In association with The Duncairn & First Fortnight
Feat Taqralik Partridge, Melissa Shaginoff, Leslie McCue, RUÁ, Deirdre Anna Rose Kelly & Rachel Grace • MC: Stephen James Smith
Poetry, story and song meet in an intimate Belfast edition of Therapy Sessions. Inuit and First Nations artists share the stage with Derry’s experimental folk voice RUÁ, Belfast writer-performer Deirdre Anna Rose Kelly, and Wexford singer-songwriter Rachel Grace.
Expect honesty, heart, and a room that leans in—then lifts.
TAQRALIK PARTRIDGE
Taqralik Partridge is an Inuk and Scottish curator, artist, and writer originally from Kuujjuaq, Nunavik. She is the former director of the Nordic Lab at SAW Gallery in Ottawa and has worked as a curator for the Art Gallery of Ontario, the Art Gallery of Guelph, and independently for various galleries.
MELISSA SHAGINOFF
Melissa Shaginoff is an Ahtna and Paiute citizen of the Chickaloon Village Traditional Council and the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe, and a member of the Udzisyu (caribou) clan. She is an interdisciplinary artist, an independent curator, and the Alaska Specialist for the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian.
LESLIE KACHENA MCCUE
Leslie Kachena McCue is a member of the Mississaugas of Curve Lake First Nation, who has fought for Indigenous rights by breaking stereotypes and raising cultural awareness. Her work is driven by her past, her passion to educate, and the motivation to empower others. Leslie is a Traditional dancer, an Indigenous Knowledge Resource Teacher, and the Coordinator for the Royal Ontario Museum Youth Cabinet.
RUÁ
Experimental folk artist. Often playing alongside bandmates Conan Mullan (on fiddle, whistle, mandolin, and guitar) and Ciaran McCay (on percussion and synths), Derry-born RUÁ’s live shows take you on a journey — from intricate guitar lines paired with velvety melodies singing of love, loss, and healing; to vivacious trad-folk-gypsy stories of fortune tellers and ghosts; to spoken word and drony soundscapes.
DEIRDRE ANNA ROSE KELLY
Deirdre Anna Rose Kelly writes stories and sometimes reads them onstage. She is a member of the Duncairn Arts Centre’s Creative Collective and has had her work featured on BBC Radio Ulster. She is interested in comics, the Irish language, and playing football very badly with Friendly St FC. Deirdre is from Letterkenny and is based in Belfast.
RACHEL GRACE
Rachel Grace is a singer-songwriter from Wexford town who has been quietly carving out her place in the Irish music scene. Having started writing and performing at the age of ten, her emotionally honest songwriting and powerhouse vocals have earned her critical praise, national radio play, and festival slots across the country. Her influences span soul, folk, and pop, with emotion and authenticity at the heart of everything she creates.
MC: STEPHEN JAMES SMITH
Stephen James Smith is an Irish poet, writer, performer, playwright, and educator. His short poetry films have captivated millions, earning them the opportunity to perform alongside notable names like Patti Smith, Shane MacGowan, Bono, Imelda May, and Glen Hansard. With close to 1,000 gigs worldwide over the past 20 years in locations from Ballydehob to Bangkok, and venues like Glastonbury, the Radio City Music Hall, New York and the Centre Culturel Irlandais (Paris).
You may also like the following events from The Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival:
- Next Friday, 9th January, 08:00 pm, Mary Dillon, Dónal O’Connor & Neil Martin in Belfast
- Next Sunday, 11th January, 02:00 pm, Hiraeth: Yearning for Home? With Michael Smiley and Miranda Sawyer in Belfast
- Next Sunday, 11th January, 08:00 pm, Keith James: The Songs of Nick Drake in Belfast
Also check out other
Arts events in Belfast,
Music events in Belfast,
Entertainment events in Belfast.
