Galway International Arts Festival has launched a reimagined programme of events today, after the regular summer gathering was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Restrictions on the number of people allowed to gather in public places put paid to the annual two week festival in July.
Instead, what is being billed as the "Autumn Edition" will run at indoor and outdoor locations across Galway city and county between now and the end of October.
An extensive programme of events has been designed to be as agile as possible, given the ongoing public health concerns.
Organisers say there will be limits on attendance at all events, with social distancing and stringent public health protocols in place.
There is also an enhanced digital element to the Festival, giving audiences the opportunity to remotely experience many aspects of what is on offer.
One of the main attractions is a commission by the artist John Gerrard, entitled 'Mirror Pavilion'.
The digital art installation will run around the clock at Claddagh Quay in Galway, before being transported to Derrigimlagh Bog in Connemara next month.
It comprises a seven-metre squared cube, with mirrored panels on three sides and a LED wall on the fourth side, featuring a digital display that simulates the local landscape.
At the weekend, a series of talks will take place at the Black Box Theatre, during which themes like racism, Brexit, climate change and public health will be discussed.
The hugely popular Festival Gallery will open in Galway city centre on Saturday, featuring works by artists Hughie O'Donoghue and Bill Viola.
The CEO of the Festival John Crumlish said it was important that audiences had a chance to experience the arts, despite the impact of Covid-19.
He said organisers had to radically rethink how the event could be staged and hoped the Festival would help lift spirits after a difficult period.
The role played by culture in peoples' lives in recent months is cited by the GIAF Artistic Director Paul Fahy as one of the key reasons why it is so important to reestablish live experiences for audiences. The appetite for a return to normality is reflected by the fact that many events have already sold out.
While the 'Autumn Edition' leans heavily on visual arts, there will also be a series of Beethoven performances by ConTempo at the end of this month and a chance to see a work in progress version of a new Enda Walsh play, 'Medicine'.
All concerts scheduled for the summer festival this year have been rescheduled until 2021.
Acts including The Flaming Lips, Jon Hopkins and the Kaiser Chiefs are among those who have had gigs deferred until July of next year.
