Networking at Festival of Fools

Are you a producer, artist, or arts professional looking to deepen your understanding of creative production, touring, and making your career more sustainable? Join us for Promenade’s Producers Networking Morning at Festival of Fools 2025; a unique opportunity to learn, connect, and gain insights from industry experts. Whether you are starting out or already established, this gathering will offer valuable discussions, mentorship, and networking opportunities to support your professional journey.

What to expect at Networking at Festival of Fools

• Gain valuable insights from experienced industry experts on sustainable touring and production models.

• Connect with producers, artists, and key figures in the arts sector.

• Learn about the creative process, production management, and best practices for a successful career in production.

• Hear from inspiring professionals and partners in the field.

• Benefit from tailored mentoring sessions to expand your network and receive personalised guidance.

Register for the Networking Morning at Festival of Fools

Details:

Date: Sunday, 4th May 2025

Time: 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM

Venue: The MAC, Belfast

Room: The Works

Schedule

10:30 AM – 11:30 AM, Panel Discussion on Touring & Career Sustainability: Industry professionals within Ireland and internationally will share their experiences and insights on touring, best practices, and strategies for career

sustainability.

11:30–11:45am | Introducing ISACS International Delegates:

Lucy Medlycott, Director of ISACS, will provide an overview of Culture Ireland and its role in supporting international touring. She will also introduce the international delegates, who will each share a brief introduction to their respective organisations and festivals:

Kresanna Aigner – Findhorn Bay Arts (Moray, Scotland)

Dan Bartha – Radu Stanca National Theatre (Romania)

Juliet Hardy – Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council (UK)

11:45 AM – 12:45 PM, Mentoring Sessions & Networking:

Enjoy tea, coffee, fruit, snacks, and pastries while connecting with fellow attendees.

Also sign up for 1-1 mentoring sessions with Kath Gorman (Promenade), Alex Maronna (Promenade), Kevin Wratten (Split Second), Flora Herberich (Festival of Fools)– 20 minute sessions.

12:45 PM – 1:00 PM, End of Event & Outdoor Performance: We’ll wrap up and lead participants to an exciting outdoor performance of Simple Cypher at St.Anne’s Square.

Register for the Networking Morning at Festival of Fools

Promenade is offering 5 micro-bursaries worth €150 each to support attendance at both the Producers Networking Morning and Festival of Fools. Applications are closed for but meet the festival of fools bursary recipients!

Why attend?

This event offers a rare chance to gain insights from experienced producers, receive tailored advice, and build connections within the industry. Whether you are looking for guidance on touring, new collaborations, or insights into sustainability, this gathering will provide practical takeaways and valuable conversations.

Attendance is free, but places are limited. Sign up via Eventbrite, and if the event is fully booked, email aysegul@promenade.ie to join the waiting list.

This event and the bursaries are supported through Promenade’s Creative Production Supports programme and funded by the Arts Council of Ireland. Supported by Festival of Fools and the MAC.

Register for the Networking Morning at Festival of Fools

Promenade Bursaries for Networking at Festival of Fools

Promenade is delighted to offer five microbursaries to attend Festival of Fools and our Producers Networking Morning!

Meet the Bursary Recipients

Jenni Nikinmaa

Jenni Nikinmaa is a self-producing writer, performer & theatre-maker from Finland, based in Inishmore, Ireland. She writes weird and wonderful poetic plays and makes immersive, sound-based, and site-sympathetic theatre, often about grim topics with kindness and gentle humour. In 2024, Jenni toured an immersive, site-sympathetic show The Enchanted around Ireland and worked with Big Telly Theatre Company as a visiting artist in Granny Jackon´s Dead. She also premiered A Post Office at the Hawthorn at Galway Theatre Festival, a durational solo experience that is set to continue in the future.

Elysia McMullen

Elysia is an artist and producer working in Ireland and internationally.

She founded her company Bill and Fred Productions, an all-female clown duo in 2020, since then both their works “Adventures” & “The Grannies” have toured nationally & internationally.

As a performer she has worked with Pia Meuthen, Anton Lachky, United Cowboys, Tea Time Company, Ping Pong Disco with Cian Kinsella & Derider Griffin and Squarehead Production - Darragh Mc Loughlin.

In 2023 she completed the producer’s training program run by Promenade (Kath Gorman) and Split Second (Kevin Wratten). As part of her work experience she curated her own evening in the church at the National Circus Festival of Ireland and was the production manager for Stickman - Darragh Mc Loughlin.

As a producer she has worked with Aisling Ni Cheallaigh, Nora Kelly Lester, Lords of Strut - Cian Austin Jesus, Ping Pong Disco, Roscommon Arts Centre, Squarehead Productions - Darragh Mc Loughlin and St. Patrick's Festival.

Colm O’Grady

Born in the heart of Dublin, Colm O’Grady has been living the circus dream for almost 30 Years.

He tours his shows internationally and works for circus and theatre companies big and small as a performer and director, specialising in comedy and storytelling.

Colm is currently touring Ireland with his circus musical The Lonesome Boatman, and touring Europe with his new solo street productions O! and Cabaret UNO. And is one half of the renowned duo Naked Lunch.

Also he is in pre-production and development for his upcoming comic street show Fountain of Joy!

Amaro Braza

Brazilian, living in Ireland for 8 years, and with a Bachelor's Degree in Creative Industry from TU Dublin. The reason I am fascinated by Circus is because of the Circolo Social project in Brazil, where I was a student for almost ten years. Nowadays, the essence of this relationship led me to develop my thesis, last year, regarding the recognition of Circus as an artistic form in Ireland, through the Arts Act 2003.

When I applied for the Promenade Ireland’s Festival of Fools bursary, I was looking for opportunities to get to know artistic projects, in addition to developing my skills in producing cultural and artistic circus events.

Marie Brett

Marie Brett is one of Ireland’s leading socially engaged Visual Artists. She makes moving-image and large-scale immersive installations responding to sensitive and challenging health/care contexts. A graduate of Goldsmiths London University with MA and BA degrees, her work’s in the National Collections of IMMA and The Arts Council. Recent commissions include Cork Midsummer, and a University Consortium over nine countries. Exhibitions include an immersive installation at Brussel's European Parliament, and a solo survey show at SIRIUS (Irl). During 2025/6 Brett’s touring work commenting on the contemporary politics of dementia care and Irish capacity legislation; plus co-directing Greencrafts at prominent Irish/UK festivals.

Bursary Details

Each bursary is valued at €150 and can be used to cover your costs such as travel, food and accommodation for this year’s Festival of Fools.

To be eligible, you should:

• Be interested in learning more about the Art Producing world and making connections.

• Be available to attend the Producers Networking Morning on May 4th in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Priority will be given to individuals based outside Belfast, from underrepresented communities in the arts and freelancers.

How to Apply

Send a brief email (a few sentences) explaining why you should attend and how it will benefit your career development to aysegul@promenade.ie with the subject line “Promenade Bursaries –Festival of Fools.”

Deadline: 18 April 2025 - closed.

If you have any questions or require more information, please don’t hesitate to reach out to aysegul@promenade.ie.