Patricia Mulligan reflects on 50 years of Banbridge Festival

​The festival, which was the brainchild of Patricia Mulligan, started off 50 years ago in a very humble way, in the front dining room of the Belmont Hotel.

But, with the help of a very enthusiastic and hard working committee, it has grown to be a giant among festivals.

With over 130 trophies and around £1,000 in bursaries up for grabs each year, competitors from far and wide flock to the event to showcase their skills.

The five day competition has seen over 30,000 entries since its inception and has been coined the ‘birthplace’ for future stars of the stage and screen.

EARLY DAYS

How did it all come about? Well, back in 1974, Patricia was just 28 years old when she decided to pursue her musical dream, a young woman with an ambitious vision.

Having entered her own speech and drama pupils into Portadown Festival, Patricia began setting the wheels in motion for a similar event in Banbridge to showcase the talents of local young people.

Patricia recalled the early days of knocking doors and distributing leaflets to garner support.

“We held a few meetings in The Old Town Hall and formed a committee with the late Rev Lockhart taking up the role of President.

"I remember walking up and down Banbridge town asking businesses if they would be willing to donate a trophy.

“The first festival was held in 1975 and it has just snowballed from there.

"I was completely overwhelmed to receive 450 entries in our first year, a figure we have gone on to triple in recent years.”

Renowned adjudicator Eileen Hendren oversaw the first festival, which took place in the Belmont Hotel and was confined to entries from only the Banbridge district.

Proving to be a major success and driving additional footfall to Banbridge town centre, Patricia was only just getting started.

Now in its 50th year, the Banbridge Performing Arts Festival continues to grow and evolve, with its key objectives being inclusivity and cross-community involvement.

With over 100 classes to compete in, including: poetry, drama, bible and musical theatre, there is something for absolutely everyone.

EXPERIENCE

Having studied the arts from the tender age of three, there are few other people with a wealth of knowledge and experience like Patricia Mulligan.

The expert teacher, examiner and adjudicator has judged festivals as far a field as Hong Kong and Sri Lanka, as well as producing many plays and pantomimes, and she doesn’t plan to give up any time soon!

When asked to outline her motivation over the last 50 years, Patricia said: "I do what I do, because I love the children I teach.

"I am so proud to see the young people who have come through Banbridge Festival go on to achieve wonderful things.

"Most notably, Alan Radcliffe, John Toal, Shelley Lowry and Siobhan McGarry.”

CELEBRATIONS

The 50th Performing Arts Festival will return to the stage of the Belmont Hotel this November.

It’s expected to attract around 2,000 entries from every corner of Northern Ireland.

Last year eight local schools took part in a new strand of the festival, which encourages speech and drama to be incorporated into the primary school curriculum.

Patricia said the rising number of entries each year demonstrates just how vital speech and drama skills are for young people.

“We are constantly expanding our reach, from our international adjudicators, to our school outreach programme.

“The talent is fabulous, and each year the standard gets better and better, exceeding my expectations.

"It is a source of immense pride for me personally.”

FUTURE

The future appears bright for Banbridge Festival with a whole new team of volunteers ready to step up and make an impact.

As for Patricia, she is confident the event will continue to thrive, and looks forward to welcoming a whole new line-up of hopefuls to this year’s competition.

“I have no doubt the Banbridge festival will still be alive and kicking, 50 years from now. Speaking skills are the most important skills we can ever learn. The vocal instrument is the only thing you carry with you thoughout your life.

“There are so many benefits, from having confidence to express yourself in a job interview, to delivering a class presentation.

“Most importantly, it encourages children to be confident. Learning how to speak clearly and articulately as a child, sets you on the right path for the rest of your life.”