Despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Galway 2020 and a wide range of creative partners will present more than fifty different events in April.
Events for the Capital of Culture continuing up to April 30 will include highlights from some of the festivals and creative juggernauts from Galway’s arts scene such as Baboro International Children’s Festival, Blue Teapot theatre company, Galway Community Circus, TULCA visual arts festival and many more.
Blue Teapot will present a series of vignettes for Crossing the Line: The Festival that Never Was, which will be available to view through the Galway 2020 website and Blue Teapot’s own Youtube Channel.
Crossing the Line was supposed to be a Pan-European Theatre Festival for the Capital of Culture Year involving over 100 artists, which unfortunately had to be cancelled before it could be presented in May of 2020.
These short videos will give viewers a glimpse of what was planned, and the re-imagining of Blue Teapot’s own flagship production Into the Dark Woods, which they still intend to bring to live audiences once restrictions are lifted.
Baboró will be giving us a look ahead at The Veiled Ones a new dance theatre production commissioned for Galway 2020 and created by renowned Irish company Junk Ensemble.
Currently in development, this immersive show will explore themes of loss and preconceived ideas of beauty and highlight the powerful relationship between grandparents and grandchildren.
On April 23, Baboró will present ‘In Conversation with Junk Ensemble & kabinet k’ to discuss what informs their art. The Veiled Ones will then be performed later this year at dates to be decided for the International Arts Festival for Children.
Galway Community Circus will present a film and launch their Funambulism Centre and Studio Drop to create an Irish Centre for the developing circus arts.
TULCA will present a series of events including A visit A Ceremony, A Gift. The Weather Gods and XVII, and Deepest Shade of Green by the Saolta Arts Trust will be launching an exhibition at University Hospital Galway which can be viewed through their social media channels.
Marilyn Gaughan-Reddan, Head of programme for Galway 2020, said that they are delighted to be able to present these events for all those, adding that despite COVID-19 “Galway continues to deliver”.
“Our artists and our partners continue to deliver to a global online audience and reaching into the homes of our audiences ensuring that at a time when we needed it most, the arts brought us moments of joy, reflection, and lovely memories.”
“Our partners have stayed as true to their original visions as they could, showcasing our magnificent landscape and creativity. This programme is a true reflection of what a collective creative vision really achieve and for that, we can all be proud.”
Other events to experience this month include To the Island, Galway Stories, The Stinging Fly, Hope it Rains | Soineann nó Doineann, and Drowned Galway, Galway Sound Harvest, Murals for Communities: Galway 2020 Edition, Clay Journeys, The Foul Sound, Cootehall Barracks – John McGahern Early Years, Around the Faithful Homes, Our Place? – Creative Edenderry, Echoes of Calling, Coming Full Circle and Monument.
Minister Catherine Martin said “I wish to commend all involved in the delivery of the re-imagined Galway 2020 cultural programme.”
“In what has been a year like no other, the programme of events in April, as well as the many that preceded it over the past year, illustrate the commitment by the artists working with Galway 2020 to deliver for the public the projects they have created and developed, many over several years.”
“I look forward to experiencing as many as possible of the wonderful array of events that Galway 2020 will offer online this month”.
Audiences will get to experience all of these world-class events online with the full programme available now available online.
