The Irish Traditional Music Archive (ITMA) has begun a new monthly series that connects artists with archival material to inspire new art.  Louise Mulcahy, Martin Hayes, Edwina Guckian, Mary Bergin, Tony Linnane and Brían Mac Gloinn are just some of the leading instrumentalists, singers and dancers who have been commissioned to spend time engaging with collections of their choice in ITMA and to then produce something new that can be shared with the public.

ITMA Director, Liam O’Connor, stated: “Over the last 33 years, ITMA has created the most comprehensive collection of Irish traditional music, song and dance to be found anywhere in the world.  Connecting artists with archival material to inspire new art is at the core of ITMA’s role serving the living tradition.  Artists can access our collections remotely, find inspiration to create new art and share with the public.”

Drawing from the Well was launched virtually in October, and is now underway.  The resulting performances and interactive forums, which include real insights into the depths of the archive material accessed and the engagement process by each artist, are available to watch live on the ITMA website, its Facebook page, its YouTube channel and its Instagram TV.  Still to be featured in December are Mary Bergin and Tony Linnane (2 December) and Brían Mac Gloinn (23 December), and there is a full schedule of artists lined up for 2021.

www.itma.ie

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