Newcastle Community Cinema in association with the Northern Ireland Mental Health Arts and Film

SUNDAY 1ST MAY 2016, 8PM   FREE EVENT, Open to all

Newcastle Community Cinema, St Mary’s Hall, Main Street.

 Newcastle Community Cinema in association with the Northern Ireland Mental Health Arts and Film Festival invite you to join us for the launch of the Newcastle programme of events.

We are showing a special screening of a film made over 20 years ago, when the 'Troubles' were still an everyday fact-of-life, Damian Gorman's "Devices of Detachment" was largely filmed in and around Newcastle (where he was born and brought up) and Cushendun (where his own youngsters were born). The film is a documentary poem, commissioned by BBC2, in which Damian tries to make sense of his own role - and that of other non-combatants - in a time of fighting. It was broadcast to great acclaim - one national critic describing it simply as "a television masterpiece". And it was selected for “Input” as one of the 12 best public service programmes in the year of its making.

In the years since its original showing "Devices of Detachment" has been screened across the United States on the PBS network more than once, but - apart from a sold-out anniversary screening at the Belfast Film Festival a couple of years ago - it has not been seen here since.

Damian is delighted to be able to introduce this special screening "among my own ones", and is happy to discuss the film afterwards.

Damian Gorman has been a writer, and encourager of other people's writing, for 30 years. In that time his own work has garnered awards as diverse as a Better Ireland Award and an MBE; a Golden Harp and a BAFTA. Originally from Newcastle Co. Down, he now lives in west Wales. And, as well as working on his own pieces, he helps facilitate Palestinian-Israeli dialogue on the Olive Tree project.

Sunday 15th May 2016, 3PM   FREE EVENT, Open to all

Newcastle Community Cinema, St Mary’s Hall, Main Street.

 NIMHAFF Newcastle programme presents;

Antrim Community Choir

‘A POEM FOR A SONG’  A collaboration with The Henry Girls and Ruth Carr

This performance is a journey into a world of lyrical texts, songs and poems that capture the heartbeat of what it is to be human. With a selection of wonderful poetry and arrangements of new and old music, ‘A Poem For A Song’ will bring a delightful new twist to the performance of poetry.

From humble beginnings with Brendan Kennelly, enjoy a sojourn with Yeats, stop awhile with Robert Frost, examine contrasting views of nature with Paula Meehan and Mary Oliver, dance awhile with Thomas Moore and Leonard Cohen and contemplate with Hewitt what it is ‘I write for’

Antrim Community Choir:  Fast becoming known in the North West as an accomplished, dynamic and enthusiastic choir.  Only 3 years old, Antrim Community Choir have performed extensively around Northern Ireland and renowned for innovative and unexpected performances as seen on their Delusions of Grandeur Tour in 2014.

Ruth Carr is a published poet, editor and creative writing tutor based in Belfast. Formerly an associate lecturer in creative writing for the Belfast Institute of Further and Higher Education, Ruth has produced many collections of her own poetry including There is a House and The Airing Cupboard.

The Henry Girls are 3 sisters from Co Donegal.  Their music is infused with the rich cultural heritage of their native Donegal but with a transatlantic flavour.  They are renowned for their captivating, heart-warming and often moving live performances, described in the Irish Times simply as ‘a joy’,  The Henry Girls have toured and collaborated with various other notable acts such as Mary Black, Clannad, Sharon Shannon, and  many more.