Wexford Festival Opera is delighted to announce Anne Reck as the 2024 Ecclesiastical/Wexford Festival Opera Volunteer of the Year. Anne, a dedicated long-term volunteer and wardrobe mistress, was honored during the first public dress rehearsal of this year’s Festival.
Anne began volunteering in the wardrobe department back in the days of the Theatre Royal. Her first Festival was in 1977, where she made cummerbunds for the male chorus. For 47 years, she has worked tirelessly from mid-September until the Festival concludes, sewing and altering costumes for the main stage and smaller operas. As wardrobe mistress for the last 16 years, Anne manages a team, including her daughter Sinead, whom she introduced to the wardrobe department.
The announcement was made by Artistic Director Rosetta Cucchi and Scott Hayes, Head of Relationship Management at Ecclesiastical Ireland, during the rehearsal of Le Maschere, in front of a crowd of Festival volunteers.
Rosetta Cucchi remarked, “Anne has been an essential part of the wardrobe department for many years. Starting as a volunteer in the Theatre Royal, her contributions have been invaluable in making our performances visually stunning. I’m thrilled to award her Volunteer of the Year this year.”
Ecclesiastical Insurance, which has supported the Festival’s volunteer program for 11 years, recognizes and shares the stories of over 400 current and past volunteers who contribute in various ways, from front-of-house roles to costume and backstage support.
Launch of the ‘Festival Memory Bank’
In honor of volunteers’ lasting impact on the Festival, Wexford Festival Opera and Ecclesiastical launched the ‘Festival Memory Bank’ project last year to document the stories of volunteers throughout the Festival’s 73-year history. Interviews from the 2023 project are already available, with new clips set to be released during the 2024 Festival and throughout the year.
These stories underscore the importance of volunteering and inspire future generations to engage in community-building activities.
Interviews feature long-time volunteers and staff, including Rosetta Cucchi, Tony Hynes, Paul Cleary, Ger Lawlor, Nuala Byrne, Kevin Lewis, Nora Cosgrave, Nicky Kehoe, and Vivian and Monica Crofton.
This year, audiences are invited to share their own memories through the ‘Festival Memory Bank’ or by sending stories to archive@wexfordopera.com.
Scott Hayes of Ecclesiastical added, “Congratulations to this year’s Volunteer of the Year, Anne Reck. Long-time volunteers like Anne are the backbone of Wexford Festival Opera, and their dedication makes each event a success. We are proud to support this incredible festival, which showcases world-class performances in Ireland. Our partnership has greatly impacted the Festival’s volunteer program, helping to engage new generations and ensuring its continued success.”
Ecclesiastical is Ireland’s leading specialist insurance company serving the arts, education, faith, heritage, and charity sectors. Committed to supporting communities, Ecclesiastical donates all available profits to charity.
If you’re interested in joining the Wexford Festival Opera volunteer team and making a difference, please get in touch!
