January 2025
Coming into the new year gives me time to reflect on the wondeful opportunities 2025 brought to remount two of my favourite pieces for young audiences.
In celebration of Backstage’s 30th birthday, a tour of Lúminaria by Fionnuala Gygax and produced by Backstage Theatre brought performances home to the ever supportive audiences at Backstage, to the beautiful Longford Lights Festival and finished up with a weeks run at The Ark Cultural Centre for Children. We had sold out houses and hugely enthusiastic audiences throughout, and it was a fantastic experience. It was particularly rewarding to bring the piece to The Ark, as the collaborative relationship between myself and Fionnuala Gygax began with an introduction through the Ark 10 years ago, so it felt like a real full circle moment!
The Shape of Quiet Feelings was supported by an Arts Council CYPA touring award to be remounted in the Mill Theatre as part of Dublin Fringe Festival, Lime Tree Theatre Limerick as part of Buladh Bos Festival and Backstage Theatre as part of Aisling Children’s Festival. A theatrical installation centring on children’s creative responses to climate change, the piece feels more prescient than ever, and it was fantastic to get to bring it to more audiences around the country after its start in Baboró International Arts Festival for Children in 2023, as part of my Artist in Residence commission.
I was fortunate enough to receive a CYPA bursary last year to learn Irish and consider how to continue to use Irish in my work. My work on this continues with Irish lessons, a trip to the Gaeltacht, a week’s residency at Aras Eanna and mentorship from Mariane ní Chinníede.
I continue to work as Lead Artist /Mentor for the Baboró Children’s Panel now in its 4th full year. It continues to be an inspiring and rewarding group to work with. I am delighted to also continue my work as Mentor and coordinator of the Young Curators Network. Now in its 5th year as a national programme, it is really beginning to make an impact. It is such a brilliant programme that gives young people a fantastic insight into programming and curating an arts programme.
I am currently teaching an undergraduate module on Playwrighting and Screenwriting for the University of Galway’s Drama, Theatre and Performance Department. This ties in nicely with the increasing work that I have been doing as a dramaturg, working with the Druid Academy run in partnership with Druid Theatre and the University.
I’m also enjoying working with the Creative Schools programme and I am excited to help facilitate the children in two of my schools bring their Creative Schools projects to life this year - a school anthem and a school cookbook!
I am delighted to been selected as one of 10 participants in the 2025-2026 Branar Meitheal - a Branar programme, supported by The Arts Council of Ireland Creative Production Services Award.
Branar Meitheal is a dynamic support programme for artists and producers creating work for young audiences. It involves bespoke individual supports and carefully curated collective development opportunities over an 18-month period. The objective is to build a network with the knowledge, skills, experience and connections that enable a sustainable career in developing and presenting high-quality work for children and young people across Ireland and internationally. I have already benefitted from visits to children’s festivals in Galway and Brussels, as well as networking and professional development opportunities, with many more to come in 2026. This is all alongside wonderful support from Branar and my peers who are also part of the programme.
As part of Meitheal, I have begun development on a new piece for young audiences. It will be a multilingual piece made in collaboration with Fionnuala Gygax and Masha Khalilieva and is exploring the connections between language and identity. More updates soon!