BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//Smashing Times - ECPv6.18.0//NONSGML v1.0//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://smashingtimes.ie X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Smashing Times REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H X-Robots-Tag:noindex X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:Europe/Dublin BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:+0000 TZOFFSETTO:+0100 TZNAME:IST DTSTART:20250330T010000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+0100 TZOFFSETTO:+0000 TZNAME:GMT DTSTART:20251026T010000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:+0000 TZOFFSETTO:+0100 TZNAME:IST DTSTART:20260329T010000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+0100 TZOFFSETTO:+0000 TZNAME:GMT DTSTART:20261025T010000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:+0000 TZOFFSETTO:+0100 TZNAME:IST DTSTART:20270328T010000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+0100 TZOFFSETTO:+0000 TZNAME:GMT DTSTART:20271031T010000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Dublin:20260918T100000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/Dublin:20260918T180000 DTSTAMP:20260921T131846Z CREATED:20260914T094559Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260921T131846Z UID:10000720-1789725600-1789754400@smashingtimes.ie SUMMARY:Culture Night at Smashing Times Visual Art Gallery DESCRIPTION:From the Forest to the Ocean One-Day Only Pop-Up Solo Visual Art Exhibition by Mary Moynihan\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nA one-day showing of Mary Moynihan’s solo exhibition combining photography\, poetry and film inspired by physical landscapes and seascapes and their connection to landscapes of the soul and the deep interconnectedness of life — from forests to the ocean. \n\n\nBook Your Place\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nArtists\n\n\n\nMary Moynihan\, Writer\, Poet and Creator of Art and Photography; Artistic Director\, Smashing Times International Centre for the Arts and Equality; Arts Curator\, Irish Arts and Human Rights Festival \n\n\n\nFreda Manweiler\, Producer\, Smashing Times International Centre for the Arts and Equality\, MC for the evening \n\n\n\nFull Event Details\n\n\n\nFrom the Forest to the Ocean is a powerful solo exhibition featuring the work of Irish artist Mary Moynihan. Bringing together photography\, poetry\, and film\, this multidisciplinary exhibition draws inspiration from the physical landscapes of nature and the deep interconnectedness of life — from forests to the ocean. \n\n\n\nConcept \n\n\n\nThe artworks map physical landscapes and seascapes to landscapes of the soul and are rooted in reflections on nature\, journeys of interconnectedness\, and the art of letting go\, exploring the boundaries between the natural world and the human spirit. The work creates a synergy between the evocative beauty and fragility of the photographic landscapes and seascapes of counties Dublin\, Wicklow\, Kerry\, and France\, combined with the emotional impact of poetical texts in written and in a poem-film format. \n\n\n\nInspirations \n\n\n\nMary Moynihan is a writer\, poet and creator of art and photography.  Mary’s work is rooted in reflections on nature and the interconnectedness of the human spirit and the natural world around us. Our personal well-being is inseparable from the well-being of our planet — on physical\, emotional\, spiritual\, and intuitive levels. Nature and creativity inspire us to look after ourselves\, each other\, and the planet we live on and to search for more sustainable ways of living.  Visitors are invited to step into a space of reflection and self-expression\, exploring the delicate boundaries between the natural world of landscapes and seascapes and the human spirit. The work evokes a gentle yet profound invitation: to breathe\, to reconnect with the rhythms of life and love\, and to re-wild both the landscape and the human soul. \n\n\n\nThis stunningly beautiful exhibition nurtures a dialogue between inner and outer worlds\, reminding us that nature\, creativity\, and humanity are deeply intertwined. The artworks linger in the mind and heart\, offering a lasting sense of connection and prompting reflection long after leaving the gallery. \n\n\n\nMary Moynihan (she/her) is an award-winning writer\, poet\, theatre and filmmaker and a creator of art and photography. Mary is Artistic Director of Smashing Times International Centre for the Arts and Equality\, and Artistic Curator for the annual Dublin Arts and Human Rights festival.  \n\n\n\nArtist Talk for Culture Night\n\n\n\nMary Moynihan: Ancestral Voices and Human Rights – From the Forest to the Ocean \n\n\n\nGuided Exhibition Tour\, Artist Talk + Poetry Reading \n\n\n\nFriday 18 September\, 4-5pm \n\n\n\nSmashing Times Visual Art Gallery and Centre for the Arts and Human Rights\, 30 Sandycove Road\, \n\n\n\nSandycove\, Dublin A96V9P1 \n\n\n\nAdmission Free. No booking required.  \n\n\n\nJoin us for an engaging guided tour\, artist talk and poetry reading exploring the imagery and stories behind the extraordinary exhibition From the Forest to the Ocean. Hear the stories embedded within the exhibition and reflect on nature\, spirituality and peace. Artist Mary Moynihan shares insights into her creative journey as audiences gain a deeper understanding of how the work evolves and responds to contemporary contexts.  This is a unique opportunity to hear directly from the artist\, ask questions\, and connect with the work on display.  Interwoven throughout the talk\, the artist presents live readings of her original poetry offering a poetical reflection on nature\, spirituality and our shared responsibility to care for one another and the earth. the Forest to the Ocean is a multidisciplinary installation drawing inspiration from the physical landscapes and seascapes of nature and the deep interconnectedness of life — from forests to the ocean. \n\n\n\nSpeaker Biographies:\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMary Moynihan\, MA\, she/her\, is an award-winning author of novels\, poetry\, films and plays\, from Dublin\, Ireland. Mary embarked upon her award-winning career as a writer in theatre and film and has garnered much acclaim for her plays\, poetry and short film scripts\, and for creating interdisciplinary artworks combining writing and photography presented in galleries and online. She established and became Artistic Director of Smashing Times International Centre for the Arts and Equality and is Artistic Curator for the annual Dublin Arts and Human Rights festival. Mary has an honours BA in Drama and Theatre Studies from Trinity College Dublin and an honours Masters in Film Production from TU Dublin. \n\n\n\nAfter raising four children\, now  adults\, Mary dedicated her time to becoming a writer. She writes fiction for young people and adults featuring stories of courage\, laughter\, tragedy\, happiness\, love\, death and action-packed adventures. Mary pens a series of articles titled Creative Reflections on Arts\, Creativity\, Leadership and Self-Esteem which appear in the Smashing Times International Centre for the Arts and Equality newsletter and on Mary’s website marymoynihan.ie \n\n\n\nIn her free time Mary loves to spend time with her four adult children and hang out with friends.  She swims in the sea all year round. She loves the ocean\, sky and moon and has a spiritual connection to the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea\, to the environs of Dublin bay and to the mystical landscapes of Valentia Island and the surrounding Iveragh peninsula in County Kerry\, her spiritual home. She is a big fan of the Dublin Gaelic football and hurling teams. \n\n\n\nSmashing Times \n\n\n\nMary is Artistic Director of Smashing Times International Centre for the Arts and Equality working collaboratively with artists and over fifty organisations across Ireland\, Northern Ireland\, Europe and internationally\, using the arts to promote rights and values for all. Company patrons are Sabina Higgins; Joan Freeman\, founder of Pieta House; Ger Ryan\, actor and Tim Pat Coogan\, writer and historian. Founding patrons were writers Maeve Binchy and Brian Friel. \n\n\n\nArts and Human Rights Festival \n\n\n\nMary is Artistic Curator for the annual\, international Dublin Arts and Human Rights festival implemented by Smashing Times and Front Line Defenders with Amnesty International\, Fighting Words\, ICCL\, NWCI\, Irish Modern Dance Theatre\, Trócaire\, Poetry Ireland and Irish Pen\, and funded by The Arts Council. The festival highlights the extraordinary work of human rights defenders in Ireland and around the world\, past and present\, and the role of the arts and artists in promoting human rights today. \n\n\n\nAwards \n\n\n\nMary’s work has won a number of awards\, including the Allianz Business to Arts Special Judges DAA Arts Award at Bord Gáis Energy Theatre\, the international and prestigious #ArtsAgainstCovid award from the Arts in Health International Foundation and an Arts Council Agility Award. Mary was awarded a Project Award from The Arts Council to write a new work with a range of collaborators titled The Feeling Soul\, inspired by stories of women poets from ancient and modern Ireland.    \n\n\n\nMary is the author of the epic spoken word poem  ‘Ode to a Coolock Queen’’\, written from a female perspective and exploring identity\, gender\, violence\, passion\, self-destruction and possible redemption. An attempt as Sylvia Plath says  ‘to be true to my own weirdnesses’. It is an oral storytelling narrative that is about a broader reflection on what it is to be born out of a working class environment.  This poem is in homage to all people from working-class communities who find their strength and become their own kings and queens like warriors from an ancient past. \n\n\n\nAs a playwright\, Mary’s work includes the highly acclaimed The Woman is Present: Women’s Stories of WWII co-written with Paul Kennedy\, Fiona Thompson and Féilim James;  Tales of Love and Loss featuring two monologues selected by President Michael D Higgins for performance at Áras an Uachtaráin\, Constance and Her Friends and Grace and Joe for performance in 2023; In One Breath from the award-winning Testimonies(co-written with Paul Kennedy); Shadow of My Soul and May Our Faces Haunt You. \n\n\n\nMary’s film work includes the hour-long documentary Stories From the Shadows (co-directed with Mark Quinn); the short film Tell Them Our Names\,  (directed by Mary\, co-written with Paul Kennedy) inspired by women’s stories of WWII and selected for the London Eye International Film Festival and Kerry Film Festival; the creative documentary Women in an Equal Europe; the short film Courageous Women\, inspired by powerful women’s stories from the 1916 to 1923 decade of commemorations period in Irish history; In Time\, a poem-film created in response to the changing landscape of our world today in a time of pandemic (written by Mary Moynihan\, co-directed with Mark Quinn); and The Shoah: A Survivor’s Memory – The World’s Legacy\, adapted from the writings of French woman Simone Veil (1927-2017)\, a French lawyer\, politician and feminist\, Holocaust survivor and first female President of the European Parliament. \n\n\n\nMary has a focus on using historical memory in her artistic practice as inspiration for the creation of original artworks. A number of her writings highlight stories of ordinary yet extraordinary women who stood up for the rights of others with a focus on the Holocaust\, WWII and the revolutionary period in Irish history. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\nOrganisations Involved / Partner Organisation(s):\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nVenue Information: URL:https://smashingtimes.ie/event/culture-night-at-smashing-times-visual-art-gallery/ LOCATION:Smashing Times International Centre for the Arts and Equality\, 30 Sandycove Road\, Sandycove\, Dublin\, A96V9P1\, 30 Sandycove Road\, Sandycove\, Dublin\, A96V9P1 CATEGORIES:Exhibition,Talk ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://smashingtimes.ie/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Escape.-Image-by-Mary-Moynihan-2023.-Yeats-Sisters-HEIC.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Smashing Times International Centre for the Arts and Equality":MAILTO:info@smashingtimes.ie END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Dublin:20260918T100000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/Dublin:20261016T180000 DTSTAMP:20260925T144210Z CREATED:20260916T115653Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260925T144210Z UID:10000744-1789725600-1792173600@smashingtimes.ie SUMMARY:September: An exhibition without borders DESCRIPTION:From the Forest to the Ocean One-Day Only Pop-Up Solo Visual Art Exhibition by Mary Moynihan\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nA one-day showing of Mary Moynihan’s solo exhibition combining photography\, poetry and film inspired by physical landscapes and seascapes and their connection to landscapes of the soul and the deep interconnectedness of life — from forests to the ocean. \n\n\nThe exhibition emphasises the value of open borders and open minds\, bringing together multiple artistic perspectives and worldviews. Artists are Kirstin Arndt\, Alan Butler\, Brian Hegarty\, Tom Hunter\, Július Koller\, Scott Lyall\, Niamh McCann\, Nigel Rolfe and Nil Yalter. \n\n\n\nBook Your Place\n\n\n\nAdmission free\, no booking required \n\n\n\nArtists\n\n\n\nKirstin Arndt \n\n\n\nAlan Butler \n\n\n\nBrian Hegarty \n\n\n\nTom Hunter \n\n\n\nJúlius Koller \n\n\n\nScott Lyall \n\n\n\nNiamh McCann \n\n\n\nNigel Rolfe \n\n\n\nNil Yalter \n\n\n\nFull Event Details\n\n\n\nGreen On Red Gallery is delighted to announce September an exhibition of new and existing works by gallery artists plus new artists. \n\n\n\nNew to the gallery are Drogheda-based artist and curator Brian Hegarty and the late Slovakian artist and stalwart of Eastern European avant-garde from the 1960’s on\, Július Koller (d. 2007). Gallery artists include Kirstin Arndt (drawings)\, Alan Butler (deskscapes)\, Tom Hunter\, Scott Lyall (painting)\, Niamh McCann (polished brass silkscreen) Nigel Rolfe (photoworks) and Nil Yalter (video). \n\n\n\nSeptember is a cross-section of artists working in a wide variety of media and from many different cultures\, partly to emphasise the beauty of open borders and open minds. \n\n\n\nThere isn’t a fixed theme to September but the show will allow the artists’ works to set the conversation and to create an open dialogue between multiple worldviews from different eras. September – An Exhibition without Borders runs at the Green on Red Gallery Dublin from 18 September to 16 October 2026\, 10am-6pm\, Monday to Friday weekly. Green on Red Gallery is situated at Park Lane\, Spencer Dock\, Dublin 1\, D01 Y821. \n\n\n\nGreen on Red Gallery \n\n\n\nThe Green On Red Gallery began in 1992 and has since become one of Ireland’s most dynamic and exciting galleries. We represent some of the best contemporary work on the market\, both Irish and international. The programme is based on 6-7 solo exhibitions and 2-3 group or thematic exhibitions per year.  Green On Red Gallery participates in international art fairs and the gallery’s artists regularly exhibit abroad in both private and public venues. \n\n\n\nAlong with our programme of exhibitions at home and abroad\, the gallery offers a consultancy service tailored to individual needs:  \n\n\n\n Building individual private collections  \n\n\n\n Consulting with companies and organisations to supply artwork for their collections  \n\n\n\n Finding the right piece for a particular location  \n\n\n\n Advising on outdoor or public art projects \n\n\n\nVisit the Green on Red website \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\nSpeaker Biographies:\n\n\n\nBrian Hegarty \n\n\n\nHegarty’s practice sits somewhere between painting\, sculpture\, and assemblage\, and resists settling into any one of them. Working with found and everyday materials\, mainly paper and  card he builds layered surfaces through accumulation\, alteration\, and repair. \n\n\n\nRather than hiding how the works are made\, they are self-explanatory.    Visible seams\, exposed edges\, runny glue\, the evidence of the hand are all apparent and exposed. Cutting\, folding\, layering\, and gluing are both method and meaning — structures built provisionally\, likely to fail\, not built to last. This instability isn’t separate from the work’s meaning; it is the meaning\, mirroring an existential unease the work doesn’t resolve\, only makes visible\, and briefly\, holds together. \n\n\n\nBrian Hegarty is an artist based in Drogheda County Louth. He was born in Dublin in 1970 and graduated from D.I.T. College of Fine Art in 1994. He has exhibited widely both nationally and internationally. He runs thirtythree-45\, a multi-platform arts project working independently and in collaboration with other artists\, musicians\, and arts organisations. Most recently he initiated The KIOSK Project Art Space\, a small artist-run project space on Narrow West Street in Drogheda. \n\n\n\n\n\nJúlius KollerDelving beyond art as a practice\, Koller’s work explores art as a medium of cultural action. In a bid to investigate communications and actions beyond their institutional and political definitions his work hones its focus on everyday gestures and rituals. In doing so he creates the concept of “‘cultural institutions”. \n\n\n\nIn late 1980s Czechoslovakia\, Koller found himself deeply concerned with the Czechoslovakian Spring liberation. This event saw Warsaw troops invade Czechoslovakia in a bid to suppress the Spring liberation process within the region. At the same time\, there was an exponential growth in the economic shift to a globally driven free market society. This period of change prompted much reflection  – specifically the contradiction of Utopia and real life. Here his series U.F.O.-naut J.K. was conceived. An almost life-long series of self-portraits released annually\, many pieces feature Koller himself using ironic gestures and using wildly various symbols and everyday objects like nets\, tennis rackets\, table-tennis bats\, his own head of hair\, and so on. \n\n\n\nThe (otznik) question mark recurs throughout his work. As the collection evolves so does the question mark. He weaves the symbol in throughout a wide variety of materials and formats. The symbol serves not only as a reference and prompt to question politics\, society and environment but also as a universal term: it stood for openness\, willingness to explore\, uncertainty and doubt. In his work Meditacia / Meditation (U.F.O.)  1983 Július is pictured with his head perched and eyes closed\, holding only a piece of paper. The piece of paper contains a small pencil illustration – a circle drawn unsteadily. This sketch encapsulates the spirit of the man. Here too\, the subject of free expression has become an inquiry\, one that is not only focused on social conditions but on one’s own capacity for action.  \n\n\n\nFor an Irish equivalent\, think the late Maurice O’Connell\, an art rogue\, a performer\, a wanderer and a unique presence in the Irish art world of the 1990s. He took part in the first Manifesta ( 1996 )\, Europe’s only Nomadic Biennial of Contemporary Art. He had a solo exhibition The Last Great Buffalo Hunt in Green on red Gallery in 1997. \n\n\n\n\n\nNil Yalter \n\n\n\nBorn in Cairo and raised in Istanbul\, Nil Yalter is a pioneering Turkish artist whose work has been shaped by her experiences across different cultures\, traditions and political landscapes. Drawing on her Anatolian heritage while embracing the experimental possibilities of contemporary art\, Yalter has developed a practice that spans more than five decades. \n\n\n\nHer work explores migration\, identity\, feminism and social justice through the stories of those often overlooked. Combining visual art\, performance\, technology and traditions drawn from oral and visual cultures\, Yalter examines the resilience and complexity of human experience while giving voice to marginalised communities and questioning the social and political structures that shape their lives. \n\n\n\nIn Lord Byron Meets the Shaman Woman (2009)\, Nil Yalter draws on her longstanding interest in shamanism\, nomadic cultures and the cultural histories of Anatolia to revisit the figure of the female shaman. Combining performance\, costume\, archival imagery and text\, the work pays tribute to women who occupied significant spiritual\, social and intellectual roles within their communities. By staging an imagined encounter between the shaman woman and Lord Byron\, Yalter brings together different histories and cultural perspectives\, questioning how identities and traditions have been represented and understood. \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\nOrganisations Involved / Partner Organisation(s):\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nVenue Information: URL:https://smashingtimes.ie/event/september-an-exhibition-without-borders/ LOCATION:Green on Red Gallery\, Park Lane\, Spencer Dock\, Dublin\, D01 Y821 CATEGORIES:Exhibition,Multidisciplinary ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://smashingtimes.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/NilYalter_HommageAuMarquis_1989_Video1322Minsdetail-3.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Dublin:20260930T130000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/Dublin:20261129T180000 DTSTAMP:20260929T093451Z CREATED:20260915T112149Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260929T093451Z UID:10000723-1790773200-1795975200@smashingtimes.ie SUMMARY:Voices of Peace Visual Art Exhibition reflecting on Peace\, Equality + Human Rights DESCRIPTION:From the Forest to the Ocean One-Day Only Pop-Up Solo Visual Art Exhibition by Mary Moynihan\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nA one-day showing of Mary Moynihan’s solo exhibition combining photography\, poetry and film inspired by physical landscapes and seascapes and their connection to landscapes of the soul and the deep interconnectedness of life — from forests to the ocean. \n\n\nFeaturing work by writer Féilim James and visual artists Jessica Rodrigues\, Gillian Lambe\, Viktoriia Yevsiukova\, Hina Khan\, Aman Walayat\, Iqra Iqbal\, and Mary Moynihan\, the exhibition explore peace and human rights\, sparking dialogue and new visions for the future. Supported by the dlr County Council Universal Grant Scheme and the Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council Arts Office. \n\n\n\nBook Your Place\n\n\n\nAdmission free\, no booking necessary \n\n\n\nArtists\n\n\n\nJessica Rodrigues\, Multidisciplinary Artist \n\n\n\nGillian Lambe\, Visual Artist \n\n\n\nViktoriia Yevsiukova\, Visual Artist \n\n\n\nHina Khan\, Visual Artist \n\n\n\nAmna Walayat\, Visual Artist \n\n\n\nIqra Iqbal\, Visual Artist \n\n\n\nFeilim James\, Write and Poet\, Editor of Tintreach: The Smashing Times Arts and Literary Journal \n\n\n\nMary Moynihan\, Writer\, Poet\, Creator of Art and Photography \n\n\n\nFull Event Details\n\n\n\nVoices of Peace is a multidisciplinary visual art exhibition reflecting on peace\, equality and human rights through powerful contemporary artistic expression\, sparking dialogue and new visions for the future.  The exhibition features a range of visual and multidisciplinary art works showcasing outstanding and inspiring art works by artists who use their creative practice to promote peace\, equality and human rights. \n\n\n\nThe Voices of Peace multidisciplinary visual art exhibition is on show at the Smashing Times Visual Art Gallery\, 30 Sandycove Road\, Sandycove\, Dublin\, A96V9P1 from Wednesday 23 September to Sunday 29 November 2026\, Wednesday to Friday 1-6pm; Saturday 10am-6pm and Sunday 12-6pm. Free admission\, no booking required. The exhibition is supported by dlr County Council Universal Grant Scheme. Voices of Peace – The Gathering\, an interactive live event to accompany the exhibition takes place at the Smashing Times Visual Art Gallery\, 30 Sandycove Road\, Sandycove\, Dublin\, A96V9P1 on Sunday 11 October 2026 at 7pm. Tickets €10. Booking required. \n\n\n\nParticipating Artists \n\n\n\nThe artists are Jessica Rodrigues\, a multidisciplinary artist exploring dreamscapes\, inner worlds\, and symbolic imagery through fine art and custom tattoos; Gilliam Lambe\, a creator of paintings\, ceramics and sculptures; Viktoriia Yevsiukova\, visual artist; Hina Khan\, visual artist; Amna Walayat\, Visual Artist; Iqra Iqbal\, Visual Artist; Féilim James\, novelist\, poet\, playwright and  Editor of Tintreach: The Smashing Times Arts and Literary journal and Mary Moynihan\, Writer\, Poet\, Creator of Art and Photography (Smashing Times resident artist). \n\n\n\nSelected artists for this exhibition become Voices of Peace Artists with their work featured in the visual art exhibition titled Voices of Peace\, presented for the annual international Irish Arts and Human Rights festival in 2026; and in Tintreach: The Smashing Times Arts and Literary Journal\, and on the Smashing Times Arts and Human Rights radio show on Dublin South FM. The artists are all living or have worked in the Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown area and each artist displays a series of artworks exploring themes of peace\, equality and human rights through contemporary artistic expression. \n\n\n\nThis exhibition is supported by the Dlr Universal Grants Scheme. \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\nSpeaker Biographies:\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nJessica Rodrigues is a Brazilian-Irish multimedia artist based in Dublin\, creating strange worlds shaped by dreams\, nature\, memories\, and old tales. Working across fine art\, tattoos\, videos\, and murals\, the artist employs a surrealist language infused with magical realism to create visual stories that blur the limits between reality and myth. \n\n\n\nJessica spent eleven years as a tattoo artist\, a period that permanently shaped her understanding of narrative. In that role\, stories were entrusted and inscribed\, a collaborative act that demanded integrity and a focus on the body as the first site for a visual tale. This experience remains the quiet anchor for all her work. \n\n\n\nJessica now builds worlds across painting\, murals\, and video\, drawing from a well of dreams and old folklore to create images that feel both familiar and strangely new. The curiosity that guided her hand on skin now guides her interdisciplinary practice. It is a practice of genuine exploration\, evidenced by an Artist in the Community Scheme grant for collaborative public work and features in 10 group exhibitions\, including the group show Voice of Dreams for Visionary Arts. \n\n\n\nJessica’s work has been featured in Tintreach: The Smashing Times Arts and Literary Journal \n\n\n\nSee Jessica’s Instagram @artbyjroiz \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nGillian Lambe is a visual artist whose practice explores how we experience\, carry and remember the people and places that shape us and how this can influence our sense of belonging. \n\n\n\nShe is especially drawn to the tension between opposing states: connection and separation\, containment and openness\, permanence and change. \n\n\n\nShe uses colour and gesture\, texture and form to research and explore these themes. She gives space to the viewers to bring their own memories\, associations and experiences to the work and to find their own points of connection within it. \n\n\n\nOriginally from Cavan\, Gillian is currently based in Dublin. She has studied drawing\, sculpture and ceramics at NCAD (CEAD) and works across different materials to explore emotion\, connection and environment within her work. \n\n\n\nCurrent and recent exhibitions include the 3rd Annual Exhibition\, An Chéad Tine Art Gallery 3rd\, Kilkenny (selected by Maurice Quillinan)\, ‘Threshold’ The Market House\, Dunleer\, The Easter Competition\, Glebe Gallery (OPW)\, Donegal\, ‘Chrysalis’ & ‘Emerging Perspectives’\, Reynold’s Gallery\, Dublin\, ‘Beyond Words: Art & the Unknown’\, Herman’s Auctioneer’s Modern & Contemporary\, Dublin\, Smashing Times Gallery ‘Solstice Light’\, Dublin and Signal Arts Centre Members show in Wicklow. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nViktoriia was  born in 2005 in Kharkiv\, Ukraine. Viktoriia  studied at the Kharkiv Professional Higher Art College of Kharkiv Regional Council\, earning a Professional Junior Bachelor degree (2020–2024)\, and continued her studies at the Cavan Institute (QQI Level 5 in Art\, Craft and Design\, 2024–2025). Viktoriia’s work explores inner tension and quiet disquiet\, capturing fleeting moments of stillness and anticipation. \n\n\n\nViktoriia was selected for the Cavan Arts Awards 2025 and has exhibited in the Summer Showcase Exhibition 2025 in Bailieborough and an exhibition for Culture Night 2025. Viktoriia currently lives and works in Cavan\, County Cavan. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nHina Khan was born in born in Pakistan in 1980 and completed an MFA\, majoring in Miniature Painting from Pakistan. Hina uses miniature in her work as the intricacy and delicacy of the brush work has a unique identity. Hina’s work began as a mixture of traditional and contemporary miniature and her practice has now expanded to include small and large-scale installation\, videos and 3D. \n\n\n\nAccording to Hina ‘My work is a constant search for the best way to interpret ideas and to express my own ideologies through symbolism.  I am creating a dialogue through my art. My art is a reflection of inner connection\, and how immigrants and nomadic artists are a part of this land. Migration is deeply rooted in my blood. I have carried two cultures\, one from where I was born and the other is this culture where I am trying to re-root myself. Sometimes a situation is not in our control\, but life always takes us on different voyages. This journey has built up a constant transition in my art\, personality\, and in terms of experimentation\, enabling me to evolve my artistic practice.’ \n\n\n\nHina has participated in a number of groups shows in Pakistan from 2002 to 2011. Hina came to Ireland in 2015 and participated in a number of exhibitions in Dublin\, Laois\, Mayo\, and Cork. Hina was awarded several residencies with Fire Station Arts Center\, Create Ireland\, West Cork Art Center and Cow House Studio and has displayed solo exhibitions at Ballina Art Center\, Mayo\, and Stradbally Art house\, Laois. \n\n\n\nHina’s art pieces are held in the permanent collection of The Arts Council of Ireland. She is the recipient of several awards from The Arts Council of Ireland\, Create Ireland\, and from different counties. She is the recipient of an R&D award from Create Ireland in collaboration with Tomasz Madajezak under the mentorship of Jesse Jones and is also collaborating with filmmaker David Bickley. Hina’s art pieces were commissioned for State of the Art: The Nation State as both Violator and Protector of Human Rights (2022) and for States of Independence (2023). Both projects were f presented by Smashing Times International Centre for the Arts and Equality and funded by The Arts Council. \n\n\n\nHina says that ‘as an artist\,  I am inspired by Sadequain\, Michelangelo\, Picasso\, Frida Kahlo\, Shahzia Sikander and Anselm Kiefer.’ \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAmna is a Cork-based Pakistani born visual artist and Associate Member of Sample-Studios\, Art Nomads\, Smashing Times and Angelica Network. She has recently been awarded the Cork County Council Creative Producer Residency\, The Arts Council Agility Award and has been invited to exhibit her new work in IMMA\, having exhibited her work recently in IMMA online and in Cork County Council’s online exhibition space. In addition to her active practice\, she has worked as Programme Organizer with the Pakistan National Council of the Arts; Curator with Alhamra Arts Council and PhD studio-based researcher with PURAF\, University of the Punjab (2004-2007). She recently established the Ireland-Pakistan Arts Exchange (IPAE) to bring both art communities together through creating opportunities for networking and exchange. She is a recipient of Arts Council Ireland Visual Artist Bursary Award\, Professional Development Award 2020 and Dilkusha Award 2020. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nIqra is a multidisciplinary artist currently undertaking a Master’s in Art and the Contemporary World at the National College of Art and Design (NCAD)\, Dublin. Working primarily with acrylic painting and neo-miniature as a visual language\, she also experiments with glass and other materials. \n\n\n\nHer practice explores identity\, displacement\, belonging and coexistence\, with particular interest in how people carry cultural histories while forming new relationships with the places and communities they inhabit. Drawing on her experience of moving between cultural spaces\, she questions inherited systems of thought and the cultural frameworks that shape how we understand ourselves\, others and difference. \n\n\n\nThrough symbolism\, pattern\, architectural forms and inherited visual languages\, Iqra explores the process of unlearning and reconsidering ideas that can appear fixed or universal. Rather than rejecting cultural inheritance\, her work seeks to question and reinterpret it\, opening possibilities for alternative ways of seeing\, knowing and belonging. \n\n\n\nHer recent work considers peace through coexistence\, equality and the possibility of sharing space while allowing difference and individuality to remain visible. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nFéilim James is a novelist\, poet\, and playwright from Dublin\, Ireland. In 2024\, his poem ‘Dream of an Atrocity’ was shortlisted for the New Irish Writing: Best Poetry category at the Irish Book Awards. He has been funded by the Arts Council of Ireland on three occasions\, including for his novel\, Flower of Ash. Dublin City Arts Office granted him an Arts Bursary in 2021 to finish his poetry collection\, I was a river\, lost. He is the editor of Tintreach: The Smashing Times Arts and Literary Journal. \n\n\n\nFéilim’s fiction\, non-fiction\, and poetry have appeared in the Irish Independent’s New Irish Writing\, Acumen\, The Honest Ulsterman (upcoming)\, Abridged\, The High Window\, The Fiction Pool\, Icarus\, TOWER\, The Galway Review\, A New Ulster\, Trinity Journal of Literary Translation\, Pendemic\, Rant and Rave\, Vox Galvia\, the Smashing Times Newsletter\, and Tales From the Forest. He has had four plays and two short films produced. Féilim’s work has been performed or exhibited in locations such as Áras an Uachtaráin\, Dublin (the residency of the President of Ireland); Dublin Castle; the European Court of Human Rights\, Strasbourg; and Jean Monnet House\, Paris\, for an event by the European Observatory on Memories. \n\n\n\nFéilim’s play Sole Flower\, Spidered Soul (2023)\, about the relationship between James and Lucia Joyce\, had its premiere run in the Pumphouse\, Dublin Port\, in October 2023\, as part of Smashing Times’ Dublin Arts and Human Rights Festival. Its director was Patrick Joseph Byrnes\, who again directed when it had its second run\, this time in The New Theatre\, Dublin in June 2024\, as part of Bloomsday Festival. In 2025\, Sole Flower\, Spidered Soul was added to the archive of the Zurich James Joyce Foundation. Féilim’s play At Summer’s End (2019)\, about Ettie Steinberg\, a real-life Jewish-Irish woman facing the horrors of the Holocaust\, has been toured by Smashing Times to places such as Paris\, Northern Ireland\, and Áras an Uachtaráin\, the residency of the President of Ireland. \n\n\n\nFéilim’s Irish language writing\, under the surname Ó Brádaigh\, has won seven Oireachtas na Gaeilge literary awards\, including one for a collection of poetry. These awards are the most prestigious in Irish language literature. His work through Irish has appeared in Comhar\, Feasta\, Trinity Journal of Literary Translation\, Comhar Óg\, Tuathal\, and An Scríbhneoir Óg. Additionally\, he has twice been selected for Fóras na Gaeilge’s Tutor Scheme. \n\n\n\nFéilim graduated from the BA in English Literature and Psychology in Trinity College\, Dublin in 2017. In 2020\, he completed the MA in Writing in the University of Galway\, studying under the likes of Mike McCormack and Arnold Thomas Fanning\, and receiving a first-class honour. Visit his website here. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMary Moynihan\, MA\, she/her\, is an author of novels\, poetry\, films and plays\, from Dublin\, Ireland. Mary embarked upon her award-winning career as a writer in theatre and film and has garnered much acclaim for her plays\, poetry and short film scripts\, and for creating interdisciplinary artworks combining writing\, poetry and photography presented in galleries and online. She established and became Artistic Director of Smashing Times International Centre for the Arts and Equality and is Artistic Curator for the annual international Arts and Human Rights festival. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nOrganisations Involved / Partner Organisation(s):\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nVenue Information: URL:https://smashingtimes.ie/event/voices-of-peace-visual-art-exhibition-reflecting-on-peace-equality-human-rights/ LOCATION:Smashing Times International Centre for the Arts and Equality\, 30 Sandycove Road\, Sandycove\, Dublin\, A96V9P1\, 30 Sandycove Road\, Sandycove\, Dublin\, A96V9P1 CATEGORIES:Exhibition,Multidisciplinary ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://smashingtimes.ie/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/VoicesOfPeace-copy.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Smashing Times International Centre for the Arts and Equality":MAILTO:info@smashingtimes.ie END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Dublin:20261006T180000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/Dublin:20261006T200000 DTSTAMP:20261001T123738Z CREATED:20260831T154159Z LAST-MODIFIED:20261001T123738Z UID:10000718-1791309600-1791316800@smashingtimes.ie SUMMARY:Through Their Eyes: A Visual Exhibition on Avoidable and Preventable Blindness DESCRIPTION:From the Forest to the Ocean One-Day Only Pop-Up Solo Visual Art Exhibition by Mary Moynihan\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nA one-day showing of Mary Moynihan’s solo exhibition combining photography\, poetry and film inspired by physical landscapes and seascapes and their connection to landscapes of the soul and the deep interconnectedness of life — from forests to the ocean. \n\n\nThe exhibition explores vision loss through a human-rights lens\, connecting eye health with equality\, dignity\, education\, employment and participation. \n\n\n\nBook Your Place\n\n\n\nAdmission Free\, no booking required \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nFull Event Details\n\n\n\nThrough Their Eyes: A Visual Exhibition on Avoidable and Preventable Blindness will be launched at the Round Room at the Rotunda on 6 October 2026. Through powerful photography\, personal stories\, and immersive imagery\, the exhibition shines a light on the reality of avoidable and preventable blindness and the profound impact it has on millions of people around the world. \n\n\n\nPresented by Sightsavers Ireland\, the exhibition highlights both the challenges faced by individuals living with vision loss and the extraordinary progress being made to prevent blindness and promote eye health. It showcases the life-changing effects of access to eye care\, surgery\, treatment\, and inclusive support\, demonstrating that simple\, proven interventions can transform lives\, livelihoods\, and communities. \n\n\n\nMore than an exhibition\, this is a call to awareness and action. Visitors are invited to reflect on the human stories behind the images\, celebrate the resilience of individuals and communities\, and recognise that together we can help create a world where no one is needlessly blind and where everyone has the opportunity to reach their full potential. \n\n\n\nThrough Their Eyes promotes a human rights agenda by highlighting access to eye health and inclusion as fundamental issues of equality\, dignity and participation. \n\n\n\nAvoidable vision impairment disproportionately affects people experiencing poverty and exclusion\, and a lack of access to appropriate eye care can create or reinforce barriers to education\, employment\, independence and participation in community life. Through photography\, personal stories and immersive imagery\, the exhibition connects these global inequalities with the people whose rights and opportunities are directly affected.The exhibition also explores disability through a rights-based lens\, recognising that people with visual impairments have the same right to participate fully and equally in society. It highlights the importance of accessible and inclusive health services\, education and communities\, while demonstrating how proven interventions and stronger\, more equitable systems can remove barriers and enable people to exercise their rights. \n\n\n\nBy centring the experiences and perspectives of people and communities affected by vision impairment\, Through Their Eyes encourages audiences to consider preventable blindness not simply as a health issue\, but as an issue of social justice\, equality and human rights – and to recognise the collective responsibility to build a world in which everyone can participate on an equal basis. \n\n\n\nThis event is presented by Sightsavers Ireland \n\n\n\nSightsavers Ireland is an international charity working in more than 30 countries in Africa and Asia to train health workers\, provide eye operations\, support people with disabilities\, improve women’s health\, and more. \n\n\n\nAt Sightsavers\, we start with sight\, but we don’t stop there. \n\n\n\nWe treat eye conditions such as cataracts and tackle debilitating diseases\, many of which cause sight loss. To do this\, we work with governments and local\, national and international partners to carry out eye operations and distribute treatments where they’re needed. \n\n\n\nWe help to improve health services so they are sustainable and make education more inclusive for children with disabilities. We also advocate for the rights of women\, girls and people with disabilities. \n\n\n\nWe’re proud to be a leader in our field. Our programmes consistently achieve high performance ratings from Irish Aid. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\nOrganisations Involved / Partner Organisation(s)\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nVenue Information: URL:https://smashingtimes.ie/event/through-their-eyes-a-visual-exhibition-on-avoidable-and-preventable-blindness/ LOCATION:The Pillar Room\, Parnell Street\, Dublin\, D01 P5W9 CATEGORIES:Exhibition ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://smashingtimes.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/802717763_1539267798233718_6239043390524912690_n.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Dublin:20261013T140000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/Dublin:20261013T170000 DTSTAMP:20260925T151205Z CREATED:20260916T142754Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260925T151205Z UID:10000746-1791900000-1791910800@smashingtimes.ie SUMMARY:Green Imaginings: Art\, Ecology and Europe’s Future – Creative Talk\, Panel Discussion and Audience Engagement DESCRIPTION:From the Forest to the Ocean One-Day Only Pop-Up Solo Visual Art Exhibition by Mary Moynihan\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nA one-day showing of Mary Moynihan’s solo exhibition combining photography\, poetry and film inspired by physical landscapes and seascapes and their connection to landscapes of the soul and the deep interconnectedness of life — from forests to the ocean. \n\n\nGuest speakers include Anne Murray\, Biodiversity Officer and Ecologist\, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council\, and Oisín Coghlan\, EU Policy Advisor\, Irish Environmental Network. Mary Moynihan shares a selectoi of artworks from her solo exhibition From the Forest to the Ocean and gives an artist talk on The Art of Nature. Participants are invited to share a gift for nature – a small object\, photograph\, drawing\, poem or memory that celebrates the natural world – and to contribute ideas for new environmental laws to protect nature\, contributing to a People’s Nature Charter for Ireland and Europe. \n\n\n\nBook Your Place\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nArtists\n\n\n\nAnne Murray\, Biodiversity Officer and Ecologist\, Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council \n\n\n\nOisin Coghlan\, Policy Advisor focused on the Environmental Pillar’s EU Advocacy\, Irish Environmental Network \n\n\n\nMary Moynihan\, Artistic Director\, Smashing Times International Centre for the Arts and Equality \n\n\n\nFull Event Details\n\n\n\nGreen Imaginings: Art\, Ecology and Europe’s Future features a key note speaker\, creative talks\, panel discussions\, a pop-up exhibition and audience engagement connecting EU environmental policy with creativity\, activism and everyday citizen action.. The gathering brings together artists\, citizens\, environmentalists\, academics\, policymakers\, citizens and young people for an engaging event exploring how Europe can create a greener\, more sustainable and biodiverse future. Enjoy From the Forest to the Ocean\, a mini\, pop-up visual art exhibition by Irish artist Mary Moynihan\, bringing together photography\, poetry and film inspired by the natural world. Mary will lead an artist talk on From the Forest to the Ocean exploring how creative practice can make environmental issues visible\, accessible and inspiring. Guest speakers and artists include Oisin Coghlan\, Policy Advisor focused on the Environmental Pillar’s EU Advocacy\, Irish Environmental Network and Anne Murray\, Biodiversity Officer and Ecologist\, Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council. \n\n\n\nThe event takes place on Tuesday 13 October\, 2-5pm\, at the Smashing Times Visual Art Gallery and Centre for the Arts and Human Rights\, 30 Sandycove Road\, Sandycove\, Dublin\, A96V9P1. €10. Booking required. \n\n\n\nEveryone attending has the opportunity to share a nature story\, bring a creative contribution and propose a new law or policy for protecting nature. If you could pass one law to protect nature and the planet\, what would it be? Audience members are invited to write their proposed law on a card or share it aloud. These ideas are gathered together to create a People’s Nature Charter\, which will be shared with the Irish Government and EU following the event.  Everyone is invited to bring a gift – an artwork (such as a drawing or poem)\, a short nature memory or a law you would like passed to protect nature and the environment.   Share ideas and imagine new possibilities for environmental action in Ireland and across Europe. \n\n\n\nThe event invites everyone to move from dialogue to action: to share what we love about nature\, consider what needs to change\, imagine new environmental laws and explore how citizens\, artists and policymakers can work together to protect our planet. Join us on the day as citizens take action to support a greener\, more biodiverse and sustainable Europe for all. \n\n\n\nSupported by A Creative Dialogue on EU Environmental Policy exploring creative approaches to highlighting the EU as a catalyst for Environmental Change. The project brings together policymakers\, academics\, artists and citizens to explore the role of the European Union in shaping a sustainable future for all and ways in which the EU may foster creative practices for environmental awareness. Supported by the Communicating Europe Initiative of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. \n\n\n\nWe Want You! \n\n\n\nCome and Be Part of the Conversation \n\n\n\nThis gathering is about sharing\, imagining and taking action. Whether you are an artist\, environmental activist\, policymaker\, student\, educator or simply someone who cares about the future of our planet\, you are invited to join the dialogue. We invite everyone attending to bring a gift for nature\, and to create new laws.  The gift or object is something to show to the rest of the group and it can be a  photograph\, drawing or poem that celebrates the natural world or a  30-second nature memory\, based on a time when nature inspired you or an idea for action to protect nature. The 30-second short memory can be about a  place in nature that you love and want to protect; a moment when nature made a positive difference in your life; or something you have done — or would like to do — to protect the environment. \n\n\n\nIf You Could Pass One Law to Protect Nature\, What Would It Be? \n\n\n\nWhat would you change? Imagine you could introduce one new law to protect nature and the planet. What would it be? Your idea might be ambitious\, practical\, local\, national or European — or simply something you believe needs to change. As people arrive\, everyone will receive a card on which to write their proposed law. You can also choose to share your proposed law aloud during the event. We will gather the proposed laws for display and create a People’s Nature Charter. \n\n\n\nFollowing the event\, the final collection of proposed laws will be shared with the Irish Government and the European Union as a creative expression of citizens’ ideas and aspirations for protecting nature and the planet. Your voice. Your story. Your law. Your vision for nature. During the gathering\, we are creating  a shared space where creative expression\, environmental policy and collective actioncome together. We are creating a shared space for the objects\, memories and laws ensuring all voices\, stories and ideas become part of the dialogue. \n\n\n\nLeave Nature Alone. Leave No Trace. \n\n\n\nOur starting point is simple. We love nature by protecting it\, not by taking from it. We support the principles of ‘leave nature alone’ and ‘leave no trace.’ We therefore ask that nothing be collected or removed from the natural environment for this event. We are not asking people to bring objects taken from nature. Instead\, bring your thoughts\, stories\, ideas and visions for protecting our planet. \n\n\n\nIf you choose to bring a creative contribution\, such as a photograph\, drawing or poem\, please consider using recycled\, reusable or sustainably sourced materials. \n\n\n\n\n\nA Creative Dialogue on EU Environmental Policy \n\n\n\nProject Description \n\n\n\nCreative Dialogue to Action on EU Environmental Policy explores creative approaches to highlighting the European Union as a catalyst for environmental change. The project brings together policymakers\, academics\, artists and citizensto explore the role of the European Union in shaping a sustainable future for all and ways in which the EU may foster creative practices for environmental awareness and action. Funded by the Communicating Europe Initiative of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The creative gathering held for this project features a keynote address\, panel discussion\, audience engagement and an artist talk and opportunity to view and hear about the onsite visual art pop-up exhibition From the Forest to the Ocean.  What role does the European Union play in our daily lives in relation to climate change\, biodiversity and sustainability? What is the role of the EU to protect the environment\, biodiversity and sustainability through the  European Green Deal\, the New European Bauhaus\, and related EU environmental initiatives including the EU’s Biodiversity Strategy for 2030\, and EU nature and marine restoration laws\, regulations and plans? How can citizens take action to promote the European Green Deal and related key EU strategies and directives in order to  protect the environment\, biodiversity and marine ecologies? Join us as we explore these questions and more. \n\n\n\nSpeaker Biographies:\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAnne Murray\, Biodiversity Officer and Ecologist\, Dunlaoghaire-Rathdown County Council \n\n\n\nAnne Murray is an ecologist and the official Biodiversity Officer for Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown (dlr) County Council in Ireland. Since taking on the role in 2017\, she has been responsible for developing and implementing the county’s Biodiversity Action Plan to protect local habitats and wildlife. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nOisin Coghlan\, Policy Advisor focused on the Environmental Pillar’s EU Advocacy \n\n\n\nOisín facilitates and coordinates the Environmental Pillar’s engagement in EU Affairs. He is also the Environmental Pillar’s nominee on Government’s Just Transition Commission. Until 2025 he was chief executive of Friends of the Earth Ireland\, where he led the 14-year campaign for a strong climate law which culminated in the 2021 Climate Act. Previously he spent 10 years working in overseas aid and human rights. He has BA in Sociology and Politics from TCD and an MA in International relations from DCU. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMary Moynihan\, MA\, she/her\, is an award-winning author of novels\, poetry\, films and plays\, and a creator of art and photography. Mary is from Dublin\, Ireland. Mary embarked upon her award-winning career as a writer in theatre and film and has garnered much acclaim for her plays\, poetry and short film scripts\, and for creating interdisciplinary artworks combining writing\, visual art and photography presented in galleries and online. \n\n\n\nMary established and became Artistic Director of Smashing Times International Centre for the Arts and Equality and is Artistic Curator for the annual international Irish Arts and Human Rights festival. Mary has an honours BA in Drama and Theatre Studies from Trinity College Dublin and an honours Masters in Film Production from TU Dublin. \n\n\n\nAfter raising four children\, now adults\, Mary dedicates her time to writing and creating photography and art (oils on canvas). Mary is a multidisciplinary artist and  regularly creates artworks that fuse painting\, photographic imagery\, poetical texts and film many of which are inspired by landscapes and seascapes especially of the seas and oceans around Ireland\, and a reflection on what it is to be human. Mary regularly shares stories from historical memory through her artistic practice particularly in relation to stories of people who stand up for the rights of others. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nOrganisations Involved / Partner Organisation(s):\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nVenue Information: URL:https://smashingtimes.ie/event/green-imaginings-art-ecology-and-europes-future/ LOCATION:Smashing Times International Centre for the Arts and Equality\, 30 Sandycove Road\, Sandycove\, Dublin\, A96V9P1\, 30 Sandycove Road\, Sandycove\, Dublin\, A96V9P1 CATEGORIES:Exhibition,Symposium,Talk ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://smashingtimes.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/The-Art-of-Trees-1.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Smashing Times International Centre for the Arts and Equality":MAILTO:info@smashingtimes.ie END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Dublin:20261013T190000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/Dublin:20261013T203000 DTSTAMP:20260925T151253Z CREATED:20260915T151443Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260925T151253Z UID:10000731-1791918000-1791923400@smashingtimes.ie SUMMARY:My So-Called Life in Copenhagen – Multidisciplinary Performance and Exhibition DESCRIPTION:From the Forest to the Ocean One-Day Only Pop-Up Solo Visual Art Exhibition by Mary Moynihan\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nA one-day showing of Mary Moynihan’s solo exhibition combining photography\, poetry and film inspired by physical landscapes and seascapes and their connection to landscapes of the soul and the deep interconnectedness of life — from forests to the ocean. \n\n\nThrough humour and political sharpness\, the work explores migration\, identity\, cultural adaptation\, belonging and the everyday challenges faced by migrant women. Presented by Renate Dujakovic\, Theatre Creator\, Performer and Producer\, Denmark. \n\n\n\nBook Your Place\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nArtists\n\n\n\nRenate Dujakovic\, Theatre Creator\, Performer and Producer \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\nFull Event Details\n\n\n\nMy So-Called Life in Copenhagen is an autobiographical artistic performance that combines elements of comedy\, physical theatre\, and exhibition. Through the personal story of its creator\, Renate Dujaković\, the performance explores themes of migration\, identity\, cultural adaptation\, and belonging\, from the perspective of a young artist from Southeast Europe trying to find her place in Copenhagen — a city that promises freedom\, yet where quiet exclusion simmers beneath the surface. \n\n\n\nThe performance uses humour as a means of illuminating the invisible everyday challenges faced by migrant women — bureaucratic traps\, cultural misunderstandings\, existential tensions\, and emotional exhaustion. Combining personal storytelling\, political sharpness\, and physical performance inspired by clown\, bouffon\, and mask work\, the performance creates an intimate and humorous theatrical experience that allows the audience to empathise\, laugh\, and question their own role within the systems that shape social reality. \n\n\n\nThrough creative artistic approaches\, the performance addresses complex and often taboo subjects in a way that is simultaneously gentle\, humorous\, and politically precise — positioning the theatrical act as a space for truth\, subversion\, and resistance. \n\n\n\nFollowing the performance\, the audience is invited to explore an accompanying photography exhibition — a visual extension of the performance that transforms the entire event into a multimedia and immersive experience. The exhibition is not merely an addition\, but a space for extended reflection\, where intimate portraits and poetic interventions offer silence and time for a personal connection with the themes of the performance. \n\n\n\nMy So-Called Life in Copenhagen is a work that crosses boundaries in both form and content. It is politically engaged and deeply rooted in personal experience. It invites the audience to think critically\, laugh from the gut\, and recognise the power of performance as a means of resistance\, resilience\, and the collective reimagining of reality. \n\n\n\nThis event is presented by Renate Dujakovic \n\n\n\nSpeaker Biographies:\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nRenate Dujakovic\, creator and performer\, is an actress and producer who explores theatre in all its forms. She has travelled\, studied\, worked\, and performed in Bosnia and Herzegovina\, Serbia\, Denmark\, Spain\, Poland\, Turkey\, and Brazil. She graduated from The Commedia School in Copenhagen\, the oldest physical theatre school in Denmark. She has worked on productions across various comedic styles\, including bouffon\, clown\, cabaret\, and commedia dell’arte\, with a focus on political and physical theatre. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\nOrganisations Involved / Partner Organisation(s):\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nVenue Information: URL:https://smashingtimes.ie/event/my-so-called-life-in-copenhagen/ LOCATION:Smashing Times International Centre for the Arts and Equality\, 30 Sandycove Road\, Sandycove\, Dublin\, A96V9P1\, 30 Sandycove Road\, Sandycove\, Dublin\, A96V9P1 CATEGORIES:Exhibition,Theatre ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://smashingtimes.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/DSF8540-1-Renate-Dujakovic.jpeg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Dublin:20261014T100000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/Dublin:20261014T210000 DTSTAMP:20260925T151426Z CREATED:20260916T145140Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260925T151426Z UID:10000747-1791972000-1792011600@smashingtimes.ie SUMMARY:Irish in Resistance During World War II - One-Day-only Pop-Up Installation with artists Mary Moynihan\, Féilim James\, Hina Khan\, Amna Walayat\, Jessica Rodrigues and Noah Sex DESCRIPTION:From the Forest to the Ocean One-Day Only Pop-Up Solo Visual Art Exhibition by Mary Moynihan\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nA one-day showing of Mary Moynihan’s solo exhibition combining photography\, poetry and film inspired by physical landscapes and seascapes and their connection to landscapes of the soul and the deep interconnectedness of life — from forests to the ocean. \n\n\nThe storyboards are accompanied by original artworks by Hina Khan\, Amna Walayat\, Jessica Rodrigues\, Noah Sex and Mary Moynihan\, responding creatively to the stories and themes of courage\, resistance\, compassion\, and human rights. Original poems by novelist\, poet and playwright Féilim James are also on display. \n\n\n\nBook Your Place\n\n\n\nAdmission free\, no booking required \n\n\n\nArtists\n\n\n\nArtists in Installation:Mary Moynihan\, Writer\, Poet\, Creator of Art and Photography\, Artistic Director\, Smashing Times International Centre for the Arts and Equality\, Arts Curator for the annual International Irish Arts and Human Rights festival.  Mary is a Curator and Artist on the Irish in Resistance during World War II InstallationAmna Walayat\, Visual ArtistHina Khan\, Visual ArtistFéilim James\, Poet and WriterJessica Rodrigues\, Multidisciplinaryl Artist \n\n\n\nNoah Sex\, Visual Artist \n\n\n\nProducer: Freda Manweiler\, Company Manager and Producer\, Smashing Times International Centre for the Arts and Equality \n\n\n\nProducer: Ciara Hayes\, Producer\, Smashing Times International Centre for the Arts and Equality \n\n\n\nGuest Speakers for In Conversation Event 14 October\, 7-9pm: Clodagh Finn\, Journalist and Award-Winning Author;  John Morgan\, Author; Mary Moynihan\, Writer\, Poet\, Creator of Art and Photography \n\n\n\nMC for In Conversation Event: Ciara Hayes\, Producer\, Smashing Times International Centre for the Arts and Equality \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\nFull Event Details\n\n\n\nIrish in Resistance during World War II is an ongoing project by Smashing Times that remembers and shares the stories of Irish people who resisted fascism and totalitarianism during the Holocaust and World War II\, and who courageously spoke out for the rights and dignity of others. Smashing Times has a deep passion for remembering\, telling and sharing these important stories of courage\, resistance and human rights. Through multidisciplinary artistic practice\, the project brings these often lesser-known histories to life and invites audiences to reflect on the importance of standing up against injustice. \n\n\n\nAs part of the 2026 Irish Arts and Human Rights Festival\, Smashing Times presents the Irish in Resistance During World War II Multidisciplinary Installation as a special one-day-only pop-up exhibition on Wednesday 14 October\, 10am–9pm.  The installation is accompanied by a unique ‘In Conversation’ event on Wednesday 14 October\, 7–9pm\, offering audiences the opportunity to hear individual stories of Irish people who stood up for the rights of others during World War II. Join us for storytelling\, poetry and conversation with Ciara Hayes\, who interviews Clodagh Finn and Mary Moynihan\, exploring stories of Irish resistance to fascism and persecution. Hear the storiesof Mary Elmes\, Katherine “Kate” McCarthy and Samuel Beckett\, and discover their acts of courage\, humanity and resistance during war and persecution. Followed by a Q&A\, the conversation reflects on solidarity\, kindness\, human rights and the continuing relevance of these stories today. Both events take place at the Smashing Times Visual Art Gallery\, 30 Sandycove Road\, Dublin A39V9P1. \n\n\n\nIrish in Resistance During World War II Installation \n\n\n\nIrish in Resistance During World War II is a multidisciplinary installation featuring visual art\, photography\, film\, poetry and storytelling\, reflecting on the stories of Irish people who resisted fascism and totalitarianism during the Holocaust and World War II and spoke out for the rights of others. \n\n\n\nIn the current climate of war in Ukraine\, Gaza and in countries and regions across the world\, Smashing Times looks to the history of World War II to share stories of ordinary people who did extraordinary things to stand up against oppression and fascism. The installation focuses on individual stories of courage\, resistance\, compassion and resilience\, highlighting the choices people made when faced with injustice\, persecution and totalitarianism. \n\n\n\nThe exhibition explores a diversity of stories of peaceful and active resistance by ordinary Irish people who stood up against fascism and totalitarianism. Time and again\, acts of kindness\, courage and resilience were carried out by ordinary people\, both within Nazi concentration camps and in wider society during World War II. These stories demonstrate how Irish people risked their lives for complete strangers\, holding on to their humanity and showing a determination to create a future in which all people are treated equally and where democracy\, equality and peace prevail. \n\n\n\nMembers of the public\, schools\, youth and community groups are invited to experience the installation and attend the ‘In Conversation‘ event\, bringing people together to explore the power of solidarity\, kindness and the values of equality\, human rights\, diversity\, democracy\, peace and gender equality\, and their relevance to our world today. \n\n\n\nThe pop-up installation features 12 storyboard artworks created by Mary Moynihan. Each features a story\, headshot and photographic artwork inspired by Irish and European landscapes\, showcasing the stories of twelve Irish people active during World War II. A series of original artworks were created  in response to the stories on display\, created by Hina Khan\, visual artist; Amna Walayat\, visual artist; Féilim James\, writer and poet; Mary Moynihan\, writer\, poet and creator of art and photography; Jessica Rodrigues\, Visual Artist and Noah Sex\, visual artist. The exhibition is curated by Mary Moynihan\, and was originally funded through The Arts Council Commissions Award under visual art\, literature\, and festivals\, and presented as part of the Smashing Times Artist Development Programme. \n\n\n\nIn this exhibition we are shining a light on twelve stories of Irish people in Resistance during World War II. They are: \n\n\n\nMargaret Kearney Taylor (1890 -1982) was born in the United Kingdom to an Irish family. She lived in Paris and later moved to Madrid where she was involved in sheltering people who had fled France during WW2 including Jewish people. \n\n\n\nSamuel Beckett (1906-1969) was a renowned Irish playwright and novelist\, who played a lesser-known role in the French Resistance during World War II\, for which he was later awarded the Croix de Guerre and the Médaille de la Résistance. \n\n\n\nJanie McCarthy (1885-1964) from Killarney\, Ireland lived in Paris during World War II and became involved in the French Resistance.  She managed to evade capture and survived the war. \n\n\n\nCatherine Crean (1879–1945) was an Irish governess involved in the Belgian Resistance during World War II\, who died in Ravensbrück concentration camp on 3 April\, 1945\, less than four weeks before its liberation. \n\n\n\nKatherine (Kate) Anne Mc Carthy (1895-1971)\, also known as Sr Marie-Laurence\, was a Cork woman who joined the Franciscan Religious order in France and later became a member of the  Musée de L’Homme Resistance group in Northern France during WWII\, assisting over 120 Allied servicemen to escape from Nazi-occupied France.  \n\n\n\nRobert Armstrong (1894-1944) was a gardener who joined the French Resistance working to assist downed Allied airmen to escape capture from occupied Europe. He was captured and died in the Waldheim prison in Saxony for political prisoners on 16 December\, 1944. \n\n\n\nMary Elmes (1908-2002)from Cork\, was the first Irish person honoured as ‘Righteous Among Nations’ for her work saving Jewish children from the Nazi gas chambers during World War II.  \n\n\n\nMargaret Kelly (1910-2004) was a dancer from Ireland and the founder and impresario of the world-famous Bluebell Girls Dancing Troup. During WWII Margaret regularly risked her own life to save her husband and business partner Marcel Leibovici whom she married in 1939 and whom she hid from the Nazis as he was half Jewish.  \n\n\n\nAnna ‘Jeannie’ Duchene (née Hodges) (1869-unknown)\,  an Irish woman from Waterford who moved to Brussels in Belgium and who paid a huge sacrifice in World War II through the loss of her two children\, a daughter Florence (Florrie) Duchene (1906-1945) who died in Bergen-Belson concentration camp in April 1945 and a son Leopold who was released from a Nazi prison at the end of the war and died soon after. \n\n\n\nMaureen Patricia O’Sullivan (1918-1994) was a Dublin-born member of the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF)\, the British Special Operations Executive (SOE) and the Fireman Resistance Network in France during WWII. \n\n\n\nMary Herbert (1903-1983) was born in Ireland and later went to the University of London. In England she joined the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) in 1941 and the Special Operations Unit (SOE) in 1942 and was sent into France to work with the French resistance during WWII. \n\n\n\nMary Cummins  (1905-1999) was a Dublin woman originally from Drumcondra. She had a talent for languages and found herself working in Brussels during World War II  when Belgium was invaded by the Nazis. She joined the Belgium resistance and worked translating messages and as a courier smuggling messages and arms[1]. \n\n\n\nOrigins and Artistic Processes: Hope\, Courage and Resilience \n\n\n\nIn 2024\, Smashing Times International Centre for the Arts and Equality received funding through The Arts Council Commissions Award under Visual Arts\, Literature and Festivals to develop Irish in Resistance During World War II\, curated by Mary Moynihan. The exhibition was created as part of the Smashing Times Artist Development Programme\, bringing together artists Mary Moynihan\, Féilim James\, Hina Khan and Amna Walayat to respond creatively to stories of Irish people who resisted fascism and totalitarianism\, promoted democracy and peace\, and stood up for the rights of others during World War II. \n\n\n\nAs part of the research and artistic development process\, Mary Moynihan researched 12 individual stories of Irish people in resistance during World War II. These stories became the foundation for the artists’ creative responses and were presented as storyboard artworks (12 storyboard artworks created by Mary Moynihan) alongside new visual art\, photography\, poetry and film (created by artists Hina Khan\, Amna Walayat\, Féilim James and Mary Moynihan). The artists worked collaboratively and in dialogue with one another\, creating an integrated body of work exploring equality\, human rights\, diversity\, democracy and peace. \n\n\n\nThe exhibition explores themes of resistance\, courage\, oppression\, freedom\, hope and resilience\, highlighting the different ways people responded to fascism and totalitarianism. The stories encompass violent and non-violent resistance\, acts of solidarity and courage\, and the powerful decision to continue to show compassion\, dignity and kindness in the face of extreme circumstances. They reveal how ordinary people could take extraordinary action\, sometimes risking their lives to protect complete strangers and uphold the rights and humanity of others. \n\n\n\nAt the heart of the artistic process is a reflection on the nature ofnon-violent resistance when faced with a military and political force such as Nazi Germany.  Through the individual stories\, the artists explore the choices people made in times of oppression and consider what these histories can tell us about courage\, humanity and resistance today. \n\n\n\nCurator and artist Mary Moynihan has a particular focus on historical memory within her artistic practice\, using history as a source of inspiration for original artworks that bring attention to the lives of ordinary people in extraordinary times who stood up for the rights of others. Her work explores the Holocaust\, World War II and the revolutionary period in Irish history from 1916 to 1923\, connecting historical memory with contemporary questions of equality\, human rights and social justice. \n\n\n\nThe resulting exhibition was presented at The Ireland Institute\, 27 Pearse Street\, Dublin 2\, from 11–31 October 2024\, as a flagship event of the sixth annual Dublin International Arts and Human Rights Festival. A selection of the exhibition was also presented digitally through the Smashing Times Virtual Arts Gallery\, extending access to audiences unable to attend in person and showcasing the artists’ work internationally.  In 2025\, the Irish in Resistance during World War II exhibition was presented for the eight annual international Irish Arts and Human Rights festival at the Smashing Times Visual Art Gallery\, 30 Sandycove Road\, Sandycove\, Dublin\, A39V9P1\, from Friday 10 October to Sunday 30 November 2025\, Wednesday to Sunday 1-6pm daily. An evening. The exhibition was accompanied by an event titled Irish in Resistance During World War II – Storytelling\, Poetry and Chat which took place at theSmashing Times International Centre for the Arts and Equality\, 30 Sandycove Road\, Sandycove\, Dublin\, A39V9P1\, on 17 October\, 4-5.30pm. \n\n\n\nWhat Did We Do During World War II \n\n\n\nIreland was officially neutral during World War II—a period known as The Emergency.  There were Irish citizens however who were active during World War II standing up against fascism.  There are numerous stories of Irish citizens who peacefully resisted Nazi occupation by joining escape lines. Others joined established resistance movements becoming a part of for example  The French Resistance (La Résistance). There is the story of famous Irish writer Samuel Beckett who joined the Gloria SMH intelligence network in France and the story of Sister Katherine ‘Kate’ McCarthy\, an Irish nun who operated within a French escape line to save Allied airmen and others escape from Nazi occupied Germany. There is the story of Irish man Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty who was nicknamed the ‘Scarlet Pimpernel of the Vatican’\, as he organised with others the Rome Escape line in German-occupied Italy\, an underground network that hid and smuggled out over 6\,500 Allied soldiers and Jewish refugees. \n\n\n\nDomestic Defence at Home: Within Ireland the Irish government set up the Local Security Force (LSF) and the Local Defence Force (LDF) to resist an invasion of Ireland during the war. This took the form of part-time civilian volunteer groupswho would act as a force of domestic resistance against an invasion of Ireland whether by German or British forces. \n\n\n\nThe Allied ‘Forgotten’ Volunteers: Over 70\,000 citizens from neutral Ireland voluntarily enlisted in the British Armed Forces to fight the Axis powers\, alongside roughly 50\,000 from Northern Ireland.  Nearly 5\,000 of these volunteers were active-duty members of the Irish Defence Forces who deserted their home posts to go fight the Nazis. In Ireland\, they were formally placed on a harsh blacklist known as the Emergency Powers (No. 362) Order. They were referred to as the ‘Starvation Order’ men. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n[1] Doughty Survivor of a Nazi death decree\, 3 July 1991\, Irish Times https://www.irishtimes.com/news/doughty-survivor-of-a-nazi-death-decree-1.202637 \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nOrganisations Involved / Partner Organisation(s):\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nVenue Information: URL:https://smashingtimes.ie/event/irish-in-resistance-during-world-war-ii/ LOCATION:Smashing Times International Centre for the Arts and Equality\, 30 Sandycove Road\, Sandycove\, Dublin\, A96V9P1\, 30 Sandycove Road\, Sandycove\, Dublin\, A96V9P1 CATEGORIES:Exhibition ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://smashingtimes.ie/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/irishinresistence1.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Smashing Times International Centre for the Arts and Equality":MAILTO:info@smashingtimes.ie END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Dublin:20261015T110000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/Dublin:20261015T120000 DTSTAMP:20260925T151628Z CREATED:20260916T152337Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260925T151628Z UID:10000750-1792062000-1792065600@smashingtimes.ie SUMMARY:Children’s Creative Responses to the Rights of the Child: Darndale Arts and Human Rights Day Schools Event DESCRIPTION:From the Forest to the Ocean One-Day Only Pop-Up Solo Visual Art Exhibition by Mary Moynihan\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nA one-day showing of Mary Moynihan’s solo exhibition combining photography\, poetry and film inspired by physical landscapes and seascapes and their connection to landscapes of the soul and the deep interconnectedness of life — from forests to the ocean. \n\n\nThrough creative activities\, children develop artistic responses to equality\, inclusion\, identity\, safety\, participation and having their voices heard. Their work is displayed in a schools exhibition on show for parents and other classes. Presented by Smashing Times International Centre for the Arts and Equality and Creative Places Darndale in partnership with Our Lady Immaculate Primary School\, Darndale and St Francis Primary School\, Priorswood. \n\n\n\nBook Your Place\n\n\n\nSold Out \n\n\n\nArtists\n\n\n\nRoisin Kane\, Visual Artist \n\n\n\nElizabeth Bennett\, Visual Artist \n\n\n\nFreda Manweiler\, Producer\, Smashing Times International Centre for the Arts and Equality\, Producer and MC \n\n\n\nMary Moynihan\, Producer\, Smashing Times International Centre for the Arts and Equality \n\n\n\nFull Event Details\n\n\n\nChildren’s Creative Responses to the Rights of the Child \n\n\n\nArtists Róisín Kane and Elizabeth Bennett  work creatively with children from Our Lady Immaculate Primary School\, Darndale\, Dublin 17\, and St Francis Primary School\, Priorswood\, Dublin 17\, exploring the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). \n\n\n\nThrough imaginative and participatory creative activities\, the children explore their rights\, voices\, experiences and hopes for the future\, developing their own artistic responses to the Rights of the Child. The project encourages children to express themselves creatively while exploring important themes including equality\, inclusion\, identity\, safety\, participation and having their voices heard. \n\n\n\nThe children’s completed artistic pieces will be displayed as part of a celebratory Darndale Arts and Human Rights Day in the school halls from 11.00am on 15 October\, 2026 providing an opportunity for parents\, teachers and other classes to view and celebrate the children’s work and their creative responses to human rights. \n\n\n\nThis event is presented by Smashing Times International Centre for the Arts and Equality and \n\n\n\nCreative Places Darndale. \n\n\n\nCreative Places Darndale is an arts award supported by the Arts Council. First awarded to the area of Darndale\, Belcamp\, Moatview\, Clonshaugh and Priorswood in June 2021\, the Arts Council’s Creative Places programme invests in places such as towns\, villages\, suburbs\, and island communities that have had fewer opportunities to take part in the arts. The arts in Ireland can be defined by its various art forms  i.e. Visual Art\, Music\, Dance\, Literature\, Film\, Theatre\, Opera\, Traditional Arts\, Architecture\, Circus and Street Arts and Spectacle. \n\n\n\nThe purpose of Creative Places Darndale is to promote arts participation in the areas outlined above\, support local creatives living in the area\, and embed socially engaged arts practice into the community. Over the course of the years\, Creative Places Darndale has been active building on the variety of art forms that are already present in the Dardale area; introducing the arts or different art forms where they are not present;  increasing participation in the arts by the people who live in this area and leaving a legacy of participation in the arts. \n\n\n\nCreative Places Darndale is run by Northside Partnership and Smashing Times International Centre for the Arts and Equality and is supported by the Arts Council and Dublin City Council Arts Office.  \n\n\n\nSpeaker Biographies:\n\n\n\n\n\nRoisin Kane\, Visual Artist \n\n\n\nRoisin Kane is a Dublin-based artist whose practice is grounded in ceramics and socially engaged art. They graduated from the National College of Art and Design (NCAD) with a BA in Fine Art in 2019\, specialising in ceramics. Their practice explores material\, place and lived experience\, with an interest in creating spaces for connection\, conversation and shared reflection. Their socially engaged work has involved collaborating with people across a wide range of ages and backgrounds\, from school-aged children to older people\, using creative processes to encourage participation\, storytelling and connection. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nElizabeth Bennett \, Visual Artist \n\n\n\nElizabeth Bennet is an artist and designer with a love for colour\, texture\, and storytelling through visuals. Her work explores transformation\, emotion\, and the expressive potential of the human figure. Through vibrant colour\, expressive forms\, visual distortions\, and dynamic compositions\, she challenges conventional perceptions of reality\, creating altered images that feel nostalgic. \n\n\n\nElizabeth’s practice is informed by the study of composition\, form\, and the relationship between colour and space. She uses these elements to construct expressive and visually engaging images\, often experimenting with distortion and abstraction to explore how the human figure can be perceived and interpreted. \n\n\n\nShe studied Fine Art Painting at Limerick School of Art and Design\, followed by a diploma in Graphic Design. Level 9 certificate in Marketing and Communications. Her practice brings together traditional fine art techniques with contemporary design approaches\, allowing her to move between painting\, digital imagery\, and design. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nOrganisations Involved / Partner Organisation(s):\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nVenue Information: URL:https://smashingtimes.ie/event/childrens-creative-responses-to-the-rights-of-the-child/ LOCATION:Our Lady Immaculate Primary School\, Darndale\, Dublin 17 CATEGORIES:Exhibition ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://smashingtimes.ie/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Children-Playing.jpeg ORGANIZER;CN="Smashing Times International Centre for the Arts and Equality":MAILTO:info@smashingtimes.ie END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Dublin:20261015T110000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/Dublin:20261015T170000 DTSTAMP:20260925T151651Z CREATED:20260916T152920Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260925T151651Z UID:10000751-1792062000-1792083600@smashingtimes.ie SUMMARY:From the Forest to the Ocean One-Day Only Pop-Up Solo Visual Art Exhibition by Mary Moynihan DESCRIPTION:From the Forest to the Ocean One-Day Only Pop-Up Solo Visual Art Exhibition by Mary Moynihan\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nA one-day showing of Mary Moynihan’s solo exhibition combining photography\, poetry and film inspired by physical landscapes and seascapes and their connection to landscapes of the soul and the deep interconnectedness of life — from forests to the ocean. \n\n\nBook Your Place\n\n\n\nNo Booking Necessary \n\n\n\nArtists\n\n\n\nMary Moynihan\, Writer\, Poet\, Creator of Art and Photography\, Artistic Director\, Smashing Times International Centre for the Arts and Equality\, Arts Curator for the annual International Irish Arts and Human Rights festival. \n\n\n\nCiara Hayes\, Producer\, Smashing Times International Centre for the Arts and Equality \n\n\n\nFreda Manweiler\, Company Manager and Producer\, Smashing Times International Centre for the Arts and Equality \n\n\n\nEM Creative\, Graphic Design \n\n\n\nJody Hogg\, Graphic Design \n\n\n\nFull Event Details\n\n\n\nFrom the Forest to the Ocean is a powerful solo exhibition featuring the work of Irish artist Mary Moynihan. Bringing together photography\, poetry\, and film\, this multidisciplinary exhibition draws inspiration from the physical landscapes of nature and the deep interconnectedness of life — from forests to the ocean. \n\n\n\nConcept \n\n\n\nThe artworks map physical landscapes and seascapes to landscapes of the soul and are rooted in reflections on nature\, journeys of interconnectedness\, and the art of letting go\, exploring the boundaries between the natural world and the human spirit. The work creates a synergy between the evocative beauty and fragility of the photographic landscapes and seascapes of counties Dublin\, Wicklow\, Kerry\, and France\, combined with the emotional impact of poetical texts in written and in a poem-film format. \n\n\n\nInspirations \n\n\n\nMary Moynihan is a writer\, poet and creator of art and photography.  Mary’s work is rooted in reflections on nature and the interconnectedness of the human spirit and the natural world around us. Our personal well-being is inseparable from the well-being of our planet — on physical\, emotional\, spiritual\, and intuitive levels. Nature and creativity inspire us to look after ourselves\, each other\, and the planet we live on and to search for more sustainable ways of living.  Visitors are invited to step into a space of reflection and self-expression\, exploring the delicate boundaries between the natural world of  landscapes and seascapes and the human spirit. The work evokes a gentle yet profound invitation: to breathe\, to reconnect with the rhythms of life and love\, and to re-wild both the landscape and the human soul. \n\n\n\nThis stunningly beautiful exhibition nurtures a dialogue between inner and outer worlds\, reminding us that nature\, creativity\, and humanity are deeply intertwined. The artworks linger in the mind and heart\, offering a lasting sense of connection and prompting reflection long after leaving the gallery. \n\n\n\nThe one-day only exhibition is accompanied by ‘Ancestral Voices + Human Rights’\, an Artist Talk and poetry reading taking place on Thursday 15 October 2026\, 1-2pm. Tickets €10. \n\n\n\nArtist Mary Moynihan discusses the imagery and stories behind From the Forest to the Ocean and shares a selection of her original poetry\, reflecting on how place\, memory and the ancestral voices of those who came before can inspire and shape our lives today. Followed by an audience Q+A. \n\n\n\nMary Moynihan (she/her) is an award-winning writer\, poet\, theatre and film-maker and  a creator of art and photography. Mary is Artistic Director of Smashing Times International Centre for the Arts and Equality\, and Artistic Curator for the annual Dublin Arts and Human Rights festival.  \n\n\n\nFrom the Forest to the Ocean – Background \n\n\n\nFrom the Forest to the Ocean is inspired by reflections on nature; journeys of interconnectedness and the art of ‘letting go’\, linking physical landscapes of nature from the forests to the ocean to landscapes of the soul.  The original concept for the exhibition From the Forest to the Ocean is by Mary Moynihan\, a writer\, poet and creator of art and photography.  This exhibition is part of a triptych – Landscapes of the Soul (Part I)\, From the Forest to the Ocean (Part II) and a third exhibition (Part III) to be presented in 2027. Following their successful exhibition in 2024\, titled Landscapes of the Soul (Part I) artists Mary Moynihan and Hina Khan were delighted to return to Rathfarnham Castle Gallery in 2024 to present a new multi-disciplinary exhibition titled From the Forest to the Ocean (Landscapes of the Soul Part II) featuring the work of both artists. In 2026 a solo show by Mary Moynihan was presented from March to September at the Smashing Times Visual Art Gallery\, 30 Sandycove Road\, Dublin and as a one day installation to the RHA on Thursday 15 October 2026. \n\n\n\nSpeaker Biographies:\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMary Moynihan\, MA\, she/her\, is an award-winning author of novels\, poetry\, films and plays\, from Dublin\, Ireland. Mary embarked upon her award-winning career as a writer in theatre and film and has garnered much acclaim for her plays\, poetry and short film scripts\, and for creating interdisciplinary artworks combining writing and photography presented in galleries and online. She established and became Artistic Director of Smashing Times International Centre for the Arts and Equality and is Artistic Curator for the annual Dublin Arts and Human Rights festival. Mary has an honours BA in Drama and Theatre Studies from Trinity College Dublin and an honours Masters in Film Production from TU Dublin. \n\n\n\nAfter raising four children\, now  adults\, Mary dedicated her time to becoming a writer. She writes fiction for young people and adults featuring stories of courage\, laughter\, tragedy\, happiness\, love\, death and action-packed adventures. Mary pens a series of articles titled Creative Reflections on Arts\, Creativity\, Leadership and Self-Esteem which appear in the Smashing Times International Centre for the Arts and Equality newsletter and on Mary’s website marymoynihan.ie \n\n\n\nIn her free time Mary loves to spend time with her four adult children and hang out with friends.  She swims in the sea all year round. She loves the ocean\, sky and moon and has a spiritual connection to the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea\, to the environs of Dublin bay and to the mystical landscapes of Valentia Island and the surrounding Iveragh peninsula in County Kerry\, her spiritual home. She is a big fan of the Dublin Gaelic football and hurling teams. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nOrganisations Involved / Partner Organisation(s):\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nVenue Information: URL:https://smashingtimes.ie/event/from-the-forest-to-the-ocean/ LOCATION:Royal Hibernian Academy of Arts (RHA)\, 15 Ely place\, Dublin\, D02 A213 CATEGORIES:Exhibition ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://smashingtimes.ie/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/2.-Landscapes-of-the-Soul.-Image-by-Mary-Moynihan-1.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Smashing Times International Centre for the Arts and Equality":MAILTO:info@smashingtimes.ie END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Dublin:20261018T100000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/Dublin:20261018T180000 DTSTAMP:20260925T150602Z CREATED:20260831T142039Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260925T150602Z UID:10000714-1792317600-1792346400@smashingtimes.ie SUMMARY:The Queer Portrait Project with Kiz Rutherford\, Artist - Exhibition\, Artist Talk and Portraiture Sittings DESCRIPTION:From the Forest to the Ocean One-Day Only Pop-Up Solo Visual Art Exhibition by Mary Moynihan\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nA one-day showing of Mary Moynihan’s solo exhibition combining photography\, poetry and film inspired by physical landscapes and seascapes and their connection to landscapes of the soul and the deep interconnectedness of life — from forests to the ocean. \n\n\nThe Queer Portrait Project is a community-based artistic response to rising anti-LGBTQIA+ rhetoric and targeted violence and celebrates queer identity\, diversity\, strength and resilience\, grounded in the principle that trans and queer rights are human rights. \n\n\n\nBook Your Place\n\n\n\nExhibition – Admission free\, no booking required \n\n\n\nTalk – Tickets €5\, book below \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nArtists\n\n\n\nKiz Rutherford\, artist \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\nFull Event Details\n\n\n\nThe Queer Portrait Project comes to the Smashing Times Visual Art Gallery + Centre for the Arts and Human Rights on Sunday 18 October from 10am to 6pm\, for the 2026 Irish Arts and Human Rights festival. Enjoy a visual art exhibition\, artist talk and live\, on-site portraiture sittings presented by artist Kiz Rutherford as part of The Queer Portrait Project\, an ongoing\, grassroots project creating a series of intimate\, affirming portraits depicting members of Ireland’s LGBTQ+ community. \n\n\n\nSince the start of 2026 artist Kiz Rutherford has been creating a series of portraits of members of Irelands queer community in response to the rising anti-LGBTQIA + violence and rhetoric\, and the simultaneous reduction in rights and systemic oppression of our global community. This project is for the community by the community and serves as a vital artistic response to the alarming global rise in anti-LGBTQIA+ rhetoric\, systemic policy shifts\, and targeted violence—from political rollbacks in the US and UK\, to local struggles like Ireland’s gender-affirming care waitlists\, and recent tragedies like Berlin Pride. Standing firmly on the principle that trans and queer rights are human rights\, The Queer Portrait Project showcases and illustrates the profound diversity\, strength\, and resilience of the LGBTQ+ community in the face of growing oppression and hate. \n\n\n\nThe 2026 Irish Arts and Human Rights festival offering of The Queer Portrait Project is presented through multiple interactive formats. Come to the Smashing Times Visual Art Gallery and view an exhibition of portrait artworks created to date\, enjoy an artist talk with artist Kiz Rutherford in conversation with Smashing Times festival producer Ciara Hayes talking about The Queer Portrait project and take part in live on-site portraiture sittings. \n\n\n\n\nExhibition: A collection of complete portrait paintings by visual artist Kiz Rutherford presented on site as a pop-up exhibition at the Smashing Times Visual Art Gallery on 18 October 2026\, from 10am to 6pm\n\n\n\nArtist Talk with Kiz Rutherford: An engaging discussion between Smashing Times festival producer Ciara Hayes and artist Kiz Rutherford\, exploring the origins\, political context\, and community-building goals of The Queer Portrait Project\, taking place at the Smashing Times Visual Art Gallery on 18 October 2026 from 1 to 1.30pm\n\n\n\nLive Sittings: Live 1-to-2-hour sessions where festival-goers sit for a conversation\, preliminary sketch\, and reference photos with the artist\, adding to the creation of intimate\, affirming portraits of LGBTQ+ individuals\, taking place at the Smashing Times Visual Art Gallery on 18 October 2026 from 2-6pm\n\n\n\n\nArtist Kiz Rutherford writes \n\n\n\n\nThere is undoubtedly a massive recent shift towards homophobia and transphobia on a global scale at a policy level that has encouraged and enabled hatred at all levels of society to be seen as acceptable. In my lifetime we saw an increase in rights and acceptance for the queer community but things have dramatically shifted recently from the systemic erasure of the communities history and rights to the oppression on a daily basis. This is clearly seen at a policy level in the US and UK and elsewhere while the Irish continues to fights its own battles with the huge waiting lists for gender affirming care. Trans rights and queer rights are human rights\, I write this in the aftermath of the tragedy at Berlin pride\, feeling more fiercely than ever that we must continue to fight. \n\n\n\n\nArtist Biographies:\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nBased in Dublin\, Kiz Rutherford creates figurative paintings and drawings exploring the interplay between light and darkness. Their work\, particularly the “We’re Losing the Light” series\, captures the emotional resonance found in fleeting moments of illumination against shadow. Through portraiture and life drawing\, Kiz examines how light shapes our perception of form and feeling\, revealing both vulnerability and strength in human subjects. Their project\, the Queer Portrait Project\, recently previewed at Rua Red\, extends their practice to create intimate\, affirming portraits of LGBTQ+ individuals. Committed to fostering artistic community\, Kiz also runs weekly life drawing sessions. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\nVenue Information: URL:https://smashingtimes.ie/event/the-queer-portrait-project-with-kiz-rutherford/ LOCATION:Smashing Times International Centre for the Arts and Equality\, 30 Sandycove Road\, Sandycove\, Dublin\, A96V9P1\, 30 Sandycove Road\, Sandycove\, Dublin\, A96V9P1 CATEGORIES:Exhibition,Talk ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://smashingtimes.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/IMG_0552-Bear-Bear.jpeg END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR