Binding Ballydehob to Belfast

One of county Cork’s top music venues will be “taken over” by artists and staff from a venue in Belfast next week as part of a cultural exchange project.

Following the success of its first year, The Ties That Bind is back with a second iteration of cross-community collaboration between Levis' Corner House in Ballydehob and The Duncairn in North Belfast.

This year’s programme begins with a four-day festival-style takeover of Levis' Corner House from 10-13 July by artists, creatives, volunteers, and staff from The Duncairn bringing Belfast’s diverse cultural scene to rural West Cork.

Over the first two days, four emerging artists from the Duncairn community will showcase their talent to a Cork audience. These are: Rua, Sammy Copley, Polar Bolero, and a headline performance from the Joshua Burnside Trio on Friday 11 July.

On 12 July there will be an evening of multidisciplinary talent from music and poetry to visual storytelling at the Creative Collective & Friends Showcase, followed by day of family-friendly arts and crafts, music, conversation, and food to wrap up the takeover weekend on 13 July.

There will also be a variety of smaller events by Belfast-based artists including poetry, cinema, trad sessions, visual arts, and pop-up musical performances taking place throughout Ballydehob and surrounding areas.

The Ties That Bind is part of Creative Ireland’s Creative Communities on a Shared Island initiative and is delivered in collaboration with Cork County Council and Belfast City Council.

Welcoming the return of the project, Mayor of Cork County, Cllr Mary Linehan Foley, said it is wonderful to see the deepening relationships between Ballydehob and Belfast.

She said: “Our two diverse artistic communities have developed cross border relationships as a result of artists residency exchanges, mentoring, and these wonderful takeover weekends.

“The Ties That Bind offers more than the sum of its parts — it builds lasting artistic and personal relationships. Cork County Council are very proud to continue this project as part of Creative Communities on Shared Island, supporting cross-border creative projects to inspire connections between people, communities, and places.”

Last year, local artists from each community took part in residential exchanges, swapping the rural picturesque village of Ballydehob for the inner-city hustle and bustle of North Belfast, and vice versa. The two organisations have also successfully taken over each other’s venues for weekends of music, spoken word, storytelling, and community engagement.

A full programme of events and tickets are available from theduncairn.com.