University in Kildare to celebrate second annual Arts and Minds Festival

Maynooth University (MU) is set to host the second ever Arts and Minds Festival.

According to organisers, the festival 'will offer a variety of music, song, literature and exceptional performances.'

MU said in a statement: "Arts and Minds is Maynooth University’s celebration of the best in Irish and international arts and culture, welcomes the wider community, alumni, students and staff to campus for live, in-person arts events.

"There will be poetry readings with Seán Hewitt and Lauren Lawler, and, for the first time, the festival will partner with Maynooth Film For All for an opening night screening of Aftersun, the internationally acclaimed Paul Mescal movie, on Wednesday, May 3.

"On Thursday, May 4, the Irish National Opera presents Sisters, Lovers and Traitors featuring operatic highlights from Mozart’s Così fan tutte, Le Nozze di Figaro and La Clemenza di Tito with soprano Anna Devin, mezzo-soprano Sharon Carthy, bass-baritone Gianluca Margheri, and pianist Finghin Collins."

MU continued: "The festival features what promises to be a stunning performance by the multiple award-winning Irish folk duo, Ye Vagabonds, on Friday, May 5.

"A special reception for alumni will also take place before the event.

"The Literary Lounge will take place on Saturday, May 6, with hosts Nicole Flattery, author of Nothing Special, the acclaimed novel that explores the fascinating world of Andy Warhol’s studio The Factory, famed for its wild parties in the 1960s.

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Recollections

"This year, the festival is delighted to welcome New York Times bestselling author Deepti Kapoor whose novel Age of Vice set in New Delhi and described as 'one of the most anticipated novels of 2023, as psychologically thrilling as The Godfather and as viciously entertaining as Succession'.

"Rights to her novel sold in fifteen territories, with a 20-way bidding war for film rights won by FX and Fox 21.

"Irish language events are also to the fore at this year’s Festival on Saturday, with An Fhéile Bheag, featuring a sean-nós singing walk in the lovely campus grounds, an outdoor Irish-language arts picnic, Picnic Bheag Ealaíonta, and the Ceardlann Amharclannaíochta Irish-language Theatre Workshop."

In addition, organisers said that an Irish-language Interdisciplinary Arts Event will be held in honour of the famous Lament for Art O’Leary (which was composed 250 years ago this year) will also takes place on Saturday, May 6.

Lastly, rounding off the final day will be a unique Irish language hip-hop and electronic music rave, Tráthnóinín Déanach, which will feature rapper and poet, Súil Amháin, and the audio visual psych collective, Tuath.

The full programme of events and Eventbrite tickets are available on the MU website at https://www.maynoothuniversity.ie/arts-and-minds-festival-2023.