The Verbal Arts Centre hosts a wide range of events providing
entertainment for all age groups. Anything featuring the spoken
or written word; anything which involves talking or listening,
reading, or writing; in fact anything with any connection at all
to language provides us with the raw material to amuse, entertain,
provoke or inspire.
Among the highlights of the 2004 season to date have been:
TALKS, LECTURES & DEBATES
· 15th January Get Thee Behind me Jesus with Robbie
Meredith and Malachi O’Doherty ( an examination of the contrasting
effects of protestant and catholic upbringing in the context of
Northern Ireland illustrated by readings from their respective
memoirs).
Fortnight
Magazine
· 20th January Holocaust Memorial Day -Rwanda 10 Years
On Mary Blewitt, a British citizen of Rwandan origin, gave an
overview of the Rwandan genocide and her experience of working
as a volunteer in the Ministry of Rehabilitation. This was followed
by a powerful and extremely moving personal account of the time
by Jeanette Kagabo, a minor who survived the 1994 atrocities,
who has rebuilt her shattered life and now lives in London where
she works closely with the Survivors Fund
Holocost
memorial day
Suvivors
Fund
· 6th February The Dead and After Seamus
Deane took a packed house on a meticulously navigated trip
through Irish literature, pausing at many well known points of
interest but making sure that the entire audience was enthralled
from beginning to end.
Irish
Writers Online
· 11th March Factions and Fictions Malachi O’Doherty,
editor of Fortnight
Magazine chaired a lively discussion between writers
Carlo
Gebler and Eoin
McNamee on the ethics of using real life tragedies
in works of fiction.
· 18th June On the Unlikely but Possible Return of Painting
as Something to be Taken Seriously. Art Critic and Commentator
extraordinaire Matthew
Collings gave a virtuoso performance on the art of painting
and its relevance to modern life sparking off an impassioned debate
where sides were quickly taken, points effectively made and the
entire audience left better informed and begging for more of the
same.
· 23rd June What Peace? What Process? The State We’re
In. Despite the last minute disappointment of David Ervine’s
being called away, an intelligent and well informed audience was
treated to a sharp witted and entertaining exchange on the state
of the Northern Irish Peace Process by political commentators
Anthony McIntyre and District
Policing Partnership member Dennis Bradley.
BOOK LAUNCHES, POETRY & READINGS
· 20th January Star of the Sea Joseph
O'Connor. Serendipitously timed to coincide with his arrival
at the top of the bestseller lists, this reading was an exuberant
celebration of O’Connor’s facility with language as
well as his ability to hold an audience enthralled.
· 27th February The Gatekeeper Terry
Eagleton. Another wonderful evening with the small but select
audience who had braved the biting cold treated to selected extracts,
anecdotes and opinions by this giant of the literary scene.
· 16th March Breaking News Ciaran
Carson. Taking his latest collection of poetry as a starting
point, the newly appointed Professor
of Poetry charmed his listeners with some of his best loved
as well as his new pieces. A song and some airs on the flute completed
a most enjoyable evening.
· 31st March The Swing of Things Sean
O’Reilly. Local boy made good Sean O’Reilly read
from his latest novel to great audience acclaim. The question
and answer session which followed provided lots of food for thought
and ensured that we left much better informed about the process
of writing as well as entertained by the writer himself.
· 30th May That which Was Glenn
Patterson gave a masterly example of how to engage with an
audience this reading and the hugely entertaining discussion which
followed left the crowd begging for more.
Events such as these are on offer throughout the year and if
you are interested in being part of the audience,
why not come along to the Centre, ring for information, or have
your name added to our mailing list?
