Today is a special day.
Rising to the challenges represented by 2020 means adapting and changing.
This was the year Galway was set to shine on the international spotlight, sadly though the curtains never got a chance to open...until now.
Today (Thursday 3rd September) is a special day, because it marks the first full day of activities in the changed Galway International Arts Festival, part of the Galway 2020 European Capital of Culture celebrations.
The reimagined programme was launched last night with the Mirror Pavilion, an installation with mirrors and LED lights for walls.
As Covid-19 restrictions remain in place, an enhanced number of events have been moved online - a true sign of the resilience it takes to stay par for the course during this crazy year.
Patricia Philbin, CEO Galway 2020 European Capital of Culture, spoke of what it took to get to this stage:
“This year has been a huge challenge for everyone, particularly those working in our sector, who have had their livelihoods put at risk. During this time, we’ve seen the importance of culture more than ever before, to lift people’s spirits and get us through the darkest of days.
''Determined to persevere and present as much of our programme as possible.''
“Through it all, we have remained determined to persevere and present as much of our programme as possible. We have had to rethink how some elements will be presented, and unfortunately it will not be possible to deliver all of our original programme.
“However, it is vital that we do so, both for the artists and organisations for whom this work is so important, and also for audiences, to have the opportunity to embrace their favourite art form and celebrate great art and cultural experiences again.”
“Our fire tour lit up towns across Galway over 6 nights, we had a magnificent weekend of events in
early March celebrating International Women’s Day, with special guest, author Margaret Attwood,
and we had a huge response to the special digital experience of Kari Kola’s outdoor light artwork
Savage Beauty.
“These are just some of the highlights of the first few weeks of our programme
earlier this year. While we’ve had to make many changes since then, we are excited to create more
moments like these in the months ahead, and this reimagined programme is packed with exciting
and memorable moments, which we can’t wait to share with everyone.”
Here's what you can expect from the re-imagined programme.
The re-imagined programme comprises hundreds of events from 28 projects, as well as 30 Small
Towns Big Ideas community-based projects. Highlights of the programme include;
- The Irish language remains central to the programme, with Irish language and bi-lingual
events embedded across the programme, including Aistriú, Sea Tamagotchi and Óro. - Commissioned by Galway International Arts Festival for Galway 2020, Mirror Pavilion by
John Gerrard, using cutting edge digital technology, will be one of the largest outdoor
installations ever to be seen in Ireland. - Druid returns to live theatre in the magic fields, woods and gardens of Coole Park in a
tribute to, and an animation of, the life and works of Galway’s Augusta Lady Gregory.
DruidGregory will include six of Lady Gregory’s one-act plays, performed by a company of
12 actors and musicians, and directed by Garry Hynes. This will be followed by a
barnstorming 14 venue, four-week tour of Gregory’s beloved county Galway, from
Portumna to Glenamaddy, Ballinasloe to Clifden, and many more communities in
between. As part of the Education and Community strand, DruidGregory will also include
one-off, outdoor performances of Galway writer Tom Murphy’s first play, On the Outside
(written with Noel O’Donoghue). - Master storytellers Macnas will bring a dramatic new interpretation of the world’s oldest
story to Galway – the legend of Gilgamesh. The extraordinary adventures of Gilgamesh
will unfold across city, county and online and will see Macnas elevate its signature style and
challenge the boundaries and possibilities of traditional theatre and storytelling, outdoors
and indoors and at Macnas.com. - Turning our bad weather to good use, Hope it Rains | Soineann nó Doineann makes Galway
the place to be because it rains and blows. The project is a beautifully curated series of
installations, commissions and artistic responses to weather, with the aim of affecting
cultural change in our relationship with weather. Hope It Rains invites people of all ages to
join its projects to make Galway weather-proof and climate resilient. - RISE is a series of three collaborative projects from Baboro International Arts Festival for
Children that will place the voice of the child at the heart of the performance, bringing to
the surface the childhood experiences of joy, beauty, family, empowerment, loss and
transformation. - Incredible exhibitions and commissions from TULCA Season of Visual Art, Project BAA
BAA, Monument and Deeper Shades of Green and Oughterard Courthouse Arts
Programme taking us on a journey around the city and the county to view work from
wonderful artists both in person and online. - A modern-day fairy tale, Blue Teapot’s Into the Dark Woods entices us into rare territory,
using the living realm of the woods as an extraordinary invitation into the world as
experienced by someone with an intellectual disability. - Galway Moves is a series of site-specific dance performances inspired and informed by
our landscape. Produced by Galway Dance Project, and devised by Dansnest, Galway
Moves will celebrate community and connection bringing dance into open spaces,
culminating in public performances in Galway city and county. - To the Island is an enchanting story, beautifully illustrated, that families from Galway,
Ireland and beyond will treasure. Patricia Forde’s story is about a little girl who visits the
strange and mythical island of Hy Brasil, off the west coast of Ireland, but then follows her
heart home to Galway. The book will be gifted to every child starting school in Galway in
2020. - Based on the ancient Irish tradition of ‘Meitheal’ the coming together for a common
purpose, the Small Towns Big Ideas programme has impacted communities across
Galway, focusing on over 100 community projects since its inception in 2018. The
communal creativity continues into 2021 with 30 new and exciting projects and events.
You can find out all about reimagined programme for Galway 2020 European Capital of Culture here.
