Culture and the Arts

Sligo, like most Irish cities, is a vibrant centre for culture and the arts. Although most famous for its connection to Irish poet, W.B. Yeats, Sligo is home to a variety of cultural and artistic organizations that play an important role in the day to day lives of the area and its people. Here are just some:

• Sligo County Council Arts Department
• Hawkswell Theatre
• Sligo Art Gallery
• Model Arts and Niland Gallery
• Sligo Live Festival
• Yeats Society
• Blue Raincoat Threatre

Sligo County Council Arts Dept.
Link: www.sligoarts.ie

Established in 1997 the Arts Department of Sligo County Council aims to foster, promote and present the arts in the broadest sense in County Sligo. They provide advice and information to individuals and groups who wish to set up arts projects in their own communities.

The website, www.sligoarts.ie is a comprehensive resource for the arts in County Sligo developed by the Arts Department of Sligo County Council. The website exists to provide information on all art forms in Sligo, to promote and support the ongoing development of arts projects and those who work in the arts. The website is managed and edited by the Arts Department to ensure accuracy and quality. They invite users to submit events listings, feature articles, artist profile and images to illustrate their submission. Public input is important to the site and they welcome your suggestions.

Hawkswell Threatre
Link: www.hawkswell.com/

The Hawk's Well Theatre, Sligo, Ireland is the premier performing arts venue for plays, drama, dance, music events, opera and comedy in the Region. Founded in 1978, the theatre has a full bar facility with a wide selection of beverages. The bar is open to patrons half an hour before and after all performances and also during the interval. The Hawk's Well Theatre has full facilities for the disabled including increased seating capacity for wheelchair users. Disabled parking is located at the side of the building and access to the theatre is from the car park. Limited street parking is available in the vicinity of the theatre. Patrons are asked to comply with parking restrictions as indicated by the presence of double yellow lines on the street.

Sligo Art Gallery
Link: http://www.sligoartgallery.com/

Artists whose work has been individually exhibited at Sligo Art Gallery include Patrick Collins, Antoni Tapies, Mary Swanzy, Patrick Heron, Tony O'Malley, Sean McSweeney, Conor Fallon, Jack Yeats and Contemporaries, Anne Yeats, John O'Leary, John Behan Barrie Cooke, Charles Harper, Sinéad Aldridge, Siobán Piercy, Cormac O'Leary, Clea Van De Grijn and Elizabeth Caffrey. Numerous Group Exhibitions of importance have been mounted over the years The annual Iontas Small Works open-submission exhibition has been organised by the Gallery since 1990. It is particularly supportive of young artists, as are the solo show opportunities given to emerging artists each year. Since the foundation of the Gallery The Arts Council have been supportive of its activities.

Model Arts & Niland Gallery
Link: http://www.modelart.ie/

Housed in a beautifully renovated model school The Model Arts and Niland Gallery is one of Ireland's most important contemporary arts centres with an extensive and vibrant programme of visual and performing arts. At the centre of the Model's activities is a dynamic exhibitions programme of leading examples of contemporary art. An active and innovative music and film programme runs in the context of the exhibitions and the Education Department provides unique opportunities to engage with programme for audiences of all ages. The Model Arts and Niland Gallery is home to the impressive Niland Art Collection, which features work by Jack B. Yeats, Paul Henry, Dorothy Cross and Nick Miller among others.

Sligo Live Festival
Link: http://www.sligolive.ie/

Sligo Live marks the return of large-scale music events to the area after a long break. Sligo racecourse will be turned into a festival arena for the weekend, complete with festival village. The aim all along has been to take the first step towards developing a festival which will stand among the best in Europe. They feel they have three days of fantastic concerts lined up, a brilliant set-up at Sligo racecourse and a city that knows its music and is an ideal location.

Yeat Society
Link: http://www.yeats-sligo.com/

The Yeats Society was founded in Sligo in 1958 in order to commemorate and honour the memory of W.B. Yeats, and to promote appreciation of his poetry and other writings, and an awareness of the other members of this talented family. The Society operates from the Yeats Memorial Building in the very centre of Sligo, overlooking the River Garavogue. The building operates as the administrative centre of the Society and houses the Yeats Exhibition Centre of the Society, The Sligo Art Gallery, and the Yeats River Café.

Blue Raincoat Theatre
link: http://www.blueraincoat.com

The Blue Raincoat Theatre Company is Sligo’s own home-grown professional theatre troop. The Company was founded in December 1990 by Malcolm Hamilton and Niall Henry and staged its first production in March 1991. Since then, Blue Raincoat has staged 38 productions to date (8 premiers since 1996) and taken 13 productions on tour nationally. Blue Raincoat have taken several shows to the National Theatre of Ireland at the Abbey Theatre, and maintain a regular international touring schedule. Blue Raincoat maintain their own venue in Sligo, The Factory Performance Space, and are developing a growing arts infrastructure in the town.