Macnas

A Macnas structure in Galway City during the Savage Grace parade in October 2016
Performers in the Macnas street parade at the Kilkenny Arts Festival 2013

Macnas (Irish for "joyful abandonment") is a performance company based at the Fisheries Field in Galway, Ireland. Its public performances are noted for being "pioneering, inventive and radical" in style.[1] The company has been credited with changing the nature of public entertainment in Ireland and is regarded as highly influential within the field of spectacle performance.[2]

Founded in 1986, the company has performed in over 20 countries across the globe. Its parades have been a centre-point of Halloween, St. Patrick's Day and formerly Galway International Arts Festival festivities in Galway city, drawing crowds of up to 50,000 people on to the city streets.[3]

Macnas toured alongside U2 as part of the Zooropa tour in 1993.[4] The company simultaneously helped to ring in the new millennium in three cities: Galway (Eyre Square), Dublin (Merrion Square) and New York City (Times Square).

In March 2016, Macnas performed at the opening ceremony of SXSW in Austin, Texas.[5][6] In November 2017, Macnas performed as the closing act in the Land of Green Ginger programme at Hull UK City of Culture 2017.[7][8]

Macnas offices are spread across two locations in Galway city. Administration and rehearsals mainly take place in Fisheries Field. Large-scale construction primarily takes place at a warehouse in Liosban.

The Liffey Press and Macnas have published Macnas: Joyful Abandonment, a 250-page history of the company.[9]

References

  1. ↑ "The magic behind the mask as magic of Macnas parade looms - Independent.ie". Independent.ie. Retrieved 2018-09-17.
  2. ↑ "Talent on parade". The Irish Times. Retrieved 2018-09-17.
  3. ↑ "Thousands turn out in Galway for Macnas parade". RTE.ie. 2016-10-30. Retrieved 2018-09-17.
  4. ↑ Canadanne. "U2 Massive Heeds". www.canadanne.co.uk. Retrieved 2018-09-17.
  5. ↑ "Macnas Street Performance - SXSW Official". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2018-09-17.
  6. ↑ "Irish again set to make some noise as SXSW kicks off in Austin". The Irish Times. Retrieved 2018-09-17.
  7. ↑ "Giant puppets march through Hull". BBC News. 2017-11-12. Retrieved 2018-09-17.
  8. ↑ Corcoran, Sophie (2017-11-11). "Dazzling Land of Green Ginger parade bewitches thousands". hulldailymail. Retrieved 2018-09-17.
  9. ↑ "The Liffey Press Macnas: Joyful Abandonment". www.theliffeypress.com. Retrieved 2018-09-17.
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