Artists at the forefront in promoting Ireland
Following on from the focus at the Global Irish Economic Forum in Farmleigh last weekend on arts and culture as one of Ireland’s greatest strengths in competing internationally, Culture Ireland, the national agency for promoting Irish arts worldwide, has announced investments in an ambitious spectrum of projects in priority countries across the globe.
“In the coming year, Irish artists and companies are in greater demand than ever at leading international festivals and venues. This is a dynamic growth sector for Ireland, underpinning our global reputation and opening the door to trade, investment, tourism and jobs,” commented Eugene Downes, Chief Executive of Culture Ireland.
Culture Ireland continues to develop its strategic focus on the United States with project grants of over €135,000 for Irish artists and companies presenting work across the US. Events include a series of Irish art exhibitions by curators Mark Garry and Georgina Jackson in the high-profile Mattress Factory Art Museum in Pittsburgh over a period of six months next year, a programme of theatre, public art and literature presented by Solas Nua in Washington DC, an exhibition of the Hugh Lane Centenary Print Collection at the American-Irish Historical Society in New York in March, and Fishamble’s award-winning show “Forgotten” by Pat Kinevane at the Irish Arts Centre in New York early next year.
On the music front, in addition to a strong line up of traditional Irish music on tour in the US, Irish composers are the focus of a day-long festival at Symphony Space in New York in February, which follows performances this autumn by Jennifer Walsh at the “Performa” performance art biennale in New York and by the Irish Chamber Orchestra at the University of Notre Dame, Indiana.
Culture Ireland is also supporting the Irish Chamber Orchestra in an extensive ten-concert tour of China, coinciding with the Shanghai 2010 World Expo, as well as Irish participation in the Shanghai Jazz Festival this October. In India there will be a strong Irish presence in the International Literature Festival in Jaipur next January including Anne Enright, Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill, Mícheál Ó Conghaile and Conor McPherson.
A strong contingent of Irish writers, including Seamus Heaney, Dennis O'Driscoll and Matthew Sweeney will represent Ireland at Stanza, Scotland's International Poetry Festival in St Andrews, while Eoin Colfer, Roddy Doyle, Paul Durcan and Colm Tóibín will take part next month in the International Festival of Authors at the Harbourfront Centre in Toronto, building on a special focus on Irish writers last year, with Maureen Kennelly also attending to develop links with Cúirt International Festival of Literature.
In 2009-10 Harbourfront Centre is also book-ending its performing arts season with Druid’s “The Walworth Farce” by Enda Walsh and Fabulous Beast's “Giselle”, while “Giselle” is also being presented at the Sydney Festival next January - which, as in 2009, has a very strong programme of Irish work including Pan Pan's “Oedipus Loves You” and the Sharon Shannon band.
These grants have been offered as part of Culture Ireland’s Autumn funding round, with a total of €460,000 awarded to projects across Europe, Asia, North America, South America, the Middle East, Australia and New Zealand.
Full details of the grant list is available from:
http://www.cultureireland.gov.ie/grants/received/receivedgrant_sep09.html
The next deadline for applications is 15 November 2009. Information on the criteria for support, guidelines and application forms are available from: http://www.cultureireland.gov.ie/grants/applying.html
For further information contact:
Christine Sisk, Director Grants Programme
+ 353 1 631 3927