Cavan’s Culture Night delights

Cavan loves Culture Night. There's a reason for that. It's not the myth that this county has a particular grá for free things. The reason is because the artistic community have embraced this night when the doors of art studios, gallerias and venues are thrown open to give all comers a peek.
In doing so they present many astonishing spectacles for the public to celebrate the abundance of talent the county has to offer. Culture night in Cavan is special.
Cavan County Council Arts Office is giving fair warning of the approach of the annual celebration of the arts in Ireland as it's just under a month away (Friday September 20). Already they have 24 events digitally pencilled in on the Culture Ireland website. 
Started as a means of celebrating culture, heritage and the arts, Culture Night has grown to be a byword for inclusive artistic engagement. 
On this one night a year each county hosts events to bring the public closer to the arts community.
This year Culture Night Cavan will see people drawn to venues across the county from Bailieborough to Cavan Town to participate in the annual event that has been blossoming since 2006. 
Cultural Ambassador for Culture Night is artist Joe Keenan explained the appeal of Culture Night: “It is a festival night really. People get excited about what is on. There are so many forms so culture as well.  It covers everything from traditional music to visual arts, dance to story telling, video to literature. It covers everything. And it's free!”
“It's a chance for people to let their cultural side go for a night. They spend the night going around visiting different works and getting into the whole spirit of it. It gets the juices flowing for the rest of the year,” Joe tells the Celt.
Cavan County Council Arts Office is rightly proud of the way the event has grown in the last 13 years: “Cavan artists have blossomed over the past 10 years. The cross-collaboration of art forms and the generosity of artists to share their talents has been responsible for some of the most exciting art, theatre, music, video, film, and spectacle making in the country. Cavan Culture Night will bring together all the art forms in a single night of sheer joy," adds Joe.
The programme of events is growing as the big night approaches. 
The Culture Night website has all the details of what is happening around the country and the Arts office will have a catalogue out at the beginning of September.
Culture Night in Cavan is a partnership between the Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs and Cavan County Council. Culture Night happens because many people share a vision and enthusiasm for enjoying, celebrating and promoting creativity and culture.

Town Hall re-opening

The range of events already lined up is impressive. From the creation of the Cavan Convergence broadsheet to the magical mystery art tour, every manner of creativity will be indulged. 
Circus performance, musical interludes and visual arts display will all be taking place in and around the Cavan Townhall. 
This has sparked interest from people eager to see the inside of the building: “It is going to be partially opened for Maria Smith's exhibition,” Joe confirmed.
The range of people and institutions making Culture Night happen includes: artists, performing groups, galleries, museums, sports clubs, libraries, arts centres, craft workers, studios and workshops, theatres, public spaces, broadcasters, schools, local businesses, community groups, local authorities, government departments, state agencies and public bodies, transport companies, universities, shops and, of course, the public.
Full details of the events on offer on Friday September 20 can be viewed on https://culturenight.ie/events/cavan/ or by contacting the arts office at 049-4378549.