Speaker Quinn Welcomes Irish Artists To City Hall

New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn joined Irish American councillors, the Consul General of Ireland Niall Burgess and CEO of Culture Ireland Eugene Downes to welcome over 90 leading Irish performers from Ireland to New York where they will present a range of contemporary performing arts at the annual Culture Ireland Showcases.

The artists are performing in four separate showcases presented by Culture Ireland, the national agency for promoting Irish arts worldwide. Over the course of one weekend, the Culture Ireland showcases will present traditional and contemporary music, contemporary dance and theatre at venues across New York, offering a unique opportunity for international presenters, media and the general public to immerse themselves in a selection of some of the best of Irish performing arts.

Now in its third year, this year's delegation is the largest representation of Irish arts practitioners to date and is the first year that Culture Ireland is presenting a dance showcase alongside theatre and music showcases.

The showcases feature work at APAP, Under the Radar [at the Public Theater] and Coil [at PS122] as well as performances at the Irish Arts Center, Baryshnikov Arts Center, Symphony Space, Flea Theater and Shelter Studios.

Among the many works to be presented are a moving and eloquent song cycle performed by a community cast of Irish gay men; concerts by traditional and contemporary musicians including the Grammy-nominated Iarla Ó Lionáird; the US premiere of a new Sam Shepherd play by Dublin's Abbey Theatre; and contemporary dance recently seen in Laurie Uprichard's Dublin Dance Festival [former Director, New York Danspace Project].

Speaker Quinn said: "It is a great pleasure to welcome the Irish delegation to City Hall this morning. APAP allows New Yorkers an opportunity to sample cultural offerings from around the globe and I am especially pleased to learn that this year Ireland has sent its largest delegation ever to the conference, showcasing a wide range of traditional and contemporary Irish arts."

Niall Burgess said, "Ireland has long been known for dance, theatre, music and creative writing. But many people don't yet know the extent to which a new generation of Irish artists is re-imagining their art. Listen to Iarla Ó Lionáird sing traditional Irish song at City Hall this morning or at the Irish Arts Center this weekend and you'll know what I mean. We are providing a foretaste of what you can experience when you visit Ireland."

Speaking on behalf of Culture Ireland, Eugene Downes (CEO) said: "More than ever before, Irish artists are defining Ireland's global reputation as a leader in imagination and innovation. The outstanding performing artists and companies we are showcasing in New York are great ambassadors for creative Ireland and have ambitious plans for US touring, collaboration and co-production.    Irish culture has a unique resonance in America, and we aim to enhance that energy for the future, embracing new models of cultural cooperation and working with a wide range of partners in New York and across the United States."

Since its foundation in 2005, Culture Ireland has supported over 1500 artists and companies to present some of the best of contemporary Irish arts practice worldwide. In 2008 alone, over 500,000 people saw a live performance by an Irish theatre or dance company, outside Ireland, with the support of Culture Ireland.

Recent Culture Ireland supported projects in New York include Druid Theatre Company's Walworth Farce and New Electric Ballroom, both of which met with huge critical and commercial success and Fishamble's production of Sebastian Barry's Pride of Parnell Street [Booker Prize nominee 2009 and Winner of the Costa Book of the Year 2009 for The Secret Scripture].