A series of arts events will take place as part of the Mount Stewart Conversations Festival 2018.
Beyond Skin has just announced its arts programme for the festival, including talks by acclaimed musicians, such as Dave Randall and Justin Adams. There will also be a host of sensory arts activities in ‘The Next Village.’
The National Trust is building on a successful, multi-year partnership with the cutting edge Northern Irish intercultural arts organisation.
Dave Randall is a musician, writer and activist who has contributed to multi-million selling albums by Grammy Award winning artist Dido and toured the world playing guitar with Faithless, Sinead O’Connor, Emiliana Torrini, Roland Gift and many others.
Dave will deliver an illustrated talk about music and politics, based on his new book ‘Sound System: The Political Power of Music.’ It’s a book of raves, riots and revolution, looking at examples from Beethoven to Beyoncé and poses the question: how can we make music serve the interests of the many, rather than the few?
He will follow his talk with a quirky workshop called the ‘Rock ‘n’ Sausage Roll Guitar Masterclass.’ You read that right – there will of course be sausage rolls (of the vegan kind) to cater for all rock n roll wanabes.
Joining Dave at the top of the bill will be Mercury Prize-nominated Justin Adams, widely considered to be one of UK’s most original guitarists. Justin is known for co-writing The Robert Plant album ‘Mighty Rearranger’ and playing with Plant’s band the Strange Sensation.
Justin will lead a talk on ‘Music in Exile’ and later treat a small group of budding guitarists to a Sahara Blues Guitar Masterclass. This is the first time that Justin has offered NI music lovers a chance to learn from the master.
The theme of the Beyond Skin programme for 2018 will be ‘The Next Village.’
Darren Ferguson, Founder says in the half century or so since the world was first described as a ‘Global Village.’
“But have we really got to know each other? Have we developed a deeper sense of community as a result of these technological changes?
“At Mount Stewart Conversations Festival we are going to try to get to know our new neighbours. Awakening our senses we will creatively explore where global meets local, beginning a conversation with our global neighbours, learning from each other about our place in this shared world to try to gain insight into life in The Next Village,`’ he added.
The Village Experience at Mount Stewart Conversations Festival will be focused around fluid sensory arts, facilitating natural conversation opportunities and surrounding talks. Some of the one hour experiences on offer include Jamaican Dance and Ukulele Workshops.
Visit www.nationaltrust.org.uk/mount-stewart to find out more.
Access to Mount Stewart will be free for the weekend. Selected talks will be ticketed and will be available to book in advance.
As a conservation charity, the National Trust is bolstered by the support of volunteers. If you would like to get involved by volunteering at Mount Stewart Conversations Festival, visit www.nationaltrust.org.uk/mount-stewart/features/volunteering-at-mount-stewart.
