The Misleór Festival of Nomadic Cultures is set to return to Galway from Thursday, 28 September to Sunday, 1 October with a vibrant programme of events presented by Galway Traveller Movement.
The events will range from music and film to poetry, talks and visual art from Traveller, Roma, Sámi, Mongolian, Australian Aboriginal and Romany Gypsy communities.
Misleór, which means ‘wanderer’ in the Irish Traveller language Cant, celebrates and connects nomadic peoples from around the world.
The festival has been a unique collaboration between local artists and community activists working at local, regional, national and international levels since 2019.
Nora Corcoran, co-artistic director, said that they recognise in nomadic peoples from around the world a kindred inner spirit which unites their communities – a fire in the belly that is fanned by activism, creativity and coming together.
“The campfire is a meeting point for Travellers. Creativity, singing, storytelling and entertainment would always be found by those gathered round the open fire, under the blanket of a starry night,” she said.
“We look forward to meeting you around the fire at Misleór this year, to share our stories and get to know one another.”
Misleór kicks off at 6pm on Thursday, 28 September in the Mick Lally Theatre with ‘On the Road’, an opening ceremony to welcome guest artists and to light the fire.
Highlights of the festival programme include Chant Yil Lull, a song circle with Australian Aboriginal artist Jessie Lloyd and women from the local Traveller community; Misleór Conversations, public panel discussions featuring guest artists, activists and leaders from nomadic communities around the world; Nomadic Shorts, a special programme of short films exploring identity, resilience and diversity with nomadic communities; In Conversation, two special talks with award-winning actor and filmmaker John Connors and singer and storyteller Kitty Cassidy; Reimaging Life on the Road, a family-friendly traditional Traveller camp featuring interactive displays and workshops; and Miselór in Song, a celebration of nomadic cultures around the world through music, song, spoken word and dance.
All events are free unless otherwise noted. Full programme and booking information can be found at www.misleor.ie.
