At Home With Irish Arts Center | Oíche Shamhna/Irish Halloween: Feast of the Fairies

CoisCéim Dance Theatre is one of Ireland’s leading dance companies. Led by David Bolger, they aim to be at the forefront of the evolution of dance as an artform—in world class performance work, in unique access and participation initiatives, as an advocate for dance—to provoke, inspire, entertain, and bring contemporary dance theatre to new audiences of all ages. 
 
Integrated, original and comprehensive, CoisCéim’s artform awareness and participation initiatives are run by CoisCéim BROADREACH. Founded on the principle that dance is a performing art, its activities are pioneering, targeting all sections of the population in an exciting and innovative manner to create a genuine curiosity in dance and to positively influence health, wellbeing, and social responsibility. Central to their ethos is to facilitate and enable people to work inventively and imaginatively together—to take creative risks and explore the unknown—and to challenge and enjoy themselves.
 
CoisCéim BROADREACH is proud to be funded by the Arts Council of Ireland and supported by Dublin City Council and Culture Ireland. 

Irish artist Marie Connole’s work reflects on the theme of belonging and the influence of folklore on the subconscious. Central to her work is the otherworld and its uncanny influence on the artist’s own psyche. She has been awarded national and international residencies and exhibitions. In 2018, Connole had a six-month exhibition at Irish Arts Center. Her work features in public and private collections and has been exhibited at the National Gallery of Ireland, Draiocht, Tulca and Eva International, and in Iceland, Sweden, Australia, New Zealand, and the USA.

“Ireland’s favorite children’s magician” Joe Daly will be taking time of filming his TV show AbraKIDabra to bring a special treat of tricks and traditions online to IAC this Halloween. Joe has lots of magic up his sleeve and for one night only, Halloween, he will break the magicians’ code and treat you by sharing his secrets. (Be warned, you may learn how to do a truly creepy magic trick!)

Oein DeBhairduin is a writer, Traveller activist, and cultural preservationist.

Felispeaks is a Nigerian-Irish poet, performer, and playwright from Co. Longford, currently based in Co. Kildare. She is a member of the Dublin City Council's Culture Company Advisory Panel and the Board of Members for Poetry Ireland. Felispeaks was nominated for best performer by Dublin Fringe Festival in 2018, and has appeared at the National Concert Hall, Dublin Castle, Olympia Theatre, Electric Picnic, and Smock Alley Theatre.

Lilly Higgins is a food writer, blogger, photographer, and chef. After graduating with an honors degree in design, Lilly worked in the art and graphics world but was repeatedly drawn to the kitchen. She finally succumbed to her love of food when she enrolled in Ballymaloe Cookery School in 2007, later going on to teach at the school. 

Lilly started her food blog, Stuff I Make, Bake and Love, in 2010. Then went on to write and photograph two cookbooks with Gill: Make Bake Love in in 2011 and Dream Deli in 2013. She had a monthly column with Easy Food and Image Interiors magazines for many years, and a weekly column for the Sunday Business Post for three years. She has now been writing her weekly column for the Irish Times Magazine for more than five years and has hosted the IT Food Month podcast. She writes and photographs food regularly for various other national papers, magazines, and food producers. 

Lilly is a member of the Irish Food Writers Guild and Wine Spirit Women.

Emily Kilkenny Roddy is a Dublin-based dance artist, performer, and dance teacher. She works with youth dance within community settings as an artist in residence of Five Lamps Arts Festival. As current head of dance companies in ITW, she is training three youth dance companies, and also teaches for numerous dance establishments and schools and colleges across Ireland.