Events in the European Capital of Culture: From May 20 to July 23 Cork will resound to the stirrings of Corcadorca's "Relocation" programme of site-specific dramas presented by four companies, writes Mary Leland.
What Bloodied Man is That? from Teatr Biuro Podrozy of Poland runs from May 20 to 25 at Elizabeth Fort; Compagnie Jo Bithume of France gives Victor Frankenstein on the Grand Parade from June 3 to 5; Corcadorca joins in with The Merchant of Venice at the Courthouse from June 14 to 25, and Scotland's Grid Iron closes the programme with The Devil's Larder (based on Jim Grace's unsettling book) in a city-centre hotel from July 4 to 23.
While much of the summer fun will be provided by the Cork Midsummer Festival, the Cork 2005 organisation is supporting two of its significant ingredients: Enda Walsh's new play, Pondlife Angels, opens at the Granary on June 15 at 7.45pm, while Blow In, the exhibition managed by Grant Watson for the Danger Museum runs at the Cork City Museum from June 15 to 24 (Mon-Sat 11am-1pm, 2.15 to 5 pm; Sun 3-5pm).
With his brother Donal as curator, the late Rory Gallagher will be celebrated by the Strange Music exhibition, exploring the singer's role and influences through 50 years; this runs at the Millennium Hall from June 21 to September 3. The Art of Sound, by the Contemporary Music Centre and the Department of Music at UCC, continues at the Cork City Museum's Dalton Gallery until the end of May.
Until May 28, the THIN AIR sound sculpture presented by the Granary Theatre and Artmusic explores the soaring spaces of St Fin Barre's Cathedral, while the lively Deejay Exchange uniting Cork and Stockholm presents concerts and workshops in July.
The Ulster Orchestra plays at the City Hall on July 22, there's a family event on July 23 and an opportunity for professional musicians in Cork to play with the orchestra on July 24. The National Youth Orchestra has a programme of summer proms at the City Hall on July 2, 3 and 15.
Exhibitions rival theatre for public attention during the summer; Triskel, which is delighted with the response to its Goat Island Summer School residency from August 8-19, is also completing arrangements for the Exodus presentation of 350 images from Sebastiao Salgado opening on June 28. A few of these will be shown in the arts centre itself but the majority are going to the main sponsor O'Callaghan Properties' building on Lavitt Quay which is being adapted for the event.
From May 20 to July 29 the Customs House boardroom will house the display of maritime paintings from the Port of Cork collection; the Glucksman has already opened its show of paintings from the collections of the Arts Council of Ireland and from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, while the touring international exhibition of New Trends in Architecture is at the Crawford from June 10 to July 23, with participating architects contributing to a symposium at the Millennium Hall on June 11.
The "Ocean to City" curragh race from Crosshaven to the Custom House Quay is organised by Meitheal Mara on June 6, with more than 1,000 rowers involved, and anyone wanting a boat-ride with their theatre should join Fiona Shaw and Dorothy Cross on the ferry to Spike Island for their collaborative presentation Montenotte on August 10-14.
Other events include caucus meetings of artists and architects, and yet more concerts and explorations of unlikely spaces by visual and performance artists, although Cork 2005 was unable to say when the collaboration between novelist John Berger and Spanish artist, Marisa Camino will take place.
