Giant outdoor bed public artwork to be unveiled at Ebrington as part of Yes Festival in Derry and Donegal

The Molly Bed is a specially commissioned Gulliver-sized public artwork by Derry designer Tracey Lindsay.

It is one of eight major projects coming to the north west from June 10 to 17 and construction of the art work is already under way on site.

The Molly Bed will remain in place for eight days from Monday June 10 to 17 and the artwork will be free to view. Those visiting will also have the opportunity to leave a personal message under the bed sheets, as part of a project entitled ‘The Future : A Female Vision’.

The Yes festival in Derry & Donegal next week will conclude a major international project which has unfurled in different locations across Europe over the past two years. It is celebrating themes related to James Joyce’s Ulysses.

Ebrington Square will also host the world premiere of SIRENSCIRCUS – a depiction of Ulysses Sirens Episode XI through the framework of John Cage’s Musicircus. This mammoth production will feature 100 to 200 musicians and participants in Ebrington Square and will be free to the public. It takes place around the Molly Bed on Sunday, June 16 from 4pm – 6pm.

Ireland’s first Molly Bloomsday meanwhile will take place here all day on Sunday, June 16 from 6am through to 3am on Monday, June 17 and will involve transposing Ulysses’ 18 episodes to locations across Derry and Inishowen. This will include An Grianán of Aileach iron age sun fort reimagining Sandycove’s Martello Tower at 8am; Inishowen’s Lisfannon Beach reimagining Sandymount Strand at 11am; the Fountain Primary School reimagining Dalkey School Episode II (Nestor) at 10am; Derry’s Guildhall Square reimagining the Lestrygonian’s food Episode VIII at 1pm; Derry City Cemetery reimagining Dublin’s Glasnevin Cemetery; and the Little Acorns Bookshop reimagining Dublin’s National Library. One day only, June 16, 2024.

The Sixteen Nations project meanwhile will see women artists from all 16 nations involved in ULYSSES European Odyssey, dellivering projects in the north west from June 13 – 17.

Another strand of the festival, No Ordinary Women (NOW), will feature five high powered discussions: Women & Leadership (8.30pm – 9.45pm, June 13), Women & Power (7.30pm – 8.45pm, June 14), Women & Climate Justice (former Irish President Mary Robinson, 3pm – 4.15pm, June 15), Women & Resistance (7.30pm – 8.45pm, June 15) and Women & Media (12.15pm – 1.30pm, June 16).

‘RoUTE 18 – Return of Ulysses Trail Exhibits’ will showcase 18 mini-exhibitions of the 18 European cities events of the last two years hosted by Derry venues and organisations from Derry City FC to Ebrington. This will be open throughout the festival’s 8 days from Monday, June 10.

The Molly Films meanwhile are eight individual films, each featuring one of the world’s leading stage and screen actresses performing one of the eight long sentence sections of Episode XVII (Penelope) known as ‘Molly’s Soliloquy’. Each of the films will be featured separately across the Volta Cinema in the YES Hub St. Columb’s Hall, and as an innovative live art installation in the Regional Cultural Centre Letterkenny. Actors include Fiona Shaw, Dame Harriet Walter, Eve Hewson, Siobhan McSweeney and Adjoa Andoh.

The final strand will be O ROCKS! with Imelda May in conversation and acoustic presentation to round off the inaugural Molly Bloomsday 2024.

For more info and bookings see: https://www.yesderry.com/