Silkroad x University of Limerick Present Evening of Irish Traditional + Global Music at Harvard on September 8, 2022
A new collaboration between the University of Limerick and Silkroad takes shape on September 8, 2022 at Harvard University's ArtLab with a series of workshops exploring the stories and songs of Irish railroad workers, followed by a performance featuring artists from Silkroad and UL. Register here to attend.
The concert is part of an exciting new project The American Railroad that is meant to illuminate the impact of African American, Chinese, Irish, Mexican, and Native American communities on the creation of the Transcontinental Railroad.
The American Railroad series is led by Silkroad Artistic Director Rhiannon Giddens, the Grammy-award winning musician who is artist-in-residence at the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance at UL.
Silkroad is a global musical ensemble founded by cellist and cultural ambassador Yo-Yo Ma. The organization believes in the power of the arts to create social change, and strives to add more equity and justice into the world. Artist residencies are long-term educational partnerships designed to integrate academic curriculum with Silkroad’s mission and ongoing artistic initiatives.
“Having worked with the University of Limerick as their artist-in-residence over the last year, I’ve been dreaming up a collaboration between them and our artists at Silkroad for some time,” said Giddens.
An array of artistic and educational activities—including master classes, workshops, artistic retreats, and performances—will broaden the newly-established collaboration in the coming months. These activities will gather Silkroad and UL artists in Ireland to uncover the Irish community’s impact and legacy on the American railroads, focusing on musical traditions that have been widely shared and reinterpreted since the 19th century.
The UL residencies will be based at the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance, according to Dr Sandra Joyce, Interim Executive Dean of Arts Humanities and Social Sciences at UL. The partnership will follow this model, leveraging the arts as a unique tool to inspire creativity, explore identity, and activate a generation of change makers.
“UL is delighted to forge this partnership with the prestigious Silkroad Ensemble, particularly through Silkroad’s Artistic Director Giddens,” said Dr Joyce.
The American Railroad series is led by Silkroad Artistic Director Rhiannon Giddens, the Grammy-award winning musician who is artist-in-residence at the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance at UL.
Silkroad is a global musical ensemble founded by cellist and cultural ambassador Yo-Yo Ma. The organization believes in the power of the arts to create social change, and strives to add more equity and justice into the world. Artist residencies are long-term educational partnerships designed to integrate academic curriculum with Silkroad’s mission and ongoing artistic initiatives.
“Having worked with the University of Limerick as their artist-in-residence over the last year, I’ve been dreaming up a collaboration between them and our artists at Silkroad for some time,” said Giddens.
An array of artistic and educational activities—including master classes, workshops, artistic retreats, and performances—will broaden the newly-established collaboration in the coming months. These activities will gather Silkroad and UL artists in Ireland to uncover the Irish community’s impact and legacy on the American railroads, focusing on musical traditions that have been widely shared and reinterpreted since the 19th century.
The UL residencies will be based at the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance, according to Dr Sandra Joyce, Interim Executive Dean of Arts Humanities and Social Sciences at UL. The partnership will follow this model, leveraging the arts as a unique tool to inspire creativity, explore identity, and activate a generation of change makers.
“UL is delighted to forge this partnership with the prestigious Silkroad Ensemble, particularly through Silkroad’s Artistic Director Giddens,” said Dr Joyce.
For year-round updates on Irish cultural activities in Massachusetts and New England, visit IrishMassachusetts.com.
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