The 16th Annual Out To Lunch Festival is back to brighten up an otherwise dull January.
Supported by Arts Council NI, The Out To Lunch Festival includes a special Culture Night Belfast showcase in association with The Office of the Northern Ireland Executive in Brussels of talented artists on Tuesday January 19 at 1pm.
The special showcase sees songwriters and musicians Ciara O’Neill, Anthony Toner, Ursula Burns and writer, Stephen Connolly, performing in the surroundings of the historic Rosemary Street Church.
Susan Picken, Director of the Cathedral Quarter Trust said, “2020 has been a very challenging year for Culture Night Belfast but it was wonderful to end it on a high, working with some brilliant artists as well as with Out to Lunch, The Office of the Executive Office in Brussels and Arts Council NI.”
The festival offers something for everyone from writers, authors, poets, comedians, musicians and even magicians, The Out To Lunch Festival 2021 will be sure to inspire and captivate you.
Most events are free but the festival does ask for a small donation to kindly support the local arts scene here in Northern Ireland. The festival will run until Saturday January 30 and includes performances from Joshua Burnside, Dea Matrona and Teresa Livingstone.
Here are 10 events you don’t want to miss:
History of Illusion – A Faculty Lecture with Caolan McBride – Webinar
Tuesday 12 January, 8pm
In this engaging lecture Professional Magician Caolan Mc Bride takes you through the exciting world of Illusion. With Plenty of Magic thrown in, Caolan talks about where Magic has come from and where it has been to how it fits in with today’s modern world.
Click HERE for tickets.
Teresa Livingstone – Class
Friday 29 January, 1pm
Teresa Livingstone is a classy lady, at least she tries to be despite everything being a 40-something Northern Irish woman throws at her. She spent her thirties being delighted by the success of others and her ever-fluctuating weight but her forties are here and there’s no time like the present to rewrite the rules.
Click HERE for tickets.
Shadows and Light: The Songs and Story of Joni Mitchell
Friday 29 January, 8pm
Pre-Corona, Shadows and Light had been captivating audiences with their intimate show on the iconic singer – songwriter Joni Mitchell. The show features songs from the huge Joni repertoire, including classics from the landmark Blue album, along with some of the lesser-known numbers like Hejira, Secret Place and Hissing of Summer Lawns.
Click HERE for tickets.
Music in the Glen
Thursday 28 January, 8pm
Music In The Glen
are an exciting trio performing the very best of Irish traditional music. Featuring the combined talents of Brendan Mulholland (flute) and founding Réalta members Conor Lamb (uilleann pipes, whistles) and Deirdre Galway (guitar), these musicians deliver the infectious rhythm and soul which are the hallmarks of Irish music.
Click HERE for tickets.
Natalie Haynes – Pandora’s Jar: Women in the Greek Myths
Wednesday 13 January, 8.00pm
In traditional retellings of the Greek myths, the focus is invariably on gods and men, but in Pandora’s Jar: Women in the Greek Myths, Natalie Haynes refocuses our gaze on the remarkable women at the centre of these ancient stories.
Click HERE for tickets.
Prophets, Makers and Risk Takers: A Showcase of Writing from Northern Ireland
Thursday 14 January 2021, 9.15am – 5.15pm
Curated by Jan Carson, this year’s Writers’ Symposium aims to bring together leading voices in writing from Northern Ireland to discuss how our writers are approaching global issues and themes; how they are revisiting ideas associated with the history and politics of N.I. but finding new ways to tell the stories; what opportunities exist outside N.I. and how best they might promote their work internationally and finally, what makes writing from Northern Ireland so distinctive.
Click HERE for tickets.
Malojian
Friday 15 January, 8.00pm
Over the last few years Malojian has released four critically acclaimed albums (the last three of which have been nominated for the Northern Ireland Music Prize) and has collaborated with the likes of Steve Albini (Shellac, Nirvana, Low, Pixies), Joey Waronker (R.E.M., Beck, Roger Waters, Thom Yorke/Atoms for Peace) and Gerry Love (Teenage Fanclub, Lightships).
Click HERE for tickets.
The Minotaur Speaks – A Faculty Lecture
Tuesday January 26, 8.00pm
Gemma Reid and Adam Turkington from Daisy Chain Inc, who researched and programmed this scheme will take you through the rich history of this area (city centre street art works) of Belfast and explain the process, the challenges and the hidden meanings of this new body of work.
Click HERE for tickets.
A Taste of Belfast and Brussels (Culture Night Belfast Showcase)
Tuesday 19 January, 1pm
An enticing taster, this programme features a selection of established artists and up-and-coming talent, all specially recorded performing in the historic Rosemary Street Church. Performances from, Ciara O’Neill, Anthony Toner, Ursula Burns and writer, Stephen Connolly.
Click HERE for tickets.
Emer Maguire – Is Laughter Really the Best Medicine? – A Faculty Lecture
Wednesday 27 January, 1.00pm
Musical comedian and science communicator Emer Maguire explores the questions, ‘why do we laugh?’ ‘where does laughter come from?’ for us through a lighthearted lens, and hopefully makes us laugh along the way.
Click HERE for tickets.
To see the full line up visit www.cqaf.com.