The Birr Festival Season celebrates the essence of our town.
Running from May-November each year, it includes:
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Birr Festival of Music
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They, separately and collectively, are essential to the social and economic wellbeing of Birr, its hinterland and the county of Offaly.
Birr Festivals Collective
In 2020, Birr 20:20 Vision CLG commissioned the report, Seeing The Beyond | Birr Festivals Planning for a Shared Future, with support
from Offaly Local Development Company), to produce a set of recommendations to support sustainable festival development in Birr into
the future.
One of the key opportunities identified was for all the Birr’s festivals to work collaboratively to address strategic goals in artistic development, audience engagement, and strengthening Birr’s position as an attractive and accessible cultural destination.
And so, the Birr Festivals Collective was born.
We are committed to taking a position of leadership through our collective values, actions, and ability to work cohesively and strategically.
Our collective approach is underpinned by the following set of values:
01
Quality
A commitment to providing artists and audiences with high-quality experiences throughout their engagement with the festivals in Birr; this means fair remuneration for artists and contributors, a safe environment for artists, crew, staff, volunteers and audiences, and excellent production and presentation standards.
04
Inclusion
A commitment to designing and producing events in Birr in ways that extend a welcome to as many people as possible, particularly to those whose circumstances mean that they are infrequent attenders at festivals and events.
02
Sustainability
To lead by example in adopting and implementing principles of sustainability in how events are produced and promoted; and to avail of the benefits and economies of scale that are possible through planned collaboration.
05
Innovation
A commitment to adapting and changing the ways that we devise and produce our events sustainably and effectively in Birr (ranging from organisational arrangements and planning to programming, the use of technology and changed funding models).
03
Accessibility
A commitment to ensuring that as many people as possible can engage with, and benefit from, the festivals in Birr.
06
Partnership/Collaboration
A commitment to thinking, planning, and working together, and with others, to increase our resilience and to broaden our resource base for creative programming.
OUR VISION
A healthy and prosperous Birr where it’s easy for people to engage with culture, the arts, science and heritage.
OUR MISSION
To devise and present high-quality festivals and events that promote and support artists and their work, and that foster public engagement with culture, the arts, science and heritage in Birr.
MORE FROM THE BIRR FESTIVALS COLLECTIVE
Diversity and
Inclusion Toolkit
Nothing About Us, Without Us is a collaboration between OFFline Film Festival and Offaly Local Development Company. The toolkit is a detailed and easy-to-follow guide for all Birr’s festivals to work towards engaging more diverse audiences and be more inclusive in their programming.