Guildhall Square, Derry City, 27th and 28th August 2023 will not be forgotten for the over 2,000 people who turned up to witness one of the greatest acrobatic contemporary circus companies in the world complete their two years of visits to the city with a farewell gift of a show inspired by their time in the city.
Over the course of those two years they collaborated with dozens of local artists and community groups that informed the development of After The Rain, the only new work Compagnie XY produced this year alongside their show developed for the Paris 2024 OIympic and Paralympic Games.
After The Rain included over 14 local artists in its making and performance in addition to a 50 strong local choir led by Maurice Kelly at Allegri Derry. Some of those artists have now already gone on to perform with Compagnie XY on their international tours.
But above all, it's the care and consideration of their performances and how they involved the real stars of the city, the general public, that will forever stay in the mind's eye.
From After The Rain in August 2023 to their first visit to the city with Les Voyages Derry-Londonderry in 2022, Compagnie XY and Derry's own In Your Space Circus have left an indelible impression and a lasting partnership we all hope will see them return in the future.
After The Rain and Les Voyages Derry-Londonderry were commissioned by IWM 14-18 NOW Legacy Fund in partnership with Ulster Presents at Ulster University, co-produced by In Your Space Circus in association with Circusful and was supported by Institut Francais.
Official images by Helen Sloan. Official film by Simon Mills.
Les Voyages Derry-Londonderry (Filmed by Simon Mills)