Island Time and On the Ice Edge
As part of Galway 2020 European Capital of Culture the artist Louise Manifold worked in partnership with the Marine Institute to commission work from seven artists, writers and composers, which would explore one of the last unknown spaces on Earth, the ocean wilderness. The works were exhibited in September 2020 on the island of Inis Oírr under the title Aerial / Sparks. On tonight’s programme we’ll hear two works created as part of the project Kevin Barry’s Island Time and Louise Manifold’s On the Ice Edge.
Island Time is a multimedia monologue written and performed by Kevin Barry at Inis Oírr Lighthouse. A melancholy lighthouse keeper dreams of a different life and of distant lands and even of a woman in Ennistymon. It’s a tragic-comic reflection on isolation which has many resonances with our current predicament. Sound design is by Foley artist Jean McGrath and the piece was made with support from the Commissioners of the Irish Lights.
On the Ice Edge is a sound composition by Louise Manifold which was inspired by the artist’s participation in survey work on board the Marine Institute’s Celtic Explorer. It features original text by Louise Manifold performed by Adrian Crowley, sound recordings by John Brennan and Louise Manifold with sound design by foley artist Jean McGrath.
Other artists involved in Aerial/ Sparks included Ailís Ní Ríain, Carol Anne Connolly, David Stalling, Kennedy Browne, Magz Hall and Robertina Šebjanic. For more visit aerialsparks.org
Produced by Eoin O Kelly and Elizabeth Laragy
Production Co-ordinator: Peter Curtin
(First broadcast 21st March 2021)
RTÉ lyric fm, Sunday 17th October, 6pm-7pm