mood. We came out smiling and ready for anything, so ignore your doctor, fast food can be the healthiest way to start the day.
Jim Fitzpatrick
Izzy Sweeney
Photos by Shannon Buckley Barnes
The GMB played host this Tuesday afternoon to artist Jim Fitzpatrick. Invited as part of the Trinity Arts Festival, Jim Fitzpatrick spoke to a group of students about his art, political views and how these two combine. Mostly known for his world renowned depiction of Che Guevara, Fitzpatrick’s true love and passion lies in the Celtic arts. Regaling the students with the tale of how he once met the infamous revolutionist in a bar he worked in his youth in Kilkee, County Clare. This meeting, involving talks of politics and drinks of whiskey sparked his interest in Che Guevara and eventually led to the infamous graphic. Fitzpatrick also talked of his interest in our politics here at home and how he has involved himself in many political activities and causes over the years. Declaring himself a pacifist, he commented on upcoming 1916 commemorations and how we must remember our past and support those who are still in conflict across the world such as Christians in the Middle East. He then spoke of his love of Celtic art and how this was sparked from childhood, beginning with a kind nurse telling him folklore while he suffered from tuberculosis. One gathers from him that he is quiet a humble man, with most of his art free from copyright, as he believes in the reinterpretation of art and the recycling of pieces in order to create something new. Overall, his talking through his many artistic endeavours provided a real sense of what it means to be an artist and the role of an artist in modern day society.
Selections
Michael Tierney
Photos by Gloria IP
Tuesday night’s event ‘Selections’ at the Chocolate Factory was an unmissable artistic triumph. Showcasing high-quality set pieces from a range of musical artists along with an extravaganza of poetry and theatre (and a few reconstructions of old Simpson’s episodes) the evening exhibited the artistic diversity and creativity that the Trinity Arts Festival has at it’s core.
Mount Hollow first took to the stage with enchanting, alt-rock numbers such as Shadow Chasms and were immediately followed by the hilarious and talented ‘Floozy and Woozy’ who played a catchy and sexually-loaded set piece of their “12 songs about dicks and one song not about dicks”. The spoken word was the next artistic category and included thought-provoking poetry slams and some interesting childhood memories from Trinity’s own Aoife Leonard, Sam Ford and many others.
As if the night hadn’t already satisfied this volunteers artistic desire, the short play ‘Oh, What a Lovely Rose’ (fresh from the Theatre Machine Festival) provided an entertaining spin on the Irish institution that is the Rose of Tralee with Erica Murray taking centre stage. Lastly was a short set from the brilliant ‘Oh Sister’ whose intimate number ‘My Baby must Sleep’ bestowed a soothing end to what had been an enjoyable and insightful night into the diverse talent that that the college and city has in perennial supply.
