StormFest has passed, the Yurt at the Yard has been taken down, and all over Kilkenny city the dismantling of another festival can be seen, with friends, old and new are bidding farewell for another year. At Barnstorm Theatre Company, Artistic Director, Philip Hardy, reflects on the packed nine days of StormFest.

“This being the second year of our partnership with Kilkenny Arts Festival, it made for an exciting programme for local and visiting children and their families.” Three plays from Switzerland, Germany and Northern Ireland were performed in The Barn, and Philip commented that “they were a happy marriage of diverse pieces for all ages, and the audience reaction was astounding.”

The storytelling in the yurt, which was a collaboration between Barnstorm, Kilkenny Arts Festival and Creative Ireland, Philip found to be an inspiring initiative, and said that “It is encouraging to see that one of the five pillars of the Creative Ireland Programme encourages children’s access to and engagement with the arts.”
Speaking about the intergenerational Red Square and Culture Club exhibition, PLACESCAPE, he added, “For this festival we focused on nurturing our partnerships with Butler Gallery, Kilkenny Arts Festival and Creative Ireland.” He thanked everyone who supported the festival, and said that Barnstorm is already putting the call out for StormFest 2018.
Listen to Barnstorms’ Philip Hardy talk to BEAT FM about StormFest and Barnstorm theatre co.
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