SELECTED operates as part of the University of Galway/Galway International Arts Festival partnership and forms part of our shared strategy of developing the next generation of artists, arts managers, creative entrepreneurs, and other professionals in the west of Ireland and beyond. SELECTED offers free access to many of the events in the Festival Programme including theatre and dance shows, post-show talks, Heineken Big Top concerts, visual art installations, First Thought Talks, and readings of new work.
Applications for SELECTED at Galway International Arts Festival 2024 are now closed.
SELECTED participants will receive theoretical, practical, and arts-specific training in preparation for their story bank and pitch project. As an Ambassador they will know the who, the what, the where of the festival and advise the public on all of their festival needs. They will also support the Festival sustainability goals by volunteering as green ambassadors.
2023 SELECTED participants in conversation with GIAF Artistic Director Paul Fahy
Participants also act as Festival Ambassadors, interacting with visitors on the streets of Galway and learning in a fun, practical way. Each day brings new experiences as SELECTED Ambassadors are stationed in the Festival’s most popular areas to help spread awareness of events and help visitors with queries.
Students have a dedicated Coordinator to guide and advise them throughout the programme. SELECTED participants have gone on to work with Galway International Arts Festival as well as with arts organisations throughout Ireland and abroad.
“I have always found GIAF to be an extremely accessible and generous organisation, but SELECTED gave me access to a whole new side of the Festival and allowed me to forge new relationships and partnerships with producers and organisations, many of which I still maintain today. Having backstage access to the calibre of talent the Festival hosts each year was an invaluable resource.”
- Craig Flaherty, SELECTED participant 2014, former Production Manager at Druid, current Cultural Producer at Galway 2020
As a member of SELECTED, I was granted an extraordinary chance to meet with each GIAF staff member and learn from them as they shared their experiences. Meeting everyone was a far more powerful learning tool than could ever be accomplished through academics alone. The most inspiring realization is that these individuals are patient and excited to help young emerging artists.
As a theatre student and artist, I experienced the majority of the Festival’s offerings. That opportunity placed me at performances that I would have not considered attending but which spoke to me in a way that I did not expect and opened my mind to art forms unfamiliar to me.
– Rena Bryson, SELECTED participant 2018, Founder at Eva's Echo Theatre Company
