Great Days Out for Groups - Discover Northern Ireland

ni 2012our timeour placeA Coastal Installation, by Deborah WarnerJuly 2012Created by the renowned opera and theatredirector Deborah Warner, in collaborationwith the actor Fiona Shaw and creativeproducer Artichoke, this new living artworkhas been co-commissioned byDerry~Londonderry Culture Company 2013for the Cultural Olympiad. Installations willappear simultaneously from dusk til dawnat locations along the UK and Ireland coast.From Northern Ireland to Cornwall, fromremote Scottish islands to East Anglia, theseartworks are a poignant exploration of lovepoetry and a celebration of the extraordinarybeauty of our coastline. For more informationvisit artichoke.uk.comClipper Round the World Yacht Raceand Maritime FestivalJuly 2012The Clipper Round The World Yacht Race fleetwill race across the Atlantic on itshomecoming leg from Nova Scotia, arriving inDerry~Londonderry in early July 2012. It willbe welcomed by a four day maritime festivalto celebrate the visit of the world’s longestrace. This is an opportunity to be inspired bythe endeavour of the crew and take part inthe celebrations to welcome to NorthernIreland yacht crews from around the world.For more information visitderrycity.gov.uk/clipperGiant’s Causeway Visitor CentreSeptember 2012This is the year the Giant’s Causewayunveils the visitor centre worthy of its giantreputation as a must-see destination.To celebrate this, a large scale installationby a major artist is planned which will be ofa scale significant enough to pay tribute tothis World Heritage Site. Further details onthis event will be released soon.50th Ulster Bank Belfast Festival at Queen’s19 October–3 November 2012The 50th Ulster Bank Belfast Festival atQueen’s will take place in October andNovember 2012.Dance, music, theatre, visual arts, film,classical and world music will all come to lifein many forms during this autumnal event.This year promises a world of talent on yourdoorstep. All we’re asking is for you to openthe door, step outside and embrace thecultural experiences awaiting you. Keep aneye on belfastfestival.com for updates.And there’s more…Garden enthusiasts are sure to enjoy agroup outing to the Garden Festival atHillsborough Castle, 18-20 May 2012.Set in the surroundings of the walled gardenat Hillsborough Castle the Garden Festivalis a gardening extravaganza. Whether youwant to find inspiration for your garden, needadvice, want to buy plants, flowers or gardenequipment, relax and enjoy a wonderful dayout with jazz music and good food.If Literature inspires your group then theBelfast Book Festival, 11-18 June 2012 couldoffer a stimulating group visit. An excitingprogramme is planned for 2012 with manyof the events taking place in the Linen HallLibrary, itself a fascinating venue for a groupvisit. For more literary inspired visits AspectsIrish Literature Festival, 26-30 Sep 2012in North Down features the cream of Irishwriting talent and promise to deliver anexciting programme of workshops, literarychats, lively debates and of course lotsof readings!The European Heritage Open Days, 8-9September 2011 are a unique opportunityto visit some of Northern Ireland’s mostinteresting buildings, many of which arenot normally open to the public. So it’s yourchance to see inside cottages and castles,mills and mansions, public and privatebuildings and many more, all for free.Perfect for groups on the heritage hunt!Music lovers will no doubt love The UlsterOrchestra and they organise a popularprogramme of lunchtime concerts at theUlster Hall, Belfast throughout the year.Tickets are reasonably priced at £5 and offera perfect escape from the hustle and bustleof Belfast and a welcome midday opportunityto hear some great music. Find the fullprogramme of lunchtime concerts onulsterorchestra.com.For those interested in creative activities,an annual celebration of craft, featuringevents and activities that showcase the workof craft makers in Northern Ireland takesplace during August Craft Month at variouslocations across Northern Ireland.Active groups will no doubt enjoy thechallenge of a walking festival. The MourneInternational Walking Festival, 22-24 June2012 is the ideal time to discover the delightsof the Mourne Area of Outstanding NaturalBeauty (AONB), there is not only a hugediversity of flora and fauna, but also a wealthof heritage, myths and legends to explore.There are walks to suit all levels of fitness andability with routes between 10km and 40kmat both high and low level. Another walkingfestival takes places in the heart of theSperrins Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty(AONB). The Sperrins Walking Festival takesplace over the weekend 2-5 August 2012 andcombines a range of walks to suit all levelsof ability.Many more exciting events to inspire yournext group outing will be happening in 2012.Go to discovernorthernireland.com/eventsfor more event information.256 257