Esker Arts to launch Friends scheme with spectacular concert

Esker Arts is inviting the people of Tullamore, Offaly and the wider Midlands to become part of the future of their local arts centre with the launch of Friends of Esker Arts, a new initiative designed to build a community of supporters around the organisation and its artistic programme.

The new initiative will be officially launched with a special concert at Esker Arts on Friday, September 11, at 8pm, featuring an outstanding line-up of artists from across Offaly and beyond, including acclaimed singer-songwriter Tolú Makay.

The concert will bring together music, dance and poetry in a celebration of the diversity and creativity that Esker Arts seeks to nurture, while also marking an important new chapter in the development of the arts centre.

Joining Tolú Makay on the bill will be the young musicians of Music Generation Offaly Seoda Ceoil Harp, Donlon Dance Company and the Academy Chamber Choir. Local poet Anthony Sullivan will also perform, while Offaly musical theatre artists Chris Corroon and Colin Hughes will add their considerable talents to what promises to be a memorable evening.

The launch of Friends of Esker Arts is intended to establish a long-term relationship between the arts centre and the people who value its contribution to the cultural life of the region.

Since opening its doors, Esker Arts has established itself as an important gathering place for audiences, artists, young people, community groups and creative practitioners. The Friends initiative is intended to build on that foundation by giving members of the community an opportunity to actively support the centre’s future.

Speaking about the launch, Sean Walsh, Artistic Director of Esker Arts, said that the Friends initiative was about much more than simply raising funds.

“Esker Arts belongs to the community. It is a place where people come together to experience great art, but it is also a place where people can participate, create, learn and develop. We want Friends of Esker Arts to reflect that sense of belonging.

“We are asking people to become part of the next chapter of Esker Arts. Their support will help us continue to bring ambitious artistic work to Tullamore, create opportunities for artists and young people, and develop the kind of programmes and projects that can make a real difference to the cultural life of Offaly.”

The Friends scheme will support Esker Arts in its ambition to maintain and develop an outstanding programme of exhibitions, performances, workshops, community projects and other cultural activity. It will also help the organisation to develop opportunities for emerging artists, engage with schools and communities and ensure that participation in the arts remains as accessible as possible.

For Esker Arts, the launch concert is therefore intended to be more than simply another event in the programme. It is an invitation to the community to celebrate what has already been achieved and to consider what might be possible in the years ahead.

“We’ve reached a point where we want to look beyond individual events and think about the longer-term future of Esker Arts,” said Walsh. “There is an enormous amount of creativity and talent in Offaly, and there is a real appetite for high-quality arts and cultural experiences. We want Esker Arts to be a place where that creativity can flourish and where people can encounter work that surprises them, challenges them and inspires them. The Friends scheme gives people the opportunity to say, ‘I believe in this place and I want to help it thrive.’ That is a very positive and exciting thing for us.”

The choice of artists for the launch concert reflects that ambition.

Tolú Makay has become one of Ireland’s most distinctive and celebrated singer-songwriters, with a powerful voice and an ability to move effortlessly between musical traditions and contemporary sounds. Her appearance provides a high-profile centrepiece for an evening which also places a strong emphasis on local talent and the importance of giving young people opportunities to perform.

The inclusion of Music Generation Offaly Seoda Ceoil Harp, Donlon Dance Company and the Academy Chamber Choir is particularly significant, highlighting the role that access to creative opportunities can play in the development of young people.

The concert will also showcase the wealth of established creative talent within the county, with Anthony Sullivan, Chris Corroon and Colin Hughes bringing their own distinctive artistic voices to the evening.

Together, the performers represent something of the ethos behind Friends of Esker Arts: bringing different generations, art forms and communities together under one roof.

The Friends initiative also comes at an important stage in Esker Arts’ development. The centre has become an increasingly important part of the cultural infrastructure of Tullamore and the wider Midlands, providing a venue in which professional artists can perform and exhibit alongside local practitioners, community groups and emerging talent.

The organisation believes that maintaining that momentum requires not only public investment and earned income but also a strong base of people who feel personally connected to Esker Arts and want to see it succeed.

“An arts centre doesn’t become important simply because it has a building or puts on a certain number of events,” Walsh added. “It becomes important because people feel that it is theirs. They come through the doors with their families, they bring friends, they see artists they love, they discover artists they’ve never encountered before, and sometimes they get the opportunity to make something themselves. That’s the relationship we want to build through Friends of Esker Arts. We want people to feel that they have a stake in this place and that, collectively, we can help shape what Esker Arts becomes.”

The launch concert will provide an opportunity for audiences to find out more about the Friends initiative and how they can become involved.

The organisation hopes that the scheme will appeal to a wide range of supporters, from regular Esker Arts audiences and arts enthusiasts to local families, businesses and people who simply want to make a contribution to the cultural life of their community.

Membership support will help Esker Arts to continue presenting an ambitious artistic programme while developing new opportunities for artists, young people, schools and community groups.

“We want people to come to the launch concert, have a wonderful night and enjoy some really exceptional performances. But we also want them to leave thinking about what Esker Arts means to them and what it could mean to this community in ten or twenty years’ time," said Walsh.

"If people believe that having a thriving arts centre is important to Tullamore and Offaly, then Friends of Esker Arts gives them a way of expressing that belief and helping to make sure that the story continues.”

The Friends of Esker Arts Launch Concert takes place at Esker Arts, Tullamore, on Friday, September 11 at 8pm.

Tickets are €25, with early booking advised. Booking: eskerarts.ie

Further details about Friends of Esker Arts will be announced around the launch.