honey, milk and salt in a seashell before sunrise – TULCA 2023 curated by Iarlaith Ní Fheorais

3-19 November 2023

TULCA 2023: honey, milk and salt in a seashell before sunrise, multiple venues in Galway city and county

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The artworks in this festival explore experiences of disability, home and the intimacy of access, and have been brought together in the context of the evolving ideas around health and medicine in the West of Ireland.

Throughout the festival there are an array of talks, workshops, tours, screening and performances to consider how landscapes and communities are shaped by these legacies, and how they influence how we see ourselves and where we call home. We have published a companion publication with essays on drawings of J.J. Beegan, the Spiddal born disability activist Martin Naughton, unionising patients, the abolitionist disability politics of the Black Panther Party, the personal archives of those committed to St. Brendan’s, Grangegorman and poetry reflecting on abolition, disability justice and home. Writers include: Alan Counihan, Carol R. Kallend, Joanna Marsden, Nat Raha, Roisin Agnew, Sami Schalk and Tone F Pone + Inky Lee.

honey, milk and salt in a seashell before sunrise is dedicated to artist, J.J. Beegan. Beegan was an artist and sculptor who made drawings repeatedly naming himself, his profession and Ballinasloe, as a long stay patient at Netherne Mental Health Hospital in East Surrey, England, where he made drawings recalling home. Beegan drew on tissue paper using burnt matchsticks while living at Netherne Mental Hospital. Beegan often named himself, his profession and where he’s from, alongside images of flowers and birds, writing: “J.J. BEEGAN SCULPTERER DUNLO HILL BALLINASLOE.” Acknowledging his recalling of home, Beegan’s work will be celebrated at an event in Ballinasloe Library.

Accessibility is a core tenet of this year's festival. TULCA is honoured to be working in collaboration with Arts & Disability Ireland to create access provision for the festival, including captioning of selected video works and training for the education team to deliver audio described tours during the festival. In addition to this support,  many films have audio described versions, with transcripts provided for soundpieces. There will be masked social events and our booklets feature access statements to support visiting.

Contributors: Áine O’Hara, Aisling-Ór Ní Aodha, Anna Roberts-Gevalt, Bog Cottage, Bridget O'Gorman, Edward Lawrenson & Pia Borg, Holly Márie Parnell, Jamila Prowse, Jenny Brady, Leila Hekmat, Nat Raha, P. Staff, Paul Roy, Philipp Gufler, Rouzbeh Shadpey, Sarah Browne and Sean Burns.

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Supported by Arts Council of Ireland, Galway City Council, Galway County Council and Arts & Disability Ireland.

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