July 31, 2017
Your Say, Your Way - Free Workshops for Young People aged 13-18 yrs
A Collaboration between Draíocht and Creative Ireland
SAT 02 SEPTEMBER 2017 // 10.30AM-4.30PM // FREE
Are you aged 13-18 Years?
Come to Draíocht Blanchardstown on Saturday 2nd September 2017 and try a FREE workshop of your choice to share YOUR thoughts about the arts with us!
Young people have something important to say and we want to hear it!
You can choose from one of these 4 Workshops:
Spoken Word with Colm Keegan
Stop Motion Lego With Create School
Dance With Philippa Donnellan
Cartoon / Comic Book Creation with Alan Nolan
Free Lunch Provided
Fill in a Participation Form now and return to Draíocht by Wednesday 30th August 2017.

This event is a collaboration between Draíocht and Creative Ireland. The Creative Ireland Programme is an invitation to the entire country to get involved in something truly inspirational. This culture-based programme is designed to promote individual, community and national wellbeing by enabling creativity for all citizens. We want YOU to share YOUR THOUGHTS about the arts and what you would like to see happen WITHIN YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY by taking part in a FUN, FREE WORKSHOP OF YOUR CHOICE on 2ND September here in Draíocht. So please fill in and return a Participation Form by 30th August and come on the day with an open mind and your own opinion.
To find out more, please email sarah@draiocht.ie
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By Draíocht. Tags: Creative Ireland Creative Fingal, Draiocht Info, Youth Arts,
April 12, 2016
Monsters, elephants, frogs, owls, cats … We made some amazingly Beastly Bookmarks at Family Day on Saturday 9th April.
We used a mixture of magazines (for cutting out images), drawing, coloured paper, sticky on eyes, lots of imagination and then finally our trusty laminator to stick it all together!
We even made our own tassles with wool!
Super enjoyable and very easy to make!! Hopefully you'll be inspired to try your own!














Stay tuned to our Youth Arts Programme ... here ...
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By Draíocht. Tags: Youth Arts,
March 9, 2016
Draíocht and 1916 – Our Programme during 2016 - January - December 2016
PERFORMANCES:

Me, Mollser - SOLD OUT
The Abbey Theatre on Tour, As part of Ireland 2016
WED 03 & THU 04 FEBRUARY 2016
10.15AM & 12.15PM
Draíocht Studio // e7 adults / e5 children / 2 teachers free per class / Age 10+ (5th & 6th class pupils & secondary students) / Dur: 60 mins
This performance will retell The Plough and the Stars by Sean O’Casey through the eyes of its youngest character, Mollser, a strong willed and passionate young 15 year old girl coping with consumption against the backdrop of the 1913 Lock-Out and the Easter Rising. Mollser is a proud Dub struggling to thrive in the overcrowded tenements but having lost none of her curiosity and idealism. She sees the adults in her world with a sharp eye and even has a sense of the ghosts who continue to haunt the building ...
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The Irish Language and 1916 - SOLD OUT
Teanga na Gaeilge agus 1916
TUE 15 MARCH 7-9PM Draíocht Studio // Free Event - Pre Booking Essential - tel 01-8852622
Pobal Gaeilge 15 will be hosting a night to commemorate 1916. The integral role the Irish Language played in the events of the 1916 Rising will be presented by a panel of expert speakers and historians. There will be music on the night from Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann. This event will be presented in Irish with simultaneous translation provided in English on the night.
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REBEL REBEL - SOLD OUT
THU 24 MARCH 8.15pm Main Auditorium // €16 / €12 conc / Dur: 60 mins
Dublin, 24 April 1916. Dropping their costumes in the dressing room, two of lreland's leading actors abandon their matinee of Yeats’ Cathleen Ni Houlihan, the play which more than any other in the Abbey’s repertoire symbolised the link between the cultural revival and the Irish revolution. Instead, they take their revolvers and march to Dublin Castle. Inciting each other all the way, they fire the first shots of the rebellion changing the course of Irish history.This historical play (derived from real-life testimonies) chronicles the eventful first hour of the 1916 Easter Rebellion when two Abbey actors, Helena Molony and Sean Connolly take over Dublin Castle, leading to him being fatally shot in her arms on the roof of City Hall.
As featured on Trivago ... http://www.trivago.ie/
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Birth of a Nation - 1916 Ireland Film
Screening for Secondary Schools
WED 20 APR 2016 10.30AM-11.30AM Main Auditorium // €5 per students (teachers free)
See Ireland’s struggle for independence in this unique and original black and white film footage. Produced by Gerry MacCarthy for Senior Cycle Schools to mark the centenary of the 1916 Easter Rising, the film shows students how Ireland went from being part of the British Empire to becoming an Independent State. The film includes some of the only known footage of James Connolly, Roger Casement and Padraig Pearse, along with close up footage of Countess Markievicz, Cathal Brugha, Rory O'Connor, Erskine Childers and Harry Boland.
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The Wind that Shakes the Barley
Film at Draiocht
WED 20 APR 2016 7.30PM Main Auditorium // €7.50 / €6 conc / Early Bird: €5 (Book before 08 April 2016)
In 1920, rural Ireland is the permanent battlefield of republican rebels against the British troops and their well-paid, local collaborator militia, a recipe for mutual cruelty. Winner of the Palme d’Or at Cannes, this thoughtful, powerful and moving political drama explores the turbulent events in early 1920s Ireland, during the War of Independence and the Civil War ...
Starring Cillian Murphy and Padraic Delaney
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Laochra Gael
The 1916 Rising and its Heroes
THU 21 APR 2016 8PM Main Auditorium // €16
Laochra Gael is the story of the 1916 Rising and its heroes through music, poetry, story and song. The play chronicles the tapestry that formed the background to the Rising, the insurrection itself and the heroes both celebrated and forgotten. Directed by Michael Byrne (Mrs. Browns Boys), with music and songs by The Druids, Uileann Piper Tommy Keane and more ...
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Maloney’s Dream / Brionglóid Maloney
Branar Téatar do Pháistí
THURS 28 & FRI 29 APRIL - 10AM & 12 NOON // SAT 30 APR - 2PM
Main Auditorium // €7 adults / €5 children / 2 teachers free per class / Age 8+ yrs / Dur: 60 mins
Maloney's Dream is a theatre show which is set against the background of Easter week 1916. Thaddeus Maloney has a dream to open a new hotel on Sackville St (now O’Connell Street) on the Easter Monday … little did he realise that his dream of a new beginning would collide with the birth of a nation … With a fantastically talented ensemble cast, this will be a treat of a show for all ages. It’s a bilingual show that is jam packed with live music, physical theatre and puppetry.
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The Big Fellow by Declan Gorman - SOLD OUT
Based on Frank O’Connor’s Biography of Michael Collins
FRI 29 APRIL 2016 8.15PM
Draíocht Studio // €10 / €8 conc
With original sound design by ex-Waterboys composer, Colin Blakey,The Big Fellow is a non-stop, edge-of-your-seat theatrical adventure, laced with humour and scenes of daring and intrigue. It presents the compelling story of Michael Collins: his rise from unknown volunteer in the GPO to military leader who brought down an empire only to meet his untimely death at the hands of former comrades.
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On Sackville Street
Mount Sackville Secondary School
MON 12 - TUE 13 SEP 2016 8.15PM
Draíocht Studio // €10 // Dur 60 mins (no interval)
On Sackville Street is a play set in two classrooms during two different time frames - 1916 - 2016. The classroom of 1916 lives through the actual events of the Easter Rising as they unfolded. Their great grandchildren are in the 2016 classroom contemplating the historical contribution of those who have gone before them. The two classrooms are overseen by the 7 Signatories of the Proclamation who act as a 4th Wall. The play is a tribute to all those men and women who sacrificed so much for Irish Freedom. Mount Sackville Secondary School of 2016 applauds them.
Written by Clodagh Havel and Directed by Niamh Dowling.
BOOK NOW
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ADULT CLASSES

THE 1916 RISING - ART, IMAGERY AND CULTURE
WITH DES MCGUINNESS - SOLD OUT
THURSDAYS 11AM-12.30PM / 8 WEEKS / 04 FEB-25 MARCH 2016
DRAÍOCHT WORKSHOP ROOM / COURSE FEE: €65/€55 CONC
This 8 week course will focus on the visual representation of the Rising, events preceding it, its immediate aftermath and subsequent key commemorations.
The range of visual representation to be explored will include badges, cartoons, crafts, emblems, film, flags, graffiti, illustration, medals, photography, postage stamps and television.
The politics and power of visual representation will be considered as will methods of visual analysis.
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DRAIOCHT & SECONDARY SCHOOLS

FOCUS ON … 1916 LETTERS, DRAWING ON THE PAST
MON 25 & TUE 26 JAN // AGE RANGE: SENIOR CYCLE STUDENTS
10AM-11.30AM OR 12PM-1.30PM
WED 27 JAN // AGE RANGE: TRANSITION YEAR STUDENTS
10AM-11.30AM OR 12PM-1.30PM
These innovative drawing and writing workshops look at creative ways to engage with original 1916 letters as primary source materials. The aim of “Letters of 1916” is to give an intimate sense of what it was like to live in Ireland during one of the most significant years in modern Irish history. By engaging with original primary documents, pupils will find a wide range of experiences and learn that the history of 1916 was complex and fascinating. Facilitated by artist Genevieve Harden, participants will explore a selection of letters, they will create and illustrate handwritten letters in response to the excitement and turmoil expressed through the thoughts and feelings and words of ordinary people caught up in extraordinary events.
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DRAIOCHT & PRIMARY SCHOOLS

PENNY ADVENTURES 1916 LITERATURE PROJECT
NOVEMBER 2015 – APRIL 2016
WITH AUTHOR BRIAN GALLAGHER & ILLUSTRATOR ALAN NOLAN
Poets and writers featured strongly amongst the leaders of the Rising, so it seems fitting that literature play a prominent part in Draíocht’s commemoration event for 2016.
Our commemoration project began with an epic tour of Dublin 15 Schools, both 6th and 1st year classes, by local historical fiction author Brian Gallagher, back in November 2015. Over 1 month, Brian visited 30 schools and talked to just shy of 2,500 pupils about what it’s like to be an author, how to research and write a book and read excerpts from his thrilling novel ‘Friend or Foe’, a thought provoking, fast-moving tale that captures the atmosphere of revolutionary Dublin and the misery and chaos of war.
From those 30 schools, three 6th classes were selected and using themes from Brian’s book and hints from his talk, they are now engaged in a ten week literature and visual arts project learning about the 1916 experience in an innovative and challenging way. Working with writer, illustrator and cartoonist Alan Nolan, classes experience a mix of hands-on workshops, tours and talks learning about story writing and cartooning, all building towards creating a full length cartoon book. The project also includes a 1916 Dublin City Tour and a visit from historians from Collins Barracks. By March 2016 the finished cartoon strips will be professionally edited and the project will culminate in an opening celebration and exhibition of the children’s work in Draíocht’s First Floor Gallery, running from April-May 2016. The work the children produce will also be published in a comic book, along with a short film documentary which will be screened at the exhibition opening.
This project has been made possible by additional generous funding by Fingal Arts Office.
MORE ...
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DRAIOCHT GALLERIES

The Lucky Penny 1916 Literature Project Exhibition
D15 Primary School Artists With Illustrator/Author Alan Nolan & Writer Brian Gallagher
TUE 19 APR - SAT 19 NOV 2016
First Floor Gallery
Gallery open Mon-Sat 10am-6pm - Free Admission
This exhibition is the result of a large scale innovative and fun filled arts and literature schools project which ran from November 2015-to April 2016, to commemorate 1916.
With initial inspiration from local author Brian Gallagher and his book ‘Friend or Foe’, reaching over 3000 Dublin 15 pupils, three 6th Classes were chosen to work with illustrator, writer and cartoonist, Alan Nolan. Inspired by a specific moment in ‘Friend or Foe’, pupils were introduced to the concept of how a coin could move across a revolutionary Dublin of 1916, making its way through the misery, chaos and upheaval of war. Pupils worked exhaustively, using themes and hints from Brian’s book, along with learning from tours to Collins Barracks and thorough research with their fantastic class teachers, to begin to shape and build characters and stories that, with the help of Alan would slowly develop into a full length cartoon, full of adventure and peril.
The resulting cartoon strips are now exhibited in large scale vinyl in our First Floor Gallery. The exhibition is accompanied by a full colour published comic book, along with a short film documentary which will be screened at the exhibition opening.
This project has been made possible with generous funding from Fingal County Council and Centenary Committee Funding.
WATCH ... A short documentary about this Project
READ ... Published Comic Book
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For further information about any of these events, please contact Nicola Murphy, Marketing Press & PR Manager, Draiocht, tel: 01-8098021 / nicola@draiocht.ie
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By Draíocht. Tags: Youth Arts,
February 15, 2016
Mid-Term Workshop - 15-19 February 2016
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 10.15am – 5.00pm
Half-day Wednesday 10.15am – 1pm

Collapsing Horse - Human Child
Collapsing Horse are Draiocht's Theatre Artists in Residence for 2016 ... read more HERE ...
They'll be working over the Mid-term with Draiocht's D15 Youth Theatre members ... read more HERE ...
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Collapsing Horse is a production company that’s serious about play. We make work that embraces the simple, spectacular and the magic of theatre. We’re really excited about when people come together they suspend their disbelief, they transform the imaginary into the very nearly real.

Collapsing Horse - Monster Clock
Watch a snippet of Collapsing Horse in Action ...

For 5 days over mid-term, Draiocht's D15 Youth Theatre members will get a chance to work with Collapsing Horse, learn the principals of what makes a Collapsing Horse show, and learn skills including puppetry, music/sound design, “complicity” ensemble work, devising, design and large-scale spectacle puppetry.
The workshop will explore the tension between "Illusion" and "the thing you can't fake" in performance for theatre. The “Illusion” in theatre is that a cloth, with eyes painted on, is a sentient being. The illusion is that beds are ships, that actors are characters, that masks are faces, that cloth is the sky, and that the same cloth, when used a different way, is the sea, that journeys take moments and that stories have endings.

Collapsing Horse - Aeneid
There will be 3 specialist facilitators across the week who will introduce an extra skill that we can use towards our goals for the week.
Monday
Introduction to Collapsing Horse, puppetry and basic principles of ensemble work. In the afternoon Cathal McGuire, of Game Theory Theatre Company, will work on “complicity” – the game that actors play with the audience and each other.
Tuesday
Asking; what have we got for free? How do you use the space you’re in, the people you have and the people you’re working with to get material for your show? In the afternoon Paul McDonnell, from Macnas and tutor in IADT, will show us large scale puppetry and ask; what are the principles of bringing a puppet to life when the stage is as big as a street?

D15 Youth Theatre
Wednesday (half day)
Taking myth and fairytale and using them as a launch-pad for devising, asking ourselves; what’s in those early stories that’s of interest to us today?
Thursday
Musician and Associate Director of Pan Pan Theatre, Maeve Stone, will give a workshop exploring music, song and sound design and how it can be used to create the illusion of the world of show.
Friday
In the afternoon we will give a short presentation of the work we’ve done over the week.

D15 Youth Theatre

D15 Youth Theatre

D15 Youth Theatre
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By Draíocht. Tags: D15 Youth Theatre, Youth Arts,
January 10, 2016
1 Month
31 Schools
107 Classes
2590 pupils
Penny Adventures 1916 Literature Project
With Author Brian Gallagher and Illustrator Alan Nolan
NOVEMBER 2015 – APRIL 2016
Poets and writers featured strongly amongst the leaders of the Rising, so it seems fitting that literature play a prominent part in Draíocht’s commemoration event for 2016.
Our commemoration project began with an epic tour of all Dublin 15 Schools, both 6th class pupils in the Primary Schools and 1st year students in the Secondary Schools, by local historical fiction author Brian Gallagher, starting in November 2015. Over the month of November, Brian visited 31 schools and talked to more than 2,500 pupils about what it’s like to be an author, how to research and write a book and then he read excerpts from his thrilling novel ‘Friend or Foe’, a thought provoking, fast-moving tale that captures the atmosphere of revolutionary Dublin and the misery and chaos of war.

From those 31 schools, three 6th classes have been selected and using themes from Brian’s book and hints from his talk, they will engage in a 10 week literature and visual arts project, learning about the 1916 experience in an innovative and challenging way. Working with writer, illustrator and cartoonist Alan Nolan, classes will experience a mix of hands-on workshops, tours and talks learning about story writing and cartooning, all building towards creating a full length cartoon book. The project also includes a 1916 Dublin City Tour and a visit from historians from Collins Barracks.
The 3 schools are:
Scoil Thomais Laurel Lodge, Castleknock
Scoil Nais Mhuire, Blakestown, Mullhuddart
Mary Mother Of Hope Senior National School Littlepace, Castaheany
By March 2016 the finished cartoon strips will be professionally edited and the project will culminate in an opening celebration and exhibition of the children’s work in Draíocht’s First Floor Gallery, running from April-May 2016. The work the children produce will also be published in a comic book, along with a short film documentary which will be screened at the exhibition opening.
This project has been made possible by additional generous funding by Fingal County Council Arts Office.

For further information about Penny Adventures, please contact Sarah Beirne, Children & Youth Arts Officer, tel 01-8098029 or email sarah@draiocht.ie

Brian Gallagher and pupils from Scoil Thomais, Nov 2015

Brian Gallagher and students from Riversdale, Nov 2015
MORE ...
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By Draíocht. Tags: Youth Arts, Brian Gallagher,