Piece of Work Arts Festival

POW Dundalk presents Piece of Work Arts Festival brings contemporary circus and performance to Dundalk on Saturday 9^th and Sunday 10^th May,

A new platform for contemporary circus and interdisciplinary performance is coming to Dundalk as POW expands from its signature scratch cabaret into a two-day festival on 9th and 10th of May.

Founded to support artists in testing ideas and sharing work in progress, POW now presents a programme of performances and workshops, bringing together artists working across circus, dance, theatre, music, and performance art.

An Táin Arts Centre is delighted to support POW Arts Festival by presenting the off-site circus dance performance ‘Won’t Be Told’ by Tumble Circus as part of the festival. Children’s workshops in circus will also take place at An Táin Arts Centre on Saturday 9th May.

Highlights include a hair hanging duet by artists from Greece and Italy as part of our signature Scratch Cabaret, alongside a range of live acts. There will also be free, family-friendly street shows in Market Square by Cometa Circus and Tumble Circus, as well as PIT by Alex Vostokova. The programme also features Louth-based artists Rosie Murphy on harp and Arlene Caffrey presenting performance art as part of POW’s signature Scratch Cabaret hosted by comedian and artist Áine Gallagher.

POW founder Nicola Moran says “The festival is important to me because it creates space for artists at every stage of development. Access to production, funding, and opportunities to present work can be limited, but that should not mean the work goes unseen. POW gives artists the opportunity to share their piece of work and connect with audiences by opening up the creative process. I want to build greater awareness around contemporary circus and interdisciplinary performance while creating more accessible spaces for artists to develop and share their work in the region. Street arts are also a vital part of POW. Outdoor performance removes many of the social barriers often associated with traditional arts spaces, making live work accessible to a wider public.”

The festival includes what is believed to be the first public hair hanging workshop in Ireland.

Taking place across Dundalk, POW aims to increase access to contemporary performance for both artists and audiences, particularly outside major urban centres. It supports artists at different stages of development, offering opportunities to present work that may not yet have access to full production or funding.

The festival marks the beginning of a longer-term vision to develop an ongoing programme of workshops, residencies, and performance opportunities in the region.

Full Schedule

Saturday 9th May

Circus Workshops – An Táin (Ticketed)