Young Curators/Lasta Festival

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Siamsa Tíre is delighted to be one of the arts venues across Ireland to take part in the Lasta festival, the first national arts programme curated entirely by Young Curators which takes place every June.

The national LASTA Young Curators festival is a testament to collaboration, engagement and community.

Started in 2020 by Backstage Theatre Co. Longford, the programme has blossomed to include venues nationwide, a host of individual young curators, and an expanding programme of exciting, multidisciplinary work.

The spark that fuels the project is faith in the next generation of audience members, artists and programmers. It is this trust and desire to connect from the network that encourages a belief in performance and participatory practice and cultivates the elevation of contemporary sentiments as they emerge.

In this wide-ranging programme of work, you are called to spectate, participate, and listen to a broad and exciting range of voices. Boasting theatre, music, film, visual art (and more!), the programme is a showcase of what we want to hear in our venues and want to share with our communities.

Under the guidance of theatre artist Maisie Lee, we are thrilled to share an auditorium, a moment, and a festival with you. Ambitious and expansive, it speaks to the value we place on holding space, creating forum, and opening up to the possibilities of what new voices can add to the conversation.

The Young Curators Programme is targeted at young people between the ages of 18 and 25 who want to gain experience in working in the arts, especially those interested in venue and festival management and programming. The curators are selected on the basis that they are from, live in or have a strong connection to Tralee and its communities; have a passion for the arts and for attending performance; enjoy working with a small team; like organising events and making things happen; and being able to make the commitment to the programme if selected.

The project is about programming and producing creative work in the performing arts - selecting shows that they may have seen for Siamsa Tíre’s programme of events or making a show in collaboration with the Young Curators in other venues.

Curating includes managing the event from the first conversation with the artists to the day of the performance, making sure everything runs smoothly on the day. In this, the young programmers will be supported by the team at Siamsa Tíre, the Young Curators at the other participating venues, and the professionals hired to support the programme including project co-ordinator Maisie Lee.

Each year, the selected Young Curators will work collaboratively to deliver an ambitious line up of work. Featuring multiple disciplines and reflecting the diversity of modern Ireland, this festival offers a unique opportunity to develop our future arts programmers and producers. The line-up features theatre, music, comedy, dance, film, photography and experiential moments promising a fresh, fun, and exciting festival.

Young Curators 2024-2025 Jane Carmody (Tralee) and Moreblessing Chigwedere (Wicklow)

Jane Carmody (Tralee): "I am really excited to have been chosen as a Young Curator for Siamsa Tíre’s LASTA programme. I am incredibly excited to collaborate with Moreblessing and the team, and I look forward to working together to create an exceptional programme for the LASTA festival next year. This is such a wonderful opportunity, and I am eager to contribute my passion and ideas to bring fresh, innovative experiences to the festival."

Our Young Curators:

Siamsa Tíre would like to thank our Young Curators for their dedication, hard-work and passion for the arts which has helped the Lasta festival to become such a huge success. We hope you enjoyed your experience and look forward to working with you again in the near future.  

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