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The launch of the new cultural partnership between UL and Silkroad, the global musical ensemble founded by cellist and cultural ambassador Yo-Yo Ma took place on Thursday, September 8 at Harvard University in Boston, US, with a series of workshops exploring the stories and songs of Irish railroad workers, followed by a performance featuring artists from Silkroad and UL. Silkroad is the global musical ensemble founded by cellist and cultural ambassador Yo-Yo Ma. The artistic and educational collaboration will provide UL students with the unique opportunity to participate in the creation of a new theatre work exploring the history, cultures, and music of the immigrant communities who built the American Transcontinental Railroad. The resulting piece will be a crucial component of The American Railroad, Silkroad’s multi-year concert, educational, and commissioning series led by Artistic Director Rhiannon Giddens, the Grammy-award winning musician who is artist-in-residence at the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ. We look forward to an array of artistic and educational activities—including master classes, workshops, artistic retreats, and performances—that will broaden the newly-established collaboration in the coming months. Sincere thanks to all involved in this initiative, as it was truly a wonderful experience to bring this partnership to fruition.  A special thank you is due to UL Global, especially Niamh Kavanagh; Irish World Academy students Aisling Parslow, Nora Costelloe, Margaret Nally and Aoife Griffin; and Dr Niall Keegan, who directed the UL performance. For more, see .