Clonmel Junction Festival was first established in 2001.[1] The festival has been well-received, despite its location in a town with no committed performing arts venue.[2] The Junction Dome, a geodesic dome acted as a livestreaming venue for the 2021 festival on Mick Delahunty Square in the center of town.
History
Early years
Raw by Fidget Feet, Junction 7.08
Clonmel Junction Festival was established in 2001 by the now defunct Galloglass Theatre Company. It featured four theatre shows, one comedy performance and a small number of Traditional Music performances in local pubs.
In 2002, the festival expanded its format to include Rock Music featuring Damien Rice and Kíla. A participation program was also introduced this year. The program involved local school children creating street art that was put on display for the duration of the festival. This has since become annual program which engages over 300 children every year.[3]
2003 featured the premiere of Des Dillon's Teac a Bloc. This was also the last year that the festival was run by the Galloglass Theatre Company.
Independence
2004 saw Clonmel Junction Festival became an independent organization run by a board of directors. The success of the festival led to its expansion in 2005, increasing from a six-day event to nine-day event.
2006 saw the festival bring Nofit State Circus to Clonmel for five sell-out shows. As part of this year festival, there was also a celebration of newly established Polish community within Clonmel, in a mini Polish Festival.
The 10th Clonmel Junction Festival took place in 2010, the focus of the event shifted to circus.[4] The festival featured circus acts from Ireland and abroad, including Fossett's Circus and Les Parfaits Inconnus. The music line up included Cathy Davey, Republic of Loose and Mick Flannery. It also featured the premiere of Me Seeing You 2, by the Iseli Chiodi Dance Company commissioned by the Festival, South Tipperary Arts Office and The Excel Centre.[5]
Artistic Projects
Mudfire by the Carpetbag Brigade, Junction 7.08
The Participation Programme made it possible to transform Clonmel into a "forest" in 2006. The villages in the forest were set up by the programme. Several acts brought their villages with them in their own way. There was also a celebration of the emerging Polish village within Clonmel, in a mini Polish Festival.
Followed by the success of the Space Time Machine in 2007 the Festival organized Da Fair deadly Pirateswarm, 2008 youth project. The same year a collaboration was organized between Body Mind & Soul, visiting artists from Malawi and Maslow, a young local band.[6] Sensazione, an eco-theatrical fun fair was the headline event in 2008. Along with this several other theatre world premières took place during the nine days including 'Raw', a creation of the aerial dance company Fidget Feet in collaboration with the festival and funded by the Arts Council.[7]
