Like an ice cream van for the Arts! FESTIVAL IN A VAN brings entertainment outside and makes it mobile
FESTIVAL IN A VAN FÉILE I VEAIN
The Show, On The Road
A mobile live arts event, Festival in a Van brings live performance to you. A trad session in the town square, a classical concert on the green, Shakespeare at schools, craic at care homes, and poets proclaiming in parks... Festival in a Van tours nationwide, bringing the magic of live performance to the parts and places other venues cannot reach.
Our van has been transformed as a mini mobile venue. Equipped with sound, lights, a drop down stage and a truly lovely crew, we are popping up in parks, streets, squares, care homes and more. During the lockdowns, we made safe, fun arts experiences part of life again. Now we're back on the road, bringing art to where you are.
Supported by Creative Ireland, and by The Arts Council, and led by a team of theatre professionals, Festival in a Van is is available to festivals, community groups, schools, Local Authorities, and absolutely anyone who likes the idea of something wonderful coming their way.
TOUR DATES & INFO
2023 Upcoming Projects
DEITIES by WE ARE GRIOT
With the support of the Bank of Ireland Begin Together Arts Fund in partnership with Business to Arts, Festival in a Van with We Are Griot want to ensure that voices are heard and seen, and all stories told.
In 2023 Festival in a Van commissioned We Are Griot: FELISPEAKS (Felicia Olusanya), Dagogo Hart and Samuel Yakura; three Nigerian Irish poets and storytellers to create a performance piece. The resulting work, Deities, will be performed with Festival in a Van for those living in Direct Provision later in 2023.
We hope to tour this production more extensively in 202/24. Contact Festival in a Van for more details.
THE JUKE BOX PROJECT with the HSE and Mental Health Ireland
In April 2023, Festival in a Van with the HSE and Mental Health Ireland funded by the Arts Council, visited Mullingar and Longford for a two-day tour to community residencies.
With poets Rachael Hegarty and Mary Melvin Geoghegan, as well as musicians Fin Furey and Emma Warren, we hosted the Juke Box Project. Clients made requests in advance for favourite poems and songs, and our amazing performers brought their audiences on a musical and poetic journey, all from our own Festival in a Van.
We have been thrilled to collaborative with the HSE and Mental Health Ireland in such a fun and collaborative way. Mental Health Ireland is the longest established mental health charity in Ireland. Throughout their history they and the Mental Health Associations have played a central role in reshaping how the public understand mental health issues. Since 1966, they have been front and centre in promoting mental health, supporting people with lived experience of mental health challenges in their recovery and bringing practical expression to national policy objectives.
Festival in a Van are delighted to continue our goal of reaching audiences who might sometimes feel marginalised from the arts, by bringing the show on the road directly to Mental Health Ireland’s clients. We are planning to continue this tour, and look forward to hearing all the requests!
SONGLINES WATERFORD & WEXFORD APRIL-MAY 2023
Working together, artists Lani O’Hanlon and Liam Merriman (Waterford) and Margaret Galvin and Billy Roche (Wexford) are collaborating with clients in care homes and day care centres in the South-East of Ireland for Songlines a project in partnership with Poetry Ireland, and supported by the Arts Council and the Waterford Healing Arts Trust (WHAT).
SHARED MUSIC SESSIONS
An international concert series of events with Irish musicians coming together with Ukrainian musicians, and musicians from other refugee communities via Festival in a Van. The Shared Music Sessions are supported by Creative Ireland, and the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media.
For full events listing and details of the shared music sessions in Autumn / Winter 2022, and coming up in 2023 click below
Festival in a Van Events
Discover what else the van has been up to or will be...
making vans happen where you are
If you would like Festival in a Van to visit you, or if you are planning a Festival and would like to hold performances somewhere that there isn't a stage, or like the idea of having a Cancellation-Proof Pop Up as part of your programme, please contact us for more information.
HOW TO BOOK
Vans can be hired as venues for your own programme, or we can programme for you. Vans can spend the day in one location or make up to three stops in one day, depending on distances and performance duration.
Costs for Festival in a Van are based on a full day’s hire including technical crew and Covid safety officer, fuel and all technical and safety equipment.
Festival in a van is available for Festivals, Local Authority Events, Schools, Care Homes, Private Hires and more.
To book Festival in a Van please email Gemma Tipton or click below
VANS IN THE WILD
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NICE THINGS PEOPLE HAVE SAID ABOUT FESTIVAL IN A VAN
"We absolutely loved it! The children were so engaged and the whole crew were lovely. Children were walking home dancing!! Thank you so much"
Bríd Brophy, Principal @ St. Mary's Primary School, Dublin 7
(Event: Back to School Celebration with Gomba Educare, September 2022)
"Thank you for bringing Festival in a Van to Mooorehall Lodge Ardee. From when Gemma, the van, crew and Gavan arrived it was like our Residents and staff got a new energy - a new life. The whole event from start to finish was just so uplifting. the Residents watching the crew set up, not knowing what was coming next and then Gavan starting to sing: you could hear a pin drop, just class. Festival in a Van was the topic of conversation at lunch times and for days afterwards with everyone. We, as staff spoke together about the event to try and describe feeling everyone came away with, and we said it was an energy, new beginning, new hope. After 12 months of Covid 19, that feeling that yes, we are going to be fine! It was a lovely feeling".
Frances @ Moorehall (Event: Gavan Ring, Co. Louth, April 2021)
"I just wanted to let you know how impressed everyone was by the Festival in a Van company and production. Everything happened so efficiently (thanks Anthony) without any hiccups and the students (sixth years in particular) were thrilled to see King Lear come alive on the school grounds, with real actors! It was great to see them ask so many questions afterwards! And the actors were very happy to oblige!"
Teacher at Our Lady of Mercy College, Beaumont (Event: King Lear (in a Van), May 2021)
"From the moment the van pulled up this morning you could feel the excitement grow at school today.
Some pupils were hanging out the window to see what was going on and how a normal van was supposed to transform into a magical stage - I nearly didn't know how they did it even though I watched the whole thing unfold in front of my eyes! Magic in itself.
Suddenly we were at a festival - with a stage, a secure area for around the stage - everything you would expect to see at any venue was there - no attention to detail spared.
We got the green light to start at 10am on the dot and by 10:01 there were 73 children and 40 Staff dancing together at a music festival! It was genuinely amazing. Joyce and Steve played together beautifully - his husky voice complemented by her powerful traditional singing. An incredible experience.
Our school community needed a lift like this - it was amazing. Thank you"
Sarah McGinley, Principal, St. Josephs Special School, Galway
"Once again, I wanted to congratulate the team on the incredible work you are doing. It was such an honour to play for the people at Citywest. There was a powerful moment when just after my performance, a little Ukrainian girl of around 9/10 years old walked over to me and handed me a picture she'd drawn of me performing. She didn't have any English but through the help of an adult we had a little chat, and I gave her a CD of mine. It was a moment I won't forget."
KIRRU, Musician
(Event: Shared Music Sessions, November 12th, Citiwest, Dublin)
GET IN TOUCH
Contact us with any queries and to find out more about booking your very own Festival in a Van
Please fill in the contact form
or you can email directly
