Laura Gallagher, artist in residence at the Dock writes: "I've just come from a meeting in The Dock with our local T.D. [Denis Naughten]  about the supports for arts campaign - The word meat-cleaver was used in relation to the future budget which is really horrifying to hear so I just thought I'd pass on a couple of key points that he was putting across to us about what is needed and they are: The T.Ds certainly in our region are not receiving enough emails about this subject but more particularly they need to be hearing from the local businesses in the area that benefit from the arts and how their businesses are going to be affected if the arts are cut, the jobs that are going to be lost indirectly etc. He also stressed that we are really lucky to have the publication  'Creative West' from the Western Development Association (It can be down loaded from their web site) that we should use and push this document to emphasise how important the creative economy is to the region and to make sure all our local councillors are familar with it."

It's countdown to the National Day of Action this Friday, the 17th September. More than half the TDs in the Dail, including the Taoiseach, have agreed to meet with artists and constituents working in the creative industries on that day. In Carrick-on-Shannon TDs Frank Feighan and Denis Naughton will be at the Dock coffee bar around lunchtime. Come on in and making your case for continuing recognition of the importance to the economy of the arts, particularly here in the West of Ireland where a WDC study showed that a higher proportion of the population work in the creative industries than anywhere else in the country.

FRIDAY 1ST – SUNDAY 3RD OCTOBER Ireland’s first Kurdish Film Festival Co-ordinator of London and New York Kurdish Film Festivals, Mustafa Gundogdu, curates this exciting and diverse programme of feature films, shorts, documentaries and animations from Iraq, Belgium, Turkey, Germany, Norway, UK and Ireland. For more information contact Leitrim County Council Arts Office on 071 962 1694 or www.kffcarrickonshannon.wordpress.com

Wish I Were Here, presented by The Dock and IT Sligo, plays at The Dock on Thursday 9 and Friday 10 September before its ABSOLUT Fringe Festival run from 15-18 September at Smock Alley Theatre, Dublin.

Wish I Were Here is a collaborative piece combining both physical and visual worlds through stories of voyage and discovery. Four actors hurtle through a range of characters on a journey loaded with bags and baggage.  Director Andy Crook’s fusion of masks, frames, movement and multimedia is certain to enthral anyone who has ever gone on a journey, left home or tried to create a new one. Watch as the framer becomes the framed, the face unveils the mask and the actors create and flow through new spaces in this beautiful new physical ensemble piece.

So don’t miss the chance to experience this beautiful new physical ensemble piece of theatre either at The Dock on Thursday 9^th or Friday 10^th September, or at Smock Alley Theatre, Dublin at ABSOLUT Fringe from 15 – 18 September (with preview on14^th September at Smock Alley at 6pm).  The performances at The Dock start at 8.30pm and the shows at Smock Alley start at 6pm sharp.   Bookings for The Dock on 071 9650828 and for Smock Alley on 1850 374643 or www.fringefest.com.