China set to pulse with Irish trad show tour

The only Irish arts show to be devised, commissioned, and funded entirely by a local authority is set to tour China after playing to record audiences over the summer.

Cork trad show Pulses of Tradition has seen its audience figures double this season — it expects to have played for more than 2,500 people at the city’s 220-seat Triskel Christchurch venue before its season finale on September 11.

Commissioned by Cork City Council, created and produced by Brian Morrissey, and staged by Corcadorca’s Pat Kiernan, Pulses has become the city’s top visitor attraction and received a five-star Certificate of Excellence from TripAdvisor last month.

The traditional music and dance show, which takes place every Thursday and Friday night, is now poised to embark on a cultural tour of China in October as part of celebrations to mark the 10th anniversary of Cork’s twinning with Shanghai.

It is hoped the show, which has played in Edinburgh, Bordeaux, and Rennes, will help the city tap into China’s vast and lucrative tourist market. There are also plans to bring the show to Dusseldorf next year when Aer Lingus begins flights from Cork Airport to the German city.

Pulses producer Brian Morrissey said he was delighted with this year’s record attendances. “There is a lot of passion and hard work that goes into the show, behind the scenes, and on stage, so it’s incredibly rewarding to see that work beginning to pay off,” he said.

Damien O’Mahony, of the city council’s tourism unit, said Pulses was a celebration of the uniqueness of authentic Irish culture. “It is also a valuable platform for us to showcase the city abroad — to give people a real feeling for the immense depth of heritage that Cork has.”

Pulses runs at 8pm on Thursday and Friday nights from June until mid-September, with tickets from www.triskelartscentre.ie or by calling 021-4272022.