FESTIVAL OF FOOLS RETURNS TO BELFAST
APRIL 29TH – 01ST MAY 2023
FESTIVAL OF FOOLS AFTER HOURS PRESENTS ‘BRICOLAGE’ MAY 02ND – 04TH
Over 70 free performances taking place on the streets of Belfast City Centre and Cathedral Quarter.
Ireland’s largest free street performance festival returns with its 2023 programme in Belfast city centre from April 29th – May 01st 2023. The programme offers three days of jam-packed, all-inclusive entertainment for the whole family including circus, magic, puppetry and much more. It takes place at various locations across Belfast City, and with all daytime shows free to attend, this is a festival you don’t want to miss!
Following on from a hugely successful 2022 programme, Festival of Fools
Highlights from this year’s festival, include highly skilled, breathtaking swinging trapeze performance from Avital and Jochen, a duo from Germany providing the Big Finish in Writer’s Square on both Saturday and Sunday. There’ll be an ingenious aerial show around and on top of a black taxi with Pirates of the Carabina, world class unicycling by Janna Wohlfarth and the usual amount of comedy and acrobatic chaos on the streets of Belfast with Gary & Pel, Cat & Mouse Theatre and local company Síolta Circus. In addition to the daytime programme, FoF returns with three very special evening shows on May 02nd – 04th with Bricolage, bringing together a selection of new works by some of Ireland’s freshest up and coming artists for an evening that promises to be unlike anything you’ve seen before.
Jenna Hall, Festival of Fools Chief Executive, said: ‘“We are so excited to launch Festival of Fools 2023! With over 70 professional shows and a community programme that includes performances and drop in workshops you can both be wowed by both local and international artists and give circus a go yourself. Once again, the programme really does offer something for everyone, and includes a few ‘first-time’ elements too.
“We aim to surprise, challenge and inspire Belfast audiences through the power of internationally renowned street performance, arts and circus. This year’s programme is more diverse than ever before with acts including juggling, magic, acrobatics, puppetry, unicycling, trapeze and much much more. In addition to the international artists we are pleased to have a number of local circus companies performing and of course a few festival favourites are back with new shows.
“Once again, the daytime programme is completely free to attend and takes place across the city from 1pm – 7pm each day. Both Saturday and Sunday will end with a spectacular trapeze show at Writers’ Square at 6pm and Monday will see the return of a classic Big Finish at St. Anne’s Square, also at 6pm.
“Our partnership with 2 Royal Avenue provides an opportunity for young people from across the island of Ireland to showcase their skills and to lead a range of drop-in workshops. So, whether you’re young or old, if you’ve ever wanted to give circus a go now is your chance.
“We know that Festival of Fools brings the city to life, creates memories that last a lifetime and inspires people to see the city and each other differently and we are delighted to be able to offer this truly accessible and brilliant opportunity to everyone.”
For the full Festival of Fools
Founded in 2003, the festival is the brainchild of the late Belfast Community Circus School Director Will Chamberlain, who believed passionately in the power of street theatre and laughter to bring people together regardless of background, religion or language. He established Festival of Fools
Nowadays the Festival is a firm fixture on Northern Ireland’s cultural calendar, bringing thousands of visitors to Cathedral Quarter and the city centre.
A long-standing tradition at Festival of Fools is for audiences to donate cash into hats at the end of each show.
100% of every single cash donation goes directly into making the Festival possible. Public donations are an incredibly important part of how Festival of Fools
We are hugely grateful to all of our sponsors and funders, witih particular thanks to our principal funders Arts Council Northern Ireland and Belfast City Council. Other funders and supporters include: Destination CQ BID, Department for Communities, Foyle Foundation, Creative Ireland, ISACS, Arts and Business and the Ramada by Wyndham.
About Bricolage
Part living, moving art installation, part aerial and circus performance –Bricolage is the brainchild of Belfast based aerialist Emmen Donnelly and will transform the warehouse space of Circusful into a dreamlike landscape inhabited by roving human creatures on the ground and in the air.
This re-imagined cabaret will feature Dublin based acrobats Anja Nicholson and Jonah McGreevy from Loosysmokes, renowned for their evocative site-specific work; Chloe Commins whose piece talks about growing up as a child of deaf parents; Sacha Krohnone of Ireland’s only aerial straps artists; local juggler extraordinaire Jacob Anderson and Monika Palova and Sean McIlraith with a duo performance on themes of female experiences and relationships, explored through duo aerial rope and the rarely seen art of hair hanging.
Tickets available here: www.foolsfestival.com