It’s been a real challenge blogging this past semester – tackling new motherhood, taking over directing our MA in Arts Management at UCD while Pat Cooke is on sabbatical, travelling for my new research project and finishing my first book (in addition to the normal day job of the uni lecturer!) has meant the blog’s been neglected, poor thing. I’ve toyed with the idea of stopping, but I appreciate the messages of support (via email and in person) from folks who find it useful, so I’ll soldier bravely on ahead!

I’ll endeavour to ramp up frequency of postings as we head towards the autumn (with a slight rename) — there’s so much exciting activity on the horizon — with the aim of firing on all cylinders by September.

In the meantime, what’s cooking in the Irish arts world under that hot hot sun?

• Biggest news yesterday was the launch of Dublin Theatre Festival’s new programme. Still need time to drool over the programme, but so far Neutral Hero by the NYC Players, Rape of Lucrece by the Royal Shakespeare Company, the multimedia piece Germinal, Rough Magic’s The Critic and the Danish children’s show A True Tall Tale are tempting me!! See also Irish Theatre Magazine’s complete review of the programme.
• So many festivals, so little time — on the agenda this month and next is the Galway Arts Festival and Kilkenny Arts Festival (more Shakespeare!) for starters… Clonmel Junction Festival is on now as well with a great programme (on til the 14th).
• As a new mum myself for the second time round, I think the Mothership Project is a fab idea – it’s an emerging network for Irish visual artists and arts workers (who are also parents!)
• Another step in the evolution of the Charities Bill… details of a regulatory body were announced yesterday (sorely needed!) and will be funded by a “modest annual registration fee” paid by charities themselves.
• These days postgraduate scholarships (particularly for taught MAs) are thin on the ground, so y’all should be jumping on the full scholarships currently on offer at NCAD for their MAs in Art & the Contemporary World / Design History & Material Culture (deadline is 22nd July).
• Delighted to see the sixth edition of Artefact: Journal of the Irish Association of Art Historians is out! I was part of the team which launched the journal back in 2007, and it’s great to see it alive & kicking.
• Breac is the new online journal in Irish Studies published by the University of Notre Dame, and their upcoming issue (with a call for papers – deadline 15 June) is on contemporary Irish drama.
• I’m really looking forward to the Dublin Tenement Experience / Living the Lockout project — it’s on for only 9 weeks this summer at no. 14 Henrietta St. in Dublin. The short-term exhibit and performance tells the story of the 1913 Lockout in collaboration with Anu Productions; the hope is that the project will stimulate interest in a permanent exhibition/site interpreting 19th c./early 20th c. Dublin social history (a subject neglected in our heritage landscape).
• Athlone Art & Heritage has a wonderful and ambitious exhibition programme this summer – including the multimedia exhibition I Hear a New World featuring ‘contemporary visual music’ in collaboration with graduates from the MPhil in MPhil in Music and Media Technologies (TCD), which sounds just fab.
• The Irish Museums Association and the International Council of Museums (Irish chapter) are teaming up for the first time to offer a public lecture – Fintan O’Toole will be speaking in Waterford about the project A History of Ireland in 100 Objects on 19 July.

In comings & goings…

• Ireland’s national opera touring company (now known as OTC) has just announced the appointments of Rosemary Collier as the new Executive Director, and Fergus Sheil as Artistic Director.
• Róise Goan is stepping down as director of the Dublin Fringe Festival (a role she’s occupied since 2008) — and Canadian Kris Nelson is to take her place.
• Raghnall Ó Floinn was announced as the new Director of the National Museum. As former Head of Collections, his appointment didn’t come as a surprise, and he’ll no doubt be a safe pair of hands as the Museum continues in a difficult funding climate.
• Whoa nelly: the Chester Beatty Library is hiring two curators – one to manage the East Asian collection, and one for the Western. These jobs are rare as hen’s teeth, and will certainly be sought after.

Scorchio! Get thee into the sunshine.