The Conclave in Cooley A Celebration of Youth Theatre in Louth.

The three Louth Youth Theatres, Dundalk Youth Theatre, Droichead Youth Theatre, and M.A.D. Youth Theatre ( Dundalk), will convene in Carlingford Adventure Centre from the  6th to the of 8th November for an exciting residential weekend of workshops, skills-sharing, and performances called The Conclave in Cooley.

 

Youth Theatres are a unique youthwork practice, which engages young people as active participants in theatre.  Rarely working from a script, youth theatres meet as a group, usually every weekend, and require commitment and an inquisitive mind on behalf of the members, all of whom are aged between 12 and 18 years old.  The adult leaders are a key part of the success of youth theatres, providing facilitation, leadership, and mentoring skills.

County Louth in 2015 is a hive of youth theatre activity.  In April, M.A.D. Youth Theatre staged the Irish premiere of “Remote”, by Stef Smith, in An Táin Arts Centre, Dundalk.  This visually-beautiful production later traveled to The Lyric Theatre, Belfast.  

Droichead Youth Theatre presented the powerful drama, “The Laramie Project”, by Moisés Kaufman, to great acclaim, and the production returned to Droichead Arts Centre for a second run in May.

In November, Dundalk Youth Theatre will stage the world premier of a new play, “The Gossip Gang”, devised by the company and scripted by Don McCamphill, on the 19th and 20th November in An Táin Arts Centre.

In addition to the weekly workshops and productions, the Louth youth theatres had a busy and exciting year working with other groups and external facilitators.  M.A.D. Youth theatre hosted a group of young actors from Prague Youth Theatre, Droichead Youth Theatre took part in The National Festival of Youth Theatres in Kilkenny, and Dundalk Youth Theatre hosted a series of workshops in association with Tinder Box Theatre Company.

During The Conclave in Cooley, two of Ireland’s finest professional theatre practitioners will facilitate a series of workshops and master classes.  Raymond Keane, Artistic Director of Barabbas, will facilitate a series of workshops entitled “I a clown “and Declan Gorman, playwright/director, will facilitate workshops entitled “A Town Called Now”.   Declan will also perform his acclaimed one-man show, “The Dubliners Dilemma”, over the course of the weekend.

“The three youth theatres in Louth are great examples of young people learning new skills, gaining fresh experiences, and at the same time, setting their own agendas within their own youth theatre.  For them to come together in Carlingford will be both enjoyable and stimulating, and it will also be a great opportunity to learn from two brilliant and innovative theatre practitioners”, said Brian Harten, County Arts Officer.

The Conclave in Cooley is funded by CreateLouth, The Arts Service of Louth County Council, and The Arts Council / An Chomhairle Ealaíon.  

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M.A.D Youth Theatre Presents Chatroom by Enda Walsh

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Calender Girls An Táin Theatre Dundalk

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Dundalk Youth Theatre Saturday Workshops

Application forms are available to download here

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Youth Theatre Open Day

Applications are available to download here.

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Forthcoming events at Anaverna

Sunday 2nd September at 3pm

Jane Rooney, a lovely young singer from County Down, accompanied by her brother Sean, will perform works by Purcell, Debussy, Ravel, Michael Head and William Walton at Anaverna on Sunday 2nd September at 3pm.

You can see more details and directions to Anaverna by clicking this link www.anaverna.com

Tickets are €5. If you come at 1.30pm you can have lunch (€20), You pay at the door but please reserve your tickets in advance by emailing verelc@gmail.com or ringing 042 9371490 and leaving a message.

Other events at Anaverna

Thursday 30th August at 8pm. Mary Quinn’s Debut Concert – Free admission. Details www.anaverna.com

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday 30th September at 3pm. Village Wooing – a play by George Bernard Shaw. Tickets €20, Lunch at 1.30 €20. Details www.anaverna.com

Sunday 14th October at 3pm. Music Network presents Django à la Créole featuring Evan Christopher said to be the greatest Jazz Clarinetist alive. Details www.anaverna.com

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Droichead Youth Theatre seeks Part Time Artistic Director

Droichead Youth Theatre based in Drogheda, Co. Louth is seeking a dynamic and experienced Youth Theatre Director to;

– Facilitate a programme of drama/theatre workshops

– Co-ordinate and manage all activities in relation to the Youth Theatre including the development and implementation of policies and procedures.

– Provide leadership and strategic direction in relation to furthering the artistic vision of the Youth Theatre.

Droichead Youth Theatre has been running over 21 years in Drogheda. It is committed to the development of youth theatre and drama in Co. Louth. The Youth Theatre is dedicated to creativity and confidence in its members and delivers a year round programme for young people including workshops, at least one major production and a number of smaller productions and events on an annual basis. Droichead Youth Theatre is resident in Droichead Arts Centre.

The successful candidate will have:

-A minimum of two years’ experience in theatre/drama/youth arts.

-Relevant experience of designing, delivering and leading youth theatre workshops

-Commitment and passion to youth arts and knowledge of the youth theatre field.

-Excellent organisational and communication skills.

-Ability to initiate projects and be self – motivated.

This is a part time position and will be offered on a year to year contract. The probation period will be one term (10 weeks). The annual renewal of the contract is dependent on the continued availability of funding. The hours are approx. 5 hours per week on Saturdays. The director reports to the Committee of Droichead Youth Theatre.

For more information, see Droichead Arts Centre’s Website www.droichead.com under Youth Theatre.

Completed C.Vs. and a letter of application should be sent for the attention of Celine Dyas celine.dyas@droichead.com. Closing date for applications is Thursday 6th September 2012 by 4pm. Shortlisting will take place on the 7th September and interviews will take place on the 14th September in Droichead Arts Centre at Barlow House, West St., Drogheda, Co. Louth.

Droichead Youth Theatre is kindly support by Droichead Arts Centre and Create Louth.
For further information please do not hesitate to contact me on 041 9875140

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BRONTË by William Luce in Anaverna

BRONTË

“I am no bird, and no net ensnares me. I am a free human being with an independent will.”

Lizzie Mackintosh as Charlotte Brontë

Directed by Ultan Hodgers

ANAVERNA Saturday 30th June at 8pm


Lizzie Mackintosh is a graduate of  the Acting School at Montclair University in New Jersey. Her appearances include Portia in Julius Caesar, Rosalind in  As You Like it. Arkadina in the Seagull and Rose in the Grapes of Wrath. Brontë will be Lizzie’s first solo play.

Ultan Hodgers has directed Dancing at Lughnasa, The Plough and the Stars, And Then There Was None, Great Expectations and Proof.

William Luce is an American writer noted for his one person plays portraying real characters including Emily Dickinson, Zelda Fitzgerald, Lillian Hellman and John Barrymore.

For tickets (€20, students €5, Supper before the concert €20) email verelc@gmail.com or ring 042 9371490. You pay at the door but please reserve your tickets in advance.

By arrangement with Samuel French Inc

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VEC announces expanded summer activity school programme

Co. Louth VEC Youth Officer, Ian Walker, has this week announced details of the VECs expanded week-long budget busting summer activity schools for 2012. The extremely positive feedback from parents, and from participants of previous activity schools, has prompted the youth service to expand its activity programme which this year will run all through the month of August.

Some firm favourites are to remain on the ticket including Hip-Hop Dance, Creative Writing and Cookery. However, a whole new range of schools are also being added including Hair and Beauty, Archaeology, Arts and Crafts, Soccer and Outdoor Adventure. The Youth Officer said, “there’s something for everybody this year and places are expected to fill up quite quickly”.

Drogheda Institute of Further Education (DIFE) will host a make-up, skincare and hair school for 12-16 year olds which will be based in their dedicated beauty rooms at the college. The archaeology school is being aimed at 8 -13 year olds and will utilise facilities in the County Museum in Dundalk, and will incorporate a fact finding trip to Newgrange on its final day. The arts and crafts school plans to provide participants with a variety of experiences including puppet-making and 3-D wire and clay modelling, whilst plans are afoot to utilise the facilities of the Neptune Outdoor Education Centre in Clogherhead to run an outdoor adventure school which will take in activities such as raft building, kayaking, surf boarding, hill walking and mountain/wall-climbing. All schools will run for one week.

Ian Walker said, “most of the courses this August will run in both Dundalk and Drogheda and will take place in a number of the VECs schools in the towns. Our schools are kitted out to the highest of standards which make ideal bases for our summer schools”.

Application forms and programme details are now available on the Co. Louth VEC website at www.louthvec.ie. Places will be allocated on a ‘first come first served’ basis. The VEC has indicated that it is open to suggestions for other innovative summer schools from members of the public.

For further information regarding the above please contact:

Mr. Ian Walker
Youth Officer
Co. Louth VEC
Chapel St.
Dundalk
Co. Louth
Email: ian.walker@louthvec.ie
Tel.: 042 9334047

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Bloomsday in Drogheda

DECLAN GORMAN TO SNEAK PREVIEW HIS NEW ONE-MAN JOYCE SHOW AT THE LITTLE DUKE!
To our knowledge, Bloomsday has not previously been celebrated in Drogheda, perhaps for the good reason that James Joyce mentioned the County Louth town only once in his books and that was in an intoxicated rant by a zealous patriot called The Citizen in Ulysses. All that is about to change!
Former Artistic Director of Upstate Theatre, Declan Gorman, returns to Drogheda on June 15th and 16th to preview his much-anticipated one-man show THE DUBLINERS DILEMMA, an adaptation of James Joyce’s ‘Dubliners’. This “one-man tram-hurtle” through Joyce’s popular short stories will be hosted at The Little Duke Theatre on Bloomseve and Bloomsday, 15th and 16th June at 8.30 p.m..
The show is produced by Bachelors Walk Productions and you can read all about it on www.bachelorswalkdublin.com.  The play centres on Grant Richards, the publisher who initially refused to issue the book on the grounds that his printer found it obscene.  Eight years on, a troubled Richards asks to see the still unpublished manuscript again and as he re-reads it, the stories come to vivid life before him.
Tickets are a modest €7.00, and can be purchased at the door, or can be reserved in advance by contacting BACHELORS WALK PRODUCTIONS on bachelorswalk@yahoo.ie or by calling the Bachelors Walk enquiries line on 086-3615585.
While Gorman made his mark on the Drogheda scene over his thirteen years with Upstate as a writer and director, he has not previously performed publicly in the town. In fact, he has not appeared on a stage anywhere for several years, preferring the hidden background roles of playwright and producer. But it turns out he is an actor of some experience, having been selected in the past as one of the “top up-and-coming Irish actors” of his generation by Image Magazine and having performed and toured extensively with the legendary Co-Motion Theatre Company.
Don’t miss this special opportunity to preview The Dubliners Dilemma in Drogheda before it opens at the new City Arts theatre in Dublin in July – and be part of history as Bloomsday sprawls out as far as Drogheda.

 

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