As part of our ACTING FOR CHANGE PROJECT Smashing Times Theatre Company are proud to announce the Irish premiere and tour of their new production Shattering Glass by Gillian Hackett, Mary Moynihan and Paul Kennedy opening on 11th January 2011 at the Balor Arts Centre, Donegal. Directed by Mary Moynihan.
Shattering Glass travels along paths of the past leading into the future. Memories, conflicts and trauma are explored through the portrayal of intense and dramatic experiences. Shattering Glass is an original professional production based on memories and experiences of The Troubles in Northern Ireland and developed from an extensive period of research, workshops and interviews.Full performances dates and venues below.
Shattering Glass premieres in the Balor Arts Centre @ 8.30pm. Please join us @ 7.30 for an Opening Show reception. Full tour dates and venues are listed below.
· All performances are followed by post-show discussions with
guest speakers.
· All performances are free to attend but you can reserve your tickets at the venues listed below [please note it is not possible to reserve tickets for the 12th, tickets available on the night only].
Professional Performance On Tour
Shattering Glass
By Gillian Hackett, Mary Moynihan
and Paul Kennedy
Directed by Mary Moynihan
Cast: Aoife Heery, Paul Nolan & Adam Traynor
Tuesday 11 January 2011, 8.30pm
Balor Arts Centre,
Main Street, Ballybofey, Co Donegal
T: +353 (0) 74 913 1840
W: www.balorartscentre.com
Wednesday 12 January, 8pm
Ramelton Town Hall,
Rectory Road, Ramelton,
Co Donegal
T: +353 (0) 74 915 1414
Tickets available on the night only
Thursday 13 January, 8pm
Colgan Community and Resource Centre, Chapel Street,
Carndonagh, Co Donegal
T: +353 (0) 74 932 9377
W: www.colganhall.com
Friday 14 January, 8pm
Regional Cultural Centre,
Cove Hill, Port Road, Letterkenny, Co Donegal
T: +353 (0) 74 912 9186
W: www.regionalculturalcentre.com
PRESS RELEASE – 7th Dec 2010
Reconciliation and Equality
through Drama Seminar
Friday 14th January 2011
Regional Cultural Centre
Letterkenny, Co. Donegal
Opening Remarks:
Cllr. Dessie Larkin, Chairperson of the Donegal CDB Peace
and Reconciliation Partnership
Speakers:
The Benefits of Artistic Processes to the Wider Community
Susan McKay (Author & National Women’s Council of Ireland Director)
Issue Based Participatory Theatre; Working Drama Models Freda Manweiler & Mary Moynihan (Smashing Times Theatre Company)
Workshops:
‘The Mask of Four Temperaments’ with Raymond Keane Raymond Keane, Barabbas Theatre Company
Theatre and Peace Building in an International Context Idan Meir, Combatants for Peace, Israel/Palestine
Acting for Change - Anti- Sectarianism & Anti- Racism
Drama Workshop Models Smashing Times Theatre Company
Smashing Times Theatre Company is delighted to announce details of their one-day Reconciliation and Equality through Drama Seminar on Friday 14th of January 2011 in the Regional Cultural Centre, Letterkenny, Co.Donegal. The Seminar is a celebration and exploration of the potential of artistic processes in informing our engagement with social issues such as racism, sectarianism, equality and peace building.
Speakers include Susan McKay; author, activist and Director of the National Women’s Council of Ireland. Workshop facilitators include Raymond Keane from Barabbas Theatre Company, Smashing Times Theatre Facilitators. We also welcome Idan Meir from Combatants for Peace to Ireland to demonstrate his theatrical work as an example of using artistic processes for peace building in an international context.
This exciting one-day event is free to attend and we invite community groups, community leaders, drama practitioners, facilitators and any interested parties to join us for a day of discussion and practical sample workshops. No previous drama experience is necessary. This Seminar is the culminating event of Smashing Times cross-community and cross-border innovative arts project Acting for Change. The project utilised drama and theatre activities within Donegal to engage participants to explore themes that are a consequence of the conflict in Northern Ireland and the Southern Border counties. The project promotes equality, diversity and the coming together of different communities in mutual understanding and respect. Smashing Times Theatre Company are conducting Anti- Racism and Anti Sectarianism workshops as well as Storytelling Workshops with many cross border and cross community groups of adults and children.
Smashing Times Company Manager Freda Manweiler says: "The Acting for Change project utilises drama and theatre activities within Donegal to engage participants to explore themes that are a consequence of the conflict in Northern Ireland and the Southern Border counties. Our one day Seminar in January is a great opportunity for theatre practitioners and community workers to come together and explore the numerous benefits for arts practices in peace building".
Also included in the Seminar is an evening performance of Shattering Glass should seminar attendees wish to attend. Shattering Glass is a professional performance of an original script written by Smashing Times Artists Gillian Hackett, Mary Moynihan and Paul Kennedy and directed by Mary Moynihan. The play journeys through experiences of the Troubles and explores memories of living by the Border; a reflection on the devastation and heartache caused by violent conflict and ways forward in forging new paths for the future. All performances followed by post-show discussions with guest speakers. This production tours Donegal in Jan 2011, ending in the Regional Cultural Centre on Jan 14th. For details of performance dates and times please see below.
This project has been supported by the PEACE III Programme, managed for the Special EU Programmes Body by Donegal County Council. This project is part-financed by the European Union’s European Regional Development Fund through the EU Programme for Peace and Reconciliation managed for the Special EU Programmes Body by Donegal County Council.
For a registration form please write to info@smashingtimes.ie with SEMINAR in the subject line. For more information contact Sinéad O’Loughlin, Acting for Change Press Officer, Smashing Times Theatre Company info@smashingtimes.ie
00 353 1 8656613 or 087 9862 576
Speaker/Facilitator Bios
Susan McKay
Susan McKay is an award-winning journalist, author and campaigner. She is currently director of the National Women's Council of Ireland.
Raymond Keane
Raymond is a founding member and Artistic Director of Barabbas Theatre Company. He is a writer, director and performer with numerous theatre, film, radio and television credits. Barabbas makes and produces theatre that is predominantly non-verbal, physical, visual and visceral. At the core of Barabbas is the sensibility of Theatre of Clown with the aim of creating a truly modern sophisticated form that is relevant to its audience of today and its future audience. This workshop will focus on ‘The Masks of Four Temperaments’. Connected to the four elements and the medieval ‘four humours’, exploring these extreme approaches to life aiming to increase our flexibility and range of physical and vocal expression. The workshop will have an emphasis on learning through fun.
Idan Meir
After finishing his Masters in Writing, Directing and Dramaturgy, Idan wrote “Basam”, a play about Basam Aramin, founder of Combatants for Peace; an Israeli – Palestine NGO that strives to end the Israeli-Palestine conflict in a nonviolent struggle. As an ex-combatant from the Israel Army Navy Commando, Idan refused to serve in the occupied territories and joined CFP. For the last three years he is working intensively in Tel Aviv – Tul Karem group in CFP that specialized with the Theatre of The Oppressed method for building trust, reconciliation and nonviolent struggle for ending the occupation and the Israeli – Palestine conflict. Based on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict experience, the workshop will examine power relations between individual and collective identities in a situation of a conflict through Theatre, Drama and Rainbow of Desire techniques.
Mary Moynihan
Mary is an artist, theatre director, writer and facilitator. She lectures in drama and theatre studies for the Honours BA in Drama (performance) at the Conservatory of Music and Drama, Dublin Institute of Technology where she teaches the Stanislavski system of actor training, Augusto Boal and Michael Chekhov techniques and directs final year performances. She is Artistic Director of Smashing Times Theatre Company and associate director/artist with Focus Theatre. Mary works as a professional theatre director on a range of projects and writes poetry, novels and scripts for both theatre and film. Mary’s theatre work takes place in both professional and non-traditional theatre spaces and she is interested in intra-art collaborative practises. Her work is physical based and focuses on primal, visceral and intuitive responses to vulnerability and conflict and an exploration of self and the other.
Freda Manweiler
Freda is company manager, producer and facilitator with Smashing Times Theatre Company since 1999. She produces Acting for Change, a project using drama and theatre to promote peace and reconciliation; anti-sectarian and anti-racism work and is Course Coordinator of the Smashing Times Creative Training programmes accredited by the National University of Ireland / University College Dublin. She is producer of the highly successful Acting For The Future programme that uses drama and theatre to promote positive mental health and suicide prevention and is run in association with the Samaritans and the Irish Association of Sucidiology in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
Smashing Times Theatre Company Ltd is a professional theatre company involved in professional performance, training and participation. The work of the company is underpinned by a rights-based approach and a commitment to artistic excellence and social engagement. The company has four high profile patrons – Maeve Binchy, Brian Friel, Tim Pat Coogan and Robert Kee. Smashing Times Theatre is supported by Dublin City Council Arts Office. As part of this project Smashing Times are working in collaboration with a range of organisations including Corrymeela Community, the Mid-Ulster Women’s Network, the Balor Arts Centre and Plain Speaking Community Theatre.
Professional Performance On Tour
Shattering Glass
By Gillian Hackett, Mary Moynihan and Paul Kennedy
Directed by Mary Moynihan
Tuesday 11 January 2011, 8.30pm
Balor Arts Centre,
Main Street, Ballybofey, Co Donegal T: +353 (0) 74 913 1840 W: www.balorartscentre.com
Wednesday 12 January, 8pm
Ramelton Town Hall,
Rectory Road, Ramelton,
Co Donegal T: +353 (0) 74 915 1414
Thursday 13 January, 8pm
Colgan Community and Resource Centre, Chapel Street,
Carndonagh, Co Donegal T: +353 (0) 74 932 9377 W: www.colganhall.com
Friday 14 January, 8pm
Regional Cultural Centre,
Cove Hill, Port Road, Letterkenny, Co Donegal T: +353 (0) 74 912 9186 W: www.regionalculturalcentre.com
Smashing Times Theatre Company Ltd and
PlayLeft Productions in association with
Focus Theatre present the Irish Premiere of:
By Dennis Kelly
Winner of Edinburgh Fringe First 2009 and Herald Angel Awards 2009
DIRECTED by Mary Moynihan PRODUCED by Michal Leman-Lemanski LIGHTING DESIGN by Conleth White SET DESIGN by Lisa Krugel COSTUME DESIGN by Therese Mullan CAST Annette Flynn, Colm O'Brien and Adam Traynor
A riveting exploration of urban fear where a couple's insular world is thrown into turmoil by the arrival
of the woman's brother, covered in blood.
Adam Traynor (Liam) in 'Orphans' by Dennis Kelly at the Focus Theatre from Oct 7.
Smashing Times Theatre Company Ltd and PlayLeft Productions in association with Focus Theatre are delighted to announce the Irish Premiere of Dennis Kelly's acclaimed contemporary suspense drama Orphans on Thursday, October 7, 2010 at 8pm in Focus Theatre, 6 Pembroke Place, Dublin 2. Orphans previews from Tuesday, October 5 to Wednesday, October 6 (inclusive) and the play runs until Saturday, October 30.
The lives of Danny and Helen are thrown into turmoil by the unexpected arrival of Helen's brother, in a distressed state and
covered in blood. Outside the front door is an urban world where
'feral youths and random violence reign on the streets'. Orphans
is an intense urban drama with threads of black humour delving
into family ties and the nature of fear.
'I hate violence. It makes me cry. Always has...'
'This place. They do what they want. They run f***ing riot.
I'm scared to get the bus.'
Eanna Moynihan O Bradaigh, Annette Flynn and Colm O'Brien in 'Orphans'
Dennis Kelly is a London-based writer for both theatre and television. His work for the stage includes Orphans (Traverse Theatre, Bermingham Repertory Theatre, Soho Theatre, winner of the Fringe First & Herald Angel Awards 2009); The Gods Weep (Hampstead, London); DNA (National Theatre); Taking Care of Baby (Birmingham Rep/Hampstead Theatre); Love and Money (Manchester Royal Exchange & Young Vic); After The End (Traverse Theatre, Bush Theatre, Leicester Haymarket & UK and international Tour); Osama the Hero (Hampstead Theatre) and Debris (Battersea Arts Centre, Traverse and Latchmere). He was awarded the Wolff Whiting Award for Taking Care of Baby and the Meyer-Whitworth Award for Osama the Hero. He co-wrote the BBC Three sitcom, Pulling with writer/actress Sharon Horgan.
BOOKING & LISTINGS INFORMATION
Focus Theatre Pembroke Place, off Lower Leeson Street, Dublin 2
Runs October 7 - 30, 2010
Previews October 5 - 6, 2010, Nightly 8pm
Margaret Toomey in Testimonies presented by Smashing
Times Theatre Company
July 2010
Smashing Times Theatre Company
– new projects for 2010-2011:
Acting for Change – Donegal
Smashing Times Theatre Company with support from Donegal CDB Peace and Reconciliation Partnership announce Acting for Change - an innovative arts programme using drama and theatre to promote reconciliation and mutual understanding within Donegal and on a cross-community and cross-border basis. The project features drama workshops, a professional theatre performance on tour opening Tuesday 11th January 2011 at the Balor Arts Centre, Donegal and a One-Day Reconciliation And Equality Seminar Through Drama at the Regional Cultural Centre, Letterkenny, County Donegal, Friday 14 January 2011.
Acting for Change – Armagh, Newry and Mourne,
Banbridge and Craigavon
Smashing Times Theatre Company, in collaboration with the Irish Peace Centres, announce Acting for Change, a projct using drama workshops to promote anti-racism and anti-sectarianism with schools, youth groups and communities in Armagh, Newry and Mourne, Banbridge and Craigavon. The project is part-financed by the European Union’s European Regional Development Fund through the EU Programme for Peace and Reconciliation (PEACE III) managed by the Special EU Programmes Body.
Acting for the Future
A project using drama and theatre to promote positive mental health and suicide prevention and supported by ESB ElectricAID Ireland (ESBEI) and run in association with the Samaritans and Irish Association of Suicidology with advice from a Panel of Advisors. The project consists of a professional performance of Testimonies by Paul Kennedy and Mary Moynihan and participative drama workshops to promote positive mental health and suicide prevention. A performance of Testimonies took place at the Axis Arts Centre, Ballymun on 7th September 2010.
Interested In Taking Part?
Smashing Times Theatre Company would like to hear from individuals, and groups interested in taking part in our work. If you are interested in having a workshop take place in your local school or community or attending performances and seminars please contact:
Smashing Times Theatre Company Ltd is a theatre company involved in professional performance, training and participation. The work of the company is underpinned by a rights-based approach and a commitment to artistic excellence and social engagement. The company has four high profile patrons – Maeve Binchy, Brian Friel, Tim Pat Coogan and Robert Kee. Smashing Times Theatre Company is supported by Dublin City Council Arts Office.
PROFESSIONAL OUTREACH
Smashing Times continues it’s professional outreach work through the long -term partnership with the Daughters of Charity Community Services programme and HACE where we work with adults from Dublin’s north inner city particularly those most marginalized, to achieve their full potential through adult education and training. HACE is the adult and community education programme run by the Daughters of Charity based at 8/9 Henrietta Street, Dublin 1.
FURTHER INFORMATION
ACTING FOR CHANGE IN DONEGAL
An innovative arts programme using drama and theatre to promote reconciliation and mutual understanding within Donegal and on a cross-community and cross-border basis.
Smashing Times Theatre Company with support from Donegal CDB Peace and Reconciliation Partnership are running an innovativeproject called Acting for Change. The project uses drama and theatre activities in Donegal to engage participants from a cross-border and cross-community perspective, bringing people together to explore themes that are a consequence of the conflict in Northern Ireland and the Southern Border counties.
This project is supported by the EU’s PEACE III Programme and managed for the Special EU Programmes Body by Donegal County Council and part-financed by the European Union’s European Regional Development Fund through the EU Programme for Peace and Reconciliation.
As part of this project Smashing Times are working in collaboration with a range of organisations including the Irish Peace Centres, the Mid-Ulster Women’s Network, the Balor Arts Centre, Ballybofey and Plain Speaking Community Theatre, Omagh.
ACTING FOR CHANGE EVENTS:
Drama Workshops
Ten Storytelling Workshops through Drama to encourage the sharing of people’s experiences of the legacy of conflict and to promote peace and reconciliation with cross-community and cross-border participation.
Ten Anti-Racism and Anti-Sectarianism Workshops through Drama with cross community and cross-border participation.
Five Equality Workshops through Drama to promote equality and diversity.
The workshops are conducted by professional theatre artists from Smashing Times Theatre Company and are open to all. Participants do not need to have any previous knowledge of drama. Each drama workshop is two-and-a-half to three hours long and explores issues around reconciliation, equality, anti-racism and anti-sectarianism, such as what underpins stereotypes and myths about ‘the other’. Exploration is through active participation in theatre exercises and improvisations using the creative, participative and experiential processes of drama. Adults and young people develop a stronger awareness of the issues through a quality arts experience.
Professional Performance On Tour
An original performance exploring stories of ‘The Troubles’ and hopes and dreams for the future, directed by Mary Moynihan. All performances followed by post-show discussions with guest speakers:
Tuesday 11 January 2011, 8.30pm
Balor Arts Centre,
Main Street, Ballybofey, Co Donegal T: +353 (0) 74 913 1840 W: www.balorartscentre.com
Wednesday 12 January, 8pm
Ramelton Town Hall,
Rectory Road, Ramelton,
Co Donegal T: +353 (0) 74 915 1414
Thursday 13 January, 8pm
Colgan Community and Resource Centre, Chapel Street, Carndonagh, Co Donegal T: +353 (0) 74 932 9377 W: www.colganhall.com
Friday 14 January, 8pm
Regional Cultural Centre,
Cove Hill, Port Road, Letterkenny, Co Donegal T: +353 (0) 74 912 9186 W: www.regionalculturalcentre.com
One-Day Reconciliation And Equality Seminar Through Drama
Friday 14 January 2011, 9.30am to 4.30pm
Regional Cultural Centre,
Cove Hill, Port Road, Letterkenny, Co Donegal T: +353 (0) 74 912 9186 W: www.regionalculturalcentre.com
The seminar is a cross-community, cross-border and cross-cultural day of exploration and celebration and increases opportunities for participating groups to link and develop joint strategies through workshops, discussions and networking. The day features an improvised collage performance on themes of reconciliation and equality.
As part of the preparation for the seminar if your group is interested in developing cross-community and cross-border links with other groups in addition to attending the seminar please contact Freda Manweiler (see over).
Interested In Taking Part?
Smashing Times Theatre Company would like to hear from individuals, schools and communities interested in taking part in this project. If you are interested in having a workshop take place in your local school or community or in attending and participating in the One-Day Seminar or attending the performances and post-show discussions please contact:
Acting for Change in Armagh, Newry and Mourne, Banbridge and Craigavon.
Smashing Times Theatre Company, in collaboration with the Irish Peace Centres, are delighted to announce an innovative new project called Acting for Change. This project is part-funded through the EU’s PEACE III Programme, managed by the Special EU Programmes Body.
The project consists of 16 drama workshops – eight to promote anti-racism and eight to promote anti-sectarianism - to be conducted with schools, youth groups and communities in Armagh, Newry and Mourne, Banbridge and Craigavon.
This project is part-financed by the European Union’s European Regional Development Fund through the EU Programme for Peace and Reconciliation (PEACE III) managed by the Special EU Programmes Body.
The workshops, conducted by professional theatre practitioners from Smashing Times Theatre Company in association with programme workers from the Irish Peace Centres/Corrymeela Community, aim to use drama to break down silences and raise awareness of and address issues surrounding racism and sectarianism. The workshops will take place in areas including those experiencing economic disadvantage and interface areas.
The awareness-raising participative drama workshops are very accessible and informative as participants do not need to have any previous knowledge of drama and are open to all those interested in taking part. Each drama workshop is two and a half to three hours long and offers an introduction to issues around racism and sectarianism exploring for example what underpins stereotypes and myths about ‘the other’. Exploration is through active participation in theatre exercises and improvisations using the creative, participative and experiential processes of drama. Adults and young people develop a stronger awareness of the issues through a quality arts experience.
Smashing Times Theatre Company Ltd is a professional theatre company involved in professional performance, training and participation. The work of the company is underpinned by a rights-based approach and a commitment to artistic excellence and social engagement. The company has four high profile patrons – Maeve Binchy, Brian Friel, Tim Pat Coogan and Robert Kee. Smashing Times Theatre is supported by Dublin City Council Arts Office.
Smashing Times Theatre Company would like to hear from schools and communities interested in taking part in this project. If you are interested in having a workshop take place in your local school or community please contact
Freda Manweiler freda@smashingtimes.ie
or 00 353 1 8656613 or mobile 00 353 87 2214 245.
SEUPB
The Special EU Programmes Body is a North/South Implementation Body sponsored by the Department of Finance and Personnel in Northern Ireland and the Department of Finance in Ireland. It is responsible for managing two EU structural funds Programmes PEACE III and INTERREG IVA designed to enhance cross-border co-operation, promote reconciliation and create a more peaceful and prosperous society. The programmes operate within a clearly defined area including Northern Ireland, the Border Region of Ireland and in the case of INTERREG IVA, Western Scotland.
The PEACE III Programme is worth €333 million and is aimed primarily at reinforcing progress towards a peaceful and stable society and promoting reconciliation. It focuses on helping Northern Ireland and the Border Region of Ireland to reconcile communities and contribute towards a shared society.
For more information on the SEUPB please visit www.seupb.eu
Additional Information:
The drama workshop models for this project are designed by a range of professioanl theatre practitioners including Mary Moynihan, MA, Dublin Institute of Technology and Dr. Eric Weitz, University of Dublin Trinith College, working with Corrymeela Community. At the end of the project the company will make available the drama workshop model in print format which can then be accessed by drama facilitators, community and youth workers and teachers who are interested in using drama to promote anti-racism and anti-sectarianism.
Smashing Times Theatre Company already has an established partnership with Corrymeela Community, a member of the Irish Peace Centres, and an organisation committed to reconciliation in Ireland and throughout the world. Both organisations first came together in February 2009 to run a pilot project called Drama for Change, a project that used the methodology of drama to raise awareness of the issues surrounding racism and sectarianism particularly in relation to the experiences of people from disadvantaged communities including communities in interface areas of Belfast. Five workshops were conducted with schools in Belfast and all the workshops received high praise from teachers and pupils alike.
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