Áthas Tógálach/Infectious Delight by Ciara Ní É
On Friday 18 Dec 2020, the Linenhall Arts Centre launched a short spoken word film from artist Ciara Ní É.
This work was specially commissioned by the Linenhall Arts Centre as a celebration of 2020, of all that we have endured this past year and the hope that keeps us going throughout all of the uncertainty.
Ciara developed the project over a three month period and was keen to encapsulate the legacy of 2020 and how this will translate for people in years to come. 'We’ve long been fans of Ciara's work which is brave and ambitious and we were keen to work with her on this project which is a new avenue for the Linenhall. Ciara is one of a new generation of Irish artists who is leading the way in transformative and accessible work that connects with people on many levels,' says Bernadette Greenan, Director of the Linenhall.
Ciara says about the work: 'Bheartaíos dán a scríobh faoi Laoise, mo neacht óg a thug dóchas dom le linn na bliana seo. Ise an chéad duine sa ghlúin sin agus bhí tionchar láidir ar an gclann ar fad. Táimid tar éis an oiread sin áthas a bhraithstint agus muid ag caitheamh ama léi. Níl aon rud níos tábhachtaí ná í, agus ní féidir bheith gan dóchas nuair atá sí sa seomra. A cead bhreithlá atá le feiceáil san fhíseán.
D'oibrigh mé cheana leis an stiúrthóir, Hannah Mc Glynn, agus leis an gcumadóir ceoil Aoife Ní Mhórdha. Ealaíontóirí cumasacha iad gan dabht agus táim ag súil go mór le toradh na ár gcuid oibre a fheiceáil.'
‘I took this opportunity to write about Laoise, my little niece who gave us all hope during this bleak year. She is the first of that generation and is a gorgeous influence on our family dynamic. There's nothing more important than her and she gives me so much hope. We filmed the video for the poem at her 1st birthday.
I've worked with the videographer Hannah McGlynn before, and also the composer Aoife Ní Mhórdha. Fantastic artists the two of them and I'm dying to see the fruits of our labours!'
You can watch the poem without subtitles here:
And you can watch the poem with subtitles here:
Ciara is a bilingual poet and writer, DCU’s Writer-in-Residence 2020, and an Irish Writers Centre ambassador. She is the founder of REIC, a monthly multilingual spoken word and open mic night that features poetry, music, storytelling and rap. She has performed internationally in New York, London, Brussels, Sweden, and across Ireland. Her work has been published in a variety of journals including Icarus and Comhar. She was chosen for Poetry Ireland’s ‘Introductions’ series 2017, and in 2018 she released a series of four poetry videos in partnership with the Irish Writers Centre, available on YouTube. She is a cofounder of arts collective Aerach.Aiteach.Gaelach, and her first project with the group was selected for The Abbey Theatre’s 5x5 2020. The video for ‘Phenomenal Woman’, a 2018 commission about the LGFA (Ladies Gaelic Football Association) was viewed over 300,000 times, and brought her work to wider attention. Other commissions include RTÉ TV, BBC Radio, TG4, and the Irish Writers Centre.
Scríbhneoir Cónaithe DCU 2020 í Ciara Ní É. Ise a bhunaigh an oíche mic oscailte REIC, a mbíonn filíocht ó bhéal, rap, ceol, scéalta, agus eile le cloisteáil ann. Tá a cuid filíochta léite aici i Nua-Eabhrac, i Londain, sa Bhruiséil, sa tSualainn, agus sa bhaile in Éirinn. In 2019 ceapadh í ina hambasadóir le hÁras Scríbhneoirí na hÉireann. Chomhbhunaitheoir an chomharghrúpa Aerach.Aiteach.Gaelach í, agus roghnaíodh togra léi don Abbey 5x5 2020. Foilsíodh saothar dá cuid agus aistí liteartha léi in irisí éagsúla, Icarus agus Comhar ina measc. Tá a céad chnuasach filíochta idir lámha aici faoi láthair. Roghnaíodh í don scéim ‘Introductions’ de chuid Poetry Ireland sa bhliain 2017, agus an bhliain dár gcionn, d’eisigh sí sraith físdánta i gcomhar le hÁras Scríbhneoirí na hÉireann, atá ar fáil ar YouTube. Fuair an físeán an dáin ‘Phenomenal Woman’ faoin LGFA (Ladies Gaelic Football Association) breis is 300,000 radharc, agus tharraing sé aird fhairsing ar a saothar. I measc a cuid coimisiún áirítear RTÉ TV, BBC Radio, TG4, agus the Irish Writers Centre.
