Festivals CONNECT
2025 -
The Festivals CONNECT programme is led by Create, in partnership with the British Council, with support from Arts Council of Northern Ireland and Arts Council of Ireland. CONNECT is supported by PEACEPLUS, a programme managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB).
Community-led festivals bring people from all walks of life together and provide a neutral space where people can come together, learn from each other, and build relationships, which are essential for bridging historical divides and promoting mutual understanding.
Festivals CONNECT aims to engage with existing festivals and provide opportunities, centred in cultural democratic approaches that encourage inclusive social engagement and build sustainable structures to develop community-led programmes and partnerships.
If you have questions about the Festivals CONNECT programme or how you can get involved, contact Joeleen Lynch, Festivals CONNECT Programmme Coordinator at connect[at][create-ireland.ie.
What will happen in Festivals CONNECT?
As part of this programme of work, we will establish Co-design Focus Groups, including 80 participants who will work together through facilitated cross-community gatherings. This group will guide the development phase of the programme, both addressing previously identified needs and co-designing future work, focusing on future challenges and opportunities
We will also offer a Training series, workshops which will upskill festival practitioners in community engagement and principles of collaborative and inclusive arts practice.
Peer to Peer Connections will bring together geographically distant peers with a leading practitioner, working together for three months for mentorship, networking, and capacity building.
Staff and volunteers in festivals will be trained on Diversity and Inclusion in Practice, focusing on community engagement and inclusion from the perspective of public-facing volunteers
We will work with cross-community representatives to co-design the programme for day three of the biennial ‘Festival Makers’ conference in Ireland and contribute to the first two days. This co-design process will ensure strong cross-border representation at the “Festival makers” conference, with a focus on Northern Ireland and border counties of Ireland.
Get in touch
We want to share this programme of work as widely as possible. If you want to learn more about Festivals CONNECT and hear about events and opportunities, join the Festivals CONNECT Mailing List.
Inside the PEACEPLUS CONNECT Launch Event
Watch highlights from the launch event and hear from key speakers and facilitators across the three strands of PEACEPLUS CONNECT, Communities, Festivals and Media. The launch event was hosted at the Monaghan Peace Campus and welcomed representatives of the arts, education, community and government sectors.
The Festivals CONNECT Programme is part of a larger “CONNECT” project, led by the British Council and is implemented in partnership with Politics in Action (Northern Ireland) and Create (Ireland) and with the support of Arts Council Ireland and Arts Council Northern Ireland as associate partners ensuring cross-border representation at the forefront.
CONNECT is supported by PEACEPLUS, a programme managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB).
