The Irish Street Arts, Circus and Spectacle (ISACS) Network, through Culture Ireland’s See Here Programme, continues to foster vibrant international connections between Irish artists and the global performing arts community. ISACS invites international programmers, agents, and producers to attend key industry events that ISACS hosts alongside prominent Irish festivals, including Waterford Spraoi and the National Circus Festival of Ireland, through this initiative.
David Berga, an international performing arts agent, producer, and booker, was invited to Waterford Spraoi in 2023. His engagement with ISACS has already resulted in a remarkable achievement: several Irish performers are now touring South America, with the support of Culture Ireland, and performing at some of the region’s most prestigious festivals.
Irish artists Rogu and Hands Down Circus are featured at the Festival Internacional de las Artes Vivas (FIAV) in Bogotá, Colombia. Meanwhile, Laura Murphy, Gracie Marshall, and Hands Down Circus have been invited to showcase their work at both the Festival de Teatro y Música Comfama San Ignacio in Medellín and the Festival de Artes de la Calle Santa Fe de Antioquia, also Colombia. There, the Irish performers have the opportunity to connect with established professionals such as Octavio Arbelaez, the cultural producer of 2 of these festivals, who has an extensive CV and not only curates and directs several festivals around South America but has also published texts on cultural economics, cultural management, theatre and music in books and magazines specialised in Latin America. Recognitions: Order of Arts and Letters of France in the rank of Commandeur; ISPA Award (N. York) for Arts Management; Glomnet Award (South Korea).
This international tour highlights the significant impact of the ISACS Network and Culture Ireland’s dedication to expanding the reach of Irish talent globally, strengthening artistic relationships, and promoting Irish culture on the world stage.
About ISACS
The Irish Street Arts Circus and Spectacle (ISACS) Network is a leading example of an artist-first organisation that supports Ireland’s street, circus, and spectacle art forms.Their mission is to celebrate these art forms and advocate for the policy and practical changes that will allow the sector to flourish.
The ISACS values include encouragement and empowerment of their members in their journey, in their professional development and in their creativity. This is achieved through the delivery of a wide range of artistic development programmes, bursaries, residencies, resources and opportunities that ISACS provides for their members.