YOUGHAL COMHALTAS GET CHINA RECALL
9 January 2008, 10:01 PM GMT
By Christy Parker
Ceolta Si, the performing arm (and feet!) of Youghal Comhaltas, have been invited back to China, a mere month after a brief but highly acclaimed visit to the Asian country last month.
The Youghal troupe will become the first Irish representatives at Beijing’s Chaoyang International Spring Festival from February 7th to 13th. The annual festival was founded in 2002 and in a mirror of the more positive aspects of the rapidly transforming Chinese society, aims to promote international and cultural exchanges. Last year, over 400,000 people attended the celebrations.
Ceolta Si are merely in the door after an other four-day sojourn in China. Last month, as guests of the Irish Embassy, nine members of Ceolta Si travelled to China on a brief tour, during which they performed before thousands-strong audiences in schools and universities as well as at an Irish pub opening and at Ambassador Declan Kelleher’s residency for the embassy Christmas party. (They also gave an impromptu session to break the monotony at Dubai airport!).
The Chaoyang International Spring Festival brings further major recognition. It largely sponsored by the area’s Intercultural Association, with support from Chaoyang Park, a large “urban forestry project.” The Chaoyang District is an enormous, multicultural complex, accommodating the region’s major education, scientific, technology and culture centres. Its population currently stands at over 2.5 million, of which almost 1m comprises an increasing young, affluent and foreign influx. With admirable candidness, officials also concede that ‘people with a great fortune co-exist with those living under the poverty line in the district.’
Chaoyang’s young, fashionable inhabitants avail of 28 colleges in the district (23% of the total number of such institutions in Beijing) and a further 260 education institutions for adults, plus seven special schools. Add in 160 scientific and technological institutes, 1,037 private technological enterprises, 17 media and publishing companies including People’s Daily and Radio Beijing. China Central Television and Beijing Television Station plan to move there. It has, apparently, only one library, three museums, 16 theatres and 600 “social cultural entertainment places.” Its Olympics Park has 16 stadiums and numerous gymnasiums, which help to make Chaoyang District the sports centre in the city.
All of this will contrast somewhat with the proximity to Youghal GAA’s headquarters and three playing fields to which Ceolta Si is accustomed at Magnier’s Hill. Yet a contemporary cv that includes of foreign invites and excursions in to Mexico, the Welsh parliament, Czech Republic, France and of course China last month, will preclude any sense of awe. “We’ll be hoping to bring a larger number of performers this time but no matter who travels, they will be immensely capable of doing their home proud”, says Ceolta Si chairman Michael De Buitleir.
Given that Youghal Comhaltas was a homeless organisation working out of borrowed premises for its first 20 years, it’s subsequent nomadic triumphs are ironically appropriate. It also highlights how widely beneficial local support can be to a burgeoning organisation, given that as recently as 2001, the assistance from Youghal Town Council, Cork County Council, ECAD, Youghal Credit Union and local businesses helped to acquire its headquarters at Bru na Si, from which such an amazing story of pioneering success continues to emerge. When they begin the Beijing, so to speak….
Inquiries: Micheal de Buitleir (024) 93029; 087-793450
Posted By Youghal
