Artist Inua Ellams will showcase the power of words when he returns to Dublin this summer to curate and host a series of exciting cultural events at the Abbey and across the city.
The programme of events is outlined below.
The Midnight Run
Friday 1st July
The Midnight Run takes you on an adventure to celebrate the nocturnal life of familiar city. The route will journey past iconic sites, as well as lesser-known nooks and crannies of the city as we celebrate a return to cultural activity. Come ready to explore, play and create.
The Run will be facilitated by poet and Midnight Run founder, Inua Ellams, as part of his series of events with the Abbey Theatre.
Ellams will be joined by Michelle Browne, Rhona Byrne and Macdara Yeates; together they will collaborate to provide a unique cultural experience for their Runners.
Previous runs have included creative activities such as poetry, painting, movement, and more!
An Evening with an Immigrant
Sunday 3rd July
Born to a Muslim father and a Christian mother in what is now considered by many to be Boko Haram territory, award-winning poet and playwright Inua Ellams left Nigeria for England in 1996 aged 12, moved to Ireland for three years, before returning to London and starting work as a writer and graphic designer.
Part of this story was documented in his autobiographical Edinburgh Fringe First Award-winning play The 14th Tale, but much of it is untold.
Littered with poems, stories and anecdotes, Inua tells his ridiculous, fantastic, poignant immigrant-story of escaping fundamentalist Islam, experiencing prejudice and friendship in Dublin, performing solo at the National Theatre, and drinking wine with the Queen of England, all the while without a country to belong to or place to call home.
Poetry + Film / Hack
Tuesday 5th July
Poetry + Film / Hack presents both artforms in collaboration, by adding live poetry readings to the viewing experience of magnificent films.
We choose movies that are socially, politically or culturally resonant and by including poetry in their presentation, expand, deepen or highlight their themes.
The movie chosen for this event is The Butcher Boy (1997) based off of Patrick McCabe’s 1992 novel of the same name.
Simon Costello, Elaine Feeney, Tom French, Scott McKendry and Jessica Traynor will be supporting Poetry + Film / Hack screened at the Irish Film Institute on Tuesday 5th July.
Reel Mix
6th – 7th July
Five directors. Five films. Five perspectives. One story.
How different can films be when their scripts are the same?
Conceived by award-winning writer, Inua Ellams, who will pen the screenplay, Reel Mix demonstrates how words and meanings can shift under different direction. The films, helmed by John Connors, Róisín El Cherif, Esosa Ighodaro, James Riordan and Colm Summers will be screened back-to-back before a live audience with the cast and crew invited to discuss their artistic interpretations.
R.A.P Party
Friday 8th July
What might eloquent voices from contemporary poetry and spoken word movements have to say about hip-hop’s past, present and future?
Come chill and find out at Inua Ellams’ Rhythm And Poetry Party, a nostalgic, no-clutter, no-fuss, night of hip-hop-inspired poems and favourite hip-hop songs.
The format is super simple, 10 poets share a poem, and after each, the DJ will play two songs of the poet’s choosing linked to the poem.
Alongside Inua, the poets involved include Jim Crickard, Chiamaka Enyi-Amadi, Khanyisile Mbukwane, Adam Mohamed, Meg Mulcahy, Ciara Ní E, Roxanna Nic Liam, Chiamaka Enyi-Amadi and Sasha Terfous with a further poet to be announced. Joining them as DJ for the evening is Mango.