Rosorcas festival of Circus Arts is back!
Join us for a weekend filled with performances, workshops, and open training in ground based circus arts across 3 venues and Motion Chapels gardens in Granlahan, Co Roscommon.
But this year, we’ve partnered with Roscommon Arts Centre to add an outpost day in Roscommon town!
Read about our upcoming shows below. More shows and full schedule coming soon!
Check them out below, more coming soon!
Volunteers needed for Rosorcas Festival of Circus Arts!
Motion Chapel are taking applications for volunteers to help with the set up, running of and tear down of the Rosorcas Festival which will take place from the 22nd – 25th of May 2025.
Come and be part of the Rosorcas Festival Team in exchange for a free Festival ticket, including all shows, workshops, camping and breakfast!
There are three options for volunteers:
- To arrive before the festival to volunteer for 2 or 3 days
- To volunteer during the festival, three hours per day for 3 days
- To stay after the festival to help with tear down for 1.5 days.
Resonance #26
For the second edition of Rosorcas Festival of Circus Arts, the Resonance Performance project is coming back! This time we’ll be working with Catalan director and dramaturg Pau Portabella. Pau’s multidisciplinary work aims to break conventional structures in order to discover and develop new scenic languages.
For this opportunity, we are looking for a wide selection of artists who are keen to join in and experiment, working for three days to create a once-off, unique performance to be presented on the Saturday of the festival. Resonance is an opportunity to work with a small group of dedicated artists and a director to push boundaries and develop your own language of performance expression.
We’re looking for artists from a wide range of disciplines — for example, but not limited to: jugglers, acrobats, actors, movement artists, and dancers. This is a short and intense creation, so coming with ideas and performance material you are keen to try out is encouraged and may be used in the creation.
Dates of the Creation: 18th -19th -20th May 2026
Performance: 23rd May 2026
Acceptance onto the project gives the artist a free ticket to the festival (21st – 24th May), plus accommodation (dorm room) for the entire stay at Motion Chapel. Meals provided on the days of work.
Pau Portabella is an artist specialized in multidisciplinary scenic creation. He works in circus, theatre, and dance, as well as in the training of stage artists.
He studied at El Timbal theatre school (Barcelona) and at the Rogelio Rivel (Barcelona) and Le Lido (Toulouse) circus schools.
He is the co-creator of the company Fet a mà with Marta Torrents, with whom he created the shows Swap! and Cru, touring internationally and winning several awards.
Currently, apart from directing and performing with his own circus-theatre company Impulsos, he works in direction and dramaturgy with national and international companies such as Kaaos Kaamos, Haa Collective, Cia. Dukto, Nuua Company, and Maitane Sarralde Cía.
The research lines of Pau’s work point towards new circus dramaturgies that aim to break conventional structures in order to discover and develop new scenic languages.
For more information on previous project involvement see: pauportabella.com
Ballyhaunis is a 12 minute drive and Castlerea is a 15 minute drive from Motion Chapel a lift from either can be arranged if you let us know in advance when you are arriving.
Get a lift:
Email rosorcas@motionchapel.com and ask for the link to a Whatsapp Group
By Bus:
The 440 Bus Éireann bus goes from Athlone to Westport and stops in Ballyhaunis and at Knock Airport.
The 64 Expressway Bus Éireann bus goes from Derry to Galway and stops in Ballyhaunis.
The 429 Bus Éireann bus goes from Galway to Castlerea.
The 977 Local Link Donegal Sligo Lietrim bus goes from Sligo to Castlerea.
The 546 Local Link Galway bus goes from Ballinasloe to Castlerea.
By Train:
The closest station is Ballyhaunis this is on the Dublin to Westport train line.
Flying:
Knock Airport is the closest airport it is a 30 min drive away. There is a direct bus that goes from there to Ballyhaunis.
Dublin Airport is a 2.5 hour drive from Motion Chapel. You can get a bus to Ballaghaderreen or Claremorris (721 Citylink) which is a 30 minute drive away.
On-Site Accommodation:
Onsite accommodation options included in the festival ticket:
Camping space is available onsite.
There is limited van parking space available. Van space is included in the festival ticket subject to availability, and must be registered for during the booking process. No plug in power available.
Sauna:
Sauna and cold dip will be in operation each evening. Please bring a towel with you that can be used to sit on in the sauna, and swimwear.
Food On-Site:
The Festival ticket includes a simple, communal breakfast on Friday, Saturday and Sunday: We’ll have a big pot of porridge on with a variety of toppings. Please bring your own bowl and utensils.
Self-Catering option available: There will be an outdoor kitchen with sink and countertop space for all to use, please bring your own gas stove and cooking equipment needed.
One to two food trucks will be onsite serving a variety of meals accommodating for veggie/vegan, dairy free & gluten free each day.
The site is not within walking distance to any shops, and the nearest food options are Ballinlough (8 min drive, small corner store and takeaways), Ballyhaunis (15 min drive Aldi, Supervalu & various takeouts), and Castlerea (18 mins drive, Lidl, Supervalu & various takeouts).
The event is BYOB.
Motion Chapel and Rosorcas Festival of Circus Arts is supported by the Roscommon County Council Creative Ireland Programme, an all-of-Government initiative, which places creativity at the centre of public policy.
Rosorcas Festival of Circus Arts is financially supported by the Arts Council Festival Investment Scheme.
