Fujitsu announced as key sponsor for City of Derry International Choir Festival

Leading IT company Fujitsu has been announced as a key sponsor for the City of Derry International Choir Festival, a major event in the city’s calendar and the only international choir festival of its kind in the UK.

First founded in 2013 as part of the bid for City of Culture, the festival is now entering its 10th year, welcoming an impressive line-up of musical talent from across the globe with 80 choirs signed up to take part throughout the festival, taking place from the 18th – 22nd of October. The 2023 festival also marks 25 years since the Good Friday Agreement was signed, with many local organisations such as Fujitsu thriving in the city with the help of the peace process.

With strong roots in Derry, Fujitsu is recognised as one of the leading companies in the city’s thriving ICT and infrastructure sector, with 600 employees in Northern Ireland.

Fujitsu is headline sponsor of the DREAMS project as part of the festival programme, which will re-create a scene from the hit TV show ‘Derry Girls’ in the iconic Guildhall Square on Thursday 19th October.

The performance will be given by student singers from post primary schools across Derry, reflecting Fujitsu’s commitment to school engagement and developing the skills and confidence in local young people. The location will recall the presidential visit in Derry Girls, bringing Derry’s historic sites to life through performance.

Commenting on the sponsorship, Keelin Duddy, People Operations Lead at Fujitsu UK & Ireland said:

“We’re delighted to be a part of such an inspiring project, celebrating local talent and helping contribute to the local economy.

As a business, we’re committed to championing local talent, whether that is through our school engagement programme, apprenticeship, and graduate programmes or through our involvement with University of Ulster’s Talent Hub – preparing undergraduate students for work placement or by supporting local initiatives such as this fantastic festival.”

Fiona Crosbie, Festival Manager for the City of Derry International Choir Festival added:

“We’re thrilled to have Fujitsu on board as a key sponsor for this year’s festival. Organising a festival of this magnitude takes a lot of planning and we depend on support from local businesses, so we really appreciate the funding from Fujitsu.

The support we have received from them will allow us to invest in further resources and help us plan for further growth, which we’re really excited for. A huge thanks to the team at Fujitsu for being involved this year, and hopefully making it our most successful festival yet.”

For more information on the festival and the full programme of events visit: www.derrychoirfest.com.