We are absolutely delighted that the multi-talented Donna Kernan will be opening and closing this special Aspects Festival event at Bangor Castle, with some beautiful songs.

Our wonderful Donna has been on this journey with The Bangor Poetry Competition since the very beginning. (Right back to The Curious Cat Cafe days on Abbey Street) She has been an inspiration to many of us in Bangor- so if you haven’t got a ticket yet for Sunday 27th September- there are not many left! Don’t miss out on what is bound to be a long-lasting experience.

Some Free Tickets for the event available via this link. If all tickets are sold out, please join the waitlist and we will notify you if a space become available.

TICKET LINK: The 13th Bangor Poetry Competition and Launch of Issue 24 of The Bangor Literary Journal | Aspects

Read all about Donna….

Donna Kernan is an actress, singer, director, dialogue coach and creative practitioner whose career has spanned more than four decades across theatre, television, film and music.

A graduate of East 15 Acting School in London, Donna has toured internationally in acclaimed productions, performing throughout the UK, Ireland, America, Canada, Turkey and Egypt. Her lifelong love of music began in childhood and has taken her from the stage of the Riverside Theatre in Coleraine to performing at London’s Hammersmith Apollo with her band Sasta. She has also recorded with a number of bands, including her own folk-inspired band Drop of the Pure.

Alongside performing, Donna has enjoyed a varied creative career, designing the iconic crowns for Riverdance—still used in productions today—and working extensively behind the scenes in film as a dialogue coach and assistant director. She is passionate about nurturing young talent through Donna’s Drama in Bangor, where she teaches drama and voice to children and young people of all abilities.

In 2020, Donna temporarily lost her voice for 16 months. That life-changing experience, combined with speech therapy and personal counselling, inspired her to retrain as a counsellor. She is now in her fourth year of counselling training and hopes to specialise in supporting children and young people who have experienced trauma.

Donna believes deeply in the healing power of creativity, music and compassionate listening, and is committed to helping others find their voice—both on stage and in life.