Fridays
Stagezone Dance & Drama Classes (Children)
3.00pm-9.00pm

Saturdays
Stagezone Dance & Drama Classes (Children) 
10am-12am

Contact information for Stagezone:

Stage Zone
Gladys Coyle (01) 821 2280  /  Marie Barber (01) 820 7201

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Would you like to run a class or workshop at Draíocht?
Draíocht has spaces available for hire which are suitable for most functions including conferences, presentations, meetings, auditions, rehearsals, classes and workshops.

Please call Aidan Gately on 01-8098024 for more information and hire fees or email aidan@draiocht.ie or go to our Room Hires Section  http://www.draiocht.ie/about/room_hire/

Visit Draíocht’s two exhibitions spaces, encourage students to examine and voice their opinion about the artist and their work and explore the rest of the building including our two theatre spaces, backstage and dressing rooms. Please book with Sarah, e: sarah@draiocht.ie or phone 01-809 8029. Tours will take approx 45 minutes, are free, but are subject to availability. Class numbers are restricted to 30 students with accompanying teacher. 

JANUARY TO MARCH 2013 // MAY TO JUNE 2013
COST: €25 per class / DUR: 50 MINS

This section of the Leaving Certificate exam paper often includes a question on visiting an exhibition. This tour gives students an opportunity to ask questions and find out further information about Draíocht’s exhibitions, focus on how we layout, install, display and light work. They will also have an opportunity to make notes, sketches and diagrams.

Contact Sarah on tel: 01 809 8029 to arrange these tours. Please give at least two weeks notice and consult our visual arts section to find about current exhibitions. All material will be provided.

Weekly Rehearsals begin MON 18 FEB 2013 - 7-10 PM 
UPDATE: WE ARE NOW AT FULL CAPACITY FOR OUR CLOWN CHOIR BUT YOU CAN GO ON A WAITING LIST!

Are you sociable? Do you like to sing? Do you like to laugh? Are you the type of person who is open to trying new things? If so, then WE WANT YOU!

A Clown Choir is a group of people who gather together to sing and laugh – to sing in celebration of what it is to be human and to laugh at the ridiculousness of the world we live in.

Hallelujah! will be a choir like no other. Weekly rehearsals will be one part play to two parts song. Performances will be one part concert to two parts clown theatre. Nobody will be asked to do anything that s/he is not comfortable with but for those who are interested in stepping into the spotlight then there will be ample opportunity for them to do so.

Hallelujah! ran a taster workshop on 03 November 2012 to give people an opportunity to see what it’s all about. 55 people ranging in age from 18 to 72 turned up on the day and had a great time. The day was a mixture of hard work and good fun. Everyone learned a little bit about how to be a clown and everyone learned the first section of Hallelujah!’s signature tune - Charlie Chaplin’s ‘Smile’.

Hallelujah! starts rehearsing in earnest on 18 Feb 2013. Rehearsals are every Monday night, Tuesday nights when the Monday is a Bank Holiday, with the choir working towards a year long performance programme that kicks off with ‘The M50 Symphony - A Symphony For Human Voice & Car Horn’ in July 2013. You don’t have to be a good singer to join Hallelujah! You don’t have to be a performer to join Hallelujah! You just have to be interested and willing. The ethos of Hallelujah! is accessibility, inclusivity and artistic excellence.

To register your interest and get further details please email emer@draiocht.ie or write to Emer McGowan, Director, Draíocht, The Blanchardstown Centre, Dublin 15.

Vincent Sheridan studied at the National College of Art and Design, Dublin and the Dublin Institute of Technology. He has been working as a full-time artist since 1981. From 1989 to 1998 Sheridan lived and worked as an artist in Toronto and Vancouver, Canada. He returned to Dublin in 1999. In 2007 he graduated with a BA (Hons) in Fine Art, specialising in video. He joined the Black Church Print Studio in 2000 and is a former Director of the Board.

Birds (especially crows and starlings) continue to feature largely in Sheridan's work. He is concerned with the social behaviour, flight dynamics and subliminal 'brushstroke' patterns of birds in flight. His images often mirror human group dynamics, modes of communication and social interactions.

Residencies include West Baffin Eskimo Printshop, Arctic Canada; St Michael's Print Shop, Newfoundland; Cill Rialaig Art Centre, Kerry and Annaghmakerrig, Tyrone Guthrie Centre. Awards include First Prize (graphics), Claremorris International Exhibition (1989); Best Graphics Award, RHA Exhibition (1992); Ernst & Young Purchase Award (1992) and Image Now Award, Best Use of Multimedia in Fine Art (2007). Sheridan has had solo and group exhibitions in Ireland and Canada.

Draiocht's Galleries are open Monday to Saturday 10am-6pm. Admission is Free.

MORE ... Read an interview with the artist Vincent Sheridan on our Blog ... here ... 

MORE ... An Irishwoman's Diary ... Arminta Wallace talks to Vincent Sheridan ... here ... 

MORE ... Read Marianne Hartigan's Opening Night Speech ... here ... 

MORE ... Read a review by Artist Des Kenny ... here ... 

MORE ... Enjoy snippets from the video piece Murmuration ... here and here ... 

Draíocht will support this exciting Fingal Arts Office project that engages a local primary school class in a series of activities that explores a local green site. The project will include everything from collecting, digging and recording of local flora and fauna through to drawing and the eventual presentation of materials collected by the pupils. This innovative project brings science and art together by working with the project’s creator, artist and facilitator Christine Mackey and a Botanist. Work created will form part of an exhibition later in the year, ‘A Year in the Field’ by Christine Mackey, which is part of Fingal County Council's public art commissions 2007-2013.

Further info about Christine Mackey ... here ... 

The technique of relief printing is the principle behind a wide variety of images ranging from rubber stamps to intricate woodcuts. This workshop will look at the history of relief printing and how to select and compose images that work well for print media. Participants will then produce at least two finished prints using different relief printing techniques. We will be using a printing press during this workshop but all the techniques we will use can successfully be done at home without specialist equipment.


The workshops will be facilitated by artist Dave West. Dave is a professional artist and instructor who has exhibited widely in the UK and Ireland including a recent solo show at Draiocht in 2011. Dave is a former member of Cork printmakers and also regularly exhibits at the Pastel Society Annual Exhibition at the Mall Galleries in London. He has also exhibited at the Royal Hibernian Academy, Royal Ulster Academy, Royal Institute of Oil Painters, Eigse, Royal Society of Marine Artists, Royal Society of British Artists and the New English Art Club.


Price to attend all 3 Dave West classes: €65 / €50 conc
Pastel Workshop / Sat 27 April, 2-5.30pm
Monoprint Workshop / Sat 04 May, 2-5.30pm
Relief Print Workshop / Sat 25 May, 2-5.30pm

BOOKING TEL: 01-885 2622

Draíocht has a number of Access Places available on all its courses. If you would like to nominate someone to participate who may not have the fee, please contact Emer McGowan on 01-8098027 or emer@draiocht.ie in confidence. Draíocht’s is committed, within its resources, to access to the arts for all.

In 1984 when Dubliners member Luke Kelly died, it wasn't just the end of an era; it was the end of the life of one of Ireland's greatest singers, performers and characters. 20 years after his death, his influence is still heard in singers of all ages. In 2001 a band formed to pay tribute to the king of balladeers in a show entitled ‘A Tribute to Luke Kelly’. The band have since amazed audiences following powerful performances in prominent venues. Lead singer, Chris Kavanagh bears a remarkable resemblance to Luke while his singing talent captures the depth and passion of the great man. In November 2011 Chris stood in with folk legends The Dubliners on their German tour and made a guest appearance on their 50th anniversary concert DVD in Vicar Street.

This workshop is part of a unique series of family days for children with an intellectual disability between the age of 8-13 years and their families. Join us, bi- monthly to explore different art forms, like drama, dance and visual arts. If you are unsure if this day is suitable for your family please contact Sarah Beirne on 01 8098029 or email sarah@draiocht.ie

Please Note: Draiocht is a fully accessible building.

MON 27 –TUE 28 MAY 2013
10AM-11.15AM OR 11.45AM-1PM
AGE RANGE: 3RD TO 4TH CLASS

WED 29 – THUR 30 MAY 2013
10AM-11.15AM OR 11.45AM-1PM
AGE RANGE: 5TH CLASS

These workshops by fabric and textile artist Gina Faustino will give pupils an opportunity to experiment with fabrics and materials, facilitating them to create their own unique piece of craft and get a better understanding of how fabrics are made and can be manipulated.

Workshop Notes: Limited to 1 class per school but other classes are welcome to be part of a waiting list. Cost per class €45 / Please get in touch with Sarah Beirne (01) 809 8029 if cost is an issue for your school. Booking is essential tel Box Office on (01) 885 2622. Max of 30 pupils per class.

Surrendering ‘the self’ to the sensory elements of colour, form and sound is at the core of Aisling Conroy’s work. Her work is multi-disciplinary using painting, sculpture, sound, and installation and attempts to emulate the notion of ‘the sublime’ that is often experienced when viewing art; most notably in galleries, museums and in various forms of public sculpture and architecture, such as, monuments, churches, and shrines. Conroy uses the duality of dark and light, colour and form, in her painting, installation and sound work, and with this, creates abstractions of various models of sacred art, iconism and veneration, in ritualistic manifestations.

Aisling graduated from NCAD with a BA Hons degree in 2009 and an MFA in 2011. She is a resident artist at the Talbot Gallery and Studios in Dublin and has exhibited in various venues around Ireland, as well as having exhibited abroad in the US, China and India. Her most recent selected exhibitions include, Prism, solo show, The Talbot Gallery, Dublin (2013), From the Dawning, solo show, Studio Verve, Ahmedabad India (2012), Fast Moving Consumer Goods, The Talbot Gallery, Dublin (2012), Level Open , Dunamaise Arts Centre, Portlaoise (2012), Without Memory, Without Expectation, solo show, The Dunamaise Arts Centre, Portlaoise (2011). Aisling was Draíocht’s Artist in Residence from January to June 2013.

Draiocht's Galleries are open Monday to Saturday 10am-6pm. Admission is Free.

Present State is a series of paintings based on cropped compositions of the human form. They record the body as present against a natural backdrop of the sky. ‘My intention is to divert attention away from the cultural cues we use to identify with figures in order to suggest that something else remains. There is an absurd and elegant characteristic of humanity viewed from this perspective and I identify with it through my paintings.’ Patrick Horan.

Since graduating from NCAD in 1998, Patrick has been living and working Dublin. He has had five solo shows. In 2009 Patrick was awarded The Don Niccolo D'Ardia Caracciolo RHA Medal and in 2010 he was a joint winner of The Hennessy Craig Scholarship at the RHA Annual Exhibition.

His name is Willy. He is a 54 year old tradesman. He has a bad back and a short fuse. He likes a pint of black and he tends to lose more than he wins when it comes to gambling. He is 54. His hands are sore. They are calloused and dry and he is sick of standing. In a country full of vacant spaces, empty places and ghost estates - Death of the Tradesmen is a new play about an army of men and the live register. Death of the Tradesmen was developed as part of the TITLE Residency at Solstice and the Cork Midsummer Festival. Made with Rough Magic Production Support and kindly supported by the Arts Council. Winners of The Lir Revival Award and the Fishamble New Writing Award ABSOLUT Fringe 2012.

Contains some strong language, 14+

WIN TICKETS 

No glamour. No gimmicks. No pretence. Nothing but a voice, singing of life’s triumphs and tragedies. This is a powerful musical homage to one of France’s most endearing icons, celebrating some of her best known songs, threaded with Piaf’s story, and Christine’s own remarkable journey in the world of chanson.

An award-winning songwriter in her own right, Bovill has toured throughout Europe with her self-penned homage to the Little Sparrow, appearing on live television and, most recently, on BBC Radio 4’s series Soul Music. During her sold out run at the Famous Speigeltent at this year's Edinburgh Festival, Bovill realised a lifelong dream when she shared the stage with Charles Dumont, great friend of Piaf and, most famously, composer of Non, Je ne Regrette Rien. They performed several songs together to close the show. The publicity around the event drew articles from the national press, culminating in Christine’s live appearance on BBC's Newsnight, as a finale to their Festival Review programme.

PIAF was awarded the Fringe laurels for Total Sell Out Show 2011 and 2012. It received 5 STAR reviews from some of the most respected publications (including The Scotsman).

WIN TICKETS

Award-winning quartet We Banjo 3 from Galway combine Irish music with old-time American and bluegrass influences to reveal the banjo’s rich legacy and roots. When this band of brothers take flight in a wave of virtuosity, verve and joie-de-vivre, feet tap and pulses race. Enda & Fergal Scahill and Martin & David Howley are among the most celebrated and distinguished young musicians in Ireland today. This incredible feast of banjo and mandolin music is guaranteed to put a smile on your face and get your feet tapping.

Early Bird: €12 (book before 31 March 2013)


WIN TICKETS ... 

From the team that produced the smash hit show: I Hear You Calling Me: The Story of Count John McCormack

Josef Locke was one of the most popular entertainers ever in Ireland and Britain in the 40s, 50s and 60s. His story was immortalised in the film Hear My Song which was a huge international success. BLAZE AWAY! The Incredible Story of Josef Locke chronicles the scandalous life of the Derry born singing legend who performed in no less than five Royal Variety Performances, such was his popularity. In 1947 he released Hear My Song, Violetta, which was to become his life-long signature tune.
Other songs included in the show are Come Back To Sorrento, I’ll Walk Beside You, Blaze Away, The Old Bog Road and My Heart and I. 

Devised by former RTE Head of Music Cathal McCabe and featuring TV and radio personality Kevin Hough, Blaze Away includes these and many more of the great songs of Josef Locke, plus the scandals that always had him in the headlines! A notorious womanizer, his legendary tussles with the British tax authorities had him fleeing Britain to Ireland where he lived out the remainder of his life.

Starring Frank Ryan, Linda Kenny, Joe O Gorman and Kevin Hough.
Musical Director: Michael Casey / Devised and Directed by Cathal MacCabe.

READ MORE ... HERE ... 

READ A REVIEW IN THE CORKMAN ... HERE ... 

As Pope, Benedict XVI had a creepy German accent, a shadowy Nazi past and a priceless art collection. He was the head of a sinister organisation, hell-bent on World Domination. But earlier this year, he ruined this joke show, by resigning ... OR DID HE?? What if he deliberately fumbled his "de-infallibility" ceremony and retained his full powers? Everyone thinks he's no longer Pope, because THAT'S WHAT HE WANTS US TO THINK.

Comedian & Broadcaster Abie Philbin Bowman is best known from "Jesus The Guantanamo Years", "The John Murray Show", "Arena", "Celebrity Mastermind" and "Would You Believe". Here, he asks why Catholic Europe (Ireland, Spain & Italy) is being bailed out by Protestant Europe (Germany, the UK & Scandanavia)? And are we really bailing out Greece and Ireland, or just the idiotic bankers who lent us ridiculous amounts of money?

Contains some adult content & strong language.

Monica Loughman's Ballet Summer Gala is an extravaganza of future ballet talent showcasing the youth stars of the academy of Russian Ballet!  Five academies across Dublin train young dancers from the age of four. The parent main-scale classical ballet company Monica Loughman Ballet performs to 20,000 people annually in theatres across Ireland. Popular with family and friends of the young dancers this event is also a showcase for dance fans and broader audiences. So come along and see if you can spot a future star of Irish and international ballet.

The Seventh Seal (1957) by Ingmar Bergman is one of the most famous films ever made. Antonius Block (Max von Sydow) a disillusioned Crusader Knight returns to a plague-ridden Sweden. He challenges Death (Bengt Ekerot), who has come for him, to a game of chess with his life as the prize for the winner. The Knight wishes to do 'one meaningful deed' because he feels his life has been useless. On his journey home he and his squire Jons (Gunnar Bjornstrand) encounter a troop of actors who see the Knight playing chess alone.

Enjoy a brief intro by local film scholars Ann Downey and Mary Gillan who will also lead a free discussion afterwards.

Film Club Membership Fee: €10 / €5 conc (Valid from Sept 2012-June 2013) or pay as you go.

To celebrate National Music Day 2013 come along to the Mini Music Academy’s Workshops, which promise to be fun, interactive, social and educational. There’ll be singing, rhythm games, the use of percussion instruments and an introduction to the great composers through storytelling and movement to music, designed and delivered by Castleknock School of Music. To accommodate all ages, the workshops are spread over 2 days. Places are limited, booking through Draíocht’s Box Office on 01 885 2622.

FRI 21 JUN // DRAÍOCHT WORKSHOP ROOM // €5
Time                             Workshop                 Age
10.30am-11.00am       Baby Butterflies           6-12 mths
11.15am-11.45am       Busy Babies                12-24 mths
12.00pm-12.30pm       Bonny Bluebirds          2-3 yrs
12.45pm-1.15pm         Red Robins                 3-4 yrs


SAT 22 JUN // DRAÍOCHT WORKSHOP ROOM // €5
Time                             Workshop                 Age
10.30am-11.00am       Busy Babies                 12-24 mths
11.15am-11.45am       Pink Bears                   4-5 yrs
12.00pm-12.30pm       Yellow Bunnies             5-6 yrs
12.45pm-1.15pm         Green Frogs                6-7 yrs


Mini Music Academy Workshop Notes: Please respect the age limits on each workshop. Each child needs to be accompanied by an adult. Younger/older siblings and babies will not be permitted into the class. Please arrive 5 minutes before the class starts.

GOING ON SALE: TUESDAY 07 MAY 2013, 10AM

Stagezone Theatre School is proud to present another spectacular show with great dance routines, singing and comedy. This highly entertaining production for all the family, will showcase the amazing talent of the students with excerpts from some of the top West End musicals. Our junior members will present a new musical 'Humpty Dumpty' specially written for their age group featuring many fairy tale characters as they try to solve the mystery of whether Humpty was pushed or, did he fall?

GOING ON SALE SHORTLY

This concert is designed to showcase the musical talents of students studying with local music tutors, Mr. John McLoughlin (Guitar) and Mr. Gerry Culloty (Drums/Guitar). The concert will feature a diverse range of music ‘acts’; the focal instruments being the guitar (Electric and Acoustic) and the drumkit. A wide range of students (young and ‘mature’), will perform both instrumental pieces and songs; giving students a platform to perform in a concert setting. It is the aim of Mr. McLoughlin and Mr. Culloty to create a positive and relaxed atmosphere; to allow students to flourish and enjoy the experience of performing.

On the night of September 29, 2008, the Taoiseach and Minister for Finance decided to guarantee Ireland’s banks – to the tune of €440 billion. Guaranteed! tells the story of that night, and how they got there. Written by journalist and documentary-maker Colin Murphy, and based on official documents and off-the-record interviews, Guaranteed! reconstructs Ireland’s banking boom and bust – as it was seen from inside the corridors of power. An ensemble of actors plays a myriad of ministers, bankers and bureaucrats as they wrestle with the unfolding crisis. You will come away informed, enraged and perhaps a little heart-broken. We have stripped back our assets for a recession-friendly, bare-bones presentation where we will hold on to our scripts, while you can hold on to your wallets.

Directed by Conall Morrision.

Fishamble: The New Play Company is funded by the Arts Council and Dublin City Council. Its international touring is supported by Culture Ireland.

Contains some adult content and strong language. Age 14+.

Stay with us after the show for a free post show discussion with writer Colin Murphy.

‘My practice is positioned in an Art and Ecology framework, addressing our attitudes and perceptions of how we live on Earth - how we affect our surroundings and how they affect us. I work with Sculpture and Drawing, allowing the ideas to dictate the form. I have worked with stone carving and cast iron, and have made ephemeral work. Most recently, my inquiry has been concerned with audience interaction with the work. As an art practitioner, I see part of my role as effecting attitudinal change through dialogue and experimentation; through engaging my audience in practical ways which enable me to communicate directly with them and to offer them something of value.’
Kathy Herbert

Working with their facilitators, this talented group of 14-18 year olds meet in Draíocht every Tuesday evening. Members of D15 Youth Theatre will work intensively over the July period to produce an original piece of theatre for stage. Log onto D15 youth Theatre Facebook page for up to date details and audition dates. For further information keep an eye on our website or contact sarah@draiocht.ie.

Native New Yorker Aidan Bishop began his comedy career in his hometown and since relocating to Dublin he has become one of the top comics working today, best known as resident MC of the International Comedy Club in Dublin for the past 10 years. Aidan has shared the stage with the very best including John Bishop, Zach Galifianakis, Kevin Bridges, Jimmy Carr, Des Bishop, Ardal O'Hanlon, Louis CK, Bill Burr and Steward Francis. In 2011 Aidan had a sold out run in the Edinburgh Fringe festival with his critically acclaimed solo show MISSPELLED - an hour long stand up show about being diagnosed with dyslexia. If you want a 100% guaranteed laugh with high quality experienced stand up, Aidan is the man to see.

 Early Bird: €10 (book before 31 Mar 2013)


Contains some adult content and strong language.

Come along and learn how to make a wriggling, worming snake with our artists. Using cardboard, string, paper and pasta shapes. You can make a friendly or fierce one - just as long as it doesn’t bite!

Family Day Notes:
No booking necessary – just drop in at any stage / Dress for Mess/ Unless otherwise stated these activities are designed for children from 5-10 years, though younger and older siblings are welcome to take part / Please be aware that Draíocht’s Family Days are not designed for groups / All children must be accompanied by an adult and all adults must be accompanied by a child!

Be one of the first people to see the first two parts of THEATREclub's epic trilogy about Ireland - THE FAMILY and HEROIN are Parts 1 and 2 of the story of our countries social history. This is an evening of fun and tears that promises to make you think about who we are and where do we go from here …

Come and watch The Family fight, love and try to make dinner. They will cry and stare as funds get thinner. BUT the family love each other, ‘cos after all, you can choose your friends! At a time when the very fabric of the nation is being called into question, THEATREclub are making a play that explodes the idea of the contemporary Irish family and helps us to understand where to go from here.

Heroin, written and Directed by Grace Dyas, is the story never told – about the new republic - about the people that society has left behind – the story of what was built and then demolished. Winner of 2010’s Spirit of the Fringe Award at Absolut Fringe, THEATREclub’s visionary production is a hard-hitting investigation charting 40 years of heroin use and abuse in Ireland.

Contains adult content and strong language - over 16’s.

THE FAMILY / WED 10-THURS 11 JULY, 8PM

DOUBLE BILL OPTION:
THE FAMILY / FRI 12-SAT 13 JULY, 7PM
&
HEROIN / FRI 12-SAT 13 JULY, 9PM

Single Show: TICKETS: €18 / €14 conc
Book for 2 Shows: TICKETS: €28 / €20 conc

Durations:
The Family: 75 mins (no interval)
Heroin: 90 mins (no interval)

Double-Bill: The Family / Interval 30 mins / Heroin

WRITE, RECORD, PERFORM
MON 15 - FRI 19 JULY 2013 // 10AM-4PM //
AGE 10-15 YRS // €55
This song-school summer course is for young people interested in writing and recording songs, performing them in concert, making a video, learning about music technology and meeting people who love music as much as they do. This course will include a performance evening for family and friends.


CRAFTY ADVENTURES
MON 29 JULY- FRI 02 AUG 2013
WORKSHOP A   6-8 YRS // 11AM-12NOON // €25
WORKSHOP B   9-12 YRS // 1PM- 3PM // €40
During this week we will work with lots of different art mediums, such as paint, clay and material and experiment with lots of different crafts in a fun and creative environment. Please respect age limits, dress for mess and don’t worry about colouring outside the lines!


TASTE OF THEATRE
MON 19 – THUR 22 AUG 2013
WORKSHOP A: 9-13 YRS // 10.30AM-1PM // €20
WORKSHOP B: 14-18 YRS // 1PM–4.30PM // €30 
Come along to this series of workshops, where you will get a chance to find out more about theatre. These classes will be a mixture of games, improvisation, voice work, working from script and performance.

Summer Projects can be booked directly with Box Office on 01-885 2622.