Addressing the Nations

Four evenings of impassioned speeches from contemporary Irish voices

Worldwide, 2020 was the year of the televised address of the nation, with diligent speech-writers working in over-drive, constructing emotive speeches which have both reinforced our awareness of the fragility of human existence and inspired altruistic acts of humanity. New language has been developed to describe new circumstances. Unfamiliar words have become common currency.

To mark the beginning of a New Year and look forward, we hope, to an era post-COVID-19, the CCI has commissioned 40 artists to address the world with their reflections on the times in which we live: choreographers, theatre makers, writers, musicians, visual artists and filmmakers convey their values, their preoccupations, their anger and frustrations as well as messages of courage, joy, gratitude, desire and aspiration in this month of January.

These voices from Ireland need to be heard!

WEDNESDAY 20 JANUARY
Dylan Quinn, dancer, choreographer/ Jennifer Walshe, composer, performer/ Annemarie Ni Chuirreain, poet/ Rita Duffy, visual artist/ Paul Rowley, film maker/ Alice McCullough, performance poet/ Zoe Ní Riordáin, theatre, film and music maker/ John Connors, actor, writer, director/ Chiamaka Enyi-Amadi, writer and performer/ Janet Moran, theatre maker

THURSDAY 21 JANUARY
Dylan Tighe, actor, director, writer and musician/ Gail McConnell, poet/ Kit de Waal, novelist and screenwriter/ Eimear Noone, composer, conductor/ Aideen Barry, visual artist/ Amanda Coogan, performance artist/ Tom Creed, theatre and opera director/ Dragana Jurišić, visual artist/ Mia Gallagher, writer/ Deirdre Kinahan, playwright

WEDNESDAY 27 JANUARY
Wayne Jordan, theatre artist/ Phillip McMahon, theatre artist/ Mark Clare, visual artist/ Joy Gerrard, visual artist/ Mary Dorcey, poet, author/ Jan Carson, writer/ Audrey O'Reilly, screen writer and director/ Kelly Rivière, actress and translator/ Caroline Byrne, theatre director/ Fearghus Ó Conchúir, choreographer and dance artist

THURSDAY 28 JANUARY
Clara Simpson, actor/ Stephen James Smith, poet/ Gina Moxley, writer, actor, director/ John Scott, choreographer and dancer/ Brokentalkers/ Written by Feidlim Cannon et Gary Keegan, read by par Abigail Ramaabya, theatre makers/ Fionnuala Gygax, theatre maker/ Cathal Cleary, theatre director/ Jo Mangan, artistic director/ Alison McKenna, actress, producer/ Siobhán McSweeney, actor