Positive Carrickfergus’ Return to Town Hall

Exciting Return to Carrickfergus Town Hall

Positive Carrickfergus are thrilled to announce that, after months of anticipation and extensive event planning, they have finally received permission to return to the Carrickfergus Town Hall. They said’ Thanks to the generous support of the National Lottery People and Communities Fund, which has granted us two years of funding, we are embarking on a mission to collaboratively develop an arts strategy for Carrickfergus.’

Their approach involves hosting monthly events at the Town Hall, forming a dedicated community group to guide event programming and direction, and actively engaging with local groups and individuals to better understand their artistic aspirations for Carrickfergus.

Their journey commenced with the launch of our initial event program in April. However, just before their first event,  they encountered an unexpected setback when we discovered that the external entertainment license for the Town Hall had lapsed, causing an abrupt pause. To their surprise, they learned that a similar situation had transpired at Larne Town Hall as well. Interestingly, the council’s internal license remained valid for their own events. This setback, while disappointing, afforded us the opportunity to establish valuable connections with numerous dedicated Council Officers on the ground. It also placed them at the heart of discussions about how the Town Hall could be more effectively utilized by Carrickfergus’ vibrant arts and music community.

This unexpected turn of events ignited their creative spirit! They promptly transformed the Talking Shop premises they rented in Carrickfergus’ picturesque Courtyard area within the Scotch Quarter into a hub of artistic expression. Armed with the valuable insights we had gathered from our community, we promptly cancelled and refunded ticket sales for our Spring Fling Ceilidh. Instead, they curated a summer program that found a home in the Courtyard and our very own shop.

Their endeavours bore fruit as we successfully hosted two Vinyl Mini-Markets, an Open Mic night, and a Young Adult Books event in collaboration with the Secret Bookshelf. Now, they are elated to return to our original destination with a robust lineup of autumn events on the horizon!

Barry Macauley (B Mac Music) shared his excitement: “I am delighted to hear that Positive Carrickfergus has secured access to the Town Hall for their community arts and music events. The whole town will benefit from this, including artists and musicians performing in such an iconic setting, and the local community will have access to low-cost, high-quality concerts and events.”

Here’s a sneak peek of Positive Carrickfergus upcoming events:

– 30th September: Acoustic Night
– 5th October: Reminiscence Afternoon Tea
– 14th October: Ceilidh in the Hall
– 3rd November: Pop-Up Cinema
– 25th November: Visual Noise
– 16th December: Open Mic

They invite you to join them for these exciting experiences, where local talent will shine alongside special additions like Highwayman Dan from Larne. We’ll reminisce about the old Carrickfergus cinema while enjoying afternoon tea, celebrate Ulster Scots culture with music and dance, and enjoy a movie night brought to us by Strand Cinema. The live music event will feature renowned Northern Irish bands like Sasha Samara and Doctor Zoot, and our Christmas open mic night will welcome local performers of classic tunes, festive favorites, poetry, comedy, and more.

Stay informed about all their events by subscribing to our newsletter on our website: www.positivecarrickfergus.org, or by visiting our Instagram linktree, where you can also purchase tickets.

For more information, please reach out to Lynn at lynn@positivecarrickfergus.org or Lisa at lisa@positivecarrrickfergus.org. We look forward to sharing these artistic journeys with you!