Dublin Fringe Festival and Circus Factory Cork Launch New Residency Partnership for Festival Artists

Dublin Fringe Festival is thrilled to announce a new partnership with Circus Factory Cork to support circus artists programmed in this year’s festival through the Dublin Fringe Festival X Circus Factory Residency Partnership. This collaboration aims to elevate the circus arts in Ireland by providing festival artists with dedicated residency support to develop their craft and create innovative new work.

Through this partnership, selected circus artists in this year’s Dublin Fringe Festival will have access to Circus Factory’s state-of-the-art facilities in Cork. This support will allow them to delve deeper into their practice, push the boundaries of their art, and experiment, collaborate, and refine their performances ahead of the festival in a nurturing environment.

The festival artists supported through this partnership this year are Polina Shapkina with their show Makosh and Will Flanaghan of Alchemy Arts with The Collector: The Presence of Absence.

David Francis Moore, Director of Dublin Fringe Festival, expressed his enthusiasm for the partnership, stating, “This collaboration with Circus Factory Cork is a significant step towards enhancing the support available to circus artists in Ireland. We are thrilled to offer this opportunity for our festival artists to develop their work in such an inspiring and innovative space.”

Cormac Mohally, Artistic Director of Circus Factory Cork, added, “Partnering with Dublin Fringe Festival allows us to extend our reach and impact within the circus community. Our residency programme is designed to foster creativity and inclusiveness, and we are excited to see how the artists will utilise this opportunity to create groundbreaking performances.”

Circus Factory Cork, a contemporary circus and street arts training and creation space, is dedicated to promoting circus and street arts and offering training opportunities for all ages and skill levels. Their vision, “To raise the Circus Arts in Ireland to ambitious new heights and limitless possibilities with creativity, inclusiveness, and innovation,” aligns perfectly with the mission of Dublin Fringe Festival to foster new frameworks for art form development across disciplines by supporting artists to challenge and invigorate their practice and extend the possibilities of what art can be.

The Dublin Fringe Festival X Circus Factory Residency Partnership marks a new chapter in the support and development of circus arts in Ireland, promising an exciting future for both emerging and established circus artists.

Photo credits:
SLTÁINTE_Kate Dunne_2023_(C) Simon Lazewski