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Minister of State for Equality, New Communities and Culture, Aodhán Ó Ríordáin TD, has announced today the international culture programme for St Patrick's Day period being supported by Culture Ireland Division of his Department. Funding in excess of €200,000 will support more than 50 events taking place in 22 countries. The St Patrick's period offers a unique platform to highlight the strength of Ireland's creative sector and foster tourism and inward investment.
Making the announcement, the Minister said: “The Patrick's Festival period presents Ireland with an unrivalled opportunity to showcase our culture and our talented artists globally. People across the world instantly identify St Patrick's Day with the island of Ireland. It is a key opportunity to put the spotlight globally on the best of our culture and arts and allow new audiences and the diaspora to see, hear and experience Irish artists first -hand.”
Priority geographical areas such as Germany, China, Mexico, Russia and the US have been identified in a broad programme with a wide range of exciting and talented artists. Highlights of the international culture programme include:
- Film festivals in Boston, Rome and for the first time ever Sydney will present an Irish Australian Film Festival.
- In Russia, Moscow Irish Week will present a major multi-disciplinary arts festival, wrapped around the St. Patrick's Day celebrations, presenting the best in Irish film, contemporary and traditional music, and theatre.
- We Banjo 3 will undertake a tour of the USA with performances in New York, Maryland, Delaware, Connecticut, and Washington and more.
- Contemporary Irish music group - The Gloaming - will do a special tour at prestige venues and festivals in Australia, New Zealand and United Kingdom and onto Mexico to celebrate 40 years of diplomatic relations between Mexico and Ireland.
- In New York exceptionally gifted students from the Royal Irish Academy of Music, the Lir Academy at Trinity College Dublin and the Juilliard School will join forces to present Ten Thousand Miles Away.
- The Royal Irish Academy is also represented in China and South Korea with Generation Now/Generation Next - combining the talents of distinguished staff and prize winning students.
- Across Europe, artists such as Julie Feeney will perform in Amsterdam, along with renowned pianist Finghin Collins at the Splendor Music Centre. Well known band Moxie will perform at the 5th Guinness Celtic Spring Caravan Tour in cities across Austria, Switzerland and Italy.
- Irish Heartbeat tour of Irish musicians will take place in Germany, with participating artists Dermot Byrne & Floriane Blancke, Bernadette Morris Band and Mánran.
- The Forbidden City Concert Hall in Beijing and Shanghai Grand Theatre Shanghai will host the Sharon Shannon Band following a series of festival concerts in Melbourne, as well as Tasmania International Arts Festival.
- Also in Beijing and Shanghai as part of the Irish Festival will be a series of three Collaborative Irish/Chinese contemporary art exhibitions which have been inspired by & curated with the poetry of Yeats.
The culture programme coincides in many locations with visits by key Government led delegations, ensuring maximum impacts can be generated through this investment.
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