A new, all-female, international arts festival inspired by one of the most famous female characters in Irish Literature, Molly Bloom from James Joyce Ulysses, is set to take place in Derry in the summer of 2024.
The first of its kind in the world, The YES Festival will feature 32 female artists from 16 countries across the world, coming together to perform in a range of multi-disciplinary family friendly and free event across various locations in Derry and North Donegal from June 13-16th.
Exploring the theme of The future: A female vision, the YES Festival invites audiences to think about the role of women, not only in Joyce’s life and work, but more widely the role of women in art, business and politics, and their role in society as thinkers and creative and civic leaders.
The YES Festival is a novel take on the “return of Ulysses”. It will be the homecoming and culmination of the three-year international ULYSSES European Odyssey 2022-2024 programme, which will have seen events in 18 cities across Europe including Athens, Budapest, Marseille, Paris, Berlin, Copenhagen and Istanbul.
Produced and curated by the highly respected producing team ARTS OVER BORDERS Ireland, the YES Festival will welcome visitors from around the world, with a host of public activities presented over four days in venues, public spaces and other locations across Derry ~ Donegal, including theatre, dance, visual arts, installations, film, writing, photography, textiles, circus, music, rap and song.
Shauna Kelpie, Artistic Curator at ARTS OVER BORDERS, says: “Countless words have been written about Ulysses, very often from the male perspective, so we’re really excited that the YES Festival should be created by women and to see how they interpret Joyce’s masterpiece.
“The YES Festival will celebrate the work of established and emerging women artists from across Europe in a packed programme of events and activities as we welcome the world to Derry and Donegal over four exciting days in June 2024 – including the first ever Molly~Bloomsday on 16 June.
“Local people and communities as well as visitors will have the chance to connect, share and interact with a diverse range of artforms curated to showcase the exceptional creative talent and distinctive voices of women.”
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