Merry Christmas and Season's Greetings
Good morning!! Happy Christmas Eve! Season's Greetings!!
Here's wishing you all a very happy, healthy and restful Christmas! I don't know what to say about Covid that hasn't been said .. I think it's like Basil Fawlty trying not to mention the war! Well, here are a few concerts and podcasts to brighten your day!
First of all, for the day that's in it, click on this link to watch
It's very Christmassy!
We were DELIGHTED to be invited by the Irish Wheelchair Association to perform in this Christmas Concert. Delighted because IWA is such a brilliant organisation and does so much good for people with disabilities, and delighted because we got to meet up and perform together in person to share some favourites from our Christmas set. Got a new gúna and all for it ... since me and my pre-Covid clothes have .. grown apart!
2. Click here for Online 36th Annual Friends of Alec Wilder International Concert
This was another gem of an invitation that popped up in my inbox. Some years ago, thanks to the Arts Council and Allen Smith, Jazz on the Terrace, we researched, toured and recorded the music of enigmatic and mercurial Alec Wilder. It was a privilege to be invited alongside some brilliant international artists to perform some of that music this year. The sad thing about it though was that the lovely Judy Bell, who was central to my sourcing Alec's music, passed away earlier this year. I met Judy every time I went to NYC and she came to every NYC performance. She was so supportive.. and her life was dedicated to music and art... she is sadly missed by many of us.
3. Podcasts
I've been happy to create or be invited to be a guest on podcasts over the year. They might be fun listening for you over the holidays!
Music for Mondrian Part 1 on Spotify
Music for Mondrian Part 2 on Spotify
Music for Mondrian Part 3 ... is coming up! This is my musical response together with Johnny Taylor, piano, and Barry Donohue, double bass...
IMC's Creative About Music Podcast: BAN BAM Podcast Ep 9 with Emilie Conway
Thank you, thank you! The July concert alone raised 1,000E and that number has been climbing ever since raising money to support pianist Phil Ware's recovery.
5. Agility Award
In the middle of another episode of hearing loss I somehow managed to apply for the Arts Council Agility Award, not for performance actually, but for practice. With all the disability work, the hearing losses and the pandemic, I felt I needed to re-find my place as an artist, what I'm saying and how... I was surprised and delighted to be awarded this award which enables me to do this work collaboratively with composer Paul Roe.
6. DADA mpaign for Cultural and Human Rights.
I'm a founding artist of DADA: Disabled Artists and Disabled Academics. You see, apart from physical or environmental barriers, there is much systemically that prohibits disabled people from participating and contributing to our arts and culture and across all sectors. This bothers me terribly - as a disabled person, as someone who believes in equality, but especially as an artist who believes in and values creativity. Art, creativity is inspired by and thrives on difference, diversity. We're lacking that diversity without systemic and policy change. Over the year, pointing out these issues has seen me invited to present or contribute at many Human Rights, Equality and Diversity and Inclusion fora to organisations from the Arts Council to Google. I'm particularly excited about our contribution to the Ark's new policy development and implementation. The Ark's director is passionate about understanding more about disability and making changes to bring in children and artists with disabilities, which bodes well!
Finally DADA was invited to present to the Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters regarding Participation in political, cultural, community and public life as under the UN Convention. Click here to watch an excerpt where DADA artist Isolde O'Brolchain Carmody and I present our opening statements - I sing some of mine!
Those are the headlines! I wish you all a very happy, healthy, peaceful and restful Christmas and all the very best for a joyful New Year!
Ps .. all our inboxes are quite full these days and as I do this very old school, no problem, If you'd like to unsubscribe, just email, unsubscribe.
Warm wishes,
Emilie