1 - 8 Jul 2022
Inua Ellams
Inua Ellams, Fuel and the Abbey Theatre present 05Fest.
05Fest unites the separate strands of Inua’s work previously staged in theatres and a variety of venues across the UK and internationally over the past 15 years.
The programme features five events in which Inua Ellams will collaborate with local artists in spaces across Dublin.
The line-up
The Midnight Run is a walking, arts-filled, night-time cultural journey through urban spaces. It gathers strangers and local artists together to explore, play and create, whilst the city sleeps. The Midnight Run aims to break down social barriers and provide a platform for established and emerging creatives, bringing moments of genuine interactive creativity. Past MNRunners have enjoyed a spectrum of activities including life-drawing, choral singing, puppetry, wrestling, cocktail making and tai chi, all whilst exploring a city as a group. The Midnight Run was established by Inua Ellams in 2005, since then, there have been 46 events nationally and internationally, this will be the first Dublin edition.
Born to a Muslim father and a Christian mother in what is now considered by many to be Boko Haram territory, award-winning poet and playwright Inua Ellams left Nigeria for England in 1996 aged 12, moved to Ireland for three years, before returning to London and starting work as a writer and graphic designer.
Part of this story was documented in his autobiographical Fringe First Award-winning play The 14th Tale, but much of it is untold. Littered with poems, stories, and anecdotes, Inua tells his ridiculous, fantastic, poignant immigrant-story of escaping fundamentalist Islam, experiencing prejudice and friendship in Dublin, performing solo at the National Theatre, and drinking wine with the Queen of England, all the while without a country to belong to or place to call home.
Poetry + Film/Hack presents both artforms in collaboration, by adding live poetry readings to the viewing experience of magnificent films. We choose movies that are socially, politically or culturally resonant and by including poetry in their presentation, expand, deepen or highlight their themes.
In this special edition of Poetry +Film/Hack, audiences are invited to watch an archive screening of The Butcher Boy before a line-up of five poets share new work – their words and verses directly responding to the film’s social commentary and themes.
What might eloquent voices from contemporary poetry and spoken word movements have to say about hip-hop’s past, present and future? Come chill and find out at Inua Ellams’ Rhythm and Poetry Party, a nostalgic, no-clutter, no-fuss, night of hip-hop-inspired poems and favourite hip-hop songs.
The format is super simple: 10 poets share a poem that engages any aspect of hip hop culture after each poet, the DJ will spin a few hip hop songs of the poet’s choosing and we dance the night away.
Closing out 05Fest in Dublin, this celebratory event will feature an all-star cast of some of Ireland’s finest poets.
Five directors. Five films. Five perspectives. One story.
How different can films be when their scripts are the same?
Conceived by award-winning writer, Inua Ellams, who will pen the screenplay, Reel Mix demonstrates how words and meanings can shift under different direction. The films, helmed by five of Ireland’s finest directors, will be screened back-to-back before a live audience with the cast and crew invited to discuss their artistic interpretations. Don’t miss this exciting exploration of film and the fluidity of meaning.