Arts festival to mark Limerick’s cultural spotlight

Limerick is to enjoy an annual international arts festival to coincide with its designation as National City of Culture 2014.

The arts festival, to be launched in May, will continue as a legacy project in honour of the city’s nomination as the city of culture.

Micheal O Súilleabháin, chair of music at the University of Limerick, said a feasibility study had been completed on the festival. While UL will back the event, the festival will be a city, not a university, event.

“This festival will be different to arts festivals in Galway and other cities and it will draw greatly from Limerick’s creative grittiness,” he said.

Prof O Súilleabháin was speaking at the launch of a first-of-its-kind one-year MA course for students who wish to pursue careers in organising festivals.

He said graduates of the programme will work on a practical level with festivals and in developing Limerick’s new international arts festival. He described the proposed festival as a “legacy” of Limerick’s special year in 2014.

Arts minister Jimmy Deenihan said the MA in Festive Arts initiative was an excitingly unique post-graduate programme.