Revised Galway 2020 programme announced due to coronavirus

‘Reimagined’ programme will see many events move online with total of 28 projects going ahead

Minister for Culture Catherine Martin: ‘I commend all involved in Galway 2020 for delivering this reimagined programme in such challenging circumstances.’ Photograph: Gareth Chaney/Collins
Minister for Culture Catherine Martin: ‘I commend all involved in Galway 2020 for delivering this reimagined programme in such challenging circumstances.’ Photograph: Gareth Chaney/Collins

The Government has announced a scaled down "reimagining" of the Galway 2020 cultural programme.

Galway’s year as the European Capital of Culture has been vastly curtailed, first by bad weather at the start of the year and then by the coronavirus pandemic.

The revised programme will see many of the events move online with others being staged physically but in a manner complying with public health guidelines surrounding the virus.

The move will see 28 projects, involving some 350 artists, proceeding.

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Reimagining

These include theatre, dance, visual art, musical composition and performance, circus and street performance, literature, poetry and film.

The reimagining of the Epic of Gilgamesh by the Macnas theatre company is to proceed in a mostly online format while Druid will stage a series of shortened performances on outside stages in the city.

“Covid-19 continues to pose a huge challenge to our artistic and cultural community,” said Minister for Culture Catherine Martin.

“At the same time, the value of arts and culture has never been more evident than in recent months. I commend all involved in Galway 2020 for delivering this reimagined programme in such challenging circumstances.”

Conor Gallagher

Conor Gallagher

Conor Gallagher is Crime and Security Correspondent of The Irish Times