We partnered with Momentum Literature Festival 2023 in Edinburgh, Scotland to support Manuela Moser, Director of Cúirt Literature Festival in Galway, to attend. The British Council hosted international delegates from across visual and performing arts, bringing together curators, producers and programmers from all over the world to immerse themselves in this unrivalled showcase of global cultural excellence. 

Manuela took part in the Momentum programme, which runs alongside the Edinburgh Art Festival and provides a dynamic platform for key cultural figures from across the world to engage and build relationships with the Scottish cultural sector. Her participation in Momentum gave her the opportunity to meet with curators from Edinburgh's major galleries and museums, visits to artist-run spaces, and networking events with Scottish visual arts programmers. 

These programmes represent a unique opportunity for an Irish arts leader to immerse themselves in one of the UK most prestigious literature events. By facilitating these international connections, British Council Ireland aims to foster collaboration and exchange between the Irish and UK arts sectors while nurturing international cultural connections and promoting the exchange of ideas and practices. Find out more here

Follow-Up Funding

Following the delegation, Manela Moser was successful in applying for follow-up funding from Momentum Literature Festival for Cúirt Literature Festival. This funding supported the development of an ongoing project called Companion Planting by curator Cecelia Graham, a series of workshops which took place across Stanza festival (St Andrews), Cúirt Festival (Galway) and PSSquared Gallery (Belfast). The workshops created space for open conversations and game-based activities surrounding collaborative practice, strategies of support and hospitality. Founded on the principle of collective learning and continuous dialogues, each workshop informed the next, developing sector-wide research. Find out more here.