Josephine Mulvenna

Absent for almost a decade from the stage Belfast folk singer Josephine Mulvenna returns having promoted artists through her writing and radio broadcasting Biography Josephine Mulvenna is a singer, actor, broadcaster and magazine contributor from Belfast, her childhood rooted in Irish folk singing and traditional step dancing, a member of Billy Holmes and Anna McCoy Irish dancing schools, she was involved in Fleadh Cheoil, Feis na nGleann, Feis An Dún, Scór na nOg where she took county and Ulster titles and second placings at All Ireland finals and Scór, Her first concert performance aged eight was hosted by her life long friend the late Tony McAuley, she shared the stage with The Sands family and subsequently guested over the years on Tommy Sand's Country Céili Downtown Radio and BBC Radio Ulster Folk Club and Mainly Music with Colum and Tony.Josephine took up set dancing and subsequently traveled to Italy on tour with Belfast All Set under the direction of Mary Fox combining her singing and dancing, Josephine was a student of the Belfast School of Music, member of the Ulster Youth Theatre and graduate of the Welsh College of Music and Drama. Combining both her passion for traditional music and theatre Josephine has performed on various stages including the Belfast Lyric Theatre, The Grand Opera House, The Whitla Hall, Arts Theatre, Riverside and Ardhowen Theatres, Andrews Lane & Tivoli Theatres in Dublin and The Kings Head Theatre Pub in London, television and radio performance include BBC Corner House, BBC 11th Hour, UTV Kelly Show, both acted and sang in BBC NI production of Life in Victorian Times ( Life In The City ) TG4 Cúla & Forefront's RTE Fleadh Cheoil series, The Belfast Festival at Queens on several occasions at Whitla Hall and Folk Club venues, Beyond The Frontiers BBC Radio Ulster, Rathlin Airs Festival, Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival, Northern Lights Festival, The Front Page,Féile An Phobail, An Creagán Bealtaine Festival, Gig n’ the Bann, Coleman Traditional Music Festival, Féile Frank McGann, Celtic Connections Open Stage, Rhythm of the Celts at the Edinburgh Playhouse Theatre, travelled to Boston to sing as part of the musical contingent under the direction of BBC Producer the late Tony McAuley for a Belfast Trade Mission and sang for President Mary McAleese at Áras An Uachtaráin . Instigating the Irish Emigrant Homeless Appeal in 2003 Josephine produced concerts in Cavan, Mayo and the National Concert Hall in Dublin to raise funds to help various homeless centres in Britain, with the help of stalwarts in traditional music and the late singer songwriter Christie Hennessy. Josephine began writing a weekly Irish Traditional Music column for Daily Ireland in 2005 and Lá in 2006 and on occasion articles for The Irish News, a decade ago she was invited to contribute to Irish Music Magazine. In 2007 she broadcast a spring season of traditional music programmes on Ráidio Fáilte the Irish language community radio station in Belfast. In February 2009 Josephine began broadcasting CELTIC BRIDGE on a number of Northern Media Q Radio Network’s radio stations which she produced and presented for almost seven years, a specialised traditional and folk music programme bringing listeners latest album releases, archival material, outside broadcasts, phone interviews and studio seisiúns which have included respected artists such as Len Graham, Cathal McConnell, Cara Dillon, Jim McGrath, Seamus O'Kane and many more on Q South West, Q Mid Ulster Q South East & online .After almost a decade away from the stage Josephine finally returned to sing live in performance at The Soma Festival Castlewellan in her home County of Down in 2015.And followed with gigs at the Sunflower folk club in her home city of Belfast, An Creagan County Tyrone and the Ulster Fleadh in Bangor County Down. Josephine has just in recent days taken part in a two day event Sam Henry - connecting with the past collecting for the future, singing songs from Sam Henry's songs of the people. She is also about to embark on two projects - bringing her established radio programme Celtic Bridge to a brand new platorm - Celtic Bridge on Comhaltas producing & presenting a weekly broadcast and contributing to Belfast 89 FM a monthly trad & folk events segment, the start of two new projects in the world of media and folk & traditional music.