CULTURE NIGHT COMES our way again this Friday (21 September), with another bumper programme lined up for the 2018 festivities. 

There’s just over three days left to go and our culture guide is here to help you decide what events to take in. It’s important to note while all activities are free, some require pre-booking, with many of these booking out fast. You’ll find the full details on the Culture Night website

This evening we’re looking at the Midlands and the West, while we’ve already covered what’s on in Dublin and the East

Sky Train, Lough Boora Discovery Park. Source: Bord na Mona

Offaly

• VR Movies is back in Tullamore this Culture Night. The midlands’ only virtual reality studio presents VR and 360°short films including the award winning Aurora from Pink Kong Studios, an Irish animation studio based in Dublin. Booking is required, doors open from 4pm at Sragh Business Park, Sragh, Tullamore. 
• Lough Boora Parklands hosts artist, Michael Bulfin. Bulfin will take visitors on a walk through its landscape and sculpture park, focusing on his artwork ‘Sky Train’. From 6.30 pm at Lough Boora Visitor Centre, bring weather appropriate clothing.
• Oxmantown Mall in Birr is hosting an artist’s talk this Friday night. Featuring Monica de Bath, Lisa Fingleton and Gareth Kennedy exploring how, in different ways, they address our relationship with a constantly changing environment. Booking required, runs from 7pm. 

Laois

• ‘The Best of the Irish’ will be a night when the great Irish writers of prose, poetry, drama, music and song come alive. From 8pm at The Balcony Theatre, Mountmellick Arts Centre.
• Children from primary and secondary schools in Laois will read stories collected during the 1930′s and add new stories of their own to this collection. From 6pm, Heritage House, Abbeyleix. 
• Fold and Rise is a multi-disciplinary workshop combining performative action, discussion and participation. The metaphor and material of the folding and rising of dough is used to have a conversation around women, labour, politics and culture in our time and in the adjacent time of Constance Markievicz. Bring a mixing bowl! From 7.30pm to 9.30pm at Castlewood Farm, Durrow. 

Luan Gallery Source: Athlone Arts and Tourism/Facebook

Westmeath

• Athlone Abbey Road Artists’ Studios will open their doors to give the public behind the scenes access to the artists’ practices. The current resident artists include Leigh Francis, Lelia Henry, Calvin Doyle and Eoin Francis McCormack. From 5pm to 7pm.
• Mullingar Library will host a memoir writing workshop with Carmel Maginn from 3pm to 4.30pm.

Roscommon

• The Suck Valley Centre in Athleague will present Quirks, a group exhibition which features 5 artists of different disciplines, painting, textiles and ceramics. From 6.30pm to 9.30pm.
• Roscommon Women’s Network, in association with Roscommon County Council, is hosting a Culture Night concert. There will be a mix of Irish dancing and the Brazilian capoeira martial arts, the melodic jazz sounds of a local Slovakian family band and a newly devised theatre piece. From 5pm at Roscommon Arts Centre.

Leitrim

• Leitrim Design House is putting on a crash course in abstract painting with visual artist and educator Kate Murtagh Sheridan for all ages. Kate brings participants on an artistic journey through colour, shape and emotion using music to influence feeling and mood while painting a masterpiece. From 4pm to 5.30pm at Leitrim Design House, St Georges Terrace, Carrick on Shannon.
• Meet characters from different myths and legends, strategically placed in the nooks and crannies of the castle telling tales, singing, and interacting at Manorhamilton Castle this Culture Night.  This promises to be an immersive and interactive event while being visually beautiful, dark, creepy, and fascinating. From 9pm to 10.30pm. 

Sligo

• Baby Culture Night with Branar, across two venues in Sligo encourages child-directed free play, enabling children and their families to have hours of fun as they imagine, invent, build and play.  From 5pm to 10pm at Hawk’s Well Theatre, Temple Street and The Model Niland, Sligo. 

 Mayo

• Join Roger Harley in his studio for pottery demonstrations and an exclusive insight into the pottery process. From 6pm to 9pm at Quay Hill, Westport.
• On Achill Island this year Scoil Acla brings you the Travelling Bus of Culture, a pop-up trad tour of musicians and dancers performing music and song in many venues around the island. From 8pm to 11.30pm.

Longford

• Backstage Theatre is putting on a Culture Night concert, featuring local musicians, singers, dancers and bands. Tickets available from the box office on Wednesday morning. From 8pm to 10.30pm. 

Above the Fold Source: Galway Culture Night/Facebook

Galway

• For Culture Night 2018, Above the Fold is celebrating Ireland’s status as a Design Island by inviting two passionate and dedicated designers Lara Hanlon and Frank Monahan to discuss this development. From 6pm to 9pm at  Coffeewerk & Press, 4 Quay St, Galway. 
• In a slightly unusual activity of a Friday night Eugene McKeown is inviting Galway visitors to appreciate the quiet spaces that can be found within the city. Ciúnas Project, meet at the entrance to Galway City Museum, Spanish Parade. From 6pm to 8.45pm with more details here.

Hundreds of venues across Ireland will open their doors for free this Culture Night, Friday 21 September, the events listed above are just some of those happening in the Midlands and West. For more details on what’s going on in your area have a look here.  Tomorrow we will look ahead to events in the South.