Ireland’s internationally-acclaimed music festival television series, Other Voices, is coming to Cardigan this autumn. The much-loved programme makes its way from Dingle on the west coast of Ireland to Cardigan on the west coast of Wales, for a phenomenal weekend of music which celebrates the longstanding cultural and musical ties between these Celtic regions. Over the two-day event on November I and 2, Other Voices Cardigan will showcase an incredible line-up of over 30 free musical and cultural events in intimate venues and atmospheric spaces throughout Cardigan, hosted by Huw Stephens and presented in partnership with Theatr Mwldan and Triongl.
A celebration of music in all its forms, Other Voices began as an intimate gathering in 2001, with musicians travelling to sing in a tiny church in Dingle, on the very western edge of Ireland. The incredible list of artists, who have appeared at past Other Voices events, has included Laura Marling and Cerys Matthews plus other musicians such as Elbow, Florence and The Machine, Super Furry Animals, Amy Winehouse, Snow Patrol and Ellie Goulding. Every year thousands of music fans make the pilgrimage to Dingle to see exceptional music performed in an extraordinary place.
To date, over 30 million viewers have watched Other Voices online worldwide, and it has travelled from its home base in West Kerry to Austin, Texas, London, Belfast and Berlin, Derry and New York, enriching the cultural landscape of every destination it visits, celebrating a diverse array of live music as well as providing a platform for open, compelling dialogues about art, culture, technology and commerce and exploring the ways in which they intersect.
St Mary’s Church will become the main base for Other Voices Cardigan, hosting the headline acts. These performances will be simultaneously broadcast live to screens in and around the town so that the local community and visitors to the town alike can share in the excitement of this exceptional experience. In addition to St Mary’s Church, there will also be a number of Music Trail venues located around the town, which will be presenting more than thirty artists.
There’s a one-off registration fee of £5 per person, which covers a wristband that enables free entry to Music Trail venues. Wristband holders will be entered into a draw to win prized admission tickets to the performances at St Mary’s Church and tickets will also be allocated via competitions in media and social media – check @OtherVoicesLive for details.
Artists performing in Other Voices Cardigan will be announced in the coming weeks. Registration for wristbands is now open – visit www.othervoices.ie to register and to sign up for further information. Local venues and artists are invited to tender an expression of interest to host Music Trail events and screenings or to perform on the Music Trail – visit www.othervoices.ie for details of how to submit your application. Closing date for submissions is August 20.
Philip King, founder of Other Voices, said: “It’s been a long and cherished ambition of Other Voices to collaborate with our Welsh neighbours with whom we share so much, creatively and culturally. Our shared belief is that our collaboration will be of great benefit and advantage to both Dingle and Cardigan, Ireland and Wales.”
Lord Elis-Thomas, Senedd Deputy Minister for Culture, Sport and Tourism, said: “This year for the first time, Visit Wales have introduced elements of the Irish language into the Year of Discovery marketing campaign, signifying our long and special relationship as nations. Our connections with Ireland are extremely important – the Republic is our closest European neighbour, one of our most important cultural and economic partners and Other Voices is a splendid addition to what is an already burgeoning calendar of internationally acclaimed festivals in Wales.”
The Consul General of Ireland in Wales, Denise Hanrahan, said: “We are absolutely delighted that the renowned Other Voices Festival is coming to Wales this year for the first time, and so soon after the re-opening of the Irish Consulate General. Ireland and Wales share a very special bond and relationship which has deep historical roots. Our cultural connections are at the heart of this relationship, and Other Voices Cardigan will provide an ideal showcase and meeting place to further strengthen these vibrant and modern links.”
Dilwyn Davies, Theatr Mwldan’s Chief Executive Officer, said: “We’re thrilled that Other Voices have chosen to add Cardigan to their global family, a town with many similarities to their original home in Dingle, both culturally vibrant towns on the western edges of their respective countries. It’s an incredible honour and a moving tribute to the wonderful town of Cardigan to have been chosen as the first-ever location in Wales. It reinforces the sense of Cardigan’s resurgence as a place where art, culture, creativity and environment form the very foundations of our community.”
Other Voices Cardigan is staged with the support and investment of Welsh Government and The Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, and is produced by South Wind Blows in partnership with Theatr Mwldan and Triongl. The event will be filmed by Triongl for later broadcast on S4C.