14 July 2012
RTE 1, Ireland's main news station, traveled to The Tyrone Guthrie Centre in County Monaghan to find out why a group of 25 musicians from Ireland and New Zealand had based themselves there. Find out why.

July 11
Maori musician Horomono Horo and Irish fiddler Steve Cooney are two of 17 performers taking part in Green Fire Islands, a combined concert of both cultures which will be performed in front of thousands of people at the London Olympic Games cultural curtain raiser on the banks on the Thames. Listen Here.

June 26 2012 
BBC The Strand interviewed Creative Producer Bronwen Chrisitanos & Musical Director Steve Cooney about the show's roots and nature of its collaboration. Listen to the full interview starting 10 minutes in HERE. 

July 17 2012
Green Fire Islands is a new music and dance spectacular which weaves together the anicent traditions of Irish and Maori culture. It performs for one night only this Friday at Dublin's Helix. Alan Corr talks to Irish musician Iarla O'Lionaird and Maori singer Whirimako Black. Read More. 

An ambitious stage show telling the tale of two very different warrior cultures - Maori and Irish - will take to the world stage next month, in a unique celebration of the Olympic Games.

“Green Fire Islands”, a New Zealand-produced collaboration celebrating New Zealand and Ireland, will perform at the BT River of Music Festival in London, which takes place on 21-22 July 2012, the weekend before the Games begin.

Festival organiser, David Jones, invited the Creative and Executive Producer of “Green Fire Islands”, Bronwen Christianos, to take part in the 92-act festival, an invitation she says she feels very privileged to accept.

The BT River of Music festival will see international artists from across the world perform in a series of free performances at iconic venues along the River Thames, with huge crowds expected.

With one site to host each continent, the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich will transform into the Oceania Stage and provide a stunning backdrop for “Green Fire Islands” and other shows from Australia and the Pacific Islands.

The “Green Fire Islands” show – a story of pain and recovery within Maori and Irish history - brings together 17 top performers from New Zealand and Ireland.

They include renowned New Zealand soul diva, Whirimako Black and Richard Nunns, an internationally acclaimed player of taonga puoro (traditional Maori instruments).  

The New Zealanders will be joined by one of Ireland’s leading musicians, Steve Cooney (formerly married to Irish singer Sinead O’Connor) and the distinctive Irish fiddler, Nollaig Casey.

It’s a unique collaboration that merges ancient and modern Maori with old and new Gaelic, in music, song, dance and poetry.

Released May 11 2012 
From Grass Roots to the World Stage

New Zealand producer Bronwen Christianos has been offered a prestigious invitation for the collaborative stage show Green Fire Islands to perform at the 2012 Cultural Olympiad, BT River of Music.

“Green Fire Islands is the only New Zealand act to perform in this two day 92 act festival”, says Bronwen Christianos.

BT River of Music will take place on 21-22 July 2012 – the weekend before the Olympic Game’s begin – and will feature a series of free performances at iconic sites along the River Thames with mass crowds expected.  

“The audience capacity for the Green Fire Islands show is 10,000 people, so we are excited about our debut onto the world stage”, says Bronwen.

The first production of Green Fire Islands was in March 2008 in New Zealand. The cutting edge concept of bringing the two cultures of Ireland and New Zealand/Maori together was an outstanding success.

The acclaimed cinematographer Alun Bollinger has documented the development of the Green Fire Islands story and its performances around New Zealand during its 2008 tour. 

Footage yet to be captured will include performances on the world stage in Ireland and Europe. This documentary film will tell the story of Green Fire Islands, from inception to execution.

“The essence of this film will be its ‘from grass roots to the world stage’ story, and the passion and considerable community interaction that made it happen”, says Bronwen.

Since 2008, work has gone into developing the structure to take Green Fire Islands onto the international touring stage. 

London 2012 Cultural Olympiad director Ruth Mackenzie said: ‘Thanks to the support of our partners, the BT River of Music will be a fantastic celebration of world-class live music for the London 2012 Festival.’

Claire Whitaker, director of Serious, said: ‘We will be working with the most exciting artists from across the world and the very best of emerging British talent, staging some unique collaborations during the weekend. 

See BT River of Music