The Sound Nest
The Sound Nest is an interactive music-making experience set within stunning, synchronized visual projections produced by renowned visual artist Jane Cassidy.
Wednesday 4th to Saturday 7th December
Open daily from 10am - 5pm
Designed for inclusivity, the project allows groups to create harmonious music together performing on color-coded instruments called sound nests, in response to an animated musical score. The music and visuals were co-created over a year with participants with intellectual disabilities attending That’s Life arts programmes
We are very grateful for the continuing support of The Arts Council / An Chomhairle Ealaíon for helping us to develop this project.
Full Circle
Tickets are now on sale for ‘Full Circle’, a collaboration between Galway Music Residency and That's Life music programme. This mesmorising musical event takes place on Tuesday 16 July, 6 pm at St. Nicholas Church, and is part of the 2024 Galway International Arts Festival (GIAF) Programme.
Performed by the ConTempo Quartet, musician-composer Bianca Gannon, and In Flow, the That’s Life Gamelan ensemble, ‘Full Circle’ takes you on a captivating musical journey with a collective of classical musicians, accompanied by percussion from our talented adults with Intellectual Difficulties (ID). Exploring the themes of home and beyond through intricate cyclical structures, the performance is a meditative yet dynamic blend of string quartet, piano and Indonesian gamelan.
Hello everyone! We are very excited to announce Club Tropicana on June 27th. Join us for an unforgettable evening of music, dance, and creativity at Club Tropicana, a one-of-a-kind event proudly hosted by That’s Life. Designed for adults with intellectual disabilities, Club Tropicana offers a welcoming and inclusive space to enjoy live music and dancing. Get ready to groove to the infectious beats of The Lewd Tunes, a dynamic seven-piece band, and keep the energy high with the electrifying mixes from the Bounce DJ crew. Our vibrant sea-themed atmosphere will come alive with stunning artworks and props, crafted by adults with intellectual disability in collaboration with local artists. Don't miss out on what promises to be the highlight event of the summer!
Time: 7pm-10.30pm
Venue: Black Box, Galway
Price: €12/Support Staff Free
'Mr. President'
Join us for a classic musical tale of ordinary people standing up against a corrupt and oppressive president! This new musical features performances and visual projections by adults with ID from the That’s Life arts programme, accompanied by musicians of Limerick’s ‘Ceol na Mara Youth Orchestra’ and renowned opera singer Catherine Donnelly. This unique, wonderful opera, has been created through a truly collaborative and inclusive process, bringing together musical ensembles from diverse backgrounds. With all original music composed and performed by WhistleBlast Quartet, participants from That's Life music programme, band Electric Dreams and the Gamelan Ensemble. This show promises to be a most engaging and accessible experience, suitable for all!
Friday 21st June 2024
Time: 7 pm
Duration: 60 minutes
Venue: Town Hall Theatre, Galway
In Flow - Gamelan Ensemble
Nuns Island Theatre, Galway - Wednesday 6th - Thursday 7th December 2023
A heart warming reception for three performances of 'In Flow', an enthralling, immersive musical experience by the That's Life Gamelan Ensemble, led by Aengus Hackett and Andrew Madec.
'In Flow' is an eight-piece gamelan ensemble who use traditional percussion instruments from Java to perform a selection of original works, as well as interpretations of timeless Javanese Gamelan pieces. The project is supported on an ongoing basis by GRETB Training Centre, and this particular series of concerts has been funded by Galway City Council through the Creative Ireland programme.
Congratulations to our players from That's Life, Lorraine Mahon, Tiago Da Silva, Mary Connoly, Michael Waldron and Martin McDonagh, who were joined by Matthew Jacobson, with visuals by Gerald Glynn.
Going Coastal - Electric Dreams
Nuns Island Theatre, Galway Saturday 18th November 2023
That's Life were thrilled to have been asked to curate a concert at the Going Coastal Festival, which was held over five days between the 15th - 19th of November at nine different venues across Galway City. Our very own Electric Dreams headlined the event which also featured beautiful, spellbinding soundscapes from electro-folk artist Emma Lohan, and wistful love songs from award-winning composer and performer Anna Mullarkey. Thanks to everyone who contributed to a great occasion.
Going Coastal is a festival of contemporary original music featuring young, emerging and established acts from the western edge of Ireland.
The aim of Going Coastal is to contribute to an inclusive and sustainable vision for independent music on the western edge of Ireland. The festival supports emerging artists, celebrates local music heritage, and connects artists, promoters and enthusiasts from across the region.
Going Coastal is funded by Galway City Council and the Galway City Creative Ireland Programme, with support from Flirt FM.
Electric Dreams are a pioneering pop band which supported by That's Life. A diverse bunch, the band’s sound sits snugly in between pop, RnB and indie, and their music comes with a message of inclusion and community.
The band released a debut album, Behind the mask in 2019, bringing their unique brand of feel-good grooves and catchy hooks to a wider audience for the first time.
'Crisp beats, sparkly guitars and melodic synths come together with upbeat lyrics to make for an unforgettable sound'.
Entirely written and recorded by the band in the That's Life studio, the six track album was polished off by veteran producer Bob Macciochi of SC Mastering, UK.
You can buy or stream their debut album 'Behind the Mask' on: Spotify iTunes or Bandcamp
Electric Dreams, performing at an evening event for The Changing Landscape of Festival 2023, organised by the Creative Europe Desk Ireland.
WhistleBlast Quartet
Morning Concerts - Afternoon Workshops, November 2023
During November, the wonderful WhistleBlast Quartet took up residence in the That's Life music studio. Over four weeks, the group held two morning concerts, followed by a 3 hour opera workshop organised by project coordinator Andrew Madec and musical practitioner Aengus Hacket. The musicians are supporting the adults on our music programme to devise an original work which will be performed in June 2024. Here is a snippet from the concert held on Tuesday November 7th , 'Bare Necessities', from the film version of The Jungle Book. The project is funded by The Arts Council, An Chomhairle Ealaíon, through the Arts Grant 2023.
Bounce
Bounce is a club night for people with intellectual difficulties (ID), which is held one Monday a month in the Roisin Dubh, Galway. Bouce also goes on tour, and held a club night at Number 45, a safe space run by the Sligo Centre for Independent Living back in July 2023.
Our aim is to create a fun, safe and accessible space for young adults with intellectual disabilities to socialise, listen to music, and dance in a club environment. All our DJs are supported by experienced Galway DJs and play a wide range of music including pop, rock, hip-hop and r'n'b.
Club Tropicana
Club Tropicana is an annual midsummer club night which for the last two years took place during the hugely successful Magic Garden Festival, held at the walled garden at Kilcornan House, Clarinbridge.
In the weeks leading up to this year's event 'The Octopus's Wedding', a huge group of prop makers collaborated with members of the That's Life team to transform the venue into a fun and engaging space. House band Electric Dreams were joined on stage by our Bounce DJs with support from The Lewd Tunes
"Club Tropicana is the most amazing, entertaining and accessible club night for people with intellectual disability and friends. Galway City Arts Office is so delighted to be associated with this event"
James Harrold, Galway City Arts Officer.
“Every year we look so forward to Club Tropicana. It is the best night of the summer and we never want it to end"
Elizabeth McCormac, club-goer
That's Life Showcase
29th and 30th March 2023
Act 1: In Flow Gamelan Ensemble
Following a successful run of performances as part of Galway Jazz Festival in 2019, In Flow have been working on new material and integrating new members to the group. That’s Life gamelan players with intellectual disability will play a selection of new original works, composed by the group in collaboration with That's Life Programme Director, Andrew Madec and music consultant Aengus Hackett, along with some traditional pieces from Java where the gamelan originates.
Act 2: The Little Shop
'Step into the world of the Little Shop, where ordinary events lead us in unexpected directions. The staff love to make fun more than work, instead they play with everyday objects to create imaginary worlds. You will never know what you are going to see, or where you will be taken, on this amazing and unpredictable journey of everyday life'.
That’s Life perform their first public presentation of this work in progress. This playful show is a continuation of the Mask project (2020), researched by Miquel Barcelo. It uses mask and dynamic visual theatre techniques to explore poetical stories, which is inclusive and adapted for adults with intellectual disability. Directed and devised by Miquel Barcelo in collaboration with Imelda Reynolds (That’s Life Arts Facilitator).
Trickster
Ignite commission - Jes Colborne & Mind The Gap in Collaboration with That's Life performers.
Mind the Gap is England’s premier learning disability performance and arts company, breaking barriers and celebrating diversity.
At Mind the Gap, we are committed to pushing boundaries, challenging perceptions, and empowering individuals with learning disabilities and autism in the world of performing arts. For over 30 years, we have been at the forefront of advocating for inclusion and diversity in the arts, and we are proud to have paved the way for individuals with learning disabilities and autism to access and excel in the performing arts sector.
