Ireland’s leading aerial dance company, Fidget Feet, has unveiled a major growth strategy aimed at expanding its international presence while strengthening its creative base in Limerick.
The company, of which Anglesboro native Shauna Maunsell is a board member and aerial artist, launched its Fidget Feet Strategic Plan 2026-2029 at the 17th Irish Aerial Dance Festival in Letterkenny, Co Donegal, bringing together aerial artists, performers and industry leaders from Ireland and overseas.
The three-year roadmap sets out plans to increase international touring, develop new creative partnerships and grow audiences at home and abroad as the organisation approaches its 30th anniversary in 2028.
A key focus of the strategy will be establishing Limerick as Fidget Feet’s permanent creative hub, building on its base at the Irish Aerial Creation Centre at the former Burlington factory site in Parteen, near the University of Limerick.
The company said it aims to deliver more than 200 performances nationally and internationally over the lifetime of the plan, while expanding the Irish Aerial Dance Festival as a major showcase event for the artform.
It also intends to offer eight scholarships and an Emma Insley Commission worth €5,000 in 2029 to support emerging talent and new artistic work.
Founded in 1998 by Donegal native Chantal McCormick and her husband Jym Daly, Fidget Feet has become a leading force in aerial dance and contemporary circus, creating more than 38 productions and performing across Europe, North America, Australia, Africa and Asia.
The strategy focuses on four key areas: artistic work, people, roots and reach, and leadership and governance.
Fidget Feet said it will also prioritise audience development, inclusion, community engagement and financial sustainability as it prepares for its 30th anniversary celebrations in 2028 and the 20th anniversary of the Irish Aerial Dance Festival in 2029.
The company is supported by the Arts Council, Limerick City and County Council, Donegal County Council, Clare County Council, Culture Ireland, the University of Limerick, the Irish Aerial Creation Centre, and the Irish Street Arts, Circus and Spectacle Network.
