Belfast International Arts Festival 2017

The spectacular programme for the Belfast International Arts Festival 2017 launched in New York City on Monday, 18 September. The Festival’s Artistic Director and Chief Executive, Richard Wakely accompanied by the Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Nuala McAllister, announced an eclectic and exciting line-up for the annual celebration of contemporary arts and ideas from 14 countries around the world.
The timing of this year’s Belfast International Arts Festival coincides with an exciting bid by Belfast City Council and Derry and Strabane District Council for the designation of European Capital of Culture in 2023.

Belfast International Arts Festival brings an electric fusion of cutting edge performances to the stages, galleries, concert halls and site specific and outdoor locations across the city with 191 events taking place from 6 – 28 October 2017, including 12 premieres.

Richard Wakely, Festival Chief Executive says, “This year’s Festival explores artists as innovators and activists, addressing the uncertain times we live in. The Festival is a place for people to gather together with a belief that change is possible. Often entertaining and always enlightening, that is a world-wide desire and the Belfast International Arts Festival brings the possibilities to life. As one of Belfast’s key cultural events and a major European arts festival, we are proud to support Belfast City Council and Derry and Strabane District Council’s bid for the designation of European Capital of Culture in 2023.”

Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Nuala McAllister said “I’m delighted to join Richard in celebrating this year’s Belfast International Arts Festival in New York – as the theme I’ve chosen for my year in office is Global Belfast and this visit gives us another very welcome opportunity to strengthen our many US connections and friendships.” 

“It’s also very timely, as we’re currently finalising our bid with Derry City and Strabane District Council to become the UK’s nominated host city for the European Capital of Culture in 2023. Our first bid document will be submitted in October, just as the 55th edition of the wonderful Belfast International Arts Festival draws to a close.  The Belfast International Arts Festival reflects the richness, quality, relevance and diversity of experience that we’re championing in our bid – which is also all about pushing boundaries and challenging perceptions and if successful, we’ll have the opportunity come 2023 to invite even more people to come and discover, explore and immerse themselves in those experiences here.”
 
Alison Metcalfe, Tourism Ireland Executive Vice President, US and Canada added “we are delighted to welcome the Lord Mayor of Belfast Councillor Nuala McAllister and Festival Director Richard Wakely to New York, to launch the 2017 Belfast International Arts Festival and support the joint Belfast and Derry/Strabane Councils bid for European Capital of Culture 2023 designation.  Tourism Ireland is targeting a ‘Culturally Curious’ traveller in key markets across the US.  Belfast is a vibrant and rapidly changing city, offering an exciting variety of unique and authentic cultural experiences, including the flagship annual Belfast International Arts Festival which brings performances to stages, galleries, concert halls and outdoor locations across the city.  Northern Ireland has a unique story to tell and a cultural offering that sets it apart from other European destinations”.

Getting to Belfast has never been easier with non-stop flights from New York and Providence, RI on Norwegian Air.  Belfast is also easily accessible from Dublin, less than 2 hours away.  A record number of US visitors will visit Northern Ireland in 2017, who will also enjoy visits to the iconic Titanic Belfast, voted the world’s leading tourist attraction, touring the scenic Causeway Coastal route, the walled City of Derry and visiting Games of Thrones film locations’.

Audiences are booking online at www.belfastinternationalartsfestival.com where a full programme can also be viewed. Richard and the Lord Mayor chose some highlights;

Compassion: The History of the Machine Gun –Berlin’s acclaimed Schaubühne Theatre open the festival with the UK and Ireland premiere of a hard-hitting new work from the Swiss director Milo Rau exploring the limits of human compassion in a globalised world.

Celui Qui Tombe (He Who Falls) - a perilous spectacle of survival sees artists swing, spin and pivot on a suspended podium in the Grand Opera House in this new contemporary dance work from leading French choreographer, Yoann Bourgeios.

Gardens Speak – an award winning and deeply moving interactive audio installation from Lebanese artist, Tania El Khoury containing the oral histories of ten people buried in Syrian gardens and public parks.

The Tempest – Ireland: Memory: Identity -A major exhibition of large scale, sculptural paintings from one of Ireland’s leading artists, Hughie O’Donoghue.  Featuring several new pieces, The Tempest can be seen at the newly renovated and historic Carlisle Memorial Church in the north of the city.

Poppies: Weeping Window - Experience this deeply moving and iconic ceramic sculpture, draped across the front of the Ulster Museum, accompanied by a specially curated supporting programme of talks, music, theatre and literary events, ‘Contested Legacies’ that questions and explores issues around identity, remembrance and reflection and artistic responses to conflict and warfare.

Poetry Jukebox - Joint Festival Artists in Residence for .017, Maria McManus and Deirdre Cartmill, will be bringing poetry to the public realm with a contemporary on-street sound installation at the Crescent Arts Centre.

Hard to be Softa Belfast Prayer –the world premiere of a new four-part contemporary dance and music stage work, from critically acclaimed dance maker, Oona Doherty (Total Theatre Award Winner, Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2017) with music and soundscape by Ivor Novello award winning musician David Holmes (Ocean’s Eleven and Twelve) Co-commissioned by the Festival with Prime Cut and Dublin Dance Festival, Hard to be Soft; a Belfast Prayer closes the 2017 edition.

The Belfast International Arts Festival receives core funding from The Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Belfast City Council, Tourism NI and the British Council event and project funders for 2017 include the Government of Ireland, Embassy of Switzerland in the United Kingdom, 14:18 Now WW1 Centenary Arts Commissions and Institute Francais. Festival 2017 partners are Ramada Encore, the Ulster Museum, Visit Belfast and the Belfast Telegraph.

Tickets are available now at belfastinternationalartsfestival.com; by calling 028 9089 2707 or at the Festival Box Office in The MAC, St Anne’s Square.  Follow Belfast International Arts Festival on Facebook and Twitter @BelfastFestival for all the latest news.
 
Ends…

Notes for Editor:
-           Belfast International Arts Festival will run from 6 to 28October 2017, extending to 3 December 2017.
-           The Festival is led by Festival Director, Richard Wakely with a small staff which includes Interim Marketing Manager, Kirsty Atkinson.
-           Downey Birch provides the PR Service to Belfast International Arts Festival for 2017.  Contacts from the agency are:
Kirsty Atkinson – 07969 197213   kirsty@downeybirch.com
Joan Grenville – 07808 138525    joan@downeybirch.com
Kirsty or Joan will be keeping media informed and involved throughout planning, programming, launch and delivery of the Belfast International Arts Festival and welcome the opportunity to meet our media colleagues to discuss opportunities to become involved in this year’s event.

About The Belfast International Arts Festival

The Belfast International Arts Festival is the city’s longest running celebration of international arts and culture with its 55thedition taking place throughout October 2017. It is a prime example of cultural innovation that is open to all. With its multi-disciplinary programme of contemporary arts and culture from around the globe, the Festival seeks to push boundaries and challenge perceptions, engage actively with audiences and communities around and beyond the city of Belfast and make a vital contribution to ensuring the rest of the world knows about the diversity of Belfast’s cultural riches. One way it does this is by presenting and commissioning local and international artists to create, produce and present contemporary work of the highest quality on subjects that are of relevance to both communities throughout the city and visitors to Northern Ireland. The 2017 festival marks Richard Wakely’s fifth edition as Artistic Director and Chief Executive. During his tenure the event has commissioned, presented, produced, co-produced and premiered major artists and ensembles from around the world, including the Bouffes Du Nord Theatre (France), Jan Martens (Belgium), Schaubuhne Theatre (Germany), Roger Bernat (Catalonia), Claire Cunningham (Scotland) and Amanda Coogan (Ireland). The Belfast International Arts Festival enjoys a special relationship with the United States and is honoured to have worked with a variety of artists based in New York and beyond including in recent years, Jorge Rodriguez-Gerada, Camille A. Brown and Dancers, Faye Driscoll and company, Margo Jefferson, Taylor Mac, Justin Kauflin and many others.
www.belfastinternationalartsfestival.com

About Richard Wakely
Richard is the Artistic Director and Chief Executive of the Belfast International Arts Festival and a member of the Board of Directors of Dance Ireland. Previous posts include Commissioner for the China–Ireland Cultural Exchange Programme for the Irish Government; Managing Director of the Abbey Theatre, and General Manager of London’s Hampstead Theatre. Between these latter two theatres he transferred, produced and co-produced 18 productions into London’s West End including Dolly West’s Kitchen by Frank McGuinness, Burn This by Lanford Wilson (with John Malkovich), Dead Funny by Terry Johnson and Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me by Frank McGuinness (also Broadway, New York).  Past board directorships and external appointments include Central School of Speech and Drama, the Theatrical Management Association and Shared Experience Theatre and membership of both the Advisory Committee to the Drama School at Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh and of the International Advisory Committee for the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama.

About the joint bid for European Capital of Culture in 2023
The European Capital of Culture is an annual designation awarded by European Commission to nations inside and outside of the EU. Since it launched in 1985, 56 cities have hosted the title including two in the UK – Glasgow in 1990 and Liverpool in 2008. Dublin held the title in 1991, Cork in 2005 and Galway will be Capital of Culture in 2020.
Belfast City Council and Derry and Strabane District Council are currently developing a bid for the 2023 designation and this initial stage one bid will be submitted in October 2017. By bidding together, the two cities hope to cement their roles as regional cultural, economic and social drivers. It will also create an opportunity to support people to connect with each other and to celebrate our cities across Europe and the world.
For further information, visit www.weare2023.eu or follow @weare2023 on social media.