Scríobhann Liam Carson, Stiúrthóir, faoin bhféile IMRAM atá ag ceiliúradh 20 bliain ar an bhfód i mbliana.
When I decided to found an Irish-language literature festival two decades ago, it was poet Gabriel Rosenstock who suggested we name it IMRAM, meaning a voyage of discovery. The name was perfect, reflecting our vision of taking our audiences on an imaginative literary journey through events that fuse prose, poetry, film and music.
It was IMRAM's vision from the start to give Irish-language writers a much-needed platform at the heart of Dublin’s cultural life. We had performances in venues such as Crawdaddy, Sin É, and The Sugar Club. IMRAM’s vision brings writers, musicians, singers, visual artists together to create multi-media performances. Our shows have included stellar musicians such as Liam Ó Maonlai of The Hothouse Flowers alongside The Brad Pitt Light Orchestra performing David Bowie and Leonard Cohen songs translated into Irish, by poets Garbriel Rosenstock and the late Liam Ó Muirthile. Over the years, we have commissioned poets and writers to write new work on themes as diverse as Dublin at night; the aisling; snow; and forgotten sounds, such as the crinkle of a milk bottle top, or the clatter of a typewriter.
Tá an fhís sin á ceiliúradh againn i gcónaí agus réimse leathan de nualitríocht na Gaeilge á chur os comhair an phobail againn, ón úrscéal coireachta de chuid Anna Heusaff, Sa Pholl Báite, go dtí an cuntas inspéise ar Ghaeltacht Dhún na nGall sa naoú haois déag a scríobh Cathal Póirtéir, An Tiarna George Hill agus Pobal Ghaoth Dobhair’. Déanann Cathal Poirtéir iarracht fíricí agus barúlacha faoi Hill agus Gaoth Dobhair a tharraingt le chéile lena gcomhthéacs staire agus pearsana, le cuidiú linn a oidhreacht sa cheantar a mheas go cothrom. Ag féile na bliana seo, beidh se ag caint leis an scríbhneoir Éílis Ní Dhuibhne faoina chuid scríbhneoireachta.
Cuimsíonn clár na bliana seo imeachtaí ilmheánacha; mórthionscadail cheoil; seoltaí leabhar agus agallaimh le scríbhneoirí; imeachtaí do scoileanna, ina measc an comórtas haiku (Duais Bashō) agus Guth na hÉigse, comórtas aithriseoireachta do Scoileanna Iar-Bhunoideachais i gcomhar le Éigse Éireann.
I measc mhórimeachtaí na féile tá Rabhadh gan Ghníomh/Alarmed and Inactive, scrúdú géar ar an athrú aeráide: an cumadóir Úna Monaghan atá ina coimeádaí ar an tionscadal dátheangach seo le ceol turgnamhach, ealaín, dealbhóireacht agus filíocht le Nandi Jola, Nithy Kasa, Ailbhe Ní Ghearbhuigh, Daithí Ó Muirí agus Róisín Sheehy.
Is ceiliúradh é Feisteas an tSaoil ar shaolta na mban tríd na hathruithe sóisialta den 20ú aois agus ina dhiaidh. Saothar nua cróga isea é seo ó bhean go raibh saol thar a bheith suimiúil aici. Coincheap agus téama úrnua atá againn anso. Pléann sé le scéalta an-phearsanta atá fite fuaite le píosaí filíochta, furmhór acu leis an bhfile Áine Moynihan féin. Tá idir gháire is gol ann. Cuireann píosaí cheoil agus amhránaíochta, cuid a thagann ó oileáin Inis Oirr, Cléire agus ó Iarthar Chiarraí – ar piano le Louise Foxe agus fidil le Feargal Mac Amhlaoibh – go mór leis an seó.
Ó Cuirrín’s Dracula is a dramatic reading of poet Seán Ó Cuirrín’s famed Irish translation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Directed by Bríd Ó Gallchóir of Aisling Ghéar, incorporating visuals by Mags Mulvey and a dark soundtrack composed by Muiris Ó Fiannachta, it takes place on October 21st. Also in partnership with Dublin Book Festival, at Scríofa I Measc Carraigeacha Fraoigh/Written Among The Heather Rock, Annemarie Ní Churreáin joins poets Majed Mujed and Yairen Jerez Columbié to discuss poetry, language, and translation with Tapasya Narang, on November 10th at the Chester Beatty Library.
Is é atá in Geimhreadh Anama/The Winterreise Project ná leagan Caitríona O’Leary de shaothar clasaiceach Kunstlieder de chuid Franz Schubert. Sa tionscadal nuálach seo tá cóiriú déanta ar cheann de shaothar mór lieder na Gearmáinise, é athchruthaithe d'amhránaí agus grúpa beag ceoltóirí uirlise, ní sa stíl Kunstlieder ach níos gaire do cheol na hÉireann. Agus cuma thraidisiúnta orthu (seachas an tionlacan pianó normatach a shamhlaítear leis an bparlús), agus iad i nGaeilge, beifear in ann éisteacht leis an stór cáiliúil amhrán seo ar bhealach tochtmhar nach mbraithimid de ghnáth.
Agus in Emain Ablach tá saothar nua curtha ar fáil ag Neil Ó Lochlainn do chúig cheoltóir déag a tharraingíonn as tobar na Sean-Ghaeilge, agus dánta a coimisiúnaíodh ó Aifric Mac Aoda.
Working with children and students is a core part of IMRAM’s mission. This year, in association with Poetry Ireland, we will have the second Duais Bashō Haiku Poetry Competition, which asks post-primary students to compose a haiku in the English or Irish language or a hybrid and submit their haiku for adjudication by October 24th 2023. The haiku is the shortest poetic form in the world which originated in Japan in the 17th Century, first refined and championed by haiku master Bashō. Haiku poems are usually written in three lines and contain a maximum of seventeen syllables. As part of this project, haiku poet Maeve O’Sullivan has been conducting workshops with students throughout the country. Poet and acclaimed haiku doyen Gabriel Rosenstock is adjudicating the entries.
IMRAM, in its twentieth year, continues to voyage to new and exciting literary and artistic territories. We invite all with a love for literature in Irish to join us. Tar linn ar aistear mistéireach, bímis ag iomramh!
Gach eolas ar fáil faoi IMRAM anseo/ Information on IMRAM here.
