Encore Productions to perform 'Winter Words' at An Tain in aid of Irish Soup Kitchens

As a perfect antidote to these dark Winter Evenings, An Táin Arts Centre's Theatre Company in Residence - Encore Productions - present: Winter Words, an evening of poetry, music, film and art, in aid of Irish Soup Kitchens.

As part of their creative process the actors and artists of Encore Productions and RehabCare engage in creative writing and drawing.

The stories and pictures they make draw on memory and family, the people and places they see every day.

Most of the poems were written by actors from the Wednesday group of Encore Productions- who were most recently seen playing the shadows in their multimedia version of William Shakespeare’s 'A Midsummer night’s Dream’.

The participants usually start their sessions in An Táin with some painting and Drawing.

The images they create often give an idea for a story or poem. Over the past year they have built up a substantial body of work, a selection of which forms the basis for this event.

The Wednesday group has 12 participants - Liam O'Reilly, Callum O'Brennan, Nicki Cormican, Moninna McCarthy, Steven Mannison, Christopher McKevitt, Connor O'Dowd, Lauren Murphy, Brendan O' Shea, Mairead Macbride, Therese Baxter and Gavin Holmes.

Contributions by John Stokes, Martina Murray, Grainne Duffy and Harry Mathews, all of whom use RehabCare services in Dundalk also feature.
Their work has huge range and is packed with wit, wisdom and warmth.

Actors Paudie Breen, Karen Shields, Maeve and Jack Montgomery will lend their voices to the words.

An Táin Arts Centre's folk musician in Residence, master uilleann piper Brendan McCreanor shall weave his music around and through the voices.

Art works produced by the group, some under the guidance of local Artists Orlaith Cullinane and Rachel Tinniswood shall be projected as a compliment to the music.

Films made during Lockdown by Steve Larkin with actors from Quintessence Theatre Company will take the words out into town and country in Dundalk and beyond.

From the beaches of Bettystown and Blackrock via the stunning views from Slieve Gullion to the Town Square, Oriel Park and the bubbling fat of a local chipper, these filmed sequences will take you on a virtual tour of Louth in the comfort of your own theatre seat.

The evening promises to be a rich and moving tapestry of voice, film and music inspired by the words and ideas of the sensitive and subtle writers from Encore Productions.

The organisers would like to thank the actors and musicians onstage all of whom have given their time and talent for free for this charity event.

Proceeds from the event will go to help the work of the Irish Soup Kitchen Centres and donations on the night welcome.

The event will take place on Wednesday 30th November, 8pm.

All tickets €5 (plus €1.50 booking fee), available from the venue or online.

Box office opening hours 10am – 4pm Tuesday to Saturday and 30 minutes before the event.
An Táin Arts Centre, can be contacted on 042 933 2332 or emailed at:
info@antain.ie