Belfast International Arts Festival Showcase Weekend
From the 31st of October to 2nd of November, TDNI were delighted to partner with Belfast International Arts Festival, Culture Ireland, Belfast City Council, Belfast 2024, and the British Council Northern Ireland on a series of events during the Belfast International Arts Festival Showcase weekend, designed to celebrate the exceptional talent within Northern Ireland’s performing arts sector and to foster connections with international delegates.
The weekend began with a series of pitching sessions at the Lyric, Belfast; first from Belfast 2024 artists, followed by the Belfast International Arts Festival Showcase. These sessions gave artists a unique platform to present their work to the visiting delegates, igniting conversations about collaborations and future touring opportunities.
The conversations continued with a drinks reception at our “Meet the Delegates” networking event, where TDNI members had the opportunity to engage in meaningful discussions and connect with funders, delegates, and colleagues from the international arts sector. We heard from Niamh Flanagan, TDNI Executive Director, Jimmy Fay, Executive Producer/Artistic Director/CEO of Lyric Theatre and Javier Stanziola, Acting Director of Strategic Development & Partnerships at the Arts Council, to whom we are thankful for contributing.
Throughout the three days, the delegates experienced Northern Ireland’s world-class theatre and dance scene firsthand. Richard Wakely, Artistic Director & CEO, Belfast International Arts Festival said:
“The 2024 Belfast International Arts Festival Showcase received an incredible response from the many visiting arts programmers who traveled from all over the world—from Tokyo to Vancouver, Colombia to Palestine, and from closer to home. It was inspiring to see such a warm and enthusiastic reception to the wide range of new theatre and dance created and performed by our talented Northern Ireland artists. The excitement among delegates has already sparked conversations about hosting a similar event in 2025.”
Reflecting on the success of the showcase weekend, Niamh Flanagan, Theatre and Dance NI’s Executive Director added,
“We were thrilled to bring together such an incredible mix of local talent and international industry professionals. Events like this are essential for building partnerships that will support the growth and global reach of Northern Ireland’s arts sector. We extend our heartfelt thanks to all the delegates, presenters and partners for their participation and contributions to this enriching exchange of ideas. We are delighted to continue putting the spotlight on Northern Ireland’s performing arts at other key national and international marketplace events, including, most recently, and very successfully, the 2024 Edinburgh Festival Fringe. We look forward to seeing the connections made continue to flourish and create exciting new opportunities for our community”
NĂłra NĂ Anluain Fay, Artistic Director, Choreographer, Performer, NAF Dance and pitching artist said:
“It was so exhilarating to be able to talk about my piece ‘Ham Sandwiches and Discipline,’ in a space filled with people so hungry and excited for new work. I was lucky enough for this to lead to new connections and conversations with people from all over the world about me and my work. The whole team at BIAF and Theatre and Dance NI created such a warm and welcoming atmosphere for everyone that it was truly a joy to be part of.”
Amanda Verlaque, Writer ‘This Sh*t Happens All the Time’, and pitching artist added:
“It was a fantastic experience to pitch my play This Sh*t Happens All The Time at the BIAF Showcase. Thanks to the BIAF, Culture Ireland and the support of the Theatre and Dance NI team I had an opportunity to talk about my work and connect with national and international delegates who are interested in seeing the play in their venues.”
See below a few snaps from the evening’s events:
