The 20th annual Imagine Arts festival runs from October 15th to 24th. It's a hybrid event, but organisers say it'll be about "80/20" terms of in-person vs online. The festival will be run in accordance with current government guidelines, right up until the last day.
Music
Four headline music events include gigs with Dublin-based singer-songwriter Aoife Nessa Frances, and singer and songwriter Junior Brother. Chosen as one of RTÉ's Rising Irish Stars of 2018, Junior Brother has built a huge following thanks to unmissable live shows. Rapper Nealo will perform at Theatre Royal and he will be supported by Waterford’s very own Carrie Baxter. Dublin-based singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Eoghan Ó Ceannabháin will also take to the stage. Eoghan’s musical roots lie in the sean-nós style of his father.
Comedy
Best-selling broadcaster, author and comedian Colm O’Regan is raring to get back onto the stage after lockdown. He'll be at Theatre Royal on Saturday 23rd. Colm will be supported by local stand-up Sean Murphy.
The Waterford Writers Weekend
The festival showcases a multi-disciplinary range of arts events which also includes Waterford Writers Weekend. Some of the big-name authors lined up include Waterford native and one of 2021’s most celebrated debuts, Megan Nolan. Megan will read from Acts of Desperation and speak about the process of writing her second novel. Writer and podcaster Sophie White will speak about her bestselling essay collection, Corpsing: My Body and Other Horror Shows. The Observer columnist Séamas O’Reilly will discuss his memoir Did Ye Hear Mammy Died.
Visual Art
The festival’s visual art listing will feature an exhibition by renowned artist John Shinnors at Goma Gallery from October 15th. John is best known now for his three-tone colour scheme on a large scale. In addition, an Arts Trail and Art Shop featuring ten different artists will also be on offer showcasing a variety of techniques from sand artists to printmakers to surfboard graffiti artists and more.
For more, see the Imagine Arts Festival website.
