Celebrating Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Queer,and Transgendered Womens' creativity

Past aLAF Festivals

The first ever lesbian arts festival took place in Dublin, Ireland over a 3 day period in March 2002. Since that great success we have run a bigger and better festival on an annual basis. In 2003 and 2004 we ran for 4 days over the 1st weekend in April, and these dates have now become a permanent feature in the Irish LGBQT community. For aLAF 2005 we went a little mad and organised an ELEVEN day festival! Women have come from all over Ireland, and the UK, with visitors from Europe, America, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. As the years go by be prepared for yet more WOMEN , more ART and of course more FUN!

For more information on what happened during aLAF 2004 and aLAF 2005 check out the following...

aLAF 2005

aLAF 2004

aLAF 2005 Events

What	Where	When
Wednesday 30th March
aLAF 2005 Launch & Opening of 11-day Visual Art Exhibition	Dublin Civic Offices	7:00pm
Thursday 31st March
Visual Art Exhibition	Civic Offices Atrium	9am-5pm
A Night with Patricia Rozema	Savoy Cinema	8:30pm
Friday 1st April
Queervisual	South Great Georges Street	8pm
Grrls Rock	The George	8pm
Visual Art Exhibition	Civic Offices Atrium	9am-5pm
Saturday 2nd April
Visual Art Exhibition	Civic Offices Atrium	12am-4pm
Film workshop, with Liz Gill	Teachers club	2pm-5pm
Art workshop, with Susan Thomson	Teachers club	2pm-5pm
Art workshop, with Marina Forrestal	Teachers club	2pm-5pm
Drag workshop, with K. Bradford (Johnny T)	Teachers club	2pm-5pm
My year of Drag: A photographic exhibition - Emma Haugh	Gruel	3pm
Queervisual	South Great Georges Street	8pm
Krush - club night	Temple Bar Music Centre	9:30pm
Sunday 3rd April
My year of Drag: A photographic exhibition - Emma Haugh	Gruel	11am-10pm
Readings@ Anthology Books	Anthology Bookshop	2:30pm
Ruby Lounge Cabaret	Sugar club	8pm (doors open at 7:30pm)
Queervisual	South Great Georges Street	8pm
Monday 4th - Saturday 9th April
Visual Art Exhibition	Civic Offices Atrium	9am-5pm
My year of Drag: A photographic exhibition - Emma Haugh	Gruel	11am-10pm

Venues and times to be confirmed.The festival programme is subject to change. Check back here for any last minute changes.

aLAF 2004 Events

Grrrl Rock in the George

Tundra,Nat Ripepi and Random Order.

Beauty Contest

aLAF in association with Tease presented the All Ireland Lesbian Beauty Contest 2004. The contest celebrated our diversity by challenging prejudices and playing with labels and stereotypes. We also had a ball while we are at it!

Poetry

Included readings by Mary Dorcey and Hayley Fox Roberts, and a read through of "Pretty Shiny Things". Pretty Shiny Things was written especially for aLAF 2004 by New York based Shannon Yee had its debut reading in Outhouse. Shannon Yee is an award-winning playwright who has been teaching in New York City public schools for the last 5 years. She received her training at Smith College (Massachusetts), and the National Theatre Institute (Connecticut). While in Massachusetts and New York, she adapted numerous works of literature for young people, and had readings, workshops and productions. Yee's work has also been produced at the New York International Fringe Festival. "Pretty Shiny Things" will be read by Sandra Broghan and Grainne Close.

Workshops

The workshops provide an opportunity to discover your creative side.

• Graffiti Workshop
• Vinyl Kittens - DJ Workshop
• Music/Songwriting Workshop
• Creative Writing Workshop

Theatre

PIG TALES

Pig Tales is proudly sponsored by Gay Weddings Ireland The story of a female child raised as a boy. 'Pig' lures us into the choas and confusion of adolescence. Set against the madness and mayhem of a fantasy world created by people brutalized by the Catholic Church and the psychiatric system, Pig emerges triumphant. Pigs tales is one of a life on the edge, of tenderness in unexpected places and of the resilience of the human spirit. The play is one act with 5 scenes,using the nursery ryhme 'this little pig went to the market' as its framework. It is a remarkable exploration of gender.

THE DYKE SOAP OPERA

The dyke soap opera is about throwing light on things that a lot of lesbians like to keep in the dark. The audience have the chance to stop the performance and question any of the cast.

Cabaret

Ruby Lounge

"Smooth as silk, sincere as polyester" Ruby Lounge is an event not to be missed. The fabulous Anna Nolan will be your MC hosting an exciting array of performers such as: Una Ni Guna Anna Nolan Louise Killeen & Yoshana Wilkie Belinda O'Hooley Third Sex performers Drag Boys and Girls The Ruby Royales and… The "toe-tapping" Critturs along with many more... aLAF has invited Clare Treacy (who originally produced Ruby Lounge in Melbourne) to combine forces with Anna Marie Somera (director of vaudeville/burlesque shows in New York City) to bring you the first production of this incredible event in Dublin.

Films

It will end up in tears

Directed by Gonen Glaser (Israel, 2000, 50 minutes) Video Hebrew, with English Subtitles It will end up in tears Guess who's coming to dinner? Maris wants to bring her lesbian girlfriends into her usually warm and supportive Argentinean-Israeli family. But the typically liberal family reacts harshly to her unwavering declaration of love for a woman. While reflecting on social conventions of masculinity, femininity and companionship, this film centers on one family's process of coping and coming to terms with their daughter's sexual preference.

Evocations

Directed by Alejandra Borja (Spain, 2001, 8 minutes) Evocation A Latina lesbian ruminates on the many stages of unlove. Set in a poetic atmosphere this story is told from the inner monologue of its leading character.

Intent

Directed by Mary Ann Marino Written by Ryan Langdon Starring: Holland Taylor (The Practice) (USA, 2003) An ambitious and driven detective breaks the law to catch a serial killer. Her tactics backfire and she has crossed the line. How far will she go to get the killer?

On the shelf

On the Shelf Directed by Sara Zia Ebrahimi and Naomi Skoglund (Africa/USA, 2002) Narrative Short, 12 minutes On the Shelf A homage to book lovers. On the Shelf is a humorous love story about a girl who is very particular about the contents of a girl's shelf.

The Nearly Unadventurous Life of Zoe Cadwaulder

Director: Boboo Kakati Writer: Kelly Atkins Starring: Melanie Lynskey (Heavenly Creatures and But I'm a Cheerleader) (USA, 2003) The Nearly Unadventurous Life of Zoe Cadwaulder In this romantic dark-comedy, Zoe Cadwaulder must overcome her phobias in order to discover love.

Watching her sleep

Directed by Barbara Rose Michels (USA, 1995) Girl sees girl, girl falls for girl, girl loses girl .... all in the time it takes to wait in line at the supermarket.

Visual Arts Exhibition

Myriam Vanesch

Born 1966 in Netherlands, currently living in Dublin (7 yrs). AttenTeacher of English, painter & photographer. Her work has been exhibited in the Netherlands, Belfast, Ecuador and also published in European magazines.

Lydia Bigley

Born 1977 in Dublin, currently studying for a B.A. in Communication Studies in Dublin City University, and is specialising in photography and imaging.

Renee Weaver

Born and raised on the east coast of Australia, Renee has been living in Dublin since September 2000. Prior to settling in Ireland she lived in Prague, Czech Republic for two and a half years. Working as a Brand & Packaging Designer for the past 7 years Renee moonlights as a textile artist

Orla McKeever

Born 1969 in Derry, graduated Kingston University, London (1992); specialized in 3D furniture adn product design and also graduated University College Dublin (1999) with a degree in architecture. She is a full time lecturer in architecture at the University of Ulster and continues her own design work.

Ailish Maloney

Ailish is a lesbian photographer and graduate of photography from Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art Design & Technology. You can contact her at: ailishmaloney@hotmail.com

Aisling Creegan

Aisling graduated from DIT in 1995 with an honours degree in fine art - painting. Since then she has worked in the area of disability as an art therapist and care worker. She gets great inspiration and energy from the residents' strength and attitude to life. One day having asked a resident severely debilitated by MS how they coped, she received the answer "I may see more of life that you'll ever see". We spend our days rushing from one thing to the next - Aisling's paintings aim to root us to the spot - to appreciate a body that does our bidding, or the subtleties of colour in the world around us.

Lisa Metherell

'Nimble Fingers', as the tile suggests, draws together the social and historical naturalisation of domestic labour as women's work with sexual practices, particularly those challenging the patriarchal and heterosexual 'norm'.

Christel Antonites

Born in 1976 in Pretoria, South Africa, she completed a diploma in fine arts in 1999 and has been a working artist since. Christel mainly works in the medium of glass and received a Cum Laude for this during her studies.

Grainne Close

Queer Activist/Documentary Photographer. Born in Ballymena and grew up in Ahoghill, North of Ireland, she studied black and white photography at the New School University (New York City) and International Center of Photography at The Point (new York City). During her three years in New York City, she volunteered as a documentary photographer with Indymedia (New York). Grainne's work has been exhibited in Dublin and New York City. 'Transition' is a work in progress.

Mimi Wlodarczyk

BFA., Parsons School of Design. MFA., NYU Graduate, New York City Film School: fine art, documentary and editorial photographer. Has taught at New School University (NYC), ICP Point Program (Bronx), Open Center (Soho, NYC), Bread & Roses (NYC). Work exhibited and published nationally and internationally.

Carine Roth

PHOTOGRAPHY @ THE FRONT LOUNGE Toi et Tes Nuages (Women Portraits and Landscapes) by Carine Roth.