Mermaid Moments

The physical doors of our arts centre may be closed but we are far from quiet and Mermaid is determined to meet these challenging times with positivity. The team, has already embraced the virtual meeting room world to keep the wheels moving whilst observing our social distancing.

Working from home, staying and being forced to be still makes me more aware than ever just how repetitive and mundane our lives are. What this kind of living gives me though, is the realisation that the value of living has a lot less to do with being busy and active and so much more to do with awareness. Awareness of the mundane little things and an overwhelming awareness of the importance of people.

Usually at this time of year we would be announcing our Summer Season, instead we find ourselves cancelling over 74 events. So many artists and creatives are struggling to make ends meet. You, our valued audiences are missing from our centre. I have become so aware of just how much the gathering of people, audiences and artists, matters. I have realised just how vital both are to everything that we do. We are lost without you. We need your attention and your presence. To quote Simone Weil (Philosopher) 'Attention is the purest form of generosity' and Mermaid truly values your attention, it makes us complete.

Patti Smith, singer and poet once said, 'seek out what magnifies your spirit'. It is a beautiful phrase and beautiful notion. We have therefore decided to bring you some new experiences online. These are MERMAID MOMENTS.

We aim to bring you the very best in arthouse cinema (both paid and free options), interviews with artists and other artistic gems. We will add to this each week. Keep an eye on the Behind the Scenes pages of our website and if you don't already follow us on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter, now would be a great time start, who knows, you might even pick up a lovely prize!

To keep calm and to keep anxiety at bay I mentally repeat, over and over, a quote from my favourite writer Albert Camus, 'In the depths of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer'.

All of us in Mermaid wish you and your loved ones the very best. We can't wait to open our doors and welcome you back.

Until then, stay safe.

Niamh O'Donnell, Artistic Director, Mermaid Arts Centre

Check out our Mermaid Moments here:

https://www.mermaidartscentre....