Erin Arts Centre

X Trillion: Screening and Q&A
2025-04-17 19:30 (Europe/Isle_of_Man)
The screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Eleanor Church and crew member Rowan Henthorn. Tickets £10 (£2 for under 18s who are accompanied by a responsible adult).

14 Women. 3,000 Nautical Miles. X Trillion Pieces of PlasticWe are delighted to be able to bring you the IOM premiere of this incredible documentary, featuring Manx marine scientist Rowan Henthorn, following a pioneering, all-women expedition to the great Pacific garbage patch.

X Trillion, the feature debut by Eleanor Church follows the gruelling journey of eXXpedition’s all-women crew led by Emily Penn, as they sail 3,000 miles across the North Pacific Ocean through the densest accumulation of ocean plastic on the planet – in order to make the unseen, seen.

The 14 women international crew was made up of scientists, filmmakers, circular-economists, engineers, teachers, packaging designers and creators – but very few were sailors. It is a life-affirming story of adventure, discovery, science, solidarity and a call to action that burns with optimism.

Director, Eleanor Church, said: “We were a crew of women with different skills, goals and motivations, brought together to witness and record the true extent of the plastic pollution crisis – with a focus on micro plastics and their toxic impact on female bodies in particular. We all emerged transformed by the experience and are committed to telling the story of what we witnessed and working to find solutions. “The film is about this global crisis, but more than that it highlights the crucial role women play in helping to change systems and find solutions to the big problems facing humanity.”

This screening is kindly supported by IOM Arts Council

Happy Easter from EAC
2025-04-18 10:00 - 16:00
Happy Easter from Erin Arts Centre

We will be closed Friday 18th April 2025 for the holiday

CANCELLED Isle Listen: Mad Daddy
2025-04-19 19:00
Following the cancellation of ISLE LISTEN’s Saturday 19th gig here at EAC, MAD DADDY were due to appear at THE RIDDLER UNDER THE NEST.

They have informed us that this will now NOT be happening.

NY Met Opera: Le Nozzi Di Figaro (live screening)
2025-04-26 17:55
Adults £15 / Under 18 £2

Conductor Joana Mallwitz makes her Met debut leading Mozart’s comic masterpiece. Bass-baritone Michael Sumuel stars as the clever valet Figaro, opposite soprano Olga Kulchynska as his betrothed, the wily maid Susanna. Baritone Joshua Hopkins stars as the skirt-chasing Count, soprano Federica Lombardi as his anguished wife, and mezzo-soprano Sun-Ly Pierce as the adolescent page Cherubino.

Seville, the setting of Le Nozze di Figaro and its prequel, The Barber of Seville, was famous in Mozart’s time as a place filled with hot-blooded young men and exotically beautiful women sequestered behind latticed windows, or “jalousies” (which gave us our English word “jealousy”). The city was the birthplace of the Don Juan legends, which Mozart and Da Ponte would mine for their subsequent masterpiece, Don Giovanni. The current Met production of Le Nozze di Figaro places the action in the 1930s.

These stunning, modern productions feature exclusive, live backstage footage and cast interviews shown during the intervals.

Buffet served with interval drinks. Feel free to dress for the occasion!

EAC Book Circle: Agent Zig Zag by Ben Macintyre
2025-05-07 14:00
2pm Wednesday 7th May

£2 minimum donation

Agent Zig Zag by Ben Macintyre

Eddie Chapman was a charming criminal, a con man, and a philanderer. He was also one of the most remarkable double agents Britain has ever produced. Inside the traitor was a man of loyalty; inside the villain was a hero. The problem for Chapman, his spymasters, and his lovers was to know where one persona ended and the other began.

Join us the first Wednesday of the month at 2pm to chat about our chosen books – newcomers welcome!

Race For The Future: The Movie
2025-05-07 19:30
Following on from the recent talk by filmmaker James Levelle, we are now screening the Race for the Future movie. This film follows his adventures travelling from the UK to a climate change conference in Chile, without using fossil fuel and collecting messages from young voices along the way.

In a voyage filled with adventure and unexpected twists and turns, James reflects on our relationship with nature, and on the need for young people to have their say on global issues which directly affect their future. An inspirational film that celebrates human determination.

This is a free screening but tickets must be booked in advance to secure a seat.

*SOLD OUT* The Untold Orchestra presents The Music of Amy Winehouse
2025-05-08 19:30
Please note – this event is now sold out.

The Isle of Man Arts Council is thrilled to announce that as part of its 60th Anniversary celebrations, it will be bringing The Untold Orchestra and their acclaimed Icons series to the island this May, delivering three unforgettable concerts celebrating musical legends. Known for their dynamic performances and innovative arrangements, the Manchester-based ensemble will perform in three local venues, each concert dedicated to a different musical icon.

The series kicks off on Thursday 8th May at the Erin Arts Centre, Port Erin, with a heartfelt tribute to the late, great Amy Winehouse. Strictly age 16 and over. General admission seated in cabaret style seating. Fans can expect soulful renditions of her most beloved songs, including Back to Black, Valerie, andRehab, performed with the orchestra’s signature energy and passion.

On Friday 9th May the magic of Disney will fill the Peel Centenary Centre, as The Untold Orchestra brings some of the most cherished songs from classic and modern Disney films to life. Audiences of all ages can look forward to an enchanting evening featuring iconic melodies from The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and many more.

The series concludes in spectacular fashion on Saturday 10th May, at Peel Cathedral, with a celebration of the legendary Bee Gees, whose Manx roots make this a particularly special event. Featuring timeless hits such as Stayin’ Alive, How Deep Is Your Love, and Night Fever, this concert promises an evening of disco fever and nostalgia, honouring the incredible legacy of the Gibb brothers.

But First Promotions: Ben Ottewell (2 nights)
2025-05-09 19:30 - 2025-05-10 19:30
But First… we have availability for the magnificent Ben Ottewell on Friday 9 May, and tickets have become available for the Saturday night.

Local support on both nights, Wez Clarke on Friday and Jeff Jepson on the Saturday.

Midweek Movie: A Complete Unknown (15)
2025-05-14 19:30
Adults £8 / under 18s £2

In 1961, 19-year-old Bob Dylan breezes into New York with his guitar and revolutionary talent, destined to change the course of American music. Forming his most intimate relationships during his rise to fame, he grows restless with the folk movement, making a controversial choice that is both his musical crucifixion and his rebirth.

Timothy Chalamet gives a hilarious and seductive performance as the shapeshifting troubadour, strongly supported by Elle Fanning as first girlfriend Sylvie Russo and Monica Barbaro as Joan Baez. James Mangold’s direction is unfussy and fluid, weaving Dylan’s music into the fabric of the storytelling instead of simply using it as a soundtrack like so many biopics.

This is the real deal!

NY Met Opera: Salome (live screening)
2025-05-17 17:55
Adults £15 / Under 18 £2

Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducts his first Met performances of Strauss’s white-hot, one-act tragedy, which receives its first new production at the company in 20 years. Claus Guth, one of Europe’s leading opera directors, gives the biblical story— filtered through the beautiful and strange imagination of Oscar Wilde’s play—a psychologically perceptive Victorian-era setting, rich in symbolism and subtle shades of darkness and light.

Headlining the new staging is soprano Elza van den Heever as the abused and unhinged heroine, who demands the head of Jochanaan, sung by celebrated baritone Peter Mattei. Tenor Gerhard Siegel is Salome’s lecherous stepfather, King Herod, with mezzo-soprano Michelle DeYoung as his wife, Herodias, and tenor Piotr Buszewski as Narraboth. Derrick Inouye conducts two performances in May.

Please note – this production is approx 1 hour 50 mins and does not include an interval.

Rushen Players present Gas Light (3 nights)
2025-05-22 19:30 - 2025-05-24 19:30
Tickets: Adults £12 / Over 65s £10 / Under 18s £5

This classic Victorian thriller was first produced in 1935.

Jack Manningham is slowly, deliberately driving his wife, Bella, insane. He has almost succeeded when help arrives in the form of a former detective, Rough, who believes Manningham to be a thief and murderer. Aided by Bella, Rough proves Manningham’s true identity and finally Bella achieves a few moments of sweet revenge for the suffering inflicted on her.

The Safety Catch
2025-05-26 19:30 - 2025-06-04 19:30
Tickets £12.50

The Safety Catch started life as a stage play, imagining a moment before the 2019 TT as, during a dialogue with his late father’s best friend and mechanic Liam Beckett, Michael Dunlop decides whether to race on or not. During 2024, the team created a film of the production at its original theatre in Manor Hamilton and this is now being screened at the Erin Arts Centre during TT 2025.

Written during lockdown as we all re-calibrated our attitude to risk, the characters weigh the obvious mortal danger of road racing against Michael’s dedication to a sport that for him, and many others, makes life larger than most of us can dream of. First performed in 2022, the stage production has played successfully in Dublin and Derry, and has enjoyed a sell-out week at the Belfast Lyric in autumn 2023.

Joe O’Byrne, director of both the play and the film, describes it as “full of emotion, passion and dark humour, an ode to adventure, to ambition and ultimately a true affirmation of life”. Writer Nick Snow says: “A conversation in late 2018 about the death of William Dunlop made me think about all the glory and the tragedy of the Dunlop story, intertwined with the profound drama of road racing. Add in the theme of everyone’s recalculation of their own risk versus reward profile in the pandemic, and I had to try and bring it to the stage.”

Dates & times for screenings:

Monday 2 June, 2pm and 7.30pm

Tuesday 3 June, 7.30pm

Wednesday 4 June, 7.30pm

EAC Photography Darkroom: open days
2025-05-30 12:00 - 2025-05-31 16:00
We’ve been working on this project for a few months and we’re pleased to announce the EAC Photography Darkroom is open to the public!

Join the events on Facebook:

EAC Darkroom Open Day (Friday 12-4pm)

EAC Darkroom Open Day (Saturday 12-4pm)

We’re hosting the first open days on Friday 30th May and Saturday 3st May, with the darkroom open 12pm to 4pm with one of our photography tutors in attendance. Anyone is welcome to drop in and look around, and you’ll even have the chance to try the kit by making a photogram to add to our exhibition (suggested donation £5 per print). Children are welcome but they must be accompanied by a responsible adult at all times.

For more info check our website: https://www.erinartscentre.com/darkroom/

Met Opera: Il Barbiere Di Siviglia (live screening)
2025-05-31 17:55
Adults £15/ Under 18 £2

Rossini’s effervescent comedy retakes the stage in Bartlett Sher’s madcap production. Star mezzo-soprano, Aigul Akhmetshina, headlines a winning ensemble as the feisty heroine, Rosina. Jack Swanson, in his Met debut, plays her secret beloved, Count Almaviva. Baritone Andrey Zhilikhovsky stars as Figaro, the inimitable barber of Seville, with baritone Nicola Alaimo and bass-baritone Peter Kálmán as Dr. Bartolo and bass Alexander Vinogradov as Don Basilio rounding out the principal cast. Giacomo Sagripanti conducts.

These stunning, modern productions feature exclusive, live backstage footage and cast interviews shown during the intervals.

Buffet served with interval drinks. Feel free to dress for the occasion!

June Events at EAC
2025-06-01 10:00 - 2025-06-30 16:30
Exhibition: In Exile, photographs by Vincent Tremeau (exhibition arranged by One World Centre IOM) – in the gallery until Wednesday 18 June

Exhibition: Dark Arts, darkroom creations and experimental prints (exhibition arranged by EAC to celebrate National Photography Month in May 2025) – in the gallery until Wednesday 18 June

Film: The Safety Catch, a film of the original theatre production – various screenings between Monday 26 May and Thursday 5 June – BOOK ONLINE (tickets £12.50)

EAC Book Circle: The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verhese – the club meets on the first Wednesday of each month, £2 minimum donation, no need to book

Friday Film Club: The Brutalist in association with Society of Architects – screening at 7.30pm on Friday 13 June with live introduction from Martin Thomas (SofA) – BOOK ONLINE (tickets £8, over 18s only)

Career drop in session with Search & Select Recruitment – in session from 11am to 2pm Wednesday 18 June, no need to book

Exhibition: Rock Paper Canvas, work from 5 professional local artists – in the gallery from Friday 27 June

IOM Poetry Society, open mic night – 8-10pm, Saturday 28 June in Harry’s Bar, £5 per person

Mananan Festival – our annual festival of outstanding live performances, this year running for 6 nights from Monday 30 June to Saturday 5 July – FIND OUT MORE & BOOK ONLINE

EAC Book Circle: The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese
2025-06-04 14:00
2pm Wednesday 4th June

£2 minimum donation

The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese

A shimmering evocation of a bygone India and of the passage of time itself. The Covenant of Water is a hymn to progress in medicine and to human understanding, and a humbling testament to the hardships of past generations.

Imbued with humor, deep emotion, and the essence of life.

Join us the first Wednesday of the month at 2pm to chat about our chosen books – newcomers welcome!

6 week painting course with Ellie Baker (June/July)
2025-06-10 19:00 - 2025-07-22 21:00
Now available as an evening course – Ellie Baker’s six week acrylic landscape painting starting on 10th June. Sessions are on Tuesdays from 7pm to 9pm with us here at Erin Arts Centre (please note there is no class on 1st July).

The emphasis of the course is on imagination and experimentation. Each week has a different focus and areas such as texture, bold colour, mark making and composition are covered.There are lots of demonstrations and one-on-one time – it is always a small group so Ellie can help everyone develop their skills. Interesting materials (all included) are used to create visual effects including sandpaper, salt, plastic wrap and gesso.

All levels are welcome including beginners and approaches to painting will be explored that you may not have considered or tried out before. The work you create each week will form a sketchbook so that you’ll have a reference guide to the areas covered, which you can use to help develop your skills further at home.

Ellie has been painting and exhibiting for over 20 years and in that time, has learnt many and varied techniques – come and try them out with her now the summer evenings are here! It’s £240 for the six weeks – please email springtreescontact@gmail.com or DM through Instagram @elliebakerart to make a booking.

Friday Film Club: The Brutalist (18) in association with SofA
2025-06-13 19:30
It’s always exciting to join forces for a project, so when we got the chance to partner up with the Society of Architects to bring you this masterpiece, we jumped at the chance!

The Brutalist, is Brady Corbet’s epic tale of a Hungarian-Jewish architect, who survives the holocaust and rebuilds his life in postwar America. Adrien Brody gives a staggering, Oscar-winning performance as architect Laszlo Toth, who struggles to achieve the American Dream until his talent is recognised by a wealthy industrialist. This film is monumental in every sense, a paean to the purity of vision, to sacrifice and to integrity, taking in issues of immigration, identity and the value of art over commerce.

Visually sumptuous and bursting with ideas, The Brutalist is about the design of postwar America and what was mixed into its foundations at the building stage. Brody is extraordinary, receiving stellar support from Guy Pearce, Felicity Jones and Joe Alwyn.

Truly a film for the ages, if you love cinema, you need to see this!

The Brutalist runs at 215 minutes with a 15 minute interval. There will be a short introduction by Martyn Thomas (Horncastle Thomas/SofA Chair).

UK Rating: 18

Exhibition: In Exile, photography by Vincent Tremeau
2025-06-17 10:00 - 16:30
“What defines who we are? Is it the experiences we encounter, the choices we make, or the paths we are compelled to follow when circumstances strip us of control?​

​For many, exile is not a choice but a necessity – a consequence of crisis, conflict, or survival. Through my lens, I seek to understand this complex existence between identity and displacement. I strive to look for some answers through those forced to leave their homes, sharing their resilience, pain, and hope with the world.​

​Each photograph becomes a voice, a fragment of their journey, and a testament to their strength. My work is a search for answers, an attempt to bridge the gap between their – and our – stories and the broader human experience.“

– photographer Vincent Tremeau

Exhibition: Dark Arts, celebrating National Photography Month
2025-06-17 10:00 - 16:30
Erin Arts Centre Dark Arts Exhibition

Celebrating National Photography Month in May 2025 with a unique exhibition

A collection of darkroom creations, experimental prints & found artwork

Gallery open 10-4.30pm Tuesday to Friday plus during events until 18th June 2025

Do you have something you’d like to add? Get in touch or bring it down to chat with Pip & Lou in the office

Search & Select Recruitment Day
2025-06-18 11:00 - 14:00
Career drop-in session with Search & Select

Join local recruitment experts Danielle and Debbie from Search & Select for an informal drop-in session at the Erin Arts Centre on Wednesday 18th June between 11am and 2pm.

They recruit across various industries including Finance, Legal, Compliance, Accountancy, Administration and Technology to name a few and cover Permanent, Contract and Temporary opportunities.

Whether you’re returning to work, seeking a career change or exploring your options – everyone is welcome.

Find out more: www.searchandselect.com/

Pre-Festival Weekend: The Big Film Photo Walk with Analogue Wonderland
2025-06-28 11:15
Saturday 28th June we’ve got experienced photographers Sarah & Adrian leading a photo walk (meet at Erin Arts Centre at 11.15am for a 12pm start) as part of Analogue Wonderland‘s national project The Big Photo Walk. Tickets are £10 for the walk or £20 including 2 rolls of film (plus processing for 1 roll)

Book tickets online via Analogue Wonderland: https://analoguewonderland.co.uk/products/the-big-film-photowalk-2025-28th-june

Pre-Festival Weekend: Darkroom Open Day
2025-06-28 15:00 - 17:00
After our successful first opening of the EAC community darkroom in May 2025, we’re having another afternoon to welcome visitors to look around and make their own photogram.

Drop in between 3pm and 5pm to meet Sarah and Adrian, our friendly and experienced photographers. It’s free to come in and look around, but we’re suggesting a donation of £5 per print to make a photogram.

Pre-Festival Weekend: Open Mic with IOM Poetry Society
2025-06-28 20:00
IOM Poetry Society presents 2 open mic nights at Erin Arts Centre

Saturday 28th June and Saturday 16th August 2025

8pm til 10pm(ish)

Bring along your poems to read out – max 3 minutes each poet

No need to book a place!

Contact for more info: poetry@manxcat.org.uk

Pre-Festival Weekend: Sax On The Beach
2025-06-28 20:00 - 22:00
Blue Vannin & friends will be entertaining on the open air stage on Port Erin beach from 8pm so grab a drink, enjoy the sunset, and listen to some live local jazz legends.

Mananan Festival 2025: Martin Roscoe & Sophie Rosa
2025-06-30 19:30
Adults £22 / Under 18s £2

It’s always a great pleasure to have Martin Roscoe on our bill; his heart-stopping performance of Beethoven’s Sonata in C minor was one of the highlights of last year’s festival. When we found out that he was collaborating with outstanding violinist Sophie Rosa to present a programme of beautiful summer music, it seemed the obvious choice to open Mananan 2025.

Sophie Rosa is in great demand as a soloist, director and chamber musician. She has performed across the UK as a recitalist in major festivals and venues including the Royal Festival Hall, Purcell Room, Wigmore Hall, Kings Place and Bridgewater Hall and has appeared as soloist with orchestras including the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and Manchester Camerata. Sophie has broadcast live for BBC Radio 3 and has released CDs on Rubicon Classics, EM Records and Champs Hill labels.Recent solo highlights include performing the complete J.S. Bach Sonatas and Partitas for solo violin at the Lake District Summer Music Festival and appearing as director and soloist with the Northern Chamber Orchestra for performances of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons and Piazzolla’s Four Seasons of Buenos Aires.

Sophie’s recordings with pianist Ian Buckle have received wide critical acclaim. Their CD of sonatas by Montgeroult, Viotti, Weber and Mendelssohn includes the world premiere recording of Hélène de Montgeroult’s Sonata in A minor and was selected as Classical Album of the Week by The Guardian. Sophie is Leader of Sinfonia Viva and appears regularly with the orchestra as soloist and director. She also guest leads orchestras throughout the UK and is a member of Pixels Ensemble, a versatile group of chamber music players exploring a wide range of music from the classical period to the present day.

With an extraordinary career spanning over five decades, Martin Roscoe is unarguably one of the UK’s best loved pianists. Renowned for his versatility at the keyboard, Martin is equally at home in concerto, recital and chamber performances. His enduring popularity and the respect in which he is universally held are built on a deeply thoughtful musicianship and his easy rapport with audiences and fellow musicians alike. Martin is Artistic Director of Ribble Valley International Piano Week and the Manchester Chamber Concerts Society and has recently stepped down as Co-Artistic Director of the Beverley Chamber Music Festival.

With a repertoire of over 100 concertos, Martin continues to work regularly with many of the UK’s leading orchestras, having especially close links with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Hallé Orchestra, Manchester Camerata, Northern Chamber Orchestra and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, where he has given over ninety performances. Martin also performs widely across Europe, Canada and Australia, sharing the concert platform with eminent conductors such as Sir Simon Rattle, Sir Mark Elder, Gianandrea Noseda, and Christoph von Dohnányi.

A prolific recitalist and chamber musician, Martin tours the UK extensively every season, including regular appearances at Wigmore Hall, Kings Place and Bridgewater Hall. He has long-standing associations with Peter Donohoe, Kathryn Stott, and the Maggini Quartet, and worked closely with Tasmin Little and the Endellion String Quartet during their long and illustrious careers. Recent collaborations include with Jennifer Pike, Tai Murray, Fenella Humphreys, Liza Ferschtman and the Brodsky and Carducci Quartets. One of his most important ensembles, the Cropper Welsh Roscoe Trio (2005-2016), performed many times across the UK, most notably at Wigmore Hall. More recently, Martin formed the Roscoe Piano Trio with Fenella Humphreys and Jessica Burroughs for a celebratory concert in honour of Peter Cropper. The Trio has since gone on to perform across the UK, most notably at Bridgewater Hall. Martin has made many commercial recordings for labels such as Hyperion, Chandos and Naxos and has recorded the complete Beethoven piano sonatas for the Deux-Elles label, for which he has received unanimous critical acclaim.

Their festival programme will be:Beethoven ‘Spring’ Sonata no. 5 in F major, Op .24Vaughan Williams The Lark Ascending IntervalClara Schumann Three Romances, Op. 22Elgar Sonata in E minor, Op. 8

EAC Events: July & August 2025
2025-07-01 10:00 - 2025-08-16 16:30

Mananan Festival 2025: Ashlishyn Noa (New Visions)
2025-07-01 19:30
Adults £8 / Under 18s £2

Adults £8 / Under 18s £2Aslishyn Noa (New Visions) is an exciting new venture, featuring original work created by IOM-based artists.

Jackie Morrey-GraceJackie Morrey-Grace is one of the Island’s most inventive and original artists. Over the last year, she’s brought poetry, multimedia performance, music and dance to the EAC stage. When she told us that she was making a gothic folk horror film version of her epic poem On Ravensdale Hill, we knew that the Mananan Festival would be the perfect space to give this exciting new work it’s world premiere. Jackie is a triple Manx Litfest Poetry Slam Champ, previous winner of the Olive Lamming Short Story Competition, swashbuckling trombonist, poetic performance artist and disabled rights activist via www.withoutwings.co.uk Without Wings, the Manx Autoimmune Arthritis Trust.

Matthew WarrenMatthew Warren will perform the premiere of his new work She Rises, Dancing specially composed for the Mananan Festival. The piece uses the acoustics of the Erin Arts Centre to blend spoken word into electronic composition through the acoustic of the concert hall itself. The work is directly shaped by the unique shape and sound of Erin Arts Centre’s auditorium and aims to bring the space to life in new ways, exploring the idea of reverberation, echo and all those sounds which we might forget surround us.

Meayll The short film Yn Cholloo by Meayll is a meditation on timelessness and transition, blending original music, field recordings, and visual storytelling to capture the unique heritage and atmosphere of the Calf of Man. We think it’s the first music to be written and recorded on the Calf ever! A journey through music, memory, and place, the approach effectively brings out the essence of sense of place — the way a location feels, its history, and its meaning to those who know it intimately. The result is a beautifully crafted short film that intertwines music, voices, sounds and visual elements to reflect the Calf of Man’s atmosphere and significance. Meayll is a collaborative group consisting of Gyp Buggane, Juan Maddrell and Joff Whitten. The music was mixed and mastered, and the video produced by Gyp Buggane at Ballagroove Recording Studio.

Rock Paper CanvasAfter encouraging the audience to view the exhibition during the interval, we shall be conducting a Q&A with the Rock Paper Canvas artists: Ella Magee, Sally Black, Ellie Baker, Helen Faragher and Ongky Wijana.

EAC Book Circle: The Wager by David Grann
2025-07-02 14:00
2pm Wednesday 2nd July / min. £2 donation

The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder by David Grann (nonfiction)

From the author of Killers of the Flower Moon, a page-turning story of shipwreck, survival, and savagery, culminating in a court martial that reveals a shocking truth. The powerful narrative reveals the deeper meaning of the events on The Wager, showing that it was not only the captain and crew who ended up on trial, but the very idea of empire.

Join us the first Wednesday of the month at 2pm to chat about our chosen books – newcomers welcome!

Mananan Festival 2025: Lisa Knapp & Gerry Diver
2025-07-02 19:30
Adults £22 / Under 18s £2

Lisa Knapp and Gerry Diver are each highly respected in their own right for their contributions to the folk genre, and while honouring and being highly influenced by English and Irish traditions they have managed to bring a unique and contemporary quality to their output. Following the release of their remarkable collaborative album Hinterland, we are delighted to bring this this inspirational duo to the Mananan stage.

Lisa Knapp and Gerry Diver fuse their deep-seated love for English and Irish folk traditions into a vibrant project that’s as grounded in tradition as it is daring in innovation. With Knapp’s distinctive voice and her skill in weaving the ancient with the contemporary, alongside Diver’s fiddle virtuosity and trailblazing production, they craft an auditory journey that honours the past while boldly stepping into new musical territories. This partnership is poised to enchant traditional folk purists and new seekers alike, promising a fresh, exhilarating spin on folk music’s timeless tales.

Lisa Knapp’s debut album Wild & Undaunted (2007) saw her emerge as a distinctive voice in British folk, known for her captivating vocals and highly imaginative approach. Deeply rooted in the folk traditions of Britain and beyond, she garnered a highly coveted BBC Radio 2 Folk Award for her songwriting on Hidden Seam. Her 2017 release Till April is Dead A Garland of May, featuring Blur’s Graham Coxon, is now celebrated as a modern classic and is an exhilarating deep dive into historic songs and rituals of May. Recently her voice graced the closing song of the Oscar-nominated film Living (2022). As part of the Hack Poets Guild with Marry Waterson and Nathaniel Mann, she’s released Blackletter Garland (One Little Independent 2023), showcasing her ongoing evolution and collaborative spirit in the folk scene.

Gerry Diver, a visionary composer, producer, Irish fiddler, and multi-instrumentalist, has significantly impacted the folk scene. His innovative Speech Project featured folk icons like Christy Moore, Shane MacGowan, Martin Hayes, and others in a collaborative masterpiece described as “groundbreaking” by The Guardian. Diver’s role as an award-winning producer shines in his contributions to a host of contemporary folk albums. Diver has displayed his versatility by working with a broad spectrum of artists, including Damon Albarn, Sinéad O’Connor, Tom Robinson, Benjamin Zephaniah, and many others, showcasing his ability to transcend musical boundaries. His creative prowess extends to the cinematic and television realms, where he has written soundtracks for various movie scores and BBC dramas, further establishing his reputation as a multi-faceted artist.
