Fusion Fest want your unused garden gazebos
The organisers of a new festival in Mullingar are looking for unwanted garden gazebos. “We will turn your gazebo into a work of art and it will star in our Fusion Fest this May,” they say (explanation below).
If you are a musician, busker, artist, dancer, poet, story teller or actor, a craftsperson, or you have another skill you would you like to perform or exhibit at Fusion Fest,” we want to hear from your, said Mullingar Town Band director, Kim Magee.
“We want to fill the air with music again!” said Kim who is involved in organising the event. Artist Lucy Tormey, who facilitates the Pettiswood Artmakers agrees: “Music in the air and colourful art everywhere, a feast for the eyes and ears,” she said.
They are talking about the collaborative project Fusion, funded by the Bank of Ireland Begin Together Arts Fund, and involving Mullingar Town Band and the Art Makers working together to fuse art and music into one event.
The Pettiswood Artmakers are a collective of men and women who have been working with Lucy and are currently located at the Bandhall in Lynn industrial estate.
Their public art works include the murals at Blackhall car park and Grange Community Childcare Centre in Mullingar, and Taghmon school.
“What we hope to bring to Mullingar this May is a celebration of art and music, an old fashioned fair day with fun for all the family,” said Lucy.
“Fusion will bring artists of all disciplines, musicians and craftspeople, together, in a colourful outdoor setting that’s safe for the public to mingle and enjoy the talent we have here in the town and beyond.”
Patricia Magee, another member of the Fusion Fest team, added: “”We’ve had our thinking caps on for a while now. All the traditional ways we could get people together seems unsafe these days. Covid has put a dampener on more than one of our ideas so far, we’ve had to postpone and cancel and delete some great plans.”
Lucy and Kim and Patricia Magee are joined by Coole native, film-maker Fiona MacGinty, who is artist in residence on the project. Fiona was the director of CoMotion Youth Film Festival in Belvedere and she’s delighted to wear the director hat for Fusion.
“Fusion is an outdoor event but of course we have the Irish weather to contend with so, we are going to house all our exhibitors, artists, crafts people, musicians in gazebos,” she said.
“The Pettiswood Art Makers are already making plans to decorate gazebos and we hope to inspire other artists and crafts groups to unleash their talents and join us for the day. Everyone and anyone is welcome to take part. They are even more welcome if they bring a gazebo!”
Patricia added “We all need something to look forward to, after these tough few years. We literally need a breath of fresh air! We have all been so restricted in our lives. It’s been hard on musicians and performers, some losing their livelihoods, unable to perform because of Covid restrictions. We want to offer a platform for everyone, performers, artists and audience alike, to share a lovely day together, safely.”
Kim is looking forward to Mullingar Town Band playing some big tunes on the day, and says they hope to have lots of interactive musical experiences to offer people.
Lucy concluded: “The day will be a fusion of art and music – you can stroll through our exhibits, take part and enjoy the music. There will be lots of space to have a picnic and we will have ice cream and food outlets outside the venue.
“We hope to round off the day with an opportunity to march with the Mullingar Town Band through the streets of Mullingar.”
Fusion Fest is on Saturday May 21 between noon and 6pm at the Mullingar Town Band Bandhall. It is a free event and all are welcome (volunteers too).
If you would like to donate gazebo, or take part, contact Fiona at 0834334855 or fusionfest2022@gmail.com.