Celebrating Irish Artists on the Global Stage

On Tuesday 11 March 2025, the Irish Theatre Institute was proud to represent Culture Ireland at Meet the Irish at Honey Pot, part of the Adelaide Fringe, supporting an exceptional lineup of Irish artists participating in this year’s Adelaide Festival and Fringe.

Co-hosts Niamh O’Donnell (Director of ITI), and Lucy Medlycott (Executive Director of ISACS Network), were delighted to welcome special guests Minister of State Emer Higgins TD and Daniel Lowe, Deputy Head of Mission at the Irish Embassy in Canberra. Their presence underscored the importance of international cultural engagement and highlighted the significant impact of Irish work abroad.

The event brought together artists, programmers, presenters, and festival producers from across Australia and around the world—offering a moment to connect, collaborate and celebrate the reach and richness of Irish work internationally.

A STAGE FOR IRISH STORIES

This year’s Adelaide festivals featured outstanding Irish artists and productions including:

Krapp’s Last Tape – Landmark Productions with Stephen Rea, whose powerful performance drew on decades of preparation, resulting in 12 sold-out shows at the Adelaide Festival.
Chicken – Eva O’Connor and Hildegard Ryan, a sharp, darkly funny one-woman show exploring power, identity, and rebellion.
Trawled – Eoin Ryan, a raw, biographical solo show about survival and transformation aboard a prawn trawler in the Coral Sea.
Love Letter – Camille O’Sullivan, captivating audiences with her signature mix of music, theatre and emotional depth.
And at Adelaide Fringe: Grant Goldie, a master street performer known for his skill, wit and physical theatre flair.

20 YEARS OF CULTURE IRELAND

This year marks two decades of Culture Ireland promoting Irish artists worldwide—supporting over 9,000 projects.  In 2024, Culture Ireland enabling 5,500 artists to tour to more than 50 countries, and reached 6.5 million audience members across the globe.

WHY THIS MATTERS

Live performance connects us. It challenges, inspires, and opens dialogue across borders. Supporting Irish artists internationally means sharing our stories, deepening cultural understanding, and building lasting connections.

SUPPORTING ARTISTS & SUSTAINABLE TOURING

Culture Ireland champions fair pay, environmentally responsible touring, and meaningful international collaboration—ensuring artists can tour sustainably and with impact.

Irish Theatre Institute sends a heartfelt thanks to Andy, Maebh and the entire team at Adelaide Fringe and Honey Pot for their exceptional support, hospitality, and commitment to making this valuable gathering possible. To all those we met—artists, colleagues, partners—thank you for the conversations and we look forward to working with you in the future.