Bríd Festival Sligo January 29th – February 3rd 2025

The Bríd Festival Sligo is an inclusive, creative arts festival which embodies the energy and spirit of St. Brigid. Galleries, new up-and-coming artist studios and creative hubs across Sligo are getting involved, there will be lots of Spring energy and creative activities to enjoy, from a festival Bríd Supper, poems and song to ceramic, print, ink, weaving and copper leaf making workshops, contemporary exhibitions, forest lantern walks, seed talks and sharing, all inspired by St. Brigid’s diverse legacy as patron saint of creativity, healer, environmentalist and protector of the land.

Bríd Festival Sligo Programme 2025 (PDF) - 4,415 kbs

  

Programme of events

January 25th, February 1st & Februry 3rd

Sligo Woodland School, LETS Organic Gardens, Cleveragh Dr, Demesne, Sligo F91X314

Creative Sessions for all ages
Jan Saturday 25th, 2-4pm St Brigid lantern makingworkshop
Feb Saturday 1st, 11am -1pm Willow arch and nature weaving workshop
Feb Monday 3rd, 3-5pm Nature lead intentions and lantern walk in the woods

Events are free, booking required, booking via website www.sligowoodlandschool.com 

 

Bríd Festival Sligo Launch

January Wednesday 29th, 11am -2pm

Ard Voltas Art Space, Ballisodare

A gathering for artists, creatives, makers and community.  This event invites creatives and community to come together and share in the making of a living tree sculpture.

We will weave rush and willow with Bridget O Connell and sculpt copper leaves with sculptor Rob Ireson. The artworks created will be added to the newly installed An Crainn Voltais/the Voltage Tree sculpture.

Workshops are free, booking required, booking via link on ArdVoltas Instagram page

 

Seed Talk & Seed Sharing

January Thursday 30th, 11am -12noon

Sligo County Library, Stephan Street, Sligo Town F91X264

Join us to learn all about seed harvesting with Áine Bell, head gardener from the North Mayo Heritage Centre. As part of this event, we invite you to take from our mobile seed library. Bring new life back to your garden and plant for the year ahead with seeds from our mobile seed library. The seed library was created by learners from the Sligo Community Training Centre.

The event is free. To reserve a place, email sligolib@sligococo.ie or phone 071 9111675

 

Ceramic Workshops

January Thursday 30th

MADE Sligo Craft Collective Shop, No. 3 Wine Street,  Sligo

Jan Thur 30th, 2.30- 3.30pm FREE, Ceramic nature based tile workshop with artist Rachel Quinn
Jan Thur 30th, 3.45-4.45pm  FREE, Ceramic portrait sculpture workshop with artist Tom Callery

Booking required, email catherinefanning@hotmail.com (email heading ceramic workshops)

 

Exhibition Opening

January Friday 31st, 2.30pm

Abhainn Studio, Pier Road, Enniscrone. Sligo

Meet and chat with artist Ruth Le Gear

Ruth’s practice involves an engagement and meditation with the landscape, through the creation of water essences. Her work revolves around this dialogue, this communion with nature and is part of an obscured tradition of bards, storytellers, healers, wise women and
artists.

 

Ink Making & Eco Printing

February Saturday 1st, 12noon- 2pm

Hamilton Gallery, No. 4 Castle Street, Sligo

Interactive demonstration session and talk by artist Aideen Connolly. Learn how to make your own oak gallink and eco print.

No booking required, walk-ins welcome.

 

Eco Art Installation Exhibition by Aideen Connolly

February Saturday 1st open for viewing gallery hours

Hamilton Gallery, No. 4 Castle Street, Sligo

A temporary eco art Installation exhibition by artist Aideen Connolly. A collection of artwork that focuses onthe natural world, using natural materials that exploresecological dynamics.

 

St Brigid Supper
Festive foods, insights into Imbolc traditions and customs, acoustic session by singer/ songwriter Erin Luna Gallagher
February Saturday 1st, 6-9pm
Oak Moon Cafe & Banking Hall Yeats Building, Hyde Bridge Street, Sligo

A traditional custom associated with St Brigid was a festive supper. In line with tradition we invite community to join our supper table and partake in some St Brigid’s traditional festive foods, savory breads, chesses, bannocks scones with freshly churned butter, colcannon and apple cake.

As part of the evening you can take part in some St Brigid traditions such as passing through the ‘crios bride’. Pass through the straw rope crios bride and obtain the protection of Brigid and freedom from illness for the coming year. Bridget O Connell will be on hand to share insights into the traditions and customs associated with Imbolc/St Brigid.

To round off the evening, singer and songwriter Erin Luna Gallagher will perform an acoustic session. Her versatile voice that carries powerful belts, emotional expression and soothing tones will bring our festive supper to a close.

Free event, booking required via link in Bríd Festival Sligo social media pages

 

Mono Printing with grasses & seeds

February Sunday 2nd, 11.30am – 1.30 pm

Facet Studio, Pier Road, Enniscrone, Sligo

Studio print workshop with artist Bernie Colhoun

Free workshop, booking required, contact Bernieberniecolhoun@gmail.com 

 

St Brigids Poems

Commission Poems for children are wonderful gateways to a world of imagination and language. Poems, with their rhythmic patterns and vivid imagery,are perfect for capturing young minds. Linking with the Primary Colours Arts Education programme four Sligo Artist Panel writers, Crona Gallagher, Margaret Kilcoyne, Maeve McCormack and Maeve McKenna, were commissioned to write poems for children as part of this year’s festival.

Commissioned poems are available online See Bríd Festival Sligo social media pages

 

Giolla Bríd Publication

Publication by artist Karen Webster

On display at Sligo Libraries & festival events

‘Giolla Bríd’ is a collection of work that explores therelationship between Brigid and nature with aparticular focus on the story of Giolla Bríd and theseaweed. Karen explores seaweed not only as atraditional resource but also as a habitat and as an artmaterial.

 

Children’s Poetry Competition Sligo

Deadline date: Friday 31st January

The Sligo Bríd Festival Children’s poetry Competition invites Sligo county primary school children to create a piece of poetry inspired by St. Brigid’s diverse legacy as patron saint of creativity, healer, environmentalist and protector of the land. Entries to be emailed to catherinefanning@hotmail.com  Email heading: Bríd Festival Children’s Poetry Competition

See Bríd Festival Sligo social media pages for full details.

 

Open Access Pilot @ Pulled Print Studio

ATU Sligo Innovation Centre, Ash Lane Ballytivnan, Sligo F91YW50

Linking in with this year’s Bríd Festival Sligo, Pulled Print Studio are offering Sligo based creatives the opportunity to avail of five weeks of print studio access. Full details on how to apply for this awarded opportunity will be shared online from Jan 29th. Follow the Bríd Festival Sligo and Pulled social media for more details.This Open Access Pilot is funded and supported by Sligo Arts Service CPD Programme.

 

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