The Scottish Folk Directory 2003/2004 Now Available

The latest Scottish Folk Directory, containing more than 800 contacts, is availble for sale. The book includes Performers (Bands, Groups, Soloists, Events (Folk Clubs, Festivals, Venues, Sessions and so on) and Services (Agents, Distributors, Media, Instrument Makers, Studios, Record Labels, Shops) is supported by our website at www.scottishfolkdirectory.com. It is therefore the most extensive Scottish Folk Directory ever.

While paid entrants will receive their complementary copy soon, other purchasers can receive a copy by sending £5 in check (made out to SFD), or by supplying the directory with your credit card details or 25 second class UK stamps to our address at Scottish Folk Directory, 49 Blackfriars Street, Edinburgh EH1 1NB, t: 0131 557 3090, f: 0131 661 7569, e: blackfriarsmusic@btinternet.com.

Irish Documentary Takes Top Prize

Bord Scannan na hEireann/the Irish Film Board is pleased to announce that Power Picture's documentary, Chavez-Inside the Coup has scooped two prizes at the prestigious BANFF festival in Canada.

It wasannounced June 10 that the powerful documentary was named best in its Information and Current Affairs category and won the International Jury's $50,000 Global Television Grand Prize from a field of 83 programmes across 14 categories.

The documentary was produced by Power Pictures and directed by Kim Bartley and Donnacha O'Briain and was broadcast as part of RTE's True Lives series earlier this year. The documentary, depicted the attempted overthrow of Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez, defeated competition that included US series The West Wing.

Producer David Power said, "This is phenomenal ...to win the top award at a major festival and to beat such world-class competition is testament to Kim and Donnacha's extraordinary work".

Rod Stoneman, CEO of the Irish Film Board said, "Congratulations to Power Pictures. This is an amazing documentary and deserves this recognition on the world stage."

Banff 2003, the 24th Banff Television Festival, takes place June 8 to 13 at the Fairmont Banff Springs in the Canadian Rockies. It drew 1,800 producers, broadcasters, commissioning editors, content creators and other industry stakeholders from around the world who will take part in an array of plenary sessions, seminars, master classes, pitching and networking opportunities.

Belfast's Golden Thread Gallery Presents Autodecay
 

The Golden Thread Gallery presents Autodecay, a solo exhibition by Dublin artist Conor Caffrey, featuring a series of photographic works depicting burnt out car wrecks left by "joyriders" in the Wicklow National Park. The exhibition includes the display of a series of poems by renowned poet Dennis O'Driscoll.

Caffrey began taking this series of photographs last November from a predominately environmental position, aware of the impact that these "eyesores" have on an already flagging tourist industry, describing the images as standing testament to the negligence and ignorance displayed with regard to conservation in Ireland.

"For a long time, we have looked on our boglands as wastelands, and not as a national treasure," he said. "The perceived emptiness and uselessness of the boglands has long made them a favorite dumping ground for our rubbish and human detritus," Caffrey added.

The photographs bring attention to the wanton destruction and callous disregard for life implicit in "joyriding," he went on. At the same time these photographs undermine the common preconception of "joyriding" as a purely urban phenomenon.

The Golden Thread Gallery will complement the Autodecay exhibition with a series of outreach activities. These will include a competition for local schoolchildren to design a road sign that will be used to discourage "joyriding" in North Belfast and a talk by Sean O'Connell of the University of Ulster who is a leading expert on the history of "joyriding". Schools, colleges and community group visits to the gallery are welcomed. Please contact Peter at the gallery to arrange visits in advance.

The Golden Thread Gallery is supported by The Flax Trust, Flax Art Studios, the Belfast City Council and the Arts Council of Northern Ireland.
For more information, contact Peter Richards, gallery director, at Brookfield Mill, 333 Crumlin Road, Belfast BT14 7EA.Tel/Fax 02890 352 358. 
Email (mailto:info@gtgallery.fsnet.co.uk>info@gtgallery.fsnet.co.uk).

US Congress Members Study Irish Economy

The US-Ireland Alliance and Microsoft joined forces the week of May 30 to bring to Dublin members of the US Congress not usually associated with Ireland.

Sen. Michael Enzi, a Republican from Wyoming, serves on the Banking, Budget, and Labor & Health committees, as well as the on the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Terrorism and International Operations. Rep. Xavier Becerra, a Democrat, represents Los Angeles and serves influential on the Ways and Means Committee. Being from Los Angeles, he is particularly interested in the entertainment industry, an industry of growing importance to the Irish economy.

Microsoft's head of European Operations in Ireland, Matt Rossmeissl, welcomed the project with the Alliance, saying, "Microsoft has happily and productively made Dublin its European headquarters and we were anxious to show influential members of the US Congress the valuable economic relationship between the US and Ireland."

Trina Vargo, President of the US-Ireland Alliance, noted, "The more American politicians who visit and learn about Ireland, the better for our relationship."

The four-day trip included meetings with the Taoiseach, the Tanaiste, Ministers, and heads of US multinationals in Ireland. Cross Atlantic Capital Partners and Performix Technologies hosted a dinner for the heads of Irish corporations with US ties. The delegation also visited Trinity's Nanotechnology Center and the MIT Media Lab Europe, and were briefed by prominent Irish political and economic journalists.

Additional corporate sponsors of the US-Ireland Alliance include: Bank of Ireland, CRH, Cross Atlantic Capital Partners, Diageo Ireland, Elan, IONA Technologies, Jurys Doyle Hotel Group, and Riverdeep.

Furey Wins Folk Album Award in Irish Music Magazine Reader's Poll

Finbar Furey's Chasing Moonlight, Love Songs of Ireland was voted Best Folk Albumin the Irish Music Magazine reader's Poll 2003 beating out Christy Moore and others for the distinctive title. The poll is based on artist and bands that have released albums or have been active in live performance over the last eighteen months. Participants can vote on the Internet from around the world. 

Also the release of the DVD of Martin Scorcese's Gangs of New York, starring actor Daniel Day Lewis, brings Furey's music into homes across the US . He is featured in the film's raunchy bar scene singing the tune "New York Girls."