On the Town: The "garden" of Eden restaurant was filled with film-makers, composers, artists, musicians and promoters this week.
They all plan to meet again at some of the upcoming Diversions gigs. This is a summer-long Dublin-based festival of free outdoor cultural events held in Temple Bar over the months of June, July, August and early September. This is the sixth year Diversions has been organised by Temple Bar Properties (TBP).
Rossa Ó Snodaigh, of the group Kíla came along to Eden in Temple Bar to promote his recent creation, Speakers' Square, in Temple Bar Square, which takes place each Sunday from 2.30 p.m.
Also in attendance was Vincent Kennedy, a classical composer, whose work will be performed as part of an outdoor concert on Sunday, June 20th. Entitled The Great Leveller, it will be performed again later in the month to accompany a short film by Katie Lincoln, of Ardmore, Co Waterford. Composer Michael Holohan has also written a piece for the festival, entitled His Final Journey.
Nicola Moore, of Opera Ireland, was in attendance too, keeping her eyes open for young Irish singers who might want to attend a masterclass in Limerick by mezzo-soprano Rosalind Plowright.
Artist Alan Lambert says he and Eamonn Doyle, of Fuselage, will be providing the visuals to go along with the funky electronic music that's planned for Meeting House Square on Friday, July 23rd.
This festival is one of the ways in which TBP "works with artists and cultural organisations within Temple Bar and throughout the rest of Ireland and overseas to build and sustain the concept of Temple Bar as Dublin's cultural quarter," said Gráinne Millar, TBP's head of cultural development.
The festival encompasses a range of art forms spanning film, visual arts, live performance and family events.
Others at the party to launch the programme included Gerry Godley, of the Improvised Music Company; artist David McDermott; Kassandra O'Connell, of the Irish Film Archive; Michael John Gorman, project director at the Ark, Dublin's cultural centre for children; and theatre producer Nik Quaife.