Galway ECOC 2020

Galway City, located on the west coast of Ireland was designated European Capital of Culture 2020. County Galway is also the location of one of the principal Irish-speaking areas in Ireland. Galway has a vibrant contemporary culture from Druid theatre to Macnas Street Spectacle to Galway International Arts Festival to Galway Film Festival. Cultural engagement and participation from live music to arts festivals is high. The contemporary culture is embedded in the cultural heritage through tangible sites and intangible practices connected to rural surroundings and coastal landscape, which has created a distinct sense of place, and meaning for a city. Heritage features large in the programme of Galway ECOC 2020. For example, John Gerrard’s Mirror Pavilion is a sculptural installation that displayed a digital artwork entitled Corn Work. The work recalls histories of grain milling as well as folk tradition of Straw Boys. The project Sea Tamagotchi: Foclóir Farraige has brought to life the vocabulary, stories and place names of the Irish language associated with the sea along the Irish coast of the Atlantic.

[Credits of the pictures are from left to right: “Clifden lighting ceremony” © Emilija Jefremova / “Local boatbuilder keeping currach customs alive” © Connacht Tribune 2019 / “Galway 2020” © The Connacht Hotel Galway / "John Gerrard’s Mirror Pavilion, Corn Work" © Colm Hogan / “Macnas Halloween Parade, Galway city” © Sharonlflynn / “Savage Beauty - Lough Na Fooey, Connemara, Galway County” © Kari Kola / Credits of the main picture: “Saint Nicholas' Collegiate Church, Galway” © Tiziana Soverino]

Case Study: Galway ECOC 2020
Location: Galway, Ireland
Data availability: Probably good
Stage of the case: On-going
Type of cultural heritage: Architectural, Cultural Good or Object, Project, Programme
Funding / Type of recognition: International / Global level, European level, National level, Private
Type of initiation: Policy-driven, Civil society-driven
Financial dimension value: Large (>10 mio €)
Physical dimension: Large (area)