Dance Cork Firkin Crane

When I first joined the board of Dance Cork Firkin Crane in 2016, I thought, Great! A front-row seat to all things dance! Fast forward to 2020, and I found myself as Chairperson, thanks to Rowena Neville, who sneakily planted the idea during her research for a strategic report. Rowena, I see you.

Now, I wasn’t just holding the metaphorical clipboard, I was steering the ship (or at least enthusiastically pointing in a direction and hoping people followed, and they did!). My goal? To make this place a buzzing hub of creativity, accessibility, a support organisation that looked after its dance community, and, let’s be honest, the best dance in Ireland.

One of the wildest, most wonderful things to come out of this journey has been Inclusive Dance Cork (IDC) a programme proving that dance is for everyone. All bodies. All abilities. No exceptions. Whether you’ve got two left feet or no feet at all, IDC welcomes you. And we’re not just talking about a few token workshops; this is a fully-fledged accredited programme that’s changing lives. And yes, I cry a little every time I think about it.

Thanks to brilliant collaborations with University College Cork, Suisha Inclusive Arts: Cope Foundation, and Cork ETB, IDC has grown into something bigger than we ever imagined. And in 2024, the world took notice when we won the Community Foundation Ireland Creative Access Award. No big deal. (It is a big deal. We totally celebrated.)

But wait, there’s more! One of the biggest game-changers for us has been the appointment of Executive Artistic Director Laurie Uprichard, who in turn brought in Kathleen Aleton as our General Manager. These two have worked absolute magic, and the result? Dance Cork Firkin Crane is finally back on strategic funding with the Arts Council! A massive achievement, considering how much of a rollercoaster arts funding can be.

And because we like to keep things exciting, we didn’t stop at dance, we added a gallery to the mix! We wanted to encourage even more people to walk through our doors (preferably not just lost tourists looking for Shandon Bells), so Crane Visual, curated by the brilliant Dermot Browne, was born. And it’s been a resounding success! The exhibitions have brought in new audiences, sparked conversations, and proven that dance and visual art make excellent partners in crime.

Now, the final (literal) piece of the puzzle: a new roof. Yes, after all this, we still have the small issue of keeping the rain out. But with the expert guidance of Christopher Southgate and steady support from Cork City Council, and an amazingly passionate and enterprising board, we’re hopeful that 2025 will be the year we finally fix it. And then? World domination. Or at least, more dancing.

So, what’s next? More inclusion. More creativity. More dance. And hopefully, a fully waterproof Firkin Crane. Stay tuned!

If you have another 25 minutes to spare, have a listen to https://tripeanddrisheen.substack.com/p/dance-cork-firkin-crane-30-years [Dance Cork Firkin Crane: 30 years a-dancing_ Laurie and Yvonne speaking with Ellie O'Byrne about the history of Shandon's DCFC, and how it's story includes a former Taoiseach, the EU, and Cork's queen of dance herself Joan Denise Moriarty.] Laurie and Yvonne on steps of DCFC-Image by Ellie O'Byrne. IDC image by soundofphotography.