No Macnas parade this year

Mrs OBumble

Disappointment as plug pulled on Macnas Parade The Macnas Parade, a free highlight of the annual Galway Arts Festival, will not take place this July, after the two groups involved failed to agree on funding for the event.

Read more: http://www.galwaynews.ie/31165-disappointment-plug-pulled-macnas-parade

topcat77

So basically noting to see during the art festival!!

biko

Ah crap, they were always good.

beardybrewer

Ah well, no loss. We haven't seen it for years since they've taken to doing only nighttime parades. Kids miss out and not exactly worth the price of a babysitter to see it without them.

inisboffin

Such a shame! The last few years have been some of the best ever.

ben.schlomo

Tis a shame as theres shag all else good on in the Arts Fest the last few years, gigs are always the same bland line-ups.

wonder88

The standard of acts in the Arts Festival has been poor, were it not for the brilliant PR it gets in the media it would be impossible to justify a two week run.

JohnFalstaff

wonder88 wrote: »

The standard of acts in the Arts Festival has been poor, were it not for the brilliant PR it gets in the media it would be impossible to justify a two week run.

That's simply not true. Off the top of my head I can think of Propellor's productions of Shakespeare and the world premiere of Misterman with Cillian Murphy as two outstanding acts from last year's festival alone. Both were world class productions that deserved every bit of praise they received.

jamesdiver

Do they run the entire parade, or just the bits they are in themselves? Hard to see where 100k is spent on the parade alone, and what do they spend the €250k from the Arts Council when 'most' of the performers are volunteers? I thought Macnas had a relatively successful commericial side to it with shows outside of Galway and Ireland.

Dutchess

Weren't they involved with the St Patrick's day parade in Galway up until recent years as well? And now they're gone from GAF as well? Shame. I hear they're doing well, doing work abroad, but sad they're won't be representing in their hometown anymore.

inisboffin

jamesdiver wrote: »

Do they run the entire parade, or just the bits they are in themselves? Hard to see where 100k is spent on the parade alone, and what do they spend the €250k from the Arts Council when 'most' of the performers are volunteers? I thought Macnas had a relatively successful commericial side to it with shows outside of Galway and Ireland.

Macnas ARE the entire parade, or do you mean The Arts Festival.
The parade takes months of planning and prep, you'd be amazed the amount of costs - from costume rental to construction etc

Gambas

biko wrote: »

Ah crap, they were always good.

I think the've been very meh in the past decade. They have become formulaic, no change in style and far too comfortable. Drummers? Check. Big tall float with main character bellowing in animalistic fashion? Check. Big dragon/serpent-like thing swaying over and back across the road? Check. Over before you know it? Check. You know what your going to get before you head into town. I don't think the absence this year is necessarily a bad thing. Compared to the originality that characterised the early parades, like the giant inflatable Gulliver and els comediants fireworks parade they are very staid.

Motopepe

http://i53.tinypic.com/2mbct1.jpg

How much do you think it costs to have something like this made?

Gambas

Motopepe wrote: »

http://i53.tinypic.com/2mbct1.jpg

How much do you think it costs to have something like this made?

I'd estimate the rhino horn alone cost €4.6m in cash.

Motopepe

Gambas wrote: »

I'd estimate the rhino horn alone cost €4.6m in cash.

lol

inisboffin

Gambas wrote: »

I think the've been very meh in the past decade. They have become formulaic, no change in style and far too comfortable. Drummers? Check. Big tall float with main character bellowing in animalistic fashion? Check. Big dragon/serpent-like thing swaying over and back across the road? Check. Over before you know it? Check. You know what your going to get before you head into town. I don't think the absence this year is necessarily a bad thing. Compared to the originality that characterised the early parades, like the giant inflatable Gulliver and els comediants fireworks parade they are very staid.

I disagree with you completely about the 'meh' factor. What I do agree with is the length of the parades, and that is definitely due to funding. In the past they did some amazing ones, Gulliver was incredible, but you could say the older ones had a lot of: children waving, flags, animals...the Macnas drummers have always been there.
Yes there has been a lot of materials recycling - if you have spent the time building a giant tower, why not use it again. Personally I would rather 10 mins of a dynamic performance than a half hour of flags. The recent parades have had tons of energy but short. It is a matter of taste though, and funding, as we now see in a major way, always effects the content.

jamesdiver

inisboffin wrote: »

Macnas ARE the entire parade, or do you mean The Arts Festival.
The parade takes months of planning and prep, you'd be amazed the amount of costs - from costume rental to construction etc

I'd imagine it costs a fair bit alright, but what do they spend the 1/4 million on apart from the Parade? Could that not go towards the parade, or do they spend that on costs for the commercial events they get paid for. I'm sure in whatever funding applications they fill each year to the arts council, they mention that they run the parade in Galway.

inisboffin

jamesdiver wrote: »

I'd imagine it costs a fair bit alright, but what do they spend the 1/4 million on apart from the Parade? Could that not go towards the parade, or do they spend that on costs for the commercial events they get paid for. I'm sure in whatever funding applications they fill each year to the arts council, they mention that they run the parade in Galway.

I don't know it all but I know they represent Galway at a lot of national and international events. They have touring shows (like Boy Explorer) throughout the year that goes to schools etc, and they also have a young ensemble who train with them regularly. Probably more stuff too. Ask them? They are very approachable IMO .