Dear friends and colleagues,

2020 will be a year to remember for so many reasons. We promise to give you some wonderful arts and culture entertainment with our last Newsletter before the Christmas break.

Music by Ryan McMullen comes from the beautiful setting of the Ulster Hall; shows are performed by Northern Ireland organisations Stage Beyond, Brassneck Theatre Company and Allegri, and a selection of children books are chosen by the award winning author Myra Zepf. The Newsletter would not be complete without a taste of one of the delicious Bushmills whiskey or Shortcross gin recipes which are sure to be the perfect complement to festive activities.

The team here at the Office of the Northern Ireland Executive in Brussels, would like to take this opportunity to wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. We look forward to continuing to showcase our region’s arts and culture in 2021.

Best Wishes,

Lynsey Moore, Director

Best Books of 2020

If ever there has been a time for escaping it all and curling up with a good book, it’s been 2020 - a year, more than most, that we’ve needed to shut out the noise and find comfort and distraction in a good read. The Arts Council of Northern Ireland asked children’s writer Myra Zepf, who was in Brussels last year as part of the Transpoesie Festival, crime fiction author Kelly Creighton and Patsy Horton, Blackstaff Press, to pick their favourite books of the last twelve months. Here’s their recommendations for some last minute gifts that will make the perfect stocking fillers this Christmas.

Live from the Ulster Hall

This Christmas, the Ulster Hall supported by The Arts Council of Northern Ireland and the Department for Communities present a new, innovative digital event experience ‘Live from the Ulster Hall’. For the first concert in the series, the Ulster Hall welcomes Ryan McMullan to the iconic stage to perform on 27 December. Ryan McMullan is recognised as one of Northern Ireland’s biggest and brightest talents. For information and to purchase tickets see the Ulster Hall’s website.

Bushmills or Shortcross Cocktail Recipes

Why not try out some delicious cocktail recipes from Bushmills Whiskey including Gold Rush, Bushmills Hot Toddy, Irish coffee, Belfast Derby and Bushmills Highball. Alternatively, five new bottled cocktails have been launched by Shortcross, these luxury cocktails have been created to be enjoyed at home with many more recipes found here.

Christmas Production: Christmas on the Stage Beyond Tree

Stage Beyond is an award-winning theatre company for adults with learning disabilities. This December the company will create a five-part production, ‘Christmas on the Stage Beyond Tree’. The production will be available from 20 December to view on both the Stage Beyond’s Facebook page and website.

Allegri present 'Believe in the Magic' Concert on 24 December

Following the success of their sell-out live performances of ‘The Snowman’ in the Guildhall for Christmas 2019, the team at Allegri is working on a Christmas Eve concert with the Cloud Choir and younger members aged from 8 to 14. Singing virtually with Orchestra NorthWest, this special collaboration will include fun and festive favourites such as Leroy Anderson’s ‘Sleigh Ride’, and music from the classic Christmas movies ‘Polar Express’ and ‘Home Alone’.

Brassneck Theatre Company and Brassneck Youth present: 'A bELFast Christmas'

Brassneck Theatre Company and Brassneck Youth present: 'A bELFast Christmas', written & directed by Tony Devlin, produced by Alison McCrudden and performed by Brassneck Youth group. The festive film, funded by the Arts Council of NI and Halifax Foundation NI will be broadcast online at 6pm on Sunday 20 December on the Brassneck Facebook page.

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