Light Ballet
Mick Murray, Matthew Cregan and David Kitt.
Produced by Culture Works
When: 13 – 20 June
Where: The River Shannon, travelling through Clare, Galway, Leitrim, Longford, Offaly, Roscommon, Tipperary and Westmeath
Created by Irish Light Artist Mick Murray and Lighting Designer Matthew Cregan, Light Ballet will transform the skies and surrounding landscape of eight counties with a light installation floating down the River Shannon over eight days, from June 13 - 20.
The journey begins each night from dusk (approx 11pm) starting off in Co Roscommon on June 13 and travels through Leitrim, Longford, Offaly, Westmeath, Tipperary, Clare, and ending in Co Galway.
Visibility
Light Ballet will be visible from up to seven kilometres and will travel almost two hundred kilometres. The artwork will run on a seven minute cycle for four hours each night from dusk and the full show cycle can be seen at any point along the route. There is no optimum viewing point for the installation which can be viewed from up to 7km away.
The installation will be accompanied by a newly composed soundscape by David Kitt. Using a familiar Irish musical time signature, intermixed with words from Nidhi Zak/Aria Eipe and his own vocal, David Kitt brings us on a journey through, river, ‘spirit land’ and the surrounds. Once entwined, these lands, the people, the river and their connection in music, words and song deliver us to a new place, a spiritual journey along the river through its edgelands, to a familiar place.
The combined light and soundscape will manifest as a sculptural presence through the manipulation of light, colours and shadows. Each evening from dusk, the skies and surrounding landscape will be transformed and illuminated with a hope-filled, ballet of light. Through its powerful physical presence, Light Ballet will surprise and delight everyone who encounters this spectacle of light and sound as it voyages through our hidden heartlands.
Timetable
Light Ballet will start each night at 23:00 and will be visible from up to seven kilometres from its location on the river. The lights run on a seven-minute loop and are synchronised with a soundscape that can be heard on lightballet.eu
Sunday 20 June from 23:00: Galway
On June 20th, from approx 11 pm for two hours Light Ballet will end its journey in Galway and the edgelands of Tipperary through Victoria Lock and Portumna.
Gathering
The full show cycle can be seen at any point along the route. In line with Public Health Guidelines we do not encourage people to gather in groups larger than what is currently permissible: 6 people or less (from any number of households) 15 people or less (from your own household and two other households)
Soundscape
Drawing inspiration from William Butler Yeats’s own Song of Wandering Aengus, the soundscape for Light Ballet was created by David Kitt, with words from Nidhi Zak/Aria Eipe’s poem Wandersong in collaboration with Mick Murray and Matthew Cregan.
The light installation and soundscape are synchronised in real-time allowing audiences to experience the soundscape at home, along the edgelands or those in-between places through their phones, tablets or computers. Audiences will be able to access the soundscape via the Brightening Air and Culture Works website.
FAQ
Have any questions ? Visit the Light Ballet FAQ for answers and more information.
About the artists
Mick Murray is a light artist from Offaly with more than 20 years’ experience working as a lighting designer, light artist, technical consultant and video designer. In recent years Mick has created a series of works and installations in the public realm. Previous large-scale public light installations and sculptures include: HyBrasil, premiered at Drop Everything, Inis Oírr, 2014 and Westport Arts Festival 2018; Spire-Inspire for UNESCO International Year of Light and Beckett Bridge for Winter Lights / Eventco. Mick has worked with Landmark Productions, Fíbín Theatre Company, Gaiety Theatre, National Concert Orchestra, St Patrick's Festival , Galway International Arts Festival. Mick also works internationally with Circa (Australia).
Matthew Cregan is a lighting designer from Belfast and has worked extensively in theatre and live events over the last 20 years. Outside of his work as a lighting designer Matt has held positions including Director of Technical Operations, Technical Director, Head of Lighting, Production Manager and Sound Engineer. Matt has worked on a number of outdoor lighting projects and large scale public events including NYF Dublin, Spire-Inspire for UNESCO International Year of Light in conjunction with St. Patrick's Festival, Star Wars Spire Installation, Lyric Theatre, RTE, Gaiety Theatre, Olympia Theatre.
Mick and Matt have previously collaborated together on Spire-Inspire for UNESCO international Year of Light in conjunction with St. Patrick's Festival. Both have a keen interest in using new and emerging technologies to engage with members of the public through interactive installations. Mick and Matt have been developing the project Light Ballet since 2019.
David Kitt is an Irish singer-songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist. Kitt has released eight albums and continues to surprise audiences and fans with the diversity of his sound. David Kitt remains a unique, sincere artist and songwriter, able to meld influences, eras and sound with a timelessness earned after more than twenty years immersed in music.
Culture Works create and produce exciting and unforgettable arts and cultural experiences in Ireland. The organisation works in collaboration with artists and arts organisations to realise their artistic vision and create work that engages and captivates audiences. Culture Works’ creative focus is on projects that explore locality and place making. The organisation provides services across multiple arts disciplines - from theatre to the world of digital arts, literature to outdoor spectacle, visual arts to site-specific work - as well as in the areas of policy development, project management and strategic planning.