Photos: jbs photos kilkenny
On a glorious Saturday afternoon, almost 100 people gathered at O’Sullivan’s on John Street for the launch of the 2026 AKA festival. Artists, producers, actors, photographers, sculptors, woodturners and a host of other artistic people joined to welcome another festival rooted in the community.
Launching the festival was Ann Mulrooney. With a BA in Fine Art from the Crawford College of Art, Cork and an MA in Sculpture from the Royal College of Art, London, Ann was an excellent choice to launch the event. Ms Mulrooney said how delighted she was to launch AKA 26, and how thrilled she was to see such a jam-packed programme. “Since the AKA began eleven years ago, the festival has come along in leaps and bounds” said Ann.
Ann referenced the fact that when the Kilkenny Arts festival was first born, few if any would have thought that the ripples of creativity would yield such wonderful work. Ann congratulated all involved and said the contribution of artists in the various guises was immense.
Chair of the AKA, Aoife Anderson, said she was blown away by the support that the festival has been given, “From artists, supporters, and the business community, the good will has been amazing” said Aoife. The chairperson went on to thank all for their support, paying a special thanks to artists, committee members and volunteers.
The AKA festival takes place in Kilkenny city and county from August 6 to 16.
