Abair/Samaa (Speak/Listen) is a newly commissioned intergenerational and intercultural collaborative choral performance by musical director Eimear Crehan, singer/songwriter Farah Elle, and theatre maker Rachel Bergin, working with the Men's Shed Choir in Kilcock. It will be presented as part of Bealtaine Festival at the Moat Theatre, Naas, and Smock Alley Theatre, Dublin, in May 2019. It will also be performed as part of Bealtaine's launch in the Irish Film Institute on May 1st.

This performance is a collaborative community endeavour, which will involve the local community in Kildare. Inspired by the Bealtaine festival's theme of "Welcome and Hospitality", Abair/Samaa engages the audience in an exploration of these themes through the sharing of culturally different musical traditions. The performance will incorporate elements of Irish traditional Sean Nós singing and Farah Elle's own music, inspired by her Libyan heritage. Through the common language of music, Abair/Samaa explores the connected themes of tradition, identity, otherness, language and emigration.

Rachel Bergin will lead a series of workshops with the Men's Shed Choir to explore how they view these challenging cultural topics and discussing their own experiences living in Ireland or emigrating abroad, with Farah Elle contributing with her own experiences as a Libyan-born woman growing up in Ireland.

The project by its nature is culturally rich and diverse, targeting people of all ages and backgrounds.

Please note that the details of events listed above are provided by the relevant Local Authorities.