CULTURE NEWS
Cultural news, data reports and industry updates across culture, arts, politics, music and the creative sectors.
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Every industry obsesses over legacy, but in music, it’s more personal. It is not just about whether the songs endure, but what remains when the lights dim, the tours end, and the spotlight moves on to the next name. Dolly Parton left behind more than almost any of her peers because she understood that legacy…
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A new Dublin event series is taking neuroscience, literature, creativity and psychology out of the lecture hall and putting them where Irish people have been debating everything for centuries: around a pub table. There is something very Irish about attempting to solve the problems of civilisation over a pint. Long before podcasts, TED Talks and…
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We present to you a final argument against writing off summer just yet… There is a peculiar moment every August in Ireland when we collectively decide summer is over before it actually is. The schools aren’t back. Electric Picnic hasn’t even happened yet. There are still outdoor stages standing around Dublin like ghosts in the…
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This week marks five years since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan. On 15 August 2021, Kabul fell and the Afghan government collapsed with astonishing speed. Within days, many of the fears about what Taliban rule would mean for women and girls began becoming reality. Five years later, Afghanistan remains the only country in…
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The top Irish comedians join We Don’t Talk About That on Monday for a frank, funny conversation about women’s bodies, silenced grief, industry gatekeepers and refusing to dance for approval. What happens when women stop approaching the difficult parts of life sideways and begin speaking about them plainly? On Monday, 27 July, comedians Anne Gildea…
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On her exhilarating second album, Nia Archives tears down the walls between jungle, indie-pop and confessional songwriting, proving that emotional vulnerability and ferocious breakbeats belong in the same room. Artist: Nia ArchivesAlbum: Emotional JunglistLabel: Hijinxx/Island RecordsRating: ★★★★½ The music industry is fond of celebrating women who break through barriers, provided they remain grateful, marketable and…
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The Belfast musician and visual artist discusses growing up during the Troubles, the radical power of empathy and the city of warmth, wit and creativity at the heart of his new single, ‘Belfast (Place of My Soul)’. For Paul Archer, Belfast is more than a birthplace. It is a creative force, a spiritual anchor and…
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For years, the debate around gender representation in Irish and British music has been marked by a familiar frustration. Artists raised concerns. Campaigners published reports. Broadcasters defended their decisions. Industry bodies launched initiatives. Yet despite the conversations, progress often felt difficult to quantify. Even when representation reached parliamentary agendas and policy discussions, a fundamental question…
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For centuries, the sound of Ireland’s original brass-wire-strung harp was lost to history. This July, audiences in Kilkenny will have a rare opportunity to hear the instrument that shaped Ireland’s musical identity and inspired the national emblem brought back to life by pioneering musicians and researchers. When most people think of the Irish harp, they…
