| Situated on the west coast of Ireland by the Atlantic Ocean, Galway has been long considered Ireland’s capital of culture. The fastest growing city in Europe, with a population of 75,000, Galway is a young and vibrant university city. Galway Arts Festival is the defining cultural expression of Galway and is at the heart of all aspects of life in the city. |  |
A Defining Cultural Expression – Kathy Scott
Situated on the west coast of Ireland by the Atlantic Ocean, Galway has been long considered Ireland’s capital of culture. The fastest growing city in Europe, with a population of 75,000, Galway is a young and vibrant university city. Galway Arts Festival is the defining cultural expression of Galway and is at the heart of all aspects of life in the city. As the Festival celebrates Galway in July each year, Galway itself is a city in celebration during the Festival. Galway Arts Festival contributes immeasurably to the economic, social and cultural life of the west of Ireland.
Founded in 1978, Galway Arts Festival is Ireland’s largest annual arts festival. The Festival produces and presents an international programme of theatre, spectacle, dance, visual arts, music, literature and comedy involving hundreds of artists and performers. Over its 29 year history the Festival has become a vital showcase for Irish and international arts in Ireland and is now firmly established as Ireland’s leading arts festival. The Festival collaborates with artists and companies throughout the world to produce, create, present and commission new work.
Galway Arts Festival will feature over 400 writers, artists, performers and musicians from Asia, Australia, Europe, North America and of course Ireland in 2006.
Festival 06 highlights dance, physical theatre and spectacle from America and Europe illustrating the Festival’s continuing commitment to staging extraordinary, ambitious and innovative projects. Dance performances from some of the most exciting choreographers in the USA today combine with theatre, circus and the spectacular Macnas Festival Parade, to add to the magic and diversity of this year’s programme.
Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, under the artistic direction of Jim Vincent, present a stunning programme from their internationally acclaimed repertoire including new work by Irish choreographer Marguerite Donlon, making their Irish debut in Galway. Leading British playwright Mark Ravenhill directs and performs in his new play Product presented by UK theatre company Paines Plough which receives its Irish premiere while theatre from Ireland incorporates new Irish drama, new adaptations of major European work, with new work from some of the country’s most exciting playwrights. Award winning playwright Vincent Woods’ new version of Alfred Jarry’s Ubu Roi/King Ubu receives its premiere in Galway directed and designed by Monica Frawley.
Festival 06 highlights new work from two of Ireland’s most innovative theatre artists, writer Mark Doherty working in collaboration with director Mikel Murfi. The Festival’s production of Doherty’s multi-award winning play Trad, currently running at London’s Bush Theatre was a huge hit at the 2005 Edinburgh Fringe Festival, recently won the Best Show at the Adelaide Fringe Festival, Australia. In September this year, Druid Theatre, by arrangement with Galway Arts Festival, present the world premiere of a new play by one of Ireland’s most exciting younger playwrights Stuart Carolan, a Galway Arts Festival commission, directed by the Tony Award winning director and Artistic Director of Druid, Garry Hynes. Other new Irish work at Festival 06 includes a showcasing of Galway companies and the world premiere of new work by leading Irish performer Raymond Keane working in collaboration with director Veronica Coburn.
Folk, rock, blues, jazz, classical and a vivacious blend of traditional and contemporary Irish music from over 200 international and Irish musicians all form part of Festival 06. Featuring a richness of musical traditions and a wide spectrum of musical genres, a host of world renowned and emerging Irish artists join together with an exciting line-up of musicians from around the globe including Lambchop, Annoushka Shankar, My Morning Jacket, Teddy Thompson, Martin Hayes and Dennis Cahill to name but a few to perform in venues and spaces throughout Galway.
The programme of visual arts will include new exhibitions from major artists Hughie O’Donoghue, David Mach, Frank Morzuch, Josef Albers and Peter Blake amongst others. O’Donoghue’s work for Festival 06, based on the theme of journey, will be exhibited both in Galway City and in a first for the Festival, on the remote island of Inis Óirr off the coast of Co. Galway.
The Festival’s commitment to the development of Irish artists is evident in a new initiative showcasing the work of young emerging Galway artists each year. For 2006 Vicki McCormack has been invited to exhibit her latest performance-based, video installation during the Festival. Engaging with the city in unusual and imaginative ways Festival 06 sees indoor and site-specific installation illustrating the finest examples of current contemporary visual arts.
