On the first weekend of November, we were in Tralee with a team of delegates, including Alan Meaney and Em Murphy, the members invited to join the ISACS team, to experience the National Circus Festival of Ireland through DELVE.

DELVE: Discover, Explore, Learn, Visualise and Engage – aims to support artists to experience and be inspired by art through various festivals and programmes throughout Ireland. We go, see, watch, listen, learn, connect with art and art makers, and get inspired.

Together we attended the following:

Here is what Alan said about his experience:

I had a brilliant experience at NCFI. As an emerging producer, this was a great opportunity for me to see a variety of top class shows and performers in action. The Whistle II show on Friday night and the Circus Siamsa show on Saturday, both provided me with an insight into the wide variety of circus performances that can be staged. The acts were individually outstanding and they gave me an example of the high standards that can be met.

I was so impressed with the openness of the festival, with artists from the shows, socialising at the festival club afterwards. The friendliness and support of the sector really came across to me as I spoke to artists from here and abroad. I attended the opening film night with the festival director Con Horgan and there was great sense of comraderie among all attendees throughout the whole weekend.

The team from ISACS were so welcoming and helpful throughout the weekend and the experience has given me great enthusiasm to begin working in this area.