The Western Development Commission (WDC) today announced a free public event in Galway on Wednesday 25 March 2026 at the Mick Lally Theatre, bringing together Irish and international partners to share new ideas on literary tourism, digital storytelling and immersive visitor experiences. Registration is now open.
The event marks the culmination of N-LITE, a transnational project connecting the creative industries and tourism sectors across Ireland, Finland, Norway, Sweden and the Faroe Islands, funded through the Interreg Northern Periphery and Arctic (NPA) Programme. It will bring together partners, policymakers, tourism leaders, creative practitioners and youth innovators to share results and help shape what comes next for place-based literary tourism, including how rural and coastal communities can benefit from new visitor experiences built around story, culture and creativity.
Ian Brannigan, Head of Regional Development of the Western Development Commission, said: “Our strategy is focused on unlocking the potential of the Western Region by building partnerships, backing innovation, and harnessing the strengths of our culture and creativity. N-LITE shows how stories and place can be developed into visitor experiences that support local economies, strengthen communities, and create new opportunities for the next generation. This final event is where we share what has worked across five regions and build the next phase together.”
Over its lifetime, N-LITE has explored how rural and peripheral regions can transform local stories, literature and cultural identity into compelling visitor experiences, both physical and digital. The Galway event will present cross-regional learning from the five participating countries, with youth-led creative work developed across partner regions and international case studies in literary and cultural tourism. It will also focus on practical approaches to developing sustainable, year-round visitor experiences that support local economies, with discussion on how young creatives can be meaningfully involved in shaping the visitor offer, including links to the night-time economy.
A strong digital and immersive strand will run through the day, featuring interactive XR experiences and games developed through the N-LITE Tale Smiths work, live demonstrations of the Tale Smiths extended reality platform, and partner showcases of literary tourism pilots and emerging products, alongside examples of digital storytelling and social media-led place narratives.
The announcement coincides with the release of the third film in Galway Voices: Stories from the Edge, one of N-LITE’s flagship Irish initiatives. The youth-led digital series presents fictionalised portraits inspired by the lived experiences of artists and cultural workers in Galway’s Westend. Produced by Hysteria Productions and directed and edited by Bit Dramatic Films, the series forms part of a Video Portrait Trail across the Westend, enabling audiences to experience the stories in place via QR codes at participating venues. The initiative is delivered with support from Galway’s Westend Traders and Galway City Council.
Attendance at the event is free, but registration is essential. Registration is available via Eventbrite
