Young Curators Nationwide are delighted to present LASTA, a national arts festival for young people by young people, taking place across the country from the 3rd – 9th June 2024. Here at An Grianán our festival has been programmed by our Young Curators: Ciara Doherty, Clodagh McIvor and Ultan Pringle. But enough from us – here’s our young curators’ introduction to this year’s festival:
Lasta 2024
Sure where else would you get it? A question we’ve asked ourselves many times on this wonderful Young Curator journey. As we toured around Ireland scouting shows and visiting festivals, meeting arts professionals and participating in workshops, while all the time dreaming ourselves of just what festival we might like to make. Contained within this brochure you’ll find that very festival then, a two day feast of art, music and theatrical joy. A symphony of youthful energy, gay shit, inclusivity and creativity which can both nourish and excite.
The future of the art world in Donegal is a daring and exciting one. We’ve had the pleasure of bringing to you the very best of the young and the bold of what the North-West and this county has to offer. Delightful comics, radical poets and singer songwriters to rival Leonard Cohen and Joni Mitchell. Politically minded painters, Drag Queens and psychedelic rock bands! Tasteful lunchtime events for good food and good traditional music!
Our Lasta festival brings to your attention an Ireland of old and an Ireland of tomorrow, an orchestra of delights await and we hope you come and join us for some good old fashioned fun.
EVENTS
For the month of June, from the 4th to the 27th, an exhibition of local artist Katie Hassett’s work will run as a part of the festival. Her powerful exhibition “Ireland’s Forgotten Women” focuses on Irish society, personal history, religion, symbolism, and human experience. Her art is a contribution to art for change, in the reconciliation of those that are no longer with us. More info.
FRI 7TH JUNE
1pm: Traditional Music and Toasties; A Lunchtime Gig.
Come and join us to kick off the festival with a relaxing Summer vibe, a bite of lunch & some local music excellence. The much feted Moya Sweeney, joined by a host of fellow musicians, will perform a symphony of traditional Irish music while patrons can purchase a delicious toastie and a cup of tea from our An Grianán Coffee House while they enjoy the show. Admission free.
8pm: The Hipgnotic Dream with Junk Drawer & Scol
Tickets: €10 BOOK NOW
Join us for an An Grianán concert like no other. Featuring a dazzling psychedelic light show, this concert with Junk Drawer and Scol promises to bring a unique blend of post punk & funk-trad brilliance to Donegal.
Founded on the premise of throwing shit at the wall and seeing what sticks – Scol exist between the veils of their influences, and have been accused of sounding like “beep-boppy-computer-funk-trad, with solos jumping between electric guitars and tin whistles…a trippy spinning wheel of time; of sounds old and new”.
Incorporating the imprint of Krautrock, post-punk, and psychedelia, Belfast’s Junk Drawer features four multi-instrumentalists & vocalists fluid in their roles. They’re driven by the inevitable harmony and discordance that comes from the sibling creative rivalry at the helm, and remain one of the most dynamic, exciting bands you’re likely to catch live.
SAT 8TH JUNE
1pm: Culture, Cake & Coffee: A Lunchtime Dance, Poetry and Performance Experience
Grab a coffee, a luxurious carrot cake and come and join us for some vibey lunchtime poetry, dance and literary excellence. Featuring some of Donegal’s most exciting and fresh voices and performers including Kokou Gogrey, Anne Omodara, Sonali Hapse, Aimee Tourish, Malcolm Boyd, and Reshma Sheen Thomas this event promises to be an engaging hour of cultural discovery and joy. Admission free.
4pm: Sip n Sketch with MarianMaryThe6th and Matthew Donnelly
Come and join us for an hour of sketch, illustration and epic Drag Queen performance! Hosted by local artist Matthew Donnelly, this event promises to be a relaxing hour of drawing with a glass of prosecco in hand while being serenaded by the epic MarianMaryThe6th. What better way to celebrate our Lasta Festival than by coming along and sketching a Drag Queen and having a glass of bubbly? Limited tickets available at €10 each. BOOK NOW
7.30pm: A Very Big Gorgeous Theatre Evening featuring Aoife Sweeney O’Connor, Scaredy Fat and George Houston.
Tickets: €15/€12 BOOK NOW
Join us for a real theatrical feast to round out our 2024 Lasta Festival. And the acts on the stage won’t be the only one’s eating – you will too as we’ll be serving canapés and snacks during our interval!
An Evening with Wee Daniel
Local writer and actor Aoife Sweeney O’Connor kicks off our evening with a work in progress performance of their uproariously funny new play, An Evening with Wee Daniel. This one person show explores growing up queer in Dungloe, grief and an unironic love of Daniel O’Donnell. A stalwart of the Irish comedy scene, Aoife has performed at every major Irish club and festival, and they are the co-creator of the popular Crash Comedy Club.
Then during our interval, rising Donegal star George Houston will be joining us to perform for our soiree. Featuring music from his recently released album Vehicular Suicide and smash hits from his booming career, George promises to bring a cutting edge slick musical performance to the evening.
Scaredy Fat
Scaredy’s working the late shift at the cinema. Tonight’s schedule? Horror movie sexual awakenings of yesteryear. Lost in steamy recollections of Jesse Walsh dancing, Carrie and Tommy at the prom and the sinful duo of Ryan Philippe and Freddie Prinze Jr., Scaredy should be in ecstasy but evil horror host Count Calories keeps cutting in on the fun. It’s finally time for Scaredy to face their fears and stop being such a big Scaredy Fat.
NB: suitable for ages 16+. Strong language/content.
Find out more about our three young curators here.
About Lasta
An ambitious initiative first established in 2020 by Backstage Theatre, Longford, Lasta has grown into a nationwide festival of work for young people. The 2024 Young Curators programme boasts a wide range of art-forms, mediums and activities from all over the country. Ireland’s largest collaborative arts festival will be taking place in venues across the country from Tralee to Limerick, Ennis to Galway, Portlaoise, Longford and Letterkenny.
LASTA participating venues: Backstage Theatre (Longford), Dunamaise Arts Centre (Portlaoise), glór (Ennis) www.glor.ie; An Grianán (Letterkenny), Lime Tree Theatre (Limerick), Siamsa Tíre (Tralee, and Town Hall Theatre (Galway).
