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Galway International Arts Festival

Founded in 1978 Galway International Arts Festival is one of Europe’s leading international arts festivals and celebrates the very best of the performing and visual arts from Ireland and around the world. The Festival takes place each July in Galway, Ireland with an annual attendance of 200,000.

In recent years the Festival has begun touring its own productions and exhibitions nationally and internationally.

Recent productions include Ballyturk (co-produced with Landmark Productions), starring Cillian Murphy, Mikel Murfi and Stephen Rea, which won Best Production at the Irish Theatre Theatre Awards 2014; Kitchen; A Girl’s Bedroom (which recently played the Kennedy Center, Washington, June 2016) and Room 303 all written and directed by Enda Walsh. Landmark Productions and Galway International Arts Festival’s production of Misterman by Enda Walsh starring Cillian Murphy premiered in Galway in 2011 and toured to St. Ann’s Warehouse, New York in 2011 and National Theatre of Great Britain in 2012.

TheEmergencyRoom and Galway International Arts Festival’s production of riverrun, in association with Cusack Projects, written, performed and directed by Olwen Fouéré, premiered in Galway in 2013, and toured to Dublin, London, Edinburgh, New York, Adelaide, Sydney and most recently to the Kennedy Center, Washington in May 2016. The same team produced Lessness by Samuel Beckett, also starring Olwen Fouéré, which premiered in London at the Barbican’s International Beckett Season in 2015.

Invitation to a Journey – Inspired by Eileen Gray a Festival co-production with CoisCéim Dance Theatre, Crash Ensemble and Fishamble: The New Play Company, and Death at Intervals by Kellie Hughes starring Olwen Fouéré and Raymond Scannell both premiered at Galway International Arts Festival 2016.

The Festival co-production with Northlight Theatre of Christian O’Reilly’s Chapatti starring John Mahoney and Penny Slusher premiered in Chicago in March 2014 and played in Galway during Festival 2014. The Match Box by Frank McGuinness, starring Cathy Belton, had its Irish premiere at Galway International Arts Festival 2015, while Luck Just Kissed You Hello by Amy Conroy, a HotForTheatre and Galway International Arts Festival co-production had its world premiere at the Festival in 2015.

Alongside its producing role the Festival has also presented the work of seminal artists in recent years across the artforms including Joni Mitchell, Bill Viola, The National, Grizzly Bear, Bon Iver, St. Vincent, John Grant, John Gerrard, Hughie O’Donoghue, Sophie Calle, Louise Bourgeois, Cormac McCarthy, Brett Bailey, David Hockney, Kronos Quartet, Philip Glass, Fabulous Beast Dance Theatre, Michael Clark, Hofesh Shechter, Stephen Petronio, Steppenwolf, Royal Court, New York Theatre Workshop, and Australia’s Circa, and works regularly with leading Irish companies including Druid.

The Festival is led by Chief Executive John Crumlish, Artistic Director Paul Fahy, Financial Controller Gerry Cleary, Administrator Elizabeth Duffy and Communications & Development Manager Hilary Martyn.

Board of Directors: Padraic Brennan (Chair), Patrick Dawson, John Grealish, Gary Joyce, Maccon Keane, Maria Mahon and Martina Moloney.

 

Galway International Arts Festival,
Black Box Theatre, Dyke Road, Galway, Ireland
www.giaf.ie

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