Artbeat - 103.2 Dublin City FM

Artbeat's Des FitzGerald recently interviewed photographer Simon Burch at the Gallery of Photography, in Temple Bar. Simon’s latest exhibition is entitled ‘Under A Grey Sky'. It explores the landscape of the Irish Midlands, described by the gallery as “the most intensively industrialised landscape in the country”. It’s a landscape that many pass through on their way to a more picture postcard Ireland, but has provided Simon with many haunting images taken over the last four years.

The continuing perilous state of Ireland's finances coupled with the suggested arts funding cuts as outlined in the McCarthy Report, has galvanised the arts community into action. A week ago today, a new initiative - The National Campaign for the Arts - was launched. One of those involved is Gerry Godley, director of the Improvised Music Company, who spoke to Des FitzGerald about the aims of the campaign.

Further information about the campaign:

Blog: http://nationalcampaignforthearts.wordpress.com/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/Campaign4Arts

A new exhibition at the Project Arts Centre by Seamus Nolan looks at the 10 year struggle between a small community in the West of Ireland and the multinational consortium developing their plan to bring to market the valuable gas deposit of the Corrib gas field. Des FitzGerald paid a visit to the Project Arts Centre to talk to the artist.

Continues until the 10th October at the Project Arts Centre in Temple Bar - projectartscentre.ie

On this week’s show, Sadhbh Murphy spoke with Wonderland Productions artistic director Alice Coughlan, who is a friend of Artbeat at this stage!

She has directed their latest critically acclaimed show based on Brendan Behan’s The Hostage, a tragi-comedy set in a Dublin brothel in 1960, where the IRA hold a Brish soldier captive. We spoke about the challenges of rehearsing and performing at the show’s intimate and historically signficant location – the old Georgian building of Pearse’s birthplace, 27 Pearse St. Alice also told me all about her great cast and the music composer of the play’s rebel songs. The performance runs until August 16th and more information can be found on www.wonderlandtheatre.com.

This show is highly recommended by the Artbeat team and tickets should be bought in advance as it’s booking out fast. Call the Central Ticket Bureau on 0818 205 205 or go to www.ctb.ie or book in person in the Dublin Tourist Office in Suffolk St.

An interview with Bob Gray, founder of the graphic design company Red and Grey Design. They’ve recently launched a book about their very original take on graphic design. Des FitzGerald went along to Red and Grey’s studio in Temple Bar to meet Bob. www.redandgreydesign.ie

Sadhbh Murphy gives listeners a taste of what can be experienced on the Rock 'n Roll bus tour in Dublin, with a short recording of parts of the actual tour. She also speaks with the tour guide and Irish rock music expert Andrew O'Toole about Dublin and its love affair with Irish rock music over the decades.

Find out more about the tour: www.dublinrocktour.ie

Dublin singer-songwriter and musician Keith Burke, was live in studio with Annick O'Brien, talking about the inspiration behind his music. Keith also performed a few of his songs in studio. Check it all out in this podcast!
Find out more about this solo artist on his site - www.keithburke.com

We're delving into the Artbeat archives to bring you some new podcasts. First up is a tour of the Arts of the Book exhibition at the Chester Beatty Library. Des FitzGerald's guide around this permanent exhibition was Shane McCausland, Curator of East Asian Collections. First broadcast: 18/06/2008

Des FitzGerald interviews Jim Culleton of Fishamble Theatre Company about their new production of Handel's Crossing by Joseph O'Connor.

Sadhbh Murphy talks to Kathryn Norris, Assistant Librarian at the Dept of Early Printed Books in Trinity College Dublin.

The detective novel is a genre which generates great popular interest and also growing academic and critical attention. The library’s collections across the past two centuries reflect the development of this form of imaginative writing.

This exhibition will illustrate the origins of the detective story in the mid 19th century, the growth in popularity of fictional heroes such as Sherlock Holmes, Father Brown and Hercule Poirot. There will be a focus on the first golden age of crime writing in the 1920s and 1930s.

An interview with Alice Coghlan, founder and director of Wonderland Theatre Productions. Their newest production is La Locandiera - Goldoni’s Classic Italian Comedy as real Dinner Theatre in the Port House restaurant Dublin.

An interview with Francesco Turrisi. An Italian musician and composer living in Ireland, Turrisi has just released a collection of original compositions inspired by Italian music of the 17th century and performed by his Jazz piano trio, augmented with clarinet and theorbo

An interview with Fr Karl from the monastery of Stift Heiligenkreuz