The Ireland Fund of Japan helps The Barnstorm Theatre Company

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The Barnstorm Theatre Company is Ireland's leading producer of professional theatre for children and young people. Thanks to support in part from The Ireland Fund of Japan, the company enjoyed a successful tour of Japan this year, where the company presented “The Elves and the Shoemakers” by Mike Kenny to young audiences in Tokyo, Tottori and Hokkaido. The company was invited to Japan to represent Ireland at the EU-Japan Festival of Theatre Arts for Children and Young People 2005. The show was very well received and, due to the overwhelming demand, a number of extra performances were added to the schedule.

In addition to the performances, the tour schedule also included a reception with Her Imperial Highness Princess Takamado of Japan – who is a keen supporter of the arts and also visited Ireland during the Special Olympics – an evening hosted by the Irish Embassy in Tokyo in Barnstorm’s honour, and visits to local schools and festivals. In her address to all of the assembled theatre companies, Princess Takamado said “It is very important to have theatre that is artistically challenging for children, not just a simple presentation. I wish you the best for the work you are doing in your respective countries”.

Barnstorm’s first performances took place in the capital city of Tokyo, but the company also brought the show to very rural locations where children’s theatre is rare, such as Kushiro on the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido. “Because Kushiro is so remote, the local people were very enthusiastic and excited about us being there”, explains Maeve Butler, Barnstorm’s Company Administrator. “An elderly man brought his five-year old grandson to one of the Kushiro performances. Neither of them had ever experienced any kind of theatre or drama presentation before so it was very touching to see the two of them working it all out together the whole way through the performance. They loved it!”

Barnstorm’s participation in the festival was supported by The Ireland Fund of Japan and also by Culture Ireland, the national agency for the promotion of Irish arts overseas, and, with advice and assistance provided by the Embassy of Japan in Dublin and the Irish Embassy in Tokyo. As a result of this opportunity, Barnstorm hopes to build on contacts made with other theatre companies and practitioners during the festival, to exchange ideas and styles of theatre and to explore the possibility of future international collaborations.

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