RT announces its new season of Arts and Culture programming

Uplifting performances from our finest musicians, compelling and entertaining new documentaries about Irish cultural icons, return of popular series

RT today announced a season of inspirational and entertaining new arts series, documentaries and events across television, radio and online, celebrating and supporting our rich talent and vibrant culture as we emerge from a monumentally challenging time for the creative industry.

From unmissable musical performances to fascinating documentaries about iconic talents including Jack B Yeats, James Joyce, and Brian Friel, and the return of the Folk Awards and The Works Presents, viewers will have much to look forward to in the months ahead on RT .

Ann Marie Power, Head of Arts and Culture at RT , said: When the world as we knew it was turned upside down, people everywhere turned to the arts, and to culture, for sustenance, joy, escape and healing. I am proud of this new schedule of arts programming on RT and my ambition is that it will contribute towards rebuilding recognition of the essential value and sheer pleasure that the arts bring to our lives. In creating work that reaches out to a large and wide audience, we have used the talents of so many artists and creative talents from across the Independent sector, in-house RT teams and our strategic partners within many arts and cultural organisations. As we learn to adapt to the new normal' I hope that, while winning the hearts of the public, the new slate of content will also contribute in some modest way towards wider recognition of the invaluable role that arts and culture play in defining who we are.

>>Impactful documentaries

RT will continue its strong tradition of producing impactful arts documentaries.

Kicking off the season on Thursday 21 October, celebrated Irish novelist Colm To ibi n undertakes a revelatory study of Jack Butler Yeats in the television documentary Jack B. Yeats, The Man Who Painted Ireland, narrated by Pierce Brosnan.

Marking a key anniversary for James Joyce in 2022, 100 Years of Ulysses will unlock the most impregnable and explosive book of modern times and reveal how and why James Joyce's epic continues to influence and be appreciated as one of the greatest novels ever written.

Over the past three decades, Irish dance has captivated the imaginations of millions across the world. Steps of Freedom: The Story of Irish Dance, a sweeping, cinematic two-part documentary series, tells the story of how Irish dance evolved from humble beginnings to become a global phenomenon.

As climate change impacts our world and our country, A Note for Nature is both a celebration of what we have and a call for help. Over an hour, through music and spoken word, we'll reveal some of Ireland's most fragile landscapes and the beleaguered animals that somehow manage to survive there.

Brian Friel Shy Man, Showman, tells the intimate story of the great playwright, as related by some of the people who knew and loved him - his wife Anne, talking publicly about her husband for the first time, along with distinguished actors Liam Neeson, Stephen Rea, Sin ad and Niamh Cusack.

Camera, Tripod and Bicycle is a film about a Dublin fireman called Leslie Crowe who spent 30 years of his life documenting his native city. Travelling from his Santry home by bicycle through estate after estate and carrying his 8mm camera and tripod, Crowe's work charts the growth of places like Raheny, Swords, Coolock and Santry. His film archive, previously stored in biscuit tins in his attic, is now proudly brought to screen over 30 years after his death.

Beginning in the 1950s, a landmark era for the revival of Irish traditional and folk music, and taking us on an intriguing journey to the present day, The Flourishing will feature the voices of a generation - Paul Brady, Mary Black, Finbar Furey, Paddy Glackin, Andy Irvine, Tr ona N Domhnaill, Mary O'Hara and Mary Bergin - and discover how they changed the course of Irish folk music forever.

>>Celebrating our artists

RT continues its strong commitment to celebrating the work of Irish and international artists, both living and past, through awards, broadcast portraits and broadcast live music events.

The Works Presents with John Kelly returns to RT One with a ten-part series. Amongst the Irish artists featured are: Academy Award nominated Irish playwright, screenwriter, film director, Jim Sheridan, Martin Hayes, founder of the seminal band and Meteor Prize winning, The Gloaming, and Doireann N Ghr ofa, author of the bestselling book, A Ghost in the Throat. In conversations with John these artists share insights into how and why they work in their chosen fields, the factors in their lives, past and present that shape them and how they are driven to create the works they make.

As the culture and live entertainment sector continues to open their doors, on 16th November the RT Radio 1 Folk Awards take place in Vicar Street, Dublin, presented by Ruth Smith and John Creedon. Featuring the finest of Irish musicians as well as the announcement of a special Lifetime Achievement Award, the fourth year of the RT Folk Awards is bigger than ever, a special gathering to cherish the enormous well of talent we have here in Ireland. If you can't get a ticket to Vicar Street that night, not to worry, you can watch the highlights on Saturday night on RT One on 20th November and listen live to the whole show on the night from 8pm on RT Radio 1.

In a one-hour special for RT One, we explore this year's six shortlisted books for the coveted overall An Post Irish Book of the Year Award. We meet the six authors and unpack the motivations and inspirations behind the stories and discover how these most loved books of 2021 have inspired, entertained, and shaped the worlds of their readers.

The 45 musicians in the RT Concert Orchestra

LINK:	https://about.rte.ie/2021/10/04/rte-announces-its-new-season-of-arts-a...
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