MORE THAN 70 Irish artists travelled to New York this week to participate in the world’s largest performing arts showcase, the Association of Performing Arts Presenters (APAP) conference.
Sponsored by Culture Ireland, the national agency for the global promotion of Irish arts, nine traditional music groups, four theatre and dance companies and more than 20 other artists and groups are presenting work to arts agents and producers. The main aim of the delegation is to promote emerging traditional musicians alongside more established groups such as Altan.
Culture Ireland chief executive Eugene Downes said an “extra level of support” was given to traditional acts Slide, Fidil and Guidewires, singer Mary McPartlan and the multimedia performance The Frost is All Over, who all took part in an invite-only showcase, Best of Irish.
Mr Downes said after last year’s mission to APAP it was clear music was “the most important form within the conference”.
The Arts Council’s head of traditional arts, Paul Flynn, added: “Speaking to my colleagues who were at the Culture Ireland stall at APAP last year, the majority of people coming up to talk to them were asking about traditional music. What we want is to attract established agents, producers and presenters for these artists.”
Mr Downes said producers from across the US attended the showcase and that this boded well.
Other Irish groups presenting showcases at APAP included theatre group Fishamble, which staged Pat Kinevane’s play Forgotten, and Rex Levitates Dance Company, which staged new work developed with US choreographer John Jasperse.
The participating artists and groups were honoured on Sunday at a reception in the residence of the Irish consul general in New York, Niall Burgess.