Ireland Performs kicked into action over the bank holiday (13 April) with live performances from Gráinne Hambly and William Jackson, Cormac Begley and more.
A wealth of Irish artists will share their talent with global audiences from their homes across Ireland. The wide and hugely talented selection of artists range from Ireland’s finest traditional, classical and indie rock musicians to writers and visual artists.
There will be a programme of live performances everyday, which will continue for the coming weeks and include special focus on musicians who were due to perform at high profile international showcases such as SXSW and The Great Escape.
Audiences are promised intimate sessions with musicians including Mick Flannery, Cormac Begley, Aoife Scott, Alan Kelly, John Spillane, Gráinne Hambly and William Jackson, Aindrias de Staic, Sharon Shannon, Slow Moving Clouds, Ailbhe Reddy, Junior Brother, Somebody’s Child, Diane Cannon, Moncrieff, Gerry O’Connor, Leonard Barry and Dr Fionnuala Moynihan, along with poet Kimberly Reyes, and writer Ruairí McKiernan. As audiences are unable to travel to the many beautiful locations that Ireland has to offer, some of the artists will also share their local scenery online.
To support these efforts and ensure that the arts can continue to be enjoyed online, the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht’s Culture Ireland has teamed up with Facebook Ireland to launch this new initiative. The scheme, launched on Friday 3 April, has already attracted more than 250 applications in the first week and Culture Ireland continues to accept applications. The interest from artists including musicians, visual artists, youth theatre and writers reflects the commitment of artists to share their work and stay connected with audiences.
A large global audience is expected as the programme will be streamed by key global Irish cultural centres including the Irish Arts Center, New York, the London Irish Centre, Camden and Centre Culturel Irlandais, Paris.
Operating as part the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Culture Ireland provides funding and support for Irish artists to reach global audiences. Ireland Performs is an immediate measure to support that mission during the Covid-19 crisis. The scheme mirrors strategies that artists themselves are deploying, reaching out and connecting with online audiences. Culture Ireland wants to ensure that artistic output is fore-fronted and that artists are paid for their performances. They can be viewed on the artists chosen platform and / or via https://www.facebook.com/CultureIreland/
The scheme provides a €100,000 short-term relief fund to pay professional Irish artists for the presentation of their work online. Featured artists will be paid €1,000 for their performance and the scheme will run for an initial period of four weeks. Culture Ireland is aware that there is no substitute for live experience of art, but hopes that this will be an effective short-term solution as communities across the world self-isolate.
#IrelandPerforms is supported by Facebook Ireland and Culture Ireland with the Department of Culture, Heritage & the Gaeltacht, and delivered in partnership with First Music Contact and Poetry Ireland.
For further details or to apply for the scheme, visit: https://www.cultureireland.ie/news/article/culture-ireland-and-facebook-ireland-announces-details-of-ireland-performs
