CCI Draíocht Residency Reflections - Em Ó Ceallaigh

We caught up with theatre maker Em Ó Ceallaigh who has completed a month residency in Centre Culturel Irlandais, in association with Draíocht, and they happily shared their thoughts and experiences with us ... 



"My time spent at the Centre Culturel Irlandais (CCI) in July 2025 was restorative, and necessary for reflection, creative inspiration and rest after a busy period of creative work. I had just finished directing/creating Síomha and the Otherworld, a new show for young people exploring grief, love and difference that premiered in Riverbank Arts Centre, dlr Mill Theatre and axis Ballymun in May/June 2025. The month in Paris allowed me to reflect on this artistic experience, and begin planning for future work. 

I had grand dreams of writing whole scripts in Paris, but found the time to slow down, reflect and fill the creative well (and stomach with pastries) invaluable. I was able to build on old and new relationships with the comings and goings of 2 dancers, 2 poets, a visual artist, a writer, a researcher and a composer (the start of a long-winded, terrible joke?). 

I got to catch Florentina Holzinger’s Ophelia’s Got Talent on my first night in, before the theatre season in Paris quieted down. It was a large-scale, large cast performance that pushed my thinking about creating larger designs and beautiful visual images with deep meaning, as well as how I could explore performance energy in work for young audiences. 

Some highlights of the residency included: swimming in the Seine, which opened publicly for the first time in one hundred years; reading books from CCI’s brilliant library onsite which included Heartstopper as Gaeilge, and Nell McCafferty’s writings I was struggling to find at home; daily morning walks by Notre Dame in the sun; exploring the graveyards including Père Lachaise and Montparnasse, reading and responding creatively to extravagant notes pinned to graves of Oscar Wilde, Simone de Beauvoir & Jean Paul Sartre; exploring the art in Museé D’Orsay and responding in writing to them; exploring the many beautiful places for peace in the sun to read and reflect like Parc des Buttes-Chaumont.

I am extremely grateful for the whole team at CCI and Draíocht for the opportunity to reflect, rest and plan for work ahead. Residencies that are artist-led and well-supported are vital to the creative development and wellbeing of artists in a precarious ecosystem. I’m also grateful for the in-depth creative chats with Emer at Draíocht during the residency. Through conversations with Emer and Nora at CCI, we have exciting collaborations upcoming that will be announced soon."

Draíocht is delighted to continue our partnership with CCI, supporting an artist to travel to Paris to participate in the annual Residency Programme, tapping into the resources of the CCI and the city of Paris, as well as having the opportunity to showcase their work on an international stage.

The recipients of Draíocht supported residencies are artists working in any discipline with a clear focus on children and/or young people.