Baboró International Arts Festival for Children, Graffiti Theatre and TYA Ireland are excited to collaborate with International TYA Playwright Finegan Kruckemeyer to host a new playwriting programme for writers and theatre makers in Ireland who are interested in writing plays for young audiences.

At a time when the world and its distances are both larger and smaller than ever before, a collaboration will occur, spanning half a globe, and half a year, and driven by that most exciting of provocations – to forge something from nothing.

Beginning with a blank page, eight Irish authors will respond to writing aids and impositions both as they explore theatre for young audiences – what makes a TYA play, and what TYA play they wish to make.

But more important than the audience, shall be the idea. And in writing work solemn and silly, foreign and known, as vast as an ocean and as small as a boat which may rock upon it, eight individual voices shall be celebrated, and their plays play out to their ends.

This opportunity is open to both established and emerging playwrights, residing in Ireland, interested in writing plays for young audiences. We encourage applications from artists with a disability, those from minority ethnic communities and those who feel their voices are not commonly represented. There are eight places available on the programme.

They welcome Irish language writers to participate in this project through the medium of Irish. They will provide support and translation to facilitate a bilingual writing journey with Fin. Samples of writing in Irish can be included in the application.

Cuirimid fáilte roimh scríbhneoirí le Gaeilge páirt a ghlacadh sa togra seo as Gaeilge. Cuirfear tacaíocht agus aistriúcháin ar fáil chun an turas scríbhneoireachta dátheangach le Fin a éascú. Is féidir samplaí Gaeilge a bheith mar chuid den iarratas.

No previous play writing experience is necessary but enthusiasm and a passion for theatre for young audiences and a good story is a prerequisite. The eight selected artists that complete the programme will be equipped with the tools to write engaging, innovative and ambitious plays for children. We hope the participants on this programme will be encouraged to seek funding so that their work will be developed, produced and presented on Irish and International stages.

The programme will take place during six monthly two hour Zoom workshops between March and September 2021 with an ambition to meet in person at Baboró’s annual festival in Galway in October 2021. There will be an hour-long introductory session in early March so that the participants can meet Finegan and each other. Successful applicants will be required to attend all 7 virtual workshops and to dedicate time to reflecting, reading and writing between the monthly workshops.

Intro Session: Tuesday 9 March, 9am – 10am

Workshops: Tuesdays 9am – 11am

23 March, 20 April, 18 May, 22 Jun, 20 July, 14 Sept

In Person Encounter: Between 4 and 17 October 2021 (TBC)

Deadline

Monday 8th February at 12pm.

Selected candidates will be notified by Tuesday 23rd February.

The selection panel is made up of industry professionals from Baboró and Graffiti, as well as Finegan Kruckemeyer. Shortlisting may apply.

Finegan Kruckemeyer has had 100 commissioned plays performed on six continents and translated into eight languages. His work has received 37 awards, including the Mickey Miners Lifetime Achievement Award for international Theatre for Young Audiences, and seven Australian Writers Guild Awards. He has spoken at conferences in ten countries, with papers published and works studied at international universities.

Finegan was born in Ireland and moved halfway around the world to Adelaide, Australia aged eight. After 15 years, he and his wife Essie left for the island state of Tasmania. And after 15 more, with their son Moe, they returned. He is committed to making strong and respectful work for young people, which acknowledges them as astute audience members outside the plays, and worthy subjects within.

GRAFFITI creates theatre and arts experiences for children and young people, nurturing curiosity and imagination to enrich lives and imagine a better world. Established in 1984 in Cork, Graffiti offers a range of arts engagement opportunities in both English and Irish, through drama skills workshops, creative writing sessions, in-classroom creative learning, playwright mentoring, Early Years encounters, Activate Youth Theatre, and theatre productions aimed at children and young people, as well as the young at heart.

Baboró International Arts Festival for Children runs an annual multi-disciplinary festival for young audiences in Galway each October. Now in its 25th year, Baboró invites artists from across Ireland and around the world to present exciting and ambitious work to thousands of children and young people in Galway city and county. We also support artists based in Ireland to develop ambitious and innovative work for children and young people via our GROW programme.

Theatre for Young Audiences is the national association representing and promoting professional organisations and individual artists whose work primarily focuses on engaging Irish children and young people through theatre. TYA Ireland provides a crucial link between members, the arts sector, the wider community and government

https://www.baboro.ie/news-events/you-fin-and-the-play-between