The Festival
The Location
In 2012, the Celtic Media Festival revisits to city of Derry, which is set to be the UK City of Culture in 2013. Dominating the Nothwestern landscapes of Ireland, astride the flowing waters of the Foyle, Derry is a 6th Century city that today resonates to the sounds of the 21st century.
The only completely Walled City in the British Isles , Derry/Londonderry is a centre of culture and creativity, and is now as famous for its confident modern outlook as it is for the timeless quality of its craic.
Gateway to Ireland's Northwest, the city of Derry is pulsing with life, resonant with centuries of heritage and passion, yet fresh as an Atlantic breeze.
This is a joyful regional centre filled with celebration and inspiration, as manifested in the number and quality of our festivals and special events throughout the year. Energetic, outward looking and high-spirited, this is truly a city for all seasons.
Festival venue
The Award Winning "The Playhouse" is one of the largest and best-known art centres on the island of Ireland founded in 1992. The multi-disciplinary art centre houses an award winning theatre, art gallery, dance studio, extensive education and outreach department, art resource centre and is home to many cultural based tenants. Unusually the venue is one of a handful of theatre venues in the island of Ireland commissioning, producing and touring new theatre work; ("The Stage – UK Outstanding Achievement in Regional Theatre Award Winner"). Also, unusually, The Playhouses education and outreach work extents across Ireland and further a field with current projects/partnerships taking place in Germany, Italy, Armenia and the USA. In the North West, much of its education work is focused on marginalised communities including interface areas, children at risk, the unemployed, the elderly, etc., and as the centre was the first arts centre in the North to become an accredited arts centre, over 500 students a year receive a recognised qualification through its many courses.
The historic "B1 Listed" buildings featured in the national media during BBC Restoration (N.Ireland winner) have being completely refurbished, as well as the addition of a large modern extension which includes additional workshop spaces, incubation units, a new reception area, lifts, toilets, bar facilities, etc making it one of the most up to day arts centres in the north.
In recent times the buildings have won a number of regional and national awards including "The Royal Institute of Planners Regeneration & Sustainability in Community Awards", the prestigious BURA (British Urban Regeneration Association) Awards for "Best Practice in Regeneration, the first time this UK award has come to N.Ireland as well as The William Keown Trust "Prestige Access Award", in recognition of The Playhouses contribution to an accessible, user friendly environment.
Celtic Media Festival 2012
18—20 April
Derry, Northern Ireland
