Writers, Musicians, Filmmakers, Artists sought for Europe’s largest tour of Irish Culture!
The largest European tour of Irish culture, encompassing 16 countries (from Norway to Italy and from France to Hungary) and 27 cities, is now inviting Irish writers, musicians, filmmakers, and artists to submit a biography and sample of work for consideration for inclusion on the Irish Itinerary [http://www.efacis.org/irish-itinerary/], a tour of Irish culture coordinated by the European Federation of Associations and Centres of Irish Studies (EFACIS [http://www.efacis.eu]) with the support of Culture Ireland.
Established in 2013, the Irish Itinerary has already brought leading Irish creative artistes, including Man Booker Prize winner Anne Enright, Oscar-nominated director Lenny Abrahamson, acclaimed folk singer Mary McPartlan and multi-award winning fine artist Rita Duffy, to thousands of people across Europe.
Modelled on the ancient practice of travelling from city to city on the continent used by the Irish monks of old, the Irish Itinerary embraces this idea and takes it forward into the 21st Century. The Itinerary is hosted by the many vibrant centres of Irish studies across Europe with each centre hosting a variety of events celebrating Irish culture, art and literature.
The Itinerary is coordinated by EFACIS, an organisation that has grown considerably since its formation in 1996 to become today the leading representative organisation for those engaged with Irish Studies across Europe (and indeed beyond Europe as well) now representing over 500 members in twenty nine countries, including associations of Irish Studies in France (Société Française d’Études Irlandaises (SOFEIR)), Spain(Asociación Española de Estudios Irlandeses (AEDEI)), and the Nordic countries (Nordic Irish Studies Network (NISN) which encompasses members in Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Iceland but also the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania).
Our Irish itinerary is hosted by members of these associations as well as the 24 centres of Irish studies across Europe (see map attached) affiliated to the federation in Austria (Vienna Centre for Irish Studies); Belgium(Leuven Centre for Irish Studies); the Czech Republic (Centre for Irish Studies, Charles University, Prague);Germany (Irish Studies, University of Wuppertal); Hungary (Irish Studies Research Centre, University of Pécs; Budapest Centre for Irish Studies, Pázmány Péter Catholic University; Irish Studies, University of Debrecen); Italy (Irish Studies Centre , University of Florence; Laboratorio Studi Irlandesi, University of Trieste; Irish Studies, University of Sassari (Sardinia); CRISIS – Centro di Ricerca Interdipartimentale per gli Studi Irlandesi e Scozzesi, Roma Tre University; Centro Studi Celtici e Canadesi , University of Turin); the Netherlands (Irish Studies Group, Radboud University (Nijmegen)), Spain (The Amergin University Institute of Research in Irish Studies, University of A Coruña; Irish Studies, University of Granada), and the UK (Centre for Irish Studies, St Mary’s University, Twickenham; Institute of Irish Studies, University of Liverpool; Institute of Irish Studies, Queen’s University Belfast).
President of EFACIS, NUI Galway lecturer Dr. Seán Crosson, remarks:
“The Irish Itinerary is a fantastic opportunity for Irish artistes to bring their work to audiences across Europe. The large number of centres affiliated to our federation is testament to the huge interest in Irish culture across the continent and we believe our itinerary makes an important contribution to maintaining the profile of this culture and bringing both new and established artistes to European audiences.”
Interested artistes should forward a short biography and sample of work to president@efacis.eu
Media queries regarding EFACIS and the Irish Itinerary should be directed to efacispres@gmail.com / telephone 086 3859872
