These Be Little Fiefdoms - Year 3 as Theatre Artists In Residence for ANU Productions

We were delighted to welcome back TEAM ANU for a week of project development and to kick off Year 3 as Draíocht's Theatre Artists In Residence, 2022, 2023 & 2024.

---

"Dublin 15 is home to an increasingly diverse migrant population consisting of a range of nations, ethnicities, and religions. It is expected to have a huge population growth by 2029, making it one of the most densely populated places in Ireland. From Blanchardstown to Corduff, Clonsilla to Kilmartin and from Mulhuddart to St Catherines, this south-west corner of Fingal has seen great changes over the years from fields and forts to industrialisation and a new suburban landscape.

This, of course, puts pressure on land, housing, infrastructure and the environment. Some of the biggest challenges facing this area include those created by climate change and the need to ensure social inclusion for all. 'These be little Fiefdoms' will build on the physical fifes (that have existed in the area for hundreds of years) and that sit underneath its current modernity.

The physical traces left in the landscape by previous generations in these fifes and forts links the past and present, demonstrating building forms and materials that utilised and responded to the surrounding environment and traditions of the inhabitants. Tracing these ‘fiefdoms’ through to the landscape of today, we learned through our time as Theatre Artists in Residence in Draíocht, that not only do these still exist today, but are further embedded by the notion (expressed by artists and groups from the community) that the area is still made up of clusters of ‘little areas’, compounds of strong ideological identities and cultural beliefs and this gave us the starting title ... 'These be little Fiefdoms'. Stay tuned for more!" ANU Productions

ANU is led by Theatre Director Louise Lowe, Visual Artist Owen Boss, Creative Producer Lynnette Moran, and Creative Producer Matthew Smyth. Pioneering a hybrid of art forms that places the audience at the centre of their practice, together they have created 41 seminal works, including public art commissions, gallery installations and museum interpretations. They have built a global reputation for creating transformative experiences in unconventional locations and sites; the company continues to challenge theatrical conventions by blurring the lines between immersive and site-specific practice.

ANU places the audience at the very centre of the experience to create autonomous and meaningful exchanges. As a company they are renowned for their forensic research often uncovering untold stories and narratives, and they are constantly exploring new genres and formats to present their work to audiences. On top of this, ANU transforms community settings as cultural spaces of inquiry working with educational bodies at home and abroad from the National Museum of Ireland to the TATE Exchange in the UK.

Heralded by the Irish Times as an “alternative national theatre” having created the “most searing and provocative art works of the past decade”, ANU has embedded themselves in communities of space, place and interest to create art works of the highest quality. John McGrath launching Manchester International Festival 2019 described ANU as “one of the most exciting theatre companies in Europe".