An exhibition of photography, drawing and painting based on the imagery of light and shade will close today, Thursday, July 2, following a two week run at the Greenroom Gallery, Cork Arts Theatre. The exhibition, 6 Perspectives on Light, is a group show by six Irish artists, Roseanne Lynch, Padraig Spillane, Miriam King, Ciara O'Flynn, Lucy Clarke and Eimear Tunney.

Anybody who can bring Tom Waits and US rapper Kool Keith together deserves immense respect. And respect is something that the musical production duo NASA (North America South America) seemingly command in abundance. A cursory glance over the lengthy list of collaborators on the duo's debut album, The Spirit of Apollo, reads like a who's who of idiosyncratic and indeed iconic musical figures from the worlds of hip hop, rock, dance, electro, indie, funk, reggae and pop.

Red Lotus Productions' debut performance, The Murder Monologues, written by Jane Mulcahy, offers a unique insight into the darker elements of the female psyche. In this 'why dunnit', sinister Pam, the serial man-eater, and psychopathic schoolgirl Imka reveal the malice and methods behind their cold-blooded murders. The Murder Monologues is directed by the internationally-renowned, award-winning Mary Curtin, while the cast includes the brightest of Cork's rising stars, Kate McSwiney O'Rourke and Irene Kelleher.

The Cork Midsummer Festival might be reaching its conclusion but the Live at the Marquee series is in full swing. Veteran Scot rockers Simple Minds will be hoping you didn't forget about them when they roll into town on Thursday, June 25. The group, led by vocalist Jim Kerr enjoyed huge success in the 80s on the back of decade defining singes such as 'Don't You (Forget About Me)', 'Alive & Kicking' and 'She Moved Through The Fair'.

The Midsummer festival brought a myriad of family friendly entertainment to our doorsteps and the Marquee series has attempted to appeal to a cross selection of music fans, both old and young alike. We've even had some summer sun thrown into the mix, and so without wanting to sound like a goddamn McDonalds euro saver advert, I'd have to say all in all we've had it pretty good of late. But it's not all sunshine, lollypops and ice-cream you know. Over at Cyprus Avenue something is festering.

Week two in the Midsummer House and the inhabitants are both curious and suspicious of the toilet pipes in their crumbling abode and the crazy neighbours that reside next to them. Elsewhere the self-appointed 'Captain' is getting his hooks into the youthful Peter who has taken to defying the laws of gravity. The Northern contingent meanwhile can be found baring their soul, while a pack of wild roaming Gypsy's, who are baring more then just their soul, have invaded the Household and are infecting the residents with red-hot Eastern melodies.

The lack of anything approaching a 5000 + capacity venue in Cork has always meant that we have been forced to look on enviously while our neighbours from the Pale horded the biggest names in music talent for themselves. At least that was the case before Aiken Promotions pitched up here with their Live at the Marquee series in 2005.

The first screening of Bitesize Cinema in Cork City will be taking place at the Triskel Arts Centre today (Thursday, June 4). Run by a London based production company specializing in the art form of short film, Bitesize Cinema filters through thousands of short films to bring movie buffs the stand out films from the international festival circuit, including 35mm masterpieces, digital gems, animation and documentaries.

This coming Saturday (June 13) is the date the eagerly awaited arts extravaganza that is the Cork Midsummer's Festival finally gets under way, with a plethora of artists, performers and productions, both home-grown and international, eager to grace stages of all shapes and sizes over the coming three weeks. That the event now ranks as one of the most experimental, innovative and forward thinking, not to mention professional, festivals in Ireland, and indeed Europe, is no small feat.

The Firkin Crane, Shandon, are celebrating the closure of the first phase of their Professional Dance Residency Programme this week by inviting members of the public to take a glimpse at the world of contemporary dance in the making in their 'Fly on the Wall' drop-in sessions. Blank Canvas was conceived in 2008 and launched in 2009, giving artists carte blanche in allowing their creative ideas to blossom with every possible support from the Firkin Crane.