· Irish artists to showcase their talents at Edinburgh international platform
· 16 Irish writers, including award-winning authors will read at Edinburgh book festival
· The Edinburgh International Festival will celebrate the work of Samuel Beckett with a special season of his TV, radio and fiction work
The Edinburgh Festivals, one of the largest arts showcases in the world, will host a wealth of Irish artists this year, who will present theatre, literature and dance to some of the 400,000 visitors Edinburgh attracts each August. Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Jimmy Deenihan TD said: “I am delighted that there is such a strong programme of Irish artists at the Edinburgh Festivals this year, who will be given the chance to showcase their outstanding talents at this important international platform. This initiative also allows Ireland to build on our close relationship with Scotland and on our strong cultural connections”.
Culture Ireland, a division of the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, has been showcasing and supporting Irish artists at Edinburgh since 2008. Director, Christine Sisk said: “The Edinburgh Festivals offers Irish artists a unique opportunity to present their work, not alone to new audiences, but to hundreds of international presenters from around the world. Their engagement with these presenters will open up further international career opportunities for these artists, as has been the case in previous years. "
The Edinburgh International Festival - recognised for consistently presenting artists of the highest international standard - is celebrating the work of Samuel Beckett this year with a special season of his TV, radio and fiction work. Ireland will be represented by two of our best internationally-renowned companies - the Gate Theatre will present Eh Joe starring Michael Gambon and Penelope Wilton, Barry McGovern will be in I'll Go On and Peter Egan in First Love. Pan Pan Theatre will present their acclaimed production of All That Fall, and a new production of Embers and a lecture presentation of Beckett's Quad, a choreographed movement system with music .
The Traverse Theatre's programme includes strong new writing with the Abbey Theatre's production of Quietly by Owen McCafferty as well as Have I No Mouth by brokentalkers, one of the finest young companies to emerge in Ireland in recent years.
In the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Landmark Productions will present a double-bill with Deirdre Kinahan's These Halycon Days, which had its US premiere in New York in May this year, and Tom Vaughan-Lawlor will star in Mark O'Rowe's Howie the Rookie, which sold out on its tour of Ireland over the last two months.
Edinburgh's Dance Base will present work by two of Ireland's most exciting new dance artists, Aoife McAtamney and Maria Nilsson Waller, both of whom have been building significant international profiles for their work.
Ireland’s special relationship with the Edinburgh International Book Festival continues this year with a host of award-winning Irish authors invited to read from their latest published work. John Banville, Eoin Colfer, Roddy Doyle, Edna O'Brien and Colm Toibín are amongst the sixteen Irish writers to perform in the magical surroundings of Charlotte Square.
Culture Ireland, a division of the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht will also lead a delegation of representatives of Irish theatre and dance artists and companies with work ready to tour internationally to the Festival to avail of the platform Edinburgh provides for artists to gain international recognition for their work and to generate further touring opportunities.
Notes for Editors:
2013 is the fifth year that Culture Ireland a division of the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht will present a showcase of Irish artists at the Edinburgh Festivals. Previous artists and companies included in the annual showcase include Kevin Barry, Sebastian Barry, CoisCéim Dance Thatre, Corn Exchange, Shaun Davey, Druid Theatre Company, Paul Durcan, Anne Enright, Julie Feeney, Fishamble: The New Play Company, Seamus Heaney, Jack L, John Scott Dance, Claire Kilroy, Liz Roche Company, Michael Longley, Paul Muldoon, Camille O'Sullivan, ponydance and Tumble Circus.
Irish artists have consistently won awards at the Edinburgh Festivals including Fringe Firsts for the Abbey Theatre [Terminus] Druid Theatre company [The Walworth Farce, New Electric Ballroom and Penelope], CoisCéim Dance Theatre [Knots], Fishamble [Fogotten, Silent]. Pat Kinevane and Camille O'Sullivan won Herald Angel awards for their performances in Silent and The Rape of Lucrece, respectively. Guna Nua won a Carol Tamber Best of Edinburgh award for their production of Little Gem.