Arachas Insurance Brokers announced as sponsors of Wexford Festival Opera’s Pop-Up Events Programm
Wexford Festival Opera will take to the town again this year with a series of daily Pop-Up Performances. These surprise free multidisciplinary performances will feature music, drama, singing and dance and will be performed in various shops and businesses around Wexford town. A map can be picked at box office in The National Opera House, which will show the time and location of these daily events, but what they will see will remain a surprise! The nature of these events means they can be enjoyed by festival-goers, the local community, and the general passer-by! With over 20 Pop-Up Performances happening over the course of the Festival, there will be something for everyone. The performances will include members of the Wexford Factory, the Festival’s academy for young Irish singers, and artists from the Festival main stage programme, so you never know who you might see singing from the window of Barkers on main street or performing in AIB bank when you pop in!
This year, the Pop-Up Programme of events are proudly sponsored by our partner Arachas Insurance Brokers. Arachas have been proud sponsors of Wexford Festival Opera since 2018, and this new element of their support showcases their commitment to community initiatives and their invaluable support of the arts as the Festival returns to in-audience performances again. The community Pop-Up Performances are a central part of Artistic Director Rosetta Cucchi’s vision to bring the Festival closer to the people of Wexford. During the 2020 Festival, these Pop-Up Performances happened behind closed doors and were streamed live on the Festival’s Facebook and Instagram platforms. They proved hugely successful, gaining large viewership each stream, therefore it has been kept this streaming element. This allows the Festival to reach more audiences and to bring opera to people who may not return to Wexford this year.
Mary French, Head of Marketing at Arachas Insurance Brokers said, “Arachas is delighted to continue our partnership with Wexford Festival Opera and to see this unique event back on stage and live on the streets. The Pop-Up events are a wonderful addition, giving our wider community the opportunity to enjoy spontaneous performances and celebrate the up-and-coming talent who bring this festival alive and who are so vital to the future of the Irish Events and Entertainment sector.” Randall Shannon, Executive Director of Wexford Festival Opera said of the partnership, ‘We are very grateful to Arachas for their continued support of Wexford Festival Opera, by partnering with an initiative like our Pop-Up Programme it reinforces the message that community outreach is fundamental in Arachas’s partnerships, and their belief that supporting arts and culture is vital to the Festival’s future as we celebrate our 70th Anniversary in 2021’
Running from 19 to 31 October, Shakespeare, in the Heart WFO 2021, has found exciting and innovative ways to present over 50 events this October. From the main stage operas, to concerts, to pop-up events and lectures, the 70th Wexford Festival Opera will feature artists from across the world and showcase some of the most exciting young Irish talent. Additional tickets are now on sale from wexfordopera.com
Wexford Festival Opera would like to thank The Arts Council, Wexford County Council, Fáilte Ireland/Ireland’s Ancient East and the Festival’s Friends, sponsors, and donors for their continued support.