SPONSORED 02 Contents 04 Arts events across Munster Happy Days at the Galway 06 Kieran Quinn at Hawkswell Theatre International Arts Festival Upcoming events across Ulster and Connacht 07 Dublin’s must-visit events Resilience in the arts 08 Director of the Arts Council, Maureen Kennelly talks about the excitement The best live events that arts events are being staged live and online and how the Arts Council around Leinster is supporting them “It’s thrilling to hear of events being they are putting all those extra resources to staged for real, live audiences,” says good use. On pages 4-9, we have the events 10 ↘Maureen Kennelly. “Arts organisations’ guide with a variety of exciting arts events, standard of care for the public is really quite all supported by the Arts Council, coming Live and online! striking and instils me with confidence about up through August, September and October. We speak to performers and event a safe return to in-person performances.” From music performances to art exhibitions, After what seems like a lifetime for artists and from theatre productions to festivals, organisers on their excitement for and art lovers, arts shows, festivals, and there is something for everyone in all regions their live shows all kinds of events from dance to street of Ireland. theatre are cautiously opening up for limited “We have initiated a great programme audiences for live performances, in line with called Faoin Speir which will see outdoor Government guidelines. While online events performances staged in several counties, have become the norm, there is nothing quite including the wonderful aerial dance company 12 like sitting in a theatre for a live show. Fidget Feet in Ennis, Co Clare. We are also Keeping safe Arts centres across the country have taken supporting a great initiative called Festival in great care to create safe spaces in line with a Van, which involves the performance of live Post-Covid safety measures Government health advice. All of which music and poetry nationwide over the coming per venue and frequently have had the support from the Arts Council, weeks. the Government agency which encourages “There are so many gems across all art asked questions interest in Irish art and provides funding to forms,” says Maureen. “Art that is true and Irish artists and arts organisations. Maureen Kennelly convincing speaks best to me. I recall times “Technical and front of house personnel that I listened to music, read poems or prose, in the arts are uniquely placed to present year and a half. or saw visual pieces and knew that I would see events safely for the public, as they tend to “Artists and workers in the arts have shown the world differently forever more because of have particularly high standards in this area,” extraordinary resilience and resourcefulness,” those experiences. That’s an extraordinary says Maureen. “Many have qualifications in says Maureen. “They have adapted gift and I am always amazed that artists can health and safety, and they have amassed vast imaginatively and have been generous and keep doing it. There is so much in the world experience over the years, working across open in their approach to each other and to that is yet to be discovered, so it is a resource festivals and venues of every description. Arts the public. that we can return to time and again.” organisations are taking tentative and careful “Staging events during the pandemic is far steps back.” more expensive and their box office potential For more information, visit artscouncil.ie Maureen says there is a great hunger is often very limited, which makes Arts from the public for the arts. A recent survey Council support even more essential.” showed 61pc of people saying that the arts are In this magazine, we are celebrating arts essential for their wellbeing. events live and online! Not only do live The Arts Council recently supported pilot events create a cultural offering to live performances by the Irish Chamber entice people to an area where they Did you Orchestra in University Concert Hall, Co spend money, but they also provide Limerick and the Irish National Opera in Cork employment for artists and the know? Opera House, and these were enthusiastically many others involved in making received by the public. them happen. But even more • For the moment, the maximum number of “In fact, they were very highly charged fundamental is the cultural, people allowed in a theatre’s auditorium is 50. emotional events, with rapturous standing artistic and social impact. This means ticketsGrab them for shows before are they in limitedgo! supply. A BeCreative Editorial ovations for the performers when they first “It makes us what we are – it Production came on stage,” adds Maureen. “There was a tells the story of Ireland like • The Arts Council supports organisations and individual great passion and emotional urgency to these no other medium can. You artists through grant schemes and bursaries. In 2021, www.becreative.ie events, and I think we will never take such always can tell a thriving town the Arts Council’s grant from the Irish Exchequer is €130 Editor: Shauna McCrudden happenings for granted again.” or village by the health of its million and there are more than 30 awards and funding art scene. A community that Deputy Editor: Clodagh Dooley schemes this year, which enabled the Council to invest in Adapting and thriving invests in culture will inevitably Advertising: Eoin Healy (01) 705 5403 the arts and to ensure that they can be brought through Live arts returning comes as a relief for prosper in education, industry the pandemic intact. As well as direct funding, they also Maureen whose appointment to Director of and tourism, and in other areas.” support people through a range of developmental Design: INM Design Studio, Belfast the Arts Council was announced on March 6th The Arts Council received initiatives in the areasand fundraising. of digital, mental wellbeing Repro: Independent Newspapers (Ireland) 2020, just days before the Covid-19 shutdown. significant additional funding • Many upcoming festivals and arts Limited, 27-32 Talbot Street, Dublin 1 She worked remotely for many months, so she from the Government in 2020 to centres will combine live streaming understands the strange circumstances that help alleviate the impact of the crisis with performances to small The content of this magazine is sponsored artists have had to work through over the last on artists and arts organisations, and audiences. SPONSORED 03 Stephanie Appelhans at Ortús Festival A thriving arts sector We look at how the arts has been impacted by the last year and the great support from around the country It has been a long and difficult 17 Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Róisín McGarr, Executive Director of How does it months for so many musicians, artists, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin Siamsa Tíre, The National Folk Theatre feel to stage live ↘actors, venue operators, crew and says, “We are doing what we love, what makes of Ireland, Tralee, Co Kerry audiences alike. Covid-19 has had a profound us Irish, connecting with people as we says about staging live professional and personal impact on artists move together towards recovery.” events at the theatre, “This has been anevents? incredibly challenging period, and arts workers, with major structural From Carrickmacross, Co “The people but our audiences have shown us tremendous impacts for organisations. Monaghan, Minister Martin we’ve spoken support throughout. We are absolutely delighted According to Arts Insight: The National Arts trained as a classical singer and to have really to finally be able to welcome them, in person, Engagement Survey 2020 by the Arts Council, performed nationally when she missed live again. The setting may be a little different, but while the arts have adapted through switching was younger. So, she knows events. Some our commitment to supporting great artists and to online and blended forms of the importance of live are cautious presenting quality shows to our audiences, participation, these activities arts events. about indoor have not adequately filled “We must value gatherings, - Seán Kelly, CEOremains.” of The Everyman, the vacuum left by live arts the arts in terms but others are events. The survey shows of what they impatient to get back Co Cork that while participation contribute to our to their normal social Róisín McGarr levels in the arts increased economy and to lives. We are hopeful that in 2020, through switching our well-being. It’s not our audiences will feel safe and to online and blended just the artists, but those comfortable coming into the building when forms, people missed live who make the events work the time comes. The arts are about enriching arts events. This survey backstage. lives, and we’re prioritising safety above all found that almost half the “We’ll do more and more else.” of €130 million for the Arts Council. This population of Ireland are happy pilot gigs until we get to the Total funding for the arts and culture sector additional investment empowers the Arts to go to live events before all Minister stage where we can reopen – and in 2021 is estimated to be €331 million. The Council to help artists, arts workers and arts restrictions are lifted. Catherine Martin reopen for good.” additional funding includes a 2021 allocation organisations come through this crisis. Surviving and thriving How the arts flourish in spite of adversity Hope has started to appear for the arts As the world went to war during 1914-1918, sector, with nearly half the population James Joyce was writing his magnum opus, ↘vaccinated, and many live indoor and Ulysses.