Founded in 2008 by the Origin Theatre Company, the 1st Irish Festival has become a gateway to North America for contemporary Irish and Northern Irish playwrights. The 2011 1st Irish Theatre Festival will run off-Broadway from September 5th to October 2nd in New York City.
Roísín McDonough, Chief Executive of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland said, “We have an exceptionally rich seam of artistic talent in Northern Ireland and promoting that talent internationally is an important function of the Arts Council. We are delighted to be a title sponsor for the 2011 1st Irish Theatre Festival and welcome the opportunity for some of our artists to reach out and partake of the introductions, collaborations and wonderful advantages that the dynamic New York City theatre scene has to offer.