Scene + Heard festival to return after outpouring of public support

The festival showcases new work from hundreds of artists every year.

Last month, the Scene + Heard team announced the sad news that the festival would not be going ahead in 2023 due to lack of Arts Council funding. At the time, they wrote: “Like you, we also needed support to continue and we have been denied”.

The announcement was met with widespread disappointment amongst the theatre community, many commenting on what an important platform the festival provided for up-and-coming artists, and those looking to experiment with new work.

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In a hugely welcomed positive twist (it seems we don’t encounter many of those these days), Caoimhe and Clíona of Scene + Heard announced today that the festival would in fact be going ahead, and that they were now accepting applications.

In a statement on Instagram, the team credited an outpouring of public support including messages to the Arts Council as the reason for the festival being able to happen.

We mentioned in our last letter that it takes a village … AND after our sad farewell, your outpouring of love and support, your messages and your hundreds of letters of expression to the Arts Council have helped turn a goodbye into a HELLO! Is it a FESTIVAL of NEW WORK, you’re looking for?!

The team also thanked the Arts Council themselves “who took the time to respond to our appeal and gave us the opportunity to be re-assessed”. 

They added that they didn’t receive the full amount of funding requested and were two months behind their usual schedule, but that they were “DETERMINED to make something magical with you all”.

Scene + Heard 2023 will take place at Smock Alley Theatre from 9 – 26 FEB. Those interested can apply HERE.

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