12th September, 2026

Culture Night at Civic Trust House on Friday 18th September 2026

12 September 2026
By Valerie Ryan
valerie@TheCork.ie

See www.CorkCity.ie/CultureNight

Culture Night, on Friday, September 18th, is a night when people are invited to come together for free cultural discovery, creativity and connection. Presented by Cork City Council and part of a nationwide event led by the Arts Council, it gives everyone the opportunity to access, explore and enjoy unusual events and spaces. One of the many popular venues for young and old on the night is Civic Trust House, the stunning early Georgian house at 50 Pope’s Quay, which is home to many of Cork’s cultural organisations. It is the oldest house in Cork and is considered one of the finest historic buildings in the city.

Nicki ffrench Davis is Building Manager at Civic Trust House, a post she has held since 2006, and oversees the day-to-day running of this shared historic space. Ahead of this year’s Culture Night she says: “Culture Night on Friday 18th this year is our annual highlight. We love welcoming first-time visitors and old friends to experience the rich atmosphere of this historic house and get a taste of what happens here these days, usually behind closed doors.

It’s a small space, so there is always a nice bustle. It’s a social night and we like to provide space for people to hang out and meet each other outside when the weather allows. This year will be special as we celebrate 20 years at the house with our first ever Artist-in-Residence, Cónal Creedon.

“We celebrate 20 years of our group residency at this historic house with a typically eclectic progamme. Please come early – capacity very limited!””

Schedule of events:

4.30-6pm Projection Playspace – family friendly workshop
Come out to play with Crawford Art Gallery. Experiment with drawing, colour and transparencies using old-school overhead projectors. Project artwork from the Gallery collection and introduce your own playful imaginings. All materials supplied.

6-6.30pm Georgian Polyphony
St. George’s Georgian Orthodox Parish Choir, Cork presents traditional chants from the renowned Gelati School, and Cork Georgian Ensemble presents a selection of songs from the Georgian folk tradition.

6.30-7.30pm Welcome to Civic Trust House
With Artist-in-Residence Cónal Creedon and Building Manager Nicki ffrench Davis. Readings and chat.

7.30-8pm Actors Lab Work-in-progress performance
Founded by Paul Wilkins in February 2026 at Civic Trust House, the Actors Lab initiative offers drop-in professional actor training.

8-9pm Launch of Gearr Short Film Festival with Screenings
Launch of a new short film festival resident at the house with film screenings (Gearr takes place 7-11th October).

9-10.30pm – Cónal Creedon celebration
A selection of short performances and readings with actors Mark D’Aughton, Dominic MacHale, Áine Ní Laoghaire and Alison Teahan.