With support of over €2 million, major tours, performances and exhibitions involving Irish artists will take place throughout the year in key territories such as the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, with a special focus on key cultural dates such as St Patrick's Day and Bloomsday and dates of historic relevance. Among the dozens of events in the I Am Ireland programme will be a 2016 Commemorations Irish Film Season in cinemas across London, and Corn Exchange on tour in the UK and US with Eimear Mc Bride's A Girl is a Half Formed Thing, adapted for stage by Annie Ryan. A new operatic version of James Joyce's The Dead produced by The Performance Corporation will be presented at festivals in Canada, the Irish Youth Chamber Choir will collaborate with the Canadian National Youth Choir, the Science Gallery Dublin will present Blood—Not for the Faint-Hearted in Melbourne, and Landmark Productions/Wide Open Opera's The Last Hotel, a new opera by Enda Walsh & Donnacha Dennehy will be presented at St. Ann's Warehouse, Brooklyn, New York. A curated programme of Irish writers will tour to US festivals and venues and Macnas will be at large at the 2016 South by Southwest Festival, Austin, Texas. Solo exhibitions of Irish artists touring will include James L Hayes in the US and Daphne Wright and Dennis McNulty in the UK.

Minister of State Ó Ríordáin said: “It is for our artists and their talents that Ireland is known globally. Ireland has been home to many creative geniuses whose work is applauded worldwide and for 2016 the Irish Government is committed to a special programme to share globally the treasures created by our artists. As we commemorate the centenary of this momentous time in our nation's history, I am delighted that promoting our artists overseas, through Culture Ireland, plays such a prominent role in our Ireland 2016 programme.” 

The announcement of the programme for I Am Ireland comes as Culture Ireland celebrates 10 years in existence. During those years Culture Ireland has supported over 4,000 projects to present in over 100 countries reaching over 20 million audience members.

The support and platforms offered by Culture Ireland helps ensure that Irish artists can continue to reach global audiences. Ireland 2016 offers a special opportunity to raise further international awareness of Ireland as a country of strong creativity and artistic excellence and to celebrate Ireland's global cultural achievements.

Culture Ireland promotes Irish arts worldwide. On an ongoing basis Culture Ireland creates and supports Irish artists and companies to present and promote their work at strategic international festivals and venues. Culture Ireland develops platforms to present outstanding Irish work to international audiences, through showcases at key global arts events, generating new opportunities for Irish artists.

Culture Ireland will deliver a special programme to share globally high quality events by Irish artists and companies. Culture Ireland has planned the 2016 international culture programme, I am Ireland, inspired by the opening line of one of Pearse's poems, Mise Eire. I am Ireland speaks of a contemporary Ireland, of young and established artists, influenced by Ireland's geographic position, history and cultural journey over the past one hundred years.

The Culture Ireland international culture programme for 2016 forms part of the Global and Diaspora Programme, one of the seven strands of the Centenary Programme. The Global and Diaspora Programme is a once-in-a-century opportunity at home and overseas to explore, present, debate and reflect on Ireland then, now and to imagine the next 100 years. 

The Ireland 2016 Centenary Programme, led by Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Heather Humphreys, T.D., is a year-long programme of activity to commemorate the events of the 1916 Rising, to reflect on our achievements over the last 100 years and to look towards Ireland's future.

The aim of the Ireland 2016 Centenary Programme is to have a rich diversity of programmes and events which will run throughout 2016, to commemorate the centenary of the 1916 Easter Rising.  The programme will be inclusive and is an invitation to everyone on the island of Ireland and to the global Irish community to shape and engage in a diverse range of historical, cultural and artistic activities—all designed to facilitate reflection, commemoration, celebration, debate and analysis and an active imagining of our future. 

There are seven programme strands including State Ceremonial, Historical Reflection, An Teanga Bheo, Youth and Imagination, Cultural Expression, Community Participation, Global and Diaspora.

Further information on Ireland 2016 is available at www.ireland.ie/#ireland2016