Galway International Arts Festival has expanded its partnership with NUI Galway to get more young people involved in the world renowned festival.
The SELECTED internship programme has been expanded to open it open to students in more courses than previous years.
SELECTED is the partners’ professional development programme for emerging artists, theatre makers, curators and producers studying at NUI Galway.
Now in its 12th year, it had previously only been open to students in arts related courses.
But for 2022 the internship programme is also open to those studying business, including management, social media marketing, and communications.
Professor Patrick Lonergan, Professor of Drama and Theatre Studies at NUI Galway, said: “What we are seeing through the SELECTED programme are real, high-quality opportunities for students to be part of a renowned and globally recognised arts festival.”
“It opens doors, it offers invaluable experience and it demonstrates how our university partnerships can develop to offer students on-the-ground experiences and learning of what it takes to make the GIAF such a huge success.”
SELECTED offers a limited number of students an opportunity to see how the festival is put together.
Opportunities involve attending intimate meetings with GIAF staff, international and Irish producers and creative entrepreneurs and artists.
Festival Ambassadors will advise audiences on choosing the right shows for them, and social media training will help to create buzz for the upcoming content ahead of the summer.
John Crumlish, Chief Executive of the Galway International Arts Festival, said that the goal of the programme has always been to help the next generation of arts professionals in the west.
“That desire is now being realised, as more and more of the SELECTED alumni appear in festival programmes each year both onstage and backstage.”
Galway International Arts Festival will return to the streets this summer from July 11 – 24.
