Arts Council of Northern Ireland

The Funding and Development Agency
for The Arts in Northern Ireland

028 9262 3555 info@artscouncil-ni.org

  • Home
  • Blog
  • Bringing a festival of dance and movement to life in Northern Ireland

Browse Blog

Latest Blog

Bringing a festival of dance and movement to life in Northern Ireland

Tuesday 28th February 2017 at 10am 58 Comments Dance

Dones by Leilani Weis (Barcelona) at the Echo Echo Festival of Dance and Movement Image: Dones by Leilani Weis (Barcelona) at the Echo Echo Festival of Dance and Movement

Ailbe Beirne, Echo Echo Dance Theatre Company Manager and Co-Producer of the Echo Echo Festival of Dance and Movement talks about his role with the festival, the origins of the idea and outlines how the festival has gone from strength to strength over the past 4 years. 

"Echo Echo’s work has always defied categorisation. It is dance but a truly unique approach to movement that we call ‘Poetic Movement’. It is challenging and deeply professional but intrinsically participative and accessible for all ages and abilities. It is an ecosystem of people, practice and projects that connect and inspire in so many different ways – professional dancers, people with disabilities, young people, theatre practitioners, adults of all ages, designers, musicians, schools and children.

The idea for a festival of dance and movement began long ago in the minds of the company’s founding artists Steve Batts and the late Ursula Laeubli. When Echo Echo arrived in Derry twenty years ago in January 1997, contemporary approaches to dance were undeveloped locally. Over the following years as resident company at the Playhouse and Waterside theatres, and now at purpose-refurbished Echo Echo Studios on the City Walls, connecting national and international networks of artists and artistic practices with local people – artists, audiences and participants – has very much been at the heart of the Echo Echo’s work. Many local participants during these years have gone on to professional careers as dancers, actors and teachers in Ireland and abroad.

Not long after I began working with Echo Echo in 2003 I attended Edinburgh Fringe, and in particular the Aurora Nova venue at St Stephen’s, where I watched a series of phenomenally inspiring and genre-defying theatre works by companies like Jo Stromgren Kompani, Do-Theatre, Renegade Theatre and Song of the Goat Theatre to name but a few. I had never seen or heard anything like this physical and visual theatre work and it allowed me to place Echo Echo’s practice in a fresh European context, we returned to perform there in 2006, and cemented my nascent place as part of the company.

The vision of an international dance festival to connect the different strands of Echo Echo’s local and international work was first mooted in 2007. It took us six years to realise this dream and an undoubted slice of luck that City of Culture status was awarded to Derry-Londonderry in 2013. With vital support of Graeme Farrow at Culture Company and Gilly Campbell at ACNI, the resources for a first edition of Echo Echo Festival of Dance and Movement were finally confirmed after years of immeasurable development work involving many people.

From 2013 to 2016 Echo Echo has produced four editions of the Festival under increasingly challenging financial circumstances and with enormous levels of goodwill offered by artists and companies involved, all while establishing its new home studios and annual programming of up to one hundred performance, participation and artistic development projects each year.

Over these four programmes Echo Echo Festival has been privileged to host award-winning shows such as Fabrik’s Pandora 88 (Germany), Do-Theatre’s Hangman (Russia), and Ockham’s Razor’s Tipping Point (England). The Festival has commissioned new work by locally based artists including Ayesha Mailey’s Ludo Lusi Lusum, Kelly Quigley’s Fractals and Oona Doherty’s Echo Hunt as well as hosting new work by Bridget Madden, Sheena Kelly, Gary Rowntree and over 30 NI and Ireland based artists to perform their work – several artists going on to further national and international touring. 

Artists from over 20 countries have performed at the four Festivals including Casebolt and Smith (US), Chico and Shoko (Japan), Stellaris (Norway), Mirva Makinen company (Finland), and Voices Dance (Moldova) to name but five of over 40 international artists and companies. Engaging works for family audiences have been particular highlights with Tanzfuchs’ Munch (Germany), Zoe Ramsey and Tonya Sheina’s A Box (NI), and Spazio Seme’s Cimosa (Italy) among many others.

Audiences have grown each year despite tiny Festival advertising budgets, and over 1400 audience and participants were involved in the most recent edition in 2016, including many returning visitors.  From their feedback we know that many have had very moving and often life-changing experiences.

It was challenging to bring the Festival out of Echo Echo Studios in 2016 for the first time to produce events in Foyle Arena, Ulster University, and at Donemana Primary School among many others.  The Festival workshop programme has been hugely inspirational to both emerging and established artists and to public participants from local schools and youth dance groups and projects like Body Wisdom. Artist talks, Festival Symposiums, bursary programmes, film presentations, and live music events have attracted diverse attendance and participation from around the island. Partnership and collaboration has been an essential element.

Another notable highlight of Echo Echo Festival has been the Open Call programme which has attracted in excess of 300 applications over the last three years. From this entry, a mix of 30 local and international artists and companies have been programmed but equally importantly it has been a wonderful creative exchange and led to numerous supported residencies at Echo Echo Studios, and opened doors for artists like Maria Svensson, among others, to collaborate extensively with the company – Maria joins the Echo Echo Ensemble for the company’s all-island tour of The Cove during February to April 2017.

Echo Echo is delighted to have developed financial support for the Festival from a range of public and private funders including Arts Council NI and Derry City and Strabane District Council, several trusts and foundations, many local businesses, increasing box office revenues, and two crowdfunding successes with over 120 supporters. We are extremely thankful to them all – especially in these increasingly difficult times for arts funding.

I believe it is vitally important that the ecosystems within Echo Echo and within the wider arts sector are recognised as playing key roles in the success of this event – without Steve Batts’ networks and experience we certainly could not have programmed such a richly diverse programme; without Echo Echo Studios and equipment resources, and the core Echo Echo staff and voluntary ensemble team, such an event would cost very substantially more; and without the warm and creative goodwill of many dozens of artists and partners involved it would be difficult to replicate the nuanced and amazingly supportive Festival audience that has now been developed. 

I hope that despite the ongoing funding pressures and persistent short-termism for artists and arts organisations that this particular ecosystem will survive to produce a fifth edition of Echo Echo Festival Dance and Movement in November 2017."

Ailbe Beirne
Echo Echo Dance Theatre Company Manager
Echo Echo Festival of Dance and Movement Co-Producer

 

Photos

Comments (58)

Add Your Comment

  • Brain Dean, Tuesday 30th May 2017 at 11am

    Your blog is so amazing and helpfull.And it is the great idea .Thanks for sharing a batter idea.Please upload more post in different topics like top 10 horror movies of all time lose weight fast plan, top 10 horror movies of all time etc.

  • Olive, Saturday 3rd June 2017 at 9am

    Posts shared useful information and meaningful life, I’m glad to be reading this article and hope to soon learn the next article.
    PromoOcodes.com

  • Kevin Austin, Friday 9th June 2017 at 7am

    Thanks much I keep learning exciting things in your post. In a small time I’ve learned so much.

    my link

  • Obat Herbal Terbaik INDONESIA, Monday 12th June 2017 at 5am

    “Thanks for sharing information very interesting and useful. Do not forget to visit our website to share information and knowledge about health”
    Cara Mengobati Gusi Bengkak

  • Monika, Thursday 15th June 2017 at 7am

    Good to see that the information on this blog is pretty impressive and informative.

    Escorts Delhi

  • Brain Dean, Thursday 15th June 2017 at 8am

    Your blog is so amazing and helpfull.And it is the great idea .Thanks for sharing a batter idea.Please upload more post in different topics like etc.Because your upload batter than other.
    top 10 horror movies of all time

  • a10games, Tuesday 20th June 2017 at 3am

    It is my first time I visit here. The way you create a website very thorough and good. This is very very impressive. I found so many entertaining stuff in your blog, especially its discussion. I will continually be coming on a regular basis you just read your posts.
    animal jam, a10, color switch

  • monika, Friday 23rd June 2017 at 8am

    Your blog is very informational, I had seen many blogs, but it is contains something new, I appreciate your hard work. 

    Escorts in MG Road

  • Anshita Sharma, Friday 23rd June 2017 at 11am

    Howdy, Nice post, This is extraordinarily charming and amazing. Such a grouping of individuals like this blog area and me. Thank for sharing post with us
    Anushka Roy , 
    Anshita Sharma

  • Katty, Monday 26th June 2017 at 11am

    I really thank you for the valuable info on an excellent subject and look toward more excellent content. Thanks a lot for enjoying this beauty content with me. I am admiring it very much! Getting excited about yet another excellent content. All the best to the author! All the best!
    $1.49 Hosting

  • Angel, Tuesday 27th June 2017 at 11am

    This is a really wonderful website. I am a regular visitor of your website and you never dissatisfy me with your
    Mahipalpur Female Escorts

  • Shweta Sharma, Tuesday 27th June 2017 at 1pm

    One of the best stuff to read and I am pretty delighted to see this amazing article. Thanks a lot sir. Escorts in Shimla

  • Katin, Wednesday 28th June 2017 at 11am

    Keep sharing your blog with updated and useful information.I am very pleased that I stumbled across this in my search for something relating to this sites.I have also bookmarked you for checking out new posts.
    $1 web hosting

  • Edwan John, Tuesday 4th July 2017 at 7am

    Thanks for Nice and Informative Post. This article is really contains lot more information about This Topic.
    econ homework

  • David Paul, Tuesday 4th July 2017 at 8am

    Thanks for Nice and Informative Post. This article is really contains lot more information about This Topic.
    Voltage Regulation Homework Help

  • Help With Solidworks Homework, Friday 7th July 2017 at 7am

    This is really great work. Help With Solidworks Homework Thank you for sharing such a good and useful information here in the blog for students.

  • Take My Online Class For Me, Friday 7th July 2017 at 11am

    This is really a great stuff for sharing. Take My Online Class For Me Thanks for sharing.

  • Escorts, Friday 7th July 2017 at 11am

    It is my first time i visit here. I found so many entertaining stuff in your blog, especially its discussion. From the tons of comments on your articles, I guess I am not the only one having all the leisure here! Keep up the excellent work.
    Young Escorts

  • Dimpy, Friday 7th July 2017 at 3pm

    Thanks for sharing this awfestival dance movement of life. I would like to share it too
    Independent Escorts in Delhi

  • Meena, Saturday 8th July 2017 at 9pm

    Thanks for sharing these tips. These are really valuable and provide enough knowledge for understanding and improving education skills.

    Escorts in Delhi

  • happy wheels, Monday 10th July 2017 at 8am

    Great ceativity and the post clarity is awesome! Thanks for your article! I have been looking for quite a long time and fortunately I read this article! I believe there are many other people who are interested in them just like me! Thank you for sharing them with everyone!
    happy wheels

  • sadiya, Tuesday 11th July 2017 at 10am

    I have found this article very Unique here I am very Glad to get this, I would like to share this.
    Delhi Escorts

  • David Efendi, Tuesday 11th July 2017 at 12pm

    Anda yang memiliki toko online sebaiknya mulai memikirkan keuntungan menggunakan jasa pembuatan website toko online.Meskipun perlu mengeluarka dana untuk bisa memiliki website pribadi namun mendatangkan keuntungan yang lebih berlipat. Ketimbang hanya sekedar numpang di berbagai media sosial atau fasilitas beriklan di beberapa penyedia iklan maya. jasa website
    Sudah banyak pengusaha yang ingin mengembangkan bisnisnya dengan membuat sebuah halaman website yang mudah diakses oleh pelanggan. jasa buat web


    Bagi anda yang sudah memiliki pelanggan tetap dan ingin menekuni toko online yang dimiliki maka berikut informasi keuntungan penggunaan jasa pembuatan toko online :


    1. Memperluas cakupan wilayah promosi, sebab sudah memiliki toko resmi yang dikelola secara lebih profesional
    website - jasa

    2. Sebagai media yang menunjukkan anda sebagai pengusaha yang sudah profesional, sebab memiliki alamat website pribadi.
    jasa buat website

    3. Kemudahan berkomunikasi dengan pelanggan tanpa perlu terbentur toko online lain yang memiliki kepentingan sama.
    jasa pembuatan web . jasa buat website toko online

    4. Lebih mudah mempromosikan produk yang dimiliki dengan pelanggan yang hafal alamat website anda.
    harga jasa pembuatan website


    Bukankah akan lebih mudah mendapatkan kepercayaan pelanggan jika memiliki website sendiri sehingga akan banyak yang mempromosikan toko anda dari mulut ke mulut.jasa pembuatan website profesional Maupun dari kicauan akun media sosial yang mudah diketahui publik.lawangtechno.com Pada dasarnya investasi membeli website dari pihak jasa pembuatan website justru merupakan langkah yang tepat untuk menghemat pengeluaran dengan layanan hosting murah juga, Web hosting murah Indonesia . http://www.lawangtechno.com/ Sekaligus tidak terlalu sibuk sebab bisa dikelola kapan saja, tertarik menggunakan jasa pembuatan website ? jangan lupa juga jasa seo , seo murah agar website halaman 1 di search engine,
    jasa pembuatan website perusahaan

  • hill climb racing 2, Wednesday 12th July 2017 at 9am

    Nice! I want you to thank for your time of this wonderful read!!! Your blog posts are more interesting and informative. I very like and visit regularly.
    hill climb racing 2

  • uier, Wednesday 12th July 2017 at 12pm

    Jika kita mau berwisata seharusnya pesan wisata yang kurang signifikan contohnya misalnya adalah wisata pulau tidung atau pariwisata mengingat tujuh tempat wisata tersebut merupakan Traveling lumayan sangat baik dan unik tentang hal yang berhubungan dengan pulau harapan dan atau sangat juga lokasi wisata kepulauan ini paket pulau pramuka. Serta dari pada begitu demi traveling anda boleh sedangkan menilai hasil pertandingan olahraga dibanding timbangan lantai kuat traveler bisa membeli ke distibutor timbangan gantung karena via toko yang sedang kita bicarakan ini pula tarik beragam macam jenis-jenis timbangan digital misalnya timbangan dengan harga yang sangat Bagus dan atau lihat pula agen timbangan duduk terbaik paling saya baca juga

  • Candice Clings, Monday 17th July 2017 at 3pm

    Great article and I am so delighted to amazing article. Hi-Fi Delhi Escorts

  • sasa, Thursday 20th July 2017 at 4am

    Obat HERNIA ampuh dan mujarab untuk mengatassi hernia dengan pengobatan tradisional. banyak manfaat yang kita dapat dari obat herbal yaitu bisa menjadi OBAT DARAH TINGGI mengatasi penyakit stroke OBAT STROKE. untuk penderitasesak napas bisa dibantuk dengan Obat ASMA alami dari herbal langka, jika ada yang mempunyai keluhan asam lambung dengan OBAT MAAG yang terjamin kulaitasnya. itu adalah manfaat dari pengobatan secara herbal tidak hanya untuk asma, maag, tetapi juga bisa dijadikan alternatif untuk OBAT ASAM URAT,mengobati OBAT BATUK menurunkan kolesterol dengan OBAT KOLESTEROL herbal, dan menyembyhkan ambeian OBAT AMBEIEN serta mengobati sinusitis dengan OBAT SINUSITIS alami

  • sasa, Thursday 20th July 2017 at 4am

    Obat Maag

  • Help With Medical Science Homework, Thursday 20th July 2017 at 12pm

    This is really a great stuff for sharing. Keep it up. Help With Medical Science Homework Thanks for sharing.

  • pooja, Friday 21st July 2017 at 10am

    I have found this article very Interesting here thank you so much for this lovely article here.
    Mumbai escorts Service

  • panistefanin, Friday 21st July 2017 at 11am

    Thank you for your work on the blog! You’re doing a good job!
    www.mcdvoice.com

  • rinofebri, Saturday 22nd July 2017 at 8am

    I can only express a word of thanks, nothing else. Because with the content on this blog I can add knowledge Thank you very much has been sharing this information. Do not forget to visit our website to share information and knowledge about health.
    cara mengatasi penyakit gondok
    cara menyembuhkan penyakit hipertensi

  • Candice Clings, Monday 24th July 2017 at 10am

    Thank you very much has been sharing this information. Do not forget to visit our website to share information and knowledge about health. Escorts in Malviya Nagar

  • Brian Michal, Wednesday 26th July 2017 at 7am

    Hi buddy, your blog’ s design is simple and clean and i like it. Your blog posts about Online writing Help are superb. http://solidworksaid.com/ Please keep them coming. Greets!

  • OBAT BATUK, Wednesday 26th July 2017 at 7am

    OBAT BATUK yang ampuh untuk penyakit batuk, yaitu dengan OBAT BATUK herbal. Jika Anda mencari OBAT BATUK herbal maka kini OBAT BATUK herbal telah hadir untuk mereka yang ingin mengobati penyakit batuk dengan OBAT BATUK secara tradisional. Banyak manfaat yang terdapat pada OBAT BATUK yang terbuat dari herbal, yaitu OBAT BATUK herbal aman dikonsumsi oleh semua kalangan karena OBAT BATUK herbal diracikdai tumbuhanyang akan banyak khasiat, selain itu OBAT BATUK herbal alami juga cepat dalam mengatasi batuk. Jika Anda ingin OBAT BATUK herbal dalam mengatasi penyakit batuk Anda, pilihlah OBAT BATUK herbal yang berkualitas, OBAT BATUK yang berkhasiat dan juga OBAT BATUK yang aman dikonsumsi untuk semua kalangan

  • sasa, Wednesday 26th July 2017 at 7am

    thanks for share
    OBAT KUAT

Add Your Comment

* Required fields

This website uses cookies

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue without changing your settings, we'll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies on the Arts Council of Northern Ireland's website. Find out more
Continue