Press Release
05/09/2009
Cullen congratulates Brian Friel and Gate Theatre on Edinburgh Festival Award
Martin Cullen TD, Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism has congratulated playwright Brian Friel and the Gate Theatre, Dublin on winning a Herald Angel Award at the Edinburgh International Festival. The award announced today (5 September 2009) in Edinburgh is for the ‘Gate Friel’ Season programmed by the Gate this year, in recognition of the 80th birthday of the playwright. The season which has toured to both Edinburgh and Sydney with the support of Culture Ireland, comprises of three of Brian Friel’s plays, ‘Faith Healer’, ‘Afterplay’ and ‘The Yalta Game.’
The Minister said: “I would like to congratulate Brian
Friel, Michael Colgan, the directors, actors and crew on winning a prestigious
Herald Angel Award at the Edinburgh International Festival for the Gate Friel
Season. The win is a collective triumph
for this acclaimed trilogy of Friel plays and follows on the success of the productions earlier this year at the Sydney Festival.
The success of the Gate Friel Season
is another fine example of the impact of our cultural creativity
internationally and the ability of companies like the Gate to produce
world-class theatre.
“The Government
firmly believes that our cultural and artistic reputation is one of our most
potent calling cards internationally and that in this context, it is imperative
that we continue to fund and support activity in this sector in the coming
years. Clearly in artistic terms our country’s reputation continues to grow
world-wide and prestigious awards like the one today in Edinburgh will continue
to enhance that reputation. In the
sense that these sectors are creative they can be the main source of our
primary wealth, both culturally and economically. The arts and our culture are
real contributors to our GNP and are important and sustainable employers. The Government believes that the growth
opportunities in the creative sector and in the growing area of cultural
tourism in particular, are very exciting.”
Minister Cullen also congratulated Irish theatre company Gúna Nua, who last week won the ‘Carol Tambor Award’, the most prestigious award at Edinburgh Festival Fringe for ‘Little Gem.’
ENDS
Issued by: Michelle Hoctor, 087 8563070