Headlined by cutting-edge artists, musicians, DJs and playwrights, this unique party acknowledges the cultural and artistic contribution that Ireland has made in the past 100 years — and emphasises the massive positive impact this still young State could and should make on Europe and the world in the century ahead.

What Is Ireland? is the brainchild of Ernesto Leal of Red Gallery in Shoreditch, who was inspired on a recent visit to the Emerald Isle by an encounter with hugely popular live electronic act Le Galaxie.

The band — Michael Pope, David McGloughlin, Anthony Hyland and Alastair Higgins —overwhelmed Leal with their distinctive and impassioned positivity and energy, and their immense sense of Irishness.

The Easter Rising occurred on Monday April 24, 1916 and the event has been the focus of a massive centenary commemoration in Ireland this year.

On Friday April 22, 2016, What Is Ireland? will draw on historical reference points but mark the occasion in a unique way by both highlighting how far Ireland has come in that 100 years and shining a light on its future as much as its past.

That Le Galaxie are the centrepiece of this exhibition event is most fitting: their engaging performances are an immersive experience for all audiences; few other acts imbue the spirit of contemporary enthusiasm so prevalent in Irish clubs, concerts, theatres and galleries.

DJs flanking Le Galaxie at this special occasion include CiCi Kavanagh and ex-pat Arveene, whose work as a dancefloor orchestrator and vanguard music producer has epitomised the exciting cosmopolitan culture which grips his native land.

Not to mention Kormac, a game-changing entertainer best described as a revolution in a DJ box; his are sets permeated by a retro-futuristic approach that sums up What Is Ireland?

The event is completed by the UK premiere of East Belfast Boy, a theatrical work written by Fintan O’Brady about a teenager who promoted techno nights in the early 90s, parties that offered a beacon of cross-community hope to a new generation desperate to escape the Troubles.