Array Collective “The Druthaibs Ball” Opening Event

Galway Arts Centre is delighted to present Array Collective’s Turner prize installation The Druthaib’s Ball along with a wider exhibition of works, including the Irish Names Quilt across its two venues at 47 Dominick Street and Nuns Island Theatre.

This is the first and only time the work will be seen in Ireland before it takes its place in the permanent collection of the National Museums NI.

A very special opening event takes place at 3pm on Saturday 13th August as part of Galway Community Pride, with our special guest speaker poet and activist Sarah Clancy. Official Galway Pride Yard Party is hosted by Galway Arts Centre in partnership with Galway Community Pride, our neighbours Áras Na nGael and local DJ Collective Faigh Síos from 3pm.  All events are free and all are welcome to attend!!

Part of this major exhibition is The Druthaib’s Ball, an installation centred on an imagined síbín – an illegal bar – with a floating roof made from banners created for protests and demonstrations. The Druthaib’s Ball is a built installation that invites audiences into an immersive experience reflecting the lively community hub of the Irish síbín, a long-established tradition of an illegal bar and space of contradiction, dark humour, and craic. Audiences will gather in this síbín – populated by semi-mythological drúthaib, along with the Ball’s esteemed guests.

The 2021 Turner Prize winners, the Array Collective, are a group of 11 Belfast-based artists from the north and south of Ireland, England and Italy. They create collaborative projects in response to issues affecting Northern Ireland and issues around access to abortion, gay rights, mental health, gentrification and social welfare. Their work encompasses performances, protests, exhibitions and events.

To accompany the exhibition, Collective Knowledges Galway Arts Centre’s Public Engagement Programme, presents a unique weekly series of public events with social justice groups, artists, academics, and musicians that take place in the Turner Prize winning installation The Druthaib’s Ball with talks, workshops, traditional music sessions, dance, storytelling and song.

Download and browse the full programme here.

Advance booking is advised for all public programme events due to limited capacity.
For all enquiries, please contact Galway Arts Centre at info@galwayartscentre.ie or call (091) 565 886.

If you or your community group would like to host a discussion in relation to the themes and topics in the exhibition please let us know: info@galwayartscentre.ie

Galway Arts Centre’s Public Engagement Programme is supported by Creative Ireland and University of Galway.

Galway Arts Centre would like to acknowledge the support of their funding partners, the Arts Council and Galway City Council. The presentation of the Turner Prize winning Array Collective is supported by an Arts Council touring grant and the public programme of events is supported by Creative Ireland.

NUI Galway presents Lillis Ó Laoire history and folklore of traditonal songs
5pm Friday 19 August | Nuns Island Theatre
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Oein De Bhardúin faery and folk stories
1pm Saturday 20 August | Nuns Island Theatre
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Áine Phllips, Rachel Fallon and Laura O’Connor (Array Collective)
3pm Saturday 20 August | Nuns Island Theatre
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NUI Galway presents Dr Miriam Haughton on Repeal the 8th Referendum
3pm Friday 26 August | Nuns Island Theatre
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Artists Talk with Jane Butler and Stephen Millar
3pm Saturday 27 August | Nuns Island Theatre
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Galway Arts Centre / REWIND << FASTFORWARD >> RECORD presents a talk with Nuala Ward and Marese Walsh moderated by Han Tiernan
7pm Friday 2 September | Nuns Island Theatre
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Galway Arts Centre / REWIND << FASTFORWARD >> RECORD presents Kate Drinane in conversation with Páraic Kerrigan about the Galway contribution to The Irish Names Quilt
12pm Saturday 3 September | Galway Arts Centre
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REWIND << FASTFORWARD >> RECORD presents Patch making workshop with Han Tiernan & Sarah Edmondson
2pm-5pm Saturday 3 September | Galway Arts Centre
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REWIND << FASTFORWARD >> RECORD presents Tiernan Arnup Egan on Frank Egan and the Brixton Fairies
12pm Saturday 10 September | Nuns Island Theatre
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REWIND << FASTFORWARD >> RECORD presents Badge-making workshop with Han Tiernan
2pm-5pm Saturday 10 September | Galway Arts Centre
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REWIND << FASTFORWARD >> RECORD presents Games for Artists workshop with Brendan Fox and Sarah Edmondson
11am-4pm Friday 16 September | Galway Arts Centre
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REWIND << FASTFORWARD >> RECORD presents Games for Non-Artists workshop with Brendan Fox and Sarah Edmondson
11am-4pm Saturday 17 September | Galway Arts Centre
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Culture Night 2022: Storytelling by Eddie Lenihan
6pm Friday 23 September | Nuns Island Theatre
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NUI Galway presents Prof. Niall Ó Dochartaigh on Northern Ireland conflict
3pm Saturday 24 September | Nuns Island Theatre
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NUI Galway presents Dr Jeannine Woods on traditional Irish Wakes and transgressive performance
4pm Friday 30 September | Nuns Island Theatre
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