Festival Makers Conference 2023

11^th May

Town Hall Theatre, Galway

10:00am

Registration and Information Stands

• Association of Irish Festivals and Events (AOIFE)
• Drama and Theatre Studies, University of Galway
• Irish Arts Festivals Archive
• Safe to Create, Irish Theatre Institute
• Curated Place, UK
• Festivals and the Digital Experience, TU Dublin,
• Irish Street Arts, Circus & Spectacle Network (ISACS)
• Arts Council (Impact Measurement, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion teams)
• Creative Europe Desk, Ireland
• Native Events

10:45am

Welcome Address

Professor Rebecca Braun, Executive Dean, College of Arts, Social Sciences & Celtic Studies, University of Galway

Professor Kevin Rafter, Chair - Arts Council Ireland/ An Chomhairle Ealaíon

11:05am

Introduction to Keynote

Maureen Kennelly, Director – Arts Council Ireland/An Chomhairle Ealaíon

11.15am

Keynote Address and Q&A

Kim Cook Burning Man Festival, USA

12:45pm

Networking Lunch

2:00pm

Taking action: moving towards sustainable festival futures

Chair: Patrick Lonergan (University of Galway)

Panelists: John Crumlish - Galway International Arts Festival, Romane Boyer – Creative Carbon Scotland, Marin de Boer – Orel Festival Netherlands.

3:15pm*

Information Sessions – Presentations on projects in support of the festivals ecology

Presentation 1: Impact Measurement in Festivals (Anne Rackow, Quality Matters and Monica Corcoran, Arts Council) Presentation 2: Irish Arts Festival Archive (Dr Lucy Collins and Ursula Byrne, UCD) Presentation 3: Event Management Educators Ireland (John Carty – Atlantic Technological University)

Side Bar 1: Safe to Create - Developing safer, respectful, inclusive working conditions for festival workers.

Irish Theatre Institute - information session, introducing Safe to Create and discussion on appropriate working conditions for artists and arts organisations.

Side Bar 2: Thinking about Arts & Disability in festivals

Arts & Disability Ireland - Information session introducing the work of Arts & Disability Ireland and discussion on potential festival training supports.

4:00pm

Networking Coffee Break

4:30pm*

Festival Bulletins – Festival sector announcements, developments, and shared learnings

(5-minute pitches).

1. ‘Festival Audiences and the Digital Experience’ – FADE (Festival Audiences and the Digital Experience), TU Dublin
2. ‘EDI Toolkit for Festival Makers; data collection and diversity in programming’ – Trad Fest, Temple Bar
3. ‘Place making through Festivals’ – Architecture at the Edge
4. ‘Naturally Wild festivals’ – First Fortnight on behalf of the Naturally Wild Festival Consortia
5. ‘Artist Residencies Matter’ – ISACS
6. Children’s programming in festivals: ‘Child participation in practice’ and ‘Nurturing Diversity among makers’ - Bualadh Bos Children’s Festival, Lime Tree Theatre and Baboró International Arts Festival for Children
7. ‘Festival Crèche – mentorship in festivals’ – Cavan Arts Festival
8. ‘Developing arts audiences in partnership’ – Clonmel Junction Arts Festival on behalf of Clonmel Arts Partnership.

Side Bar 3 – How to measure your festival’s impact

Quality Matters – Information session on how festivals can use the Arts Council’s Outcomes Measurement Guidebook to understand the impact of their work.

5:30pm

ENDS

6:00-9:00pm

Creative Europe Reception: Networking event for festivals and artists

Creative Europe presents Blue Teapot and Twisted Lane Productions, who will provide examples of their international partnerships. This will be followed by a networking event for artists and festival delegates to encourage further collaboration. MC: James Riordan (Bru Theatre). Artist Presentation: Electric Dreams (That’s Life – Galway)

12^th May

O’Donoghue Centre, University of Galway

8:30am at Spanish Arch

Tús Maith with Moth and Butterfly

Artists from Galway’s Moth and Butterfly International Festival of Storytelling & Improvisation invite you to grab a coffee and join them at the Spanish Arch at 8.30am on Friday 12^th May, for a 'tús maith / good start' song and story, before taking a scenic stroll along the river to the O’Donoghue Centre, in time for the second day of the Festival Makers conference.

Some local coffee options open by 8am: Espresso 44, Gourmet Tart, Cafe Nero

9:00am

Networking Coffee

For delegates and contributors

9:30-11:00am*

Workshop 1⁺

Good Governance and Planning - Dr Ali Fitzgibbon, Queens University Belfast. How to deliver effective planning within capacity and resources; considering responsibilities, questioning structures and developing actionable plans.

Workshop 2⁺⁺

Valuing and Developing Volunteering – Stuart Garland, Volunteer Ireland. How to recruit, support and sustain volunteering in a changing landscape. Includes good practice tips and support.

Workshop 3⁺⁺⁺

Festival Sustainability 101 – Native Events Presentationon writing a sustainability strategy, engaging your festival team, communicating your sustainability story, followed by a Q&A

Panel 1 – Building Partnerships in Festival Practice

How have partnerships sustained and developed festival models? (Consortia, local authority partnerships, community partnership, co-production, international partnership)

Chair: Kath Gorman (Promenade)

Panel: Tara McGowan (Cairde Arts Festival Sligo), Andy Brydon (Curated Place UK) Aislinn O'hEocha, Baboró International Arts Festival for Children, Gerardette Bailey, Meath County Arts Officer

Panel 2 – Language, People. Place and the role of the festival

How does the celebration of linguistic and cultural diversity enhance artistic opportunities available to festival makers in the areas of place-making and community building?

Chair: Marianne Ní Chinnéide – University of Galway

Panel: Justyna Cwojdzinska (Polish Arts Festival, Limerick), Liam Carson (Féile IMRAM), Ríonach Ni Neill (Independent Artist), Nora Corcoran (Misleór Festival)

11:00am

Break

11:15am-12.45pm*

Workshop 1⁺

Same as above (workshop repeats)

Workshop 2⁺⁺

Same as above (workshop repeats)

Workshop 3⁺⁺⁺

Same as above (workshop repeats)

Panel 3 – Producing models for festivals and festival makers

How can festivals best support the changing landscape of new work development for artists and how do festivals adapt their resources in response? What are the challenges and opportunities?

A closer examination of residency models, guest curation, co-producing

Chair- Monica Spencer

Panel: Lynette Moran (Live Collision Festival), Paul Brown (Earagail Arts Festival), James Riordan (Brú Theatre), Gwen Van Spÿk (Cue Performance)

Panel 4 – ‘Festival Making’ as a creative act

Group discussion with delegates exploring the curatorial practice in festivals, the role of the citizen artist and the practice of festival making

Chair: Bernadette Quinn, TUD

Contributors: Lorraine Maye (Cork Midsummer Festival), Alan-James Burns (Independent Artist), Dominic Campbell (Creative Ageing International) Harry Hughes (Willie Clancy Festival)

12:45pm

Break

1:00-2:00pm

Conference final thoughts

Facilitator: Fiona Neary

Delegates reflect on the changing landscape in festivals.

2:00pm

ENDS

* Delegates choose one of the electives

+ Workshop limited to 25 participants

++ Workshop limited to 40 participants

+++ Workshop limited to 36 participants