‘Opening Doors’ for performers in Mid & East Antrim

All across Mid and East Antrim people have been making new music and art together as part of ‘Opening Doors’.
Opening Doors will be performed on Saturday, March 9. at 7.30pm in the MacNeill Theatre, Larne.Opening Doors will be performed on Saturday, March 9. at 7.30pm in the MacNeill Theatre, Larne.
Opening Doors will be performed on Saturday, March 9. at 7.30pm in the MacNeill Theatre, Larne.

On Saturday, March 9, at 7.30pm in the MacNeill Theatre Larne local performers the Whitehead Orchestra, Island Voices and Music

Yard Larne will come together with soloists and members of the Inter-Ethnic Forum in a celebration of all of their creative work.

The performance will feature the premier of a new work called Opening Doors by composer Sarah Murphy and librettist Colin Hassard alongside the premieres of newsongs written by young people and a soundscape composed by Feargus Murphy. All of the works are inspired by words and music gathered over the past year by Wall2Wall Music from people across Ballymena, Carrick and Larne.

The evening will be full of local flavour with references to Slemish, the Rhinka and the Black Arch.

Rosalind Lowry, Arts Development Officer for Mid and East Antrim Borough Council said: “Mid & East Antrim is a very creative borough, we have over 150 local arts groups active in music, dance, drama, visual arts, crafts and culture, and this programme is a showcase of all the great work they are producing. Thanks to all the creative citizens taking part in the programme to develop their work, their skills and to open up opportunities for everyone to take part in the Arts”

Kevin Murphy, Chief Officer of project partner Voluntary Arts Ireland said: “It has been fascinating working with the vibrant creative community across the borough. It is a constant source of inspiration to learn about the amazing things people do in their spare time and how much people value their cultural lives.”

One of the aims of Opening Doors was to uncover the creative activities that people from the new Mid and East Antrim Borough were already doing and to discover a newly formed amateur orchestra based in Whitehead is one of the many great stories from the project.

Whitehead Orchestra was formed in October 2017 and is made up of enthusiastic musicians, some who have never played in an orchestra before. Their approach to life is based on the idea that music is fun and that live music is a great contribution to community life.

Opening Doors has meant that for the first time a new work has been written for them and that they get to perform with

professional soloists and fellow local performance groups.

Tickets are available for the performance from Larne Visitor Information Centre 028 2826 2495 or online at www.ticketsource.co.uk/larnearts. They are free and there will be a retiring collection on the night to raise funds for the local performing groups to help them put on more activities in the area in the future.