Queen’s County draws inspiration from the fist trialled plantations operated by the English crown in Ireland in the 16th century in counties Laois and Offaly. The one in Laois became known as Queen’s County. This devised play explores displacement and alienation through the lens of young people’s experience today, and includes episodes on commuting, rural
Exiled on a remote mountainside in South America, the Monos are a group of teenage soldiers left to guard a single hostage: Doctora. Who they are and where they come from is not known. They have their orders from the Organisation communicated by radio, and also sporadic visits from the Messenger, serving as a voice
As imaginative as the creative process it documents, this is a uniquely intimate journey through the inspiration, writing and recording of a PJ Harvey record. A collaboration between writer and musician, Harvey, and award-winning photographer Seamus Murphy. Seeking first-hand experience of the countries she wanted to write about, Harvey accompanied Murphy on some of his
Over the last decade, Kildare County Council have funded a diverse range of films through the Short Grass Films bursary awards and film commission. The repertoire includes short film, animation, documentary, drama as well as feature length films, many of which have received national and international accolades. Kildare Short Grass Films have supported the making
This striking feature debut by Tom Sullivan, Arracht (Monster) is set in the wild shores of Ireland’s west coast as the potato blight descends in 1845. Stripped back and fierce, it’s an intense small-scale Irish-language drama which plunges the viewer into the cold desperation of those Famine times. Arracht is a visually expressive piece centred
Sam Mendes, the Oscar-winning director of Skyfall, Spectre and American Beauty, brings his singular vision to his World War I epic, 1917. At the height of the First World War, two young British soldiers, Schofield (Captain Fantastic’s George MacKay) and Blake (Game of Thrones’ Dean-Charles Chapman) are given a seemingly impossible mission. In a race
The Lonsdale Project is a new theatre show about the life and work of Kathleen Lonsdale (1903-1971) - chemist, crystallographer, anti-war campaigner, writer, mother, and former inmate of Holloway Prison. Despite being a pioneering Irish scientist and activist, Kathleen Lonsdale’s name and legacy are curiously unknown by the general public. Super Paua aims to change
Covid-19 COVID-19 (CORONAVIRUS) Following the measures announced by An Taoiseach on Thursday, 12th March, Riverbank Arts Centre is complying with the directive to close our building from 12th March (We are closely monitoring the situation and will reopen when advised that it is safe to do so). See statement by Riverbank Director here. This sudden
Due to the Government directive to close all public buildings until 29th March, unfortunately this event is not going ahead as scheduled. All ticket holders have been contacted. The Lonsdale Project is a new theatre show about the life and work of Kathleen Lonsdale - chemist, crystallographer, anti-war campaigner, writer, mother, and former inmate
We are missing our Monday night cinema programme - and we know many of you are very regular attenders of all the screenings, so we would like to offer an alternative Monday night cinema at home option for access to some of the best new, independent Irish and international cinema. First off, we can all
10 String Symphony were due to tour Ireland in May 2020 and play at Riverbank Arts Centre on 17th May, as part of a Music Network tour. Due to the ongoing Coronavirus outbreak, the artists have postponed the tour until May 2021. However, we are delighted that Christian Sedelmyer and Rachel Baiman of 10 String
Online Arts and Storytelling workshop with Paul Timoney What do alien animals look like? Are they huge like dinosaurs… or tiny like bugs? Or are they terrifying like huge bugs… or cute, like tiny dinosaurs? Can they talk? Or turn invisible? Or even fly? Wait… we have things that fly here on Earth - that’s
On her wild quest for love, 9-year-old Benni’s untamed energy drives everyone around her to despair. She is small, but dangerous. Wherever Benni ends up, she is immediately expelled. The wild 9-year-old girl has already become what child protection services call a “system crasher”. Profoundly affected by childhood trauma, Benni is by turns bright, funny
ER doctor Rike (Susanne Wolff) embarks on a one-woman solo sailing trip to Ascension Island in the Atlantic. When Rike comes across a sinking ship of refugees, she is quickly torn out of her contented world and must make a momentous decision. Aptly named after the mythological river that separates the living from the dead,
In this series of four early years music-making sessions with Ceol Connected’s Dr. Thomas Johnston, childcare educators will explore a range of ways of bringing music-making into young children’s everyday experiences. Thomas will explore connections between music-making and the Aistear framework, and share his own approach to facilitating music-making workshops which includes: developing aural awareness through
Tunes for Tiny online sessions are a gentle opportunity to join with other families and experience first-hand the soothing, joyful, fun, creative power of music-making with children. Come and join us to learn new songs and musical activities, and experience the joy and fun of making music in lots of different ways. In this series of
The film offers an artful and intimate meditation on the life and works of the legendary storyteller and Nobel prize-winner. From her childhood in the steel town of Lorain, Ohio to ‘70s-era book tours with Muhammad Ali, from the front lines with Angela Davis to her own riverfront writing room, Toni Morrison leads an assembly
Riverbank Arts Centre is working with Children's Books Ireland on this special FREE online book clinic on Saturday, 13th June, offered as part of Cruinniú na nÓg and supported by Kildare County Council and Creative Ireland. Are you a young reader? Looking for a new series to delve into? Feeling uninspired by your bookshelves at
UPDATE live link is HERE, join us at 9pm: https://www.facebook.com/riverbankartscentre/live/ Riverbank Arts Centre is presenting a work-in-progress of Keith Walsh’s debut play, Pure Mental, live-streamed from the Riverbank stage on Saturday, 27th June. Having finished up a 5-year stint presenting, in the pressure cooker that is a breakfast show, on National Radio, Keith Walsh finally found
++Update 11th August - the book clinics are now fully booked. Sorry to disappoint! ++ Riverbank Arts Centre is working with Children's Books Ireland on this series of FREE online book clinics. 3rd July - Go Places with a Book! 24th July - Walk a Mile in Someone Else’s Shoes 14th August- New Adventures, New
Artist Vanya Lambrecht Ward presents a workshop on The Art of Paper Folding, generally known as origami. This amazing art not only allows us to form a bridge between our 2D and our 3D understanding of the world but also has found all sorts of applications in our lives, from space travel to medicine. One
**Update 21st August: Due to the extension of local lockdown announced at 6pm today, Riverbank and Anna Newell Theatre Adventures are unable to present the planned performances of Sing Me To The Sea in County Kildare. We are presenting some performances in neighbouring counties (Dublin, Louth, Meath, Carlow) the week of 24th - 28th August. To
Kildare Art Collective & Friends present a collaborative project developed as a platform to process and document our lives throughout these strange times, while creating an opportunity for communication, conversation and crossover between disciplines. Participating artists worked collaboratively exchanging ideas and working together using alternative methods of communication such as email, letter, carrier pigeon, phone
On Friday 18th September, we are delighted to welcome singer-songwriter Luka Bloom to Riverbank Arts Centre to perform tracks from his new album, Bittersweet Crimson, interspersed with a conversation with Keith Walsh about making and recording music in 2020. This fusion of songs and stories will be broadcast live from Riverbank Arts Centre at 9pm.
Kildare Readers Festival 2020 – all online! Kildare Readers Festival is brought to you every year in October by Kildare County Library and Arts Service, culminating in busy closing weekend of events and activities at Riverbank Arts Centre. The festival aims to connect readers with authors and artists, working to bring the very best from
Shane Hegarty will talk about his new book in the Boot series, about a little robot with a big heart and answer questions from the children. Shane Hegarty is the bestselling author of the 'Boot' - about a toy robot with only two-and-half-memories. 'Boot' was recently Dublin UNESCO City of Literature Citywide Read. He also
The University of Wonder & Imagination is now enrolling students of all ages and magical abilities...and there’s a place with your name on it! The University of Wonder & Imagination brings the magic of theatre to young audiences at home with this groundbreaking immersive digital show. This fun, interactive hour-long experience takes place live in
Riverbank Arts Centre, Newbridge is the Kildare Partner of Fighting Words. We present creative writing workshops for primary and secondary schools. Fighting Words workshops are always free of charge to the participants. Upcoming Fighting Words workshops for SECONDARY SCHOOLS hosted by Riverbank Arts Centre: Thursday, 26th November 10:30am-12:30pm Friday, 4th December 10:30am-12:30pm Friday, 11th December
A show that you can do at home, not just watch! Get inspired by Lyngo’s 30 minute film with stop-motion animation telling the story of how Winter got its colours. Then follow the instructions in our easy-to-read pdfs to make your own miniature set and props! Use them to re-create our story, along with our
Ceol Connected have created a series of immersive 360° videos of their interactive TREEHOUSE production which weaves together traditional and newly composed music/song alongside visually stunning puppetry. TREEHOUSE 360° features a high calibre line-up of musicians including Áine McGeeney (fiddle/vocals), Seán O’Meara (guitar/vocals), Colm Phelan (percussion), Thomas Johnston (whistles/vocals), Stephen Markham (keys/sound design) alongside puppeteer
Greetings, Heroes! Online: The Impossible Library is an interactive storytelling experience where the students take the role of characters in the story, led by expert storyteller Graham Tugwell. Like a choose-your-own-adventure-book, or world-famous role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons, Graham will guide the adventurers through a series of exciting and deadly challenges – will each door they choose
Are you ready to get Christmas started? It’s time to jingle bells and rock around the Christmas tree. An online musical treat for the whole class with a merry mix of festive favourites and rocking rhymes performed a fantastic 5 piece band. This festive feel-good live music show-ho-ho will have everyone jiving all the way!
Join Niamh Kavanagh live online for a very special acoustic set list, accompanied by Paul Megahey on guitar, interspersed with chats and craic with broadcaster Keith Walsh. Join Niamh Kavanagh for a retrospective of special songs highlighting memorable moments from her decades-long career. Expect a few familiar favourites interpreted in Niamh’s inimitable fashion and accompanied by
Push back the couch, it’s time to jingle bells and rock around the Christmas tree. Branar in association with the Town Hall Theatre present Rockin’ Christmas Rhymes recorded live at the Black Box in Galway. A musical treat for all the family with a merry mix of festive favourites and rocking rhymes performed by our
Due to the current level 5 restrictions our building remains closed, but we are are working away behind the scenes and will announce more online events in the coming weeks. Thank you for your ongoing support for the arts and we look forward to welcoming you back to the venue when it is safe to
From the greatest storyteller in the world, comes Thumbelina, The Emperor’s New Clothes, The Ugly Duckling, The Little Mermaid and many more, in this one-hour fantastical journey made for all the family to enjoy together. These stories have stood the test of time for generations. Now is the time to surround ourselves with great stories with music,
++This event is now fully booked. Please keep an eye on our website and Children's Books Ireland for details of future Book Clinics++ Riverbank Arts Centre is partnering with Children's Books Ireland on FREE online book clinics as part of First Fortnight festival on Saturday 16th January, 11am-3pm. Are you a young reader? Looking for
Fishamble: The New Play Company, in association with Sunday's Child Theatre Presents When E meets the man of her dreams, a professional cyclist, love hits her in the pubic bone like a train. But when it ends she plummets into a black hole of heartbreak at the speed of a doped up team on the
Like to try something new this January? It has been well documented that participating in arts and creative activity benefits our mental wellbeing. This two hour ZOOM workshop with artist Glenn Gibson will encourage you to explore techniques and materials to create sculptures from wire. With a career spanning over two decades, Glenn Gibson is
Does happiness have a colour? Does anger have a shape? In this workshop hosted by artist Marta Golubowska, children will create 'mood books' for sketches and collages to express their emotions. Using music, colours and shapes as prompts, participating children will create a series of collages, based on a 'flying scissors' technique inspired by Matisse.
We are teaming up with June Fest as part of the First Fortnight festival to bring you a 'good news' version of their online quiz. It will be full of fun questions, comedy and positivity to help banish the January blues! There will also be lots of prizes up for grabs for the winners. You
++This event is now fully booked. Please keep an eye on Riverbank Arts Centre's website as we often partner with Children's Books Ireland and hope to present more Book Clinics in the future++ Riverbank Arts Centre is partnering with Children's Books Ireland on FREE online book clinics on Saturday 6th February, 11am-3pm. Are you a
Play on Words Theatre presents: Tom Crean, the intrepid Antarctic explorer and one of Ireland’s unsung heroes, is brought to life in this dramatic and humorous solo performance by Aidan Dooley. Hear the riveting true stories of Crean’s Antarctic explorations as one of the few men to serve with both Scott and Shackleton and survive
A Piece of You is an online live interactive performance; your own private concert over Zoom. Performer Greg Sinclair will turn your thoughts and feelings into your very own music score using colourful and expressive graphic notation. Greg will then play your music on his cello from his home in Edinburgh, in this unique piece
A new one-woman show about the remarkable life of Nurse Catherine Black (1878-1949). Born in Ramelton, Co. Donegal, Catherine Black trained as a nurse in England and worked in the slums of Whitechapel, at the Somme in World War 1, and as King George V’s private nurse in the last 7 years of his life.
