Dear Friend,

People often ask us how we decide what to program at Irish Arts Center.

As a multidisciplinary presenter, there are countless variables that come into play to decide the right mix of artistic forms that comprise a season.  

Does the work meet the artistic standard New Yorkers expect? Does it say something new or universal about modern Ireland that our audiences will find provocative or relatable? Does it surprise and delight?

But what matters most goes beyond any of this. It’s less something we think and more something we can feel.

Which brings me to the experience we had seeing the world premiere of North Star in Belfast in the fall of 2024.

Kwame Daniels, its creator and director, had come to see us in New York back in 2023 to share his vision of an extraordinary production that could respond to contemporary societal divisions through the dynamism and talent of Black artists and students in Northern Ireland.

A show that would use music and art to project a positive image of Black humanity and artistry to the people of Belfast, and the world, bringing people of all backgrounds together for a musical celebration grounded in shared values. To heal and unify at a time of rupture.

Where better than to start with Frederick Douglass and his historic visit to Belfast in 1845, where he, a fugitive from slaveholders, was welcomed as a hero and liberator by communities who had their own experiences of oppression.

What has emerged in North Star is wildly ambitious, and truly special, as Daniels has assembled a stunning ensemble of musicians, poets, and young people sharing their responses to the legacy of the Douglass message today.

We immediately resolved to find a way to bring it to New York, adding artists and voices from our city, and share it all with you as the culmination of our first five years of programming in our new home.

So I am asking you to join us this month, starting this Wednesday through June 21, for a 70-minute concert experience you’ll never forget.

Irish Arts Center programs are supported, in part, by government, foundation, and corporate partners including Culture Ireland, the agency for the promotion of Irish arts worldwide; public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the Mayor’s Office and the New York City Council; the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature; Howard Gilman Foundation; Tourism Ireland; the Jerome L. Greene Foundation; the Brandt Jackson Foundation; the Adrian Brinkerhoff Poetry Foundation; Charina Endowment Fund; the Ireland Funds; the Shubert Foundation, Inc.; the Arnhold Foundation; the Fan Fox & Leslie R. Samuels Foundation; National Endowment for the Arts; the Irish Institute of New York; the Laura Pels International Foundation for Theater; the MacMillan Family Foundation; Bloomberg Philanthropies; the Society of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick, New York; Northern Ireland Bureau; Invest NI; CIE Tours; the Covillo Lynch Foundation; M&T Bank; the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Consulate of Ireland in New York; the British Council; the St. Patrick's Day Foundation, NYC; the Hyde and Watson Foundation; the H.W. Wilson Foundation; the Tara Circle, Inc; the Manhattan Tourism Foundation; and thousands of generous donors like you.

North Star photos © Carrie Davenport