Last month, TDNI, in partnership with Belfast International Arts Festival, were delighted to deliver the Belfast International Arts Festival Showcase 2025, supported by Culture Ireland, Belfast City Council and British Council NI as part of the Spotlight on Theatre and Dance from Northern Ireland 2025 programme.
This now annual Showcase once again championed the strength, ambition, and international potential of Northern Ireland’s performing arts sector with over 30 international and national delegates in attendance, marking another year of strong engagement and sector-wide collaboration.
The day opened with welcome speeches from Richard Wakely (BIAF Artistic Director & CEO) and Ciaran Walsh (Associate Director Culture Ireland), who highlighted the value of international visibility, sector exchange, and the importance of touring-readiness for artists in Northern Ireland.
This was followed by a dynamic series of pitch presentations, offering six selected artists and companies the opportunity to introduce new or recently premiered work to festival programmers, venue representatives, and international presenters.
This year’s pitched works included:
ShedMan – Keith Singleton
Politics of the Imagination – Anselm McDonnell
Variations for Two Disabled Bodies – SoSo: Bobbi Byrne & Adrian Colwell
I’ve Always Liked the Name Marcus – Matthew Sharpe
ITCH – Christopher McAuley
Ottilie – Richard Clements
“Our Spotlight programme continues to be a vital platform and programme for raising the profile of Northern Ireland’s performing arts on the national and international stages. The quality and ambition of the work presented this year was exceptional. Bringing together our members, delegates, and partners allows for meaningful collaboration, and we are already seeing real momentum and more opportunities emerging for our artists.” – Niamh Flanagan, Executive Director, Theatre and Dance NI.
Following the pitch session, TDNI hosted its popular Meet the Delegates networking event, providing an invaluable platform for relationship-building, follow-up discussions and new ideas for collaboration and touring.
Niamh Flanagan, TDNI Executive Director, welcomed over 45 TDNI members to speak directly with the visiting programmers, funders, national and international colleagues from across the performing arts sector.
Commenting on the success of the events, Richard Wakely, Artistic Director & CEO, Belfast International Arts Festival, said:
“This Showcase spotlights the depth of creativity and professionalism within Northern Ireland’s theatre and dance community. The work presented today demonstrates a powerful blend of originality and touring potential, and the response from visiting programmers reflects that. We remain committed to working with TDNI and our partners to ensure these artists and companies continue to find pathways to new audiences across the world.”
The Belfast International Arts Festival Showcase 2025 reaffirmed the strength, ambition, and global potential of Northern Ireland’s performing arts community. With strong artistic presentations, engaged delegates, and a clear emphasis on touring readiness, this year’s event strengthened international connections and opened up further avenues for collaboration.
TDNI looks forward to seeing the conversations, partnerships, and ideas sparked at the Showcase develop into new touring opportunities, co-productions, and creative relationships in the months ahead.
