Bloomsday 2020 - President Higgins to host performances at Áras an Uachtaráin.
Date: Mon 15th Jun, 2020 | 15:15
Bloomsday 2020 to be celebrated in a special way due to Covid-19
President and Sabina Higgins have on every Bloomsday, 16 June, celebrated James Joyce, his work, particularly ‘Ulysses’, and all creative work and artists.
The circumstances in which we find ourselves in the current year provided a challenge, but Bloomsday 2020 will be celebrated a little differently perhaps, but for a reason that has never been more important: the need to acknowledge the contribution of artists, promote their creativity, and protect their livelihoods.
On Bloomsday 2020, President Michael D. Higgins will host, at Áras an Uachtaráin, what will be the first in a series of cultural performances that will highlight Irish art and creativity and make a call to support artists and performers at a time of crisis.
The Covid-19 crisis has posed a fundamental threat to the arts, as the measures necessary for the containment of the virus have led to the closure of so many sites, venues for events, the limitation of access to museums, theatres, libraries and heritage sites, and the resulting loss of income for countless workers in the arts.
By hosting cultural performances at Aras an Uachtaráin, President Higgins seeks to emphasise the importance of the arts in our lives, and thus the importance of the work artists do, recognising how fortunate we are to have the depth and breadth of Ireland’s talent and creativity.
This Bloomsday 2020 initiative is part of the President’s wider “Samhlaíocht agus An Náisiún / Imagination and the Nation” initiative, highlighting the powerful and transformative role of the arts, creativity and innovation.
As one of the three pillars – the others being “Shared Ireland, Shared Island” and “Transformation and Participation” – President Higgins’ vision for transformation in Ireland, “Samhlaíocht agus An Náisiún / Imagination and the Nation” emphasises the fundamental importance of the cultural space for our democracy and for promotion of creative, independent thought which we will require to build, safeguard and sustain an inclusive future for all.