IN PICTURES: Inaugural YES Festival gets underway in Derry

The inaugural YES, a four-day, all-women, multi-arts, festival of female creativity inspired by Joyce’s most famous female character, Molly Bloom launched last night [Thursday 13 June] with a gala reception. The reception was followed by an in-conversation event with Northern Ireland’s First Minister Michelle O’Neill and the Deputy First Minster Emma Little–Pengelly hosted by writer Martina Devlin, that explored a female vision for our political and social future. Over the course of the next 3 days, Derry and Donegal will come alive with a wide range of mostly free and family friendly events from theatre, dance, visual arts, textiles and music. YES, hosts the first ever Molly Bloomsday on Sunday 16^th June and the World premiere of The Molly Films, a collection of 5 short films featuring Siobhan McSweeney, Fiona Shaw, Harriet Walter, Anjo Andoh and Eve Hewson which can be watched in sequence or as standalone films. YES, is the culmination of the ULYSSES European Odyssey, the largest-ever Ulysses celebration, which will have visited eighteen European cities by the time it closes in Derry. www.ulysseseurope.eu. YES runs until Sunday 16 June. For more information and to book your tickets please visit www.yesderry.com. Pictured, left to right, YES Project Manager Margaret Kelly, YES Artistic Curator Shauna Kelpie, First Minister Michelle O’Neill, Mayor of Derry Lilian Seenoi-Barr, Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly and curator of the No Ordinary Women Talks series, writer Martina Devlin. (Photos: Lorcan Doherty)