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DERRY FACT FILE
DERRY EVENTS CALENDAR We pick some highlights from the UK City Of Culture programme, from Primal Scream and the Royal Ballet to comics and graffiti art
CELTRONIC (26–30 Jun) Electronic music festival featuring local, national and international DJs and live acts; the line-ups still tbc but previous performers at the fest include Carl Craig, David Holmes and Annie Mac. GRAFFITI JAM (6–7 Jul) Citywide event with leading street/graffiti artists from the USA,
Germany, Ireland and Britain collaborating towards a 250ft- long themed cityscape. TURNER PRIZE (23 Oct–5 Jan) This year finds
the Turner held for the first time outside England, and only the second time it’s been shown outside the Tate following its appearance at BALTIC in 2011.
THE WALLED CITY TATTOO (28-30 Aug) A 600-strong cast perform music, song, dance and theatre as they reflect on their history, with special guests, Top Secret Drum Corps. LUMIERE (28 Nov–1Dec)
Artichoke light up the city for four days, as part of a collaboration between artists, lighting designers and community groups.
selected highlights from the Company’s repertory, conducted by Derry-born Paul Murphy. BBC RADIO 1’S BIG WEEKEND (24–26 May) Music acts from around the globe rock up for this free weekend of live music. Olly Murs is one of the few acts announced so far but don’t let that put you off.
2D FESTIVAL (30 May–1 Jun) All things comic are celebrated here with 2D, the Northern Ireland Comics Festival, an annual shindig putting the spotlight on comic book culture.
THE RETURN OF COLMCILLE (7–8 Jun) Written by Frank Cottrell Boyce, this large-scale public event on both sides of, and on, the Rover Foyle uses music, dance and theatre to celebrate the city’s founding father.
PHIL COULTER AND FRIENDS WITH THE ULSTER ORCHESTRA (15 Jun) Derry’s acclaimed musical father returns to the Town He Loves So Well to sing with the Ulster Orchestra. SHAUN DAVEY: THE RELIEF OF DERRY SYMPHONY (20 Dec) Classical piece commissioned by Derry City Council to celebrate the 300th anniversary of the Siege of Derry in 1689.
CANDICE BREITZ (until 8 Mar) The Berlin-based South African artist’s smart show, Him + Her (pictured right), uses film footage of Jack Nicholson and Meryl Streep to create a video installation examining the relationship between the individual and community.
POLITICAL MOTHER: DERRY LONDONDERRY UNCUT (8–9 Mar 2013) Oppression and survival take centre stage in Hofesh Shechter’s much anticipated dance piece, complete with rock riffs and cinematic staging. LONDON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA (18 Mar) The LSO perform some of John Williams’ best-loved works for film, with music from Jurassic Park, Jaws, Schindler’s List, War of the Worlds and more.
PRIMAL SCREAM LIVE & DAVID HOLMES DJ SET (19 Mar) Brit alt rockers Primal Scream play live before Belfast-born Holmes joins the party. ROYAL BALLET (30–31 Mar) World renowned ballet dancers Yuhui Choe, Melissa Hamilton, Ryoichi Hirano and Dawid Trzensimiech appear in
EAT The Waterfront has welcomed some steady investment in recent years. The Custom House (Queen’s Quay, customhouse.com) is the go-to joint for those looking to get their glad rags on of an evening. For lunch, the roof-top restaurant in Austins, Ireland’s oldest department store, does handsome portions of home-cooked Irish scran and offers great views of the city.
DRINK Derry’s watering holes tend to fall into two categories: the live music bar and the plusher style bar. Brown’s (Bonds Hill, brownsrestaurant.com) is a good shout for those looking for a classy night out. For great craic and the possibility of hearing some top local music, Sandino’s Cafe Bar (Water Street) and Peadar O’Donnell’s can’t be beaten. SLEEP For those looking to be right at the heart of the action, the Tower Hotel (towerhotelderry.com) and City Hotel (cityhotelderry.com) are reliable, modern favourites; those looking to go a little further out can opt for Everglades (hastingshotels.com) or Beech Hill Country House Hotel (beech-hill.com), the latter of which is famous for hosting ex-US president Bill Clinton, as well as having some beautiful historic walks around its grounds. There’s also Derry City Independent Hostel, a cosy and central option for visitors on a budget.
VISIT For a small city, Derry is incredibly good at telling its story. The Museum of Free Derry (Glenfada Park, museumoffreederry.org) chronicles the civil rights movement and the creation of Free Derry in the 1960s and 1970s. The award-winning Tower Museum (Union Hall Place, derrycity.goc. uk/museums) too is well worth giving a morning over to with its interactive display and audio-visual presentations showing Ireland’s history. DAYS OUT Beyond the city of Derry there’s stunning scenery to be found, the top pick of which is undoubtedly the Giant’s Causeway in Antrim, complete with towering mountains and sheltered glens for walking. Lovers of rugged coastal landscapes can opt for the sands at Culdaff or Buncrana nearby, or head to Ireland’s most northerly point, Malin Head. See Translink NI Railways (translink.co.uk/ Services/NI-Railways) for train times and routes or Translink Ulsterbus (translink.co.uk/Services/ Ulsterbus-Service-Page) for buses.
TRAVEL Flights to Derry go direct from Glasgow Prestwick (ryanair.com); alternatively, fly to Belfast from Edinburgh and take the one-hour shuttle bus between the cities. (Anna Millar)
26 THE LIST 21 Feb–21 Mar 2013