TYA IRELAND TYA Ireland is the national association representing and promoting professional organisations and individual artists whose work primarily focuses on engaging Irish children and young people through theatre. TYA Ireland provides a crucial link between members, the arts sector, the wider community and government. Mission Statement: To provide access to high quality professional performing arts experiences to all children and young people in Ireland. Aims: • To create a Forum for the Sector. • To increase the value / profile of the work. • To promote and foster training and development opportunities for practitioners in the sector. • To have an International Dimension. TYA Ireland Committee: Emelie FitzGibbon, Philip Hardy (Chair), Marc Mac Lochlainn, Emer McGowan. Members are listed on the webpage below. We welcome and encourage new members from within the sector and from supporters. Membership application forms are available from: TYA Ireland, c/o Barnstorm Theatre Company Church Lane Kilkenny Ireland T: +353 (0)56 7751266 E: hello@tya-ireland.org W: www.tya-ireland.org

Welcome to the latest edition of our newsletter. Since the last issue our creator and editor, Fíona Ní Chinnéide has had to move on after nearly two years of great work. I would like to take this opportunity; on behalf of our members and readers to thank Fíona for all that she has given to the setting up and creation of the TYAI eNewsletter and wish her all things good for the future. We have a new logo, email address and an independent webpage (see left). The new brand and site were created by Illustrator & Graphic Designer Alé Mercado www.alemercado.com A big thank you to Barnstorm for hosting TYA Ireland on its site for the past few years. There is a great buzz in the world of TYA in Ireland just now with exciting productions, festivals and gatherings planned for autumn and into 2012. There are also a few significant birthdays falling this year - Branar celebrates 10 years and Barnstorm 20 years providing theatre experiences for young audiences in Ireland. In this issue we give insight into 10 of our member giving you a flavour of the diversity of work happening around the country; and notice of the annual TYA Gathering which is being hosted by Barnstorm Theatre Company in Kilkenny. At previous Gatherings there were indications that members and delegates wanted more opportunity to feedback and discuss the work presented. “Critical Development of a Sector - Establishing Criteria for Qualitative Assessment and Critical Response” is the overall theme of this year’s event and there will be a unique opportunity to participate in a prac-tical session with John Borstel on the Critical Response Process. We hope that you enjoy this newsletter and, as always, we welcome your feedback, comment and input. Philip Hardy - Chairperson TYA Ireland

Introduction

I S S U E 1 0 : A U T U M N 2 0 1 1

TYAI Committee at the World Congress of ASSITEJ hosted in Copenhagen/Malmoe in May 2011

Emer McGowan, Marc Mac Lochlainn, Emelie Fitzgibbon and Philip Hardy

TYA IrelandTYA Ireland -- the national centre in Ireland of ASSITEJ the national centre in Ireland of ASSITEJ

Baboró International Arts Festival for Children

Illumination is the theme of this year’s Festival with a programme that is rich with dazzling dance, theatre, puppetry, film, storytelling, music, literature events, visual arts and craft exhibitions, workshops and discussions. Baboró has created a very special programme of Irish and international work presenting artists and companies that have woven light and shadow into their work, to dazzle both our young and adult audiences. Amongst the highlights of this year’s programme is the return of Ara-caladanza after their triumphant visit to Baboró in 2008. They present Clouds, a show for all ages, an award-winning co-production with Sadler’s Wells. Families of all ages can also look forward to Globe, a celebration of the rhythms that are universal to music, dance and singing in every culture ranging from Congolese guitar and vocals, Irish fiddle and bodhrán, Taiko drumming, Brazilian capoeira to South African Gospel in a production created by renowned percussionists Robbie Harris and Dave McFarlane. Young adults aged from 10 to 14+ can look forward to one of the festival’s most exciting productions, White Caps by Champloo which travels to Sadler’s Wells in London after Baboró. Early Years audiences, aged from 0 to 6 years, are well catered for with no less than ten productions. Other theatre and performance includes the English company Horse + Bamboo’s production of the well known fairy-tale Red Riding Hood which is re-imagined through a wonderful presentation of mask and shadow box theatre for ages 4+.

In line with Baboró’s policy on access to and development of the arts the Festival will present Professional Development Opportunities for Artists, Writers and Educators. Workshops include The Spaces of Creation: The Creative Process of Playwriting for Writers and Theatre Makers, led by Susan Zeder and Jim Hancock from the University of Texas at Austin. The Festival continues its Talking About…. Series with the focus this year on Irish companies Branar Téatar do Pháistí and Monkeyshine Theatre who have both had the opportunity to work with mentors of international standing to guide them with new productions. The Spotlight On…. Series continues this year, as Baboró looks to other countries for inspiration in the development of quality programming for children and families. This year America is in the spotlight with internationally renowned playwright Susan Zeder, whose credits include Step on a Crack and Hairy Man. Susan is currently Head of Playwriting at the Department of Theater and Dance at the University of Texas at Austin. Jim Hancock is a movement specialist and teacher of movement for actors. He has headed and chaired acting/directing programmes and departments at a number of universities.

The 2011 programme can be downloaded at www.baboro.ie

This year TYA Ireland in association with Barnstorm Theatre Company presents Gathering 2011 from Wednesday 26th October until Friday 28th October, the annual conference and showcase of work for young audiences. The main objectives of the Gathering are to offer those working in Theatre for Young Audiences a unique opportunity to examine practice, the future sustainability of the work and the long-term development of the sector.

The Critical Development of a Sector - Establishing Criteria for Qualitative Assessment and Critical Response. John Borstel is key-note speaker at this year’s event - he is co-author (with Liz Lerman) of the book Critical Response Process: A Method for Getting Useful Feedback on Anything You Make from Dance to Dessert. A hands-on experience of the Critical Response Process in the form of a 3-hour workshop will be at the centre of Gathering 2011. Representing diversity in style and form from both sides of the border will be Graffiti Theatre Company with Walking Man, Barnstorm Theatre with A Murder of Crows, and work-in-progress from companies Moonshine Theatre and Púca Puppets. Two leading companies from Northern Ireland will also present work - Cahoots NI Egg and Replay Theatre Company in conjunction with Assault Events Wobble (a dance piece for 2-4 year olds). A series of three seminars will interrogate and explore themes surrounding the critical development of theatre for young audiences in Ireland. Panellists representing a wide range of relevant perspectives and interests will be present in these seminars - the line-up is almost finalised and will be published shortly.

For booking and further information check out the website www.gathering.ie

BARNSTORM 20 ...was initiated in September 1991, and this year celebrates 20 years of providing quality theatre and drama experiences to a wide audience of children, young people, adults, communities and schools. It’s Theatre for Young Audience tours nationwide to theatre venues and arts centres ensuring the widest possible access to young citizens in Ireland.

Children’s Theatre A Murder of Crows is a dynamic and theatri-cally exciting work for children aged 8 and over, based on the classic tale of Hansel and Gretel. The play explores themes of famine, family loyalties and personal growth. Six actors weave a gothic story of two children's journey from abandonment and fear to ultimate survival, seen from the quirky perspective of a chorus of raucous and garrulous crows, whose boisterous antics will delight audiences. It is appropriate that this world premiere of a new script by Mike Kenny is produced by Barnstorm in celebration of the company’s 20th year serving young audiences throughout the country. The production will run in the Watergate Theatre in Kilkenny from 11th - 19th October, and will tour nationally in the Spring of 2012. There will be a showcase performance of A Murder of Crows in the Samuel Beckett Theatre in Trinity College, Dublin on Saturday 22 October. The Song from the Sea (4+ year olds) Earlier this year Barnstorm produced by Mike Kenny for 4+ year olds and their families. The show opened in March and was an instant success with audiences in the southeast. This captivating new show focuses on a young boy’s struggle to find his place in his family, and in the wider world. With a blend of storytelling, performance, puppets, music, a perspective-flipping set, and a beautiful song from the sea, this show is a sensory treat. The Song from the Sea will embark on a national tour from early November.

Theatre Outreach Barnstorm’s Outreach aims to provide innovative and sustainable arts activities to the people of Kilkenny and the South East in the area of theatre and drama, and its uses within a community context. Since the last newsletter Kilkenny Youth Theatre performed Richard Conlon’s Paving Paradise in May. Asking us what is our responsibility in taking care of our world, the play jumped between the real world of school and the unreal stories of the students’ imaginations. The youth theatre year then came to an end in June with a performance of Beowulf devised and written by the Junior Youth Theatre. KYT members participated in the NAYD’s National Festival of Youth Theatres which took place in Kilkenny at the beginning of July. 100 youth theatre members came from around the country to workshop to-gether with Veronica Coburn, Ciaran Gray, Marcus Bale, Annie Ryan and Richie Ball. The National Festival was immediately followed by Summer Days, Barnstorm’s week of theatre workshops for young people. Earlier this year Outreach began its work with ‘Red Square: To be continued’, a Youth Initiative hosted by The Butler Gallery in Kilkenny. A four month programme, the group of 15-18 yr. olds went on to curate ‘From Us, Through Them, To You’, an exhibition made up from the Butler Gallery Collection which ran from 24 June to the 25 July. In August, again in partnership with the Butler Gallery, Outreach became involved in the Young Critic’s Programme which worked with young people to enable them to critically engage with the Visual Arts and Theatre strands of the Kilkenny Arts Festival. In April members of the Adult Theatre Club made their debut in Shorts 2011 - a series of four extracts performed in The Barn Theatre. The Barn Owl Players, presented their annual One-Act Festival again in The Barn in May. The Barn Owl Players will present Love Is… to a conference of Secon-dary English Teachers in Kilkenny on 07 October - an interactive evening of readings, poetry and music. In September all groups restarted with old and new members and a new year has begun with exciting plans for training and productions. Gathering 2011 The annual conference and showcase is hosted by Barnstorm this year and will happen from 26th to 28th October in Kilkenny www.gathering.ie

Further information www.barnstorm.ie

Branar Téatar do Pháistí Branar Téatar do pháistí is proud to be celebrating 10 years of creating quality theatre for our most important citizens, Children. 2011 has turned out to be a fantastic birthday year for us. Autumn Tours of Clann Lir and Mise Scéal Cailín We began the year by touring Clann Lir to schools, venues and festivals in Spring/ Summer and we are delighted that this magical show will be presented in Oct & Nov at Baboró international children’s festival, Sticky Finger Children’s Arts Festival in Newry, the Dublin International Puppet Festival and Yarn Fest at The Mermaid Arts Centre in Bray. We presented the world premier of Mise Scéal Cailín at Spréacha Children’s Arts festival in Draíocht Arts Centre, Blanchardstown in April. We were honoured to be able to present a co-production with Draíocht who also celebrate their 10th year in existence. Mise Scéal Cailín tells the story of when sometimes small things happen, even though it’s a small thing in our heads it can grow into a huge problem. This is the story of a little girl can’t sleep because a small thing happened and then the cloud that just won’t leave her. With beautiful puppetry, live music and animation it tells the story of the night the girl couldn’t get to sleep and the adventure she had trying. During the production of Mise Scéal Cailín we benefited from the artistic advice and consultation of Espen Dekko, a master puppeteer, from Dekkoart in Norway. People will be familiar with Espens’ work as director of Boxy George for Teatre Refleksion We began to work on the production in 2010 after receiving a project grant from the Arts Council. With the further support of Foras Na Gaeilge and Draíocht Arts Centre we were able to complete the project.

Theatre Resource sharing Thanks once again to the support of the Arts Council we are able to continue and improve our theatre resource-sharing project with three other companies – Moonfish, Cups and Crowns and Gombeens. The project to date has been of huge benefit to the artistic practice and development of all involved - we have had three of the companies present a sharing of work in progress followed by rigorous peer feedback sessions. Ag Roinnt 2 – for 2011/2012 aims to go one step further. The project will offer a small amount of financial support for each company to bring in an expert mentor of their choice to work with them for one week and with the artists of the other companies for one day. Thus ensuring that we continue in Branar and the Ag Roinnt project to push the boundaries of our development as practitioners. Celebrations Later this year, in Galway, we plan to have a big celebration of ten years of Branar. We hope to present 4 or 5 different plays from our repertoire over two days. We will no doubt be inviting all of TYA I and TYA NI to the festivities. The Future: We have received the kind support of the Arts Council’s Theatre Presentation grant to produce a new show. We are delighted that we are working with Bjarne Sandborg once again on this project. The work has begun already and it is turning into a very exciting prospect with all kind of story telling methods being thrown into the mix. The Story deals with memories. Why do some memories get locked “away”? What do the do when they are in this “away” place? We will keep you posted.

Further information: www.branar.ie

Team Theatre 'Sherbet & Tiffin' by Pauline Shanahan A new play for 3 to 6 year olds that will help children think about their senses and friendship in new and exciting ways. The play is designed to be performed in the children's learning environment and will awaken them to the wonder in the familiar. Sherbet is a puppy that can't find his bark. Tiffin is a kitten who knows everything about everything. Follow them on their adventure into the spooky woods at the end of the garden, as they sniff out the best smell in the whole world, hear the scariest sound and learn o see themselves in a new light. Performance Dates: 14th Nov - 09th Dec 2011

Further information: www.teamtheatre.ie

Graffiti Theatre Company is refreshed after a Summer with plenty of inspiration to energise us all for more and even better work next year. We were deeply saddened by the death of our friend and colleague, Nancy Swortzell, in July, whose inimitable energy and devotion to the field of TYA in New York University and beyond has been an inspiration to us through many years of collaboration and friendship. She will be sincerely missed. This Autumn we are reviving last year's very popular production of The Shape of a Girl, by Joan McLeod. We are inviting secondary schools to see this moving performance in our own theatre during the month of October. Any of our TYAI colleagues are welcome to visit us for these performances - please contact us to arrange a date. We will also present a public performance in the theatre on the 6th October. Walking Man by Jody O'Neill, a Graffiti commission, had a very successful run in May. This "production of magic and wonder" (Irish Theatre Magazine) played to wonderful audiences here in the beautiful environment of our own theatre and also toured to schools. Our thanks to writer Jody O'Neill, designer Olan Wrynn, actor Damian Punch and musician, Dylan Gully, whose imagination and commitment, with our Associate Director Síle Ní Bhroin and the whole Graffiti team, brought Walking Man to life. The BEAG Project of Early Years Arts reached the end of its pilot phase in June and we congratulate our extraordinary integrated team of artists (theatre, music and visual arts) as well as the Project Director for a wonderful season. The team devised and delivered beautiful artistic experiences for the very young in childcare settings in Cork city and county. The final report at the end of this successful and exciting research project was launched in July with an inspiring keynote address from Suzanne Zeedyk (see www.suzannezeedyk.com) and we are hopeful that the BEAG Project will return later this year to develop and delight its young audiences further. Meanwhile we have been dreaming up more new work for very young audiences, as Blátha Bána/White Blossoms has moved to the design phase. This very beautiful piece of theatre has been in development for some time now and designer Deirdre Dwyer has recently completed a set model, which we hope to be able to build this Autumn. Our ambitious plans for this elegant and ethereal performance may finally come to fruition early in 2012. Fingers crossed...

Last May, we hosted masters and doctoral students from Arizona State University, under the mentorship of Roger Bedard, for an intensive placement here at Graffiti. Over several packed days the ASU students were introduced to the range and depth of Graffiti's work for, with and by young people. Emelie and Síle then followed the ASU students to Copenhagen/Malmo for the ASSITEJ World Congress. We were joined by three artists from Meitheal na mBeag, thanks to the generous support of Foras na Gaeilge. We were especially proud to hear playwright Angela Betzien reading from her new play Where in the World is Frank Sparrow?, a Graffiti commission. Our busy Outreach Department is gearing up after the Summer break and our Youth Theatre members are gathering again for a new year of workshops and performances. We would like to take this opportunity say goodbye for now to Julie O'Leary, who has been a regular Outreach workshop facilitator in schools and in all three of our Youth Theatres. Julie, who started her theatrical career as a member of Activate Youth Theatre herself, is off to Glasgow to pursue her studies in Physical Theatre. We will miss her very much this year and wish her the very best of luck!

Further information: www.graffiti.ie

Emelie Fitzgibbon (Ireland) and Ivica Simic

(Secretary General ASSITEJ) at Congress 2011

Scales & Tales at Cork University Hospital

Scales & Tales, a six-month residency of music and storytelling, is currently taking place at Cork University Hospital, in partnership with Cork University Hospital Arts Committee and in collaboration with MusicAlive. Once a month, musician Caoimhe Conlon and storyteller Fiona Dowling invite the children of the paediatric department together with parents, siblings and hospital staff to engage with musical instruments in making stories and characters come to life. The children can choose an instrument from the musical trolley and create their own sound effects: from bongos to bells, xylophones to maracas, and everything else in be-tween, the children are given an artistic outlet in a relaxed and informal environment.

Infant Imaginings in Sligo and Leitrim Infant Imaginings, Helium’s early years arts and health project, is taking place this year in collaboration with the HSE Early Intervention Teams in Sligo and Leitrim. Puppeteer Helene Hugel and musician Sean Callagy have been working once a month with the Early Intervention staff and onsite health practitioners in Sligo to complement their service provision. They will bring the project to the Parent and Toddler Group in Leitrim for four months from September. Infant Imaginings aims to promote relaxation, communication and learning between babies, toddlers and their parents through music, performance, puppetry and the visual arts. The emphasis in the current phase is on providing creative play experiences for toddlers with develop-mental delays or toddlers at risk of developmental delay and also on building on-going relationships between the artists, the families, and staff involved. A key focus of Infant Imaginings is to develop arts experiences which parents can reproduce in the home environment and the artists leave behind a kit of props, puppets and Sean’s acoustic CD of nursery rhymes for this purpose. Inspired by the play sessions with the Parent and Tod-dler Group, Helene and Sean staged The Rhyming Room in The Model, Sligo, at the end of August, a work-in-progress interactive performance for children under 3 years and their parents.

REFLECT Lab

Ireland’s first REFLECT Lab kicked off in April when representatives from The Sage Gateshead came to Sligo to facilitate the inaugural cohort meeting. Eleven artists and eleven healthcare workers from Sligo and Donegal who work with children and young people will be co-mentoring each other between now and next March with a view to sharing skills and experience between the two sectors. They will be given training in reflective practice, active listening and active questioning. The participating artists have backgrounds that include theatre, street theatre, movement and puppetry. REFLECT Lab is an acclaimed model of cross-sector co-mentoring devised and delivered by the The Sage Gateshead, UK. The REFLECT Lab programme is a collaborative learning process for people working across a range of sectors and offers participants the space and time to reflect on what they do and why they do it. The aim of the REFLECT Lab cohort in the Northwest is to advance arts and health partnerships in the provision of services for children and young people in healthcare settings. There is also a train the trainer programme running alongside the main co-mentoring programme so that Irish organisations can learn the skills required to deliver future co-mentoring projects.

Puppet Portal Symposium

On October 28th, Helium, in collaboration with Kids' Own Publishing Partnership, will be hosting a symposium for artists and healthcare professionals who are interested in participatory arts with children in hospital. ‘Where are we now?’ - Examining arts for children in hospital within the context of the Puppet Portal Project will take place in The Ark, A Cultural Centre for Children in Dublin, as part of the 2011 International Puppet Festival Ireland. The Puppet Portal Project is a national arts and technology programme for children in hospital, first developed in 2009 by Helium in partnership with the Centre for Health Informatics, Trinity College Dublin, and in collaboration with Kids’ Own. At the symposium, artists who have worked with Helium on the Puppet Portal Project will deliver presentations and hands-on workshops. There will also be a panel of healthcare professionals, including experts in research and health innovation, who will discuss the benefits of the Puppet Portal Project for the young participants and the hospital community as a whole. Those who attend will be encouraged to join in the discussions and a keynote speaker will be announced shortly. This day-long symposium will run from 10.45-4.30 and costs €10 per person. Early interest can be registered on info@helium.ie. There will be an exhibition showcasing artwork from the Puppet Portal Project running the length of the festival (October 21st-30th).

Family Day Out with Helium and Funky Seomra On Sunday, October 16th, Helium is teaming up with Funky Seomra for a festival day out in Dublin for all the family. Combining the magic of Funky Seomra with Helium's innovative arts experiences for children, there will be plenty to stimulate and enthrall the big kids and the little kids among us. Proceeds on the day will go towards Helium’s work with children in healthcare settings throughout the country. Keep an eye out on our website for what’s in store. Venue: St. Paul’s Centre, Adelaide Road, Glenageary, County Dublin

For more information on Helium’s work and to view photos and videos of our projects visit www.helium.ie

News from Helium children’s arts and health

Púca Puppets Púca Puppets has reluctantly left the East Wall but has found itself comfortably relocated to South County Dublin. Our ten venue tour for Stone Soup was a great success with many full houses and glowing responses including: "The fully immersive nature of the production is perfect for the young audience...Stone Soup is gentle, light hearted...the ideal introduction to theatre for your small child." Lauren O'Toole, Entertainment.ie June 13th 2011 "Super Super show. Can't praise it enough" :Catherine Mc Cabe, teacher, Cavan. "It held the children's attention throughout and they "got' the message. It was nice that the children had to use their own imaginations - sets props, special effects were kept to a minimum. I thought the script was superb" teacher Roscommon. "The soup had a very tasty smell. After the puppet show we got to taste the soup...I would give the soup 10/10 and the puppet show 10/10 as well". “The show sparked a weekend of public puppet shows of high quality - it's amazing how one show can spark so much creative activity!" Mother of a 5 and 7 year old

Meanwhile our new show for younger children Tic Teac Tic Teac (working title), celebrating growth as gaeilge through puppet performance, drawing and play, continues development. The practical research sessions mentioned in last update were followed by a draft of the show being tested on an audience of 3-5 year olds in Daisy

Day's Creche, East Wall. The children and staff responses were informa-tive and encouraging "they were dug into it" said one of the crèche directors. Work continues and a work-in-progress showing will contribute the gathering in Kilkenny. This is aided greatly by a Dublin City Council Incubation award in the Lab, part of the continuing Co-mentorship Collaboration. Work has continued, thanks to Dublin City Council and Ealaín na Gaeltachta, on the development of Plastic Dreams (working title) an installation performance piece in collaboration with Ciotóg's choreographer and dancer Ríonach Ní Néill. On the workshop front the StoryLab project participated again in Dublin City Council and Community and Enterprise's Children's Art in Libraries Programme in Ringsend and Dolphin's Barn and will continue in the Autumn in Terenure. Niamh also had the pleasure of making a large scale puppet maquette for an Abbey workshop directed by Selina Cartmell.

For further information www.pucapuppets.com

Monkeyshine Monkeyshine Theatre are preparing to premier their latest show, Losha, at the Babaro International childrens festival in Galway. The piece will then tour nationally during October and November. Losha has been developed under the Arts Council Theatre Maker in Residence scheme with Roscommon County Council and the Roscommon Arts Centre. The residency has allowed an exciting year of discovery. The company spent a good deal of time researching and exploring the themes of memories and remembering and questioning why human beings like to keep momentos and souveniers. Monkeyshine invited the children and teachers from Coregeenroe National School, Co. Roscommon, to join them on this journey of discovery and together they shared thoughts and ideas and created ways of remembering special moments. The company had the great priviledge of working with Charlot Lemonine from Vélo Theatre France. Who spent ten days mentoring the project. This explorative work created a rich and fertile ground from which the company have created ‘Losha’. It has been a collaborative process between writer and performer Kareen Pennefather, set designer James Jobson, lighting designer Micheal Cummins, dramaturg Beccy Smith and choreographer Kate Wilson Roscommon Youth Orchestra and musician Cathal Roche have been responding to the work and developing soundscapes to be included in the performance. For further details see www.monkeyshinetheatre.com or find us on facebook.

Theatre Lovett Theatre for Men, Women and Children

Joint Artistic Director Appointed Theatre Lovett are delighted to announce that Muireann Ahern has joined the company as Joint Artistic Director alongside

Louis Lovett. Muireann has been Theatre Programmer and Producer at The Ark for the past 5 years where she produced a number of productions (four Irish Times Theatre Award nominations) and programmed the Family Season of the Ulster Bank Dublin Theatre Festival and The Children’s Season of Dublin Dance Festival. Muireann has 20 years experience in theatre with a focus on children and young people. Over the years she has worked as an Actor, Director, Education Officer and Producer, with companies and organisations such as The Abbey Theatre’s Outreach Department, Wet Paint Arts, TEAM Educational Theatre Company, RTÉ, TG4, The Department of Education and Skills and others. Muireann also lectures in Drama at St Patrick’s teacher training college, Drumcondra and is a regular guest speaker on theatre for children at other third level colleges. She was guest speaker and panel member at the most recent Danish+ festival, at an international conference focusing on ‘quality’ in theatre for young audiences. She has been a previous committee member of TYA Ireland and was a member of the core working group on the published Artists ˜ Schools Guidelines: ‘Towards Best Practice in Ireland’. Muireann is a graduate of the Samuel Beckett Centre for Drama and Theatre Studies, Trinity College Dublin and also holds a HDipEd from TCD.

B for Baby by Carmel Winters

The Abbey Theatre’s production of Theatre Lovett’s commissioned play B for Baby is on a widespread national tour after touring to the

Tampere festival in Finland. It won Best New Play at The Irish Times Theatre Awards and Louis Lovett was nominated as Best Actor for his

performance in the play. B for Baby was also shortlisted for The Stewart Parker Award 2011.

How Do Actors Play? Theatre Lovett are currently touring Irish venues with their workshop How Do Actors Play? In this workshop for adults and children, Louis and Muireann take participants through the actor’s journey on stage: how to take hold of the moment you’re in, how to look forward to the moment coming next and, most importantly, how to look back – to the moments of play that children understand, and that adults can remember and learn from. In this workshop participants are also introduced to Louis’ own unique style of performance – one that embraces the mischievous spirit of play.

The Girl who Forgot to Sing Badly Written by Finegan Kruckemeyer

Commissioned by The Ark, A Cultural Centre for Children for performance by Louis Lovett

The Ark and Theatre Lovett are delighted to have been selected to perform The Girl who Forgot to Sing Badly at the 34th Annual IPAY showcase in Austin, Texas, January 2012.

Further information: www.theatrelovett.com

Tá áthas orainn a fhógairt go bhfuil suíomh Mheitheal na mBeag gníomhach arís! The web-site is up and running again - check out all our latest news! Féach ar an nuacht is déanaí ar www.meithealnambeag.ie I mí Bealtaine bhí deis iontach ag

Meitheal na mBeag: thug Foras na Gaeilge deontas speisialta do Graffiti Theatre Company chun triúr déantúsóirí amharclainne ó Mheitheal na mBeag a thabhairt go dtí Comhdháil Dhomhanda ASSITEJ i gCóban-hávan-Malmö. An imaginative grant from Foras na Gaeilge, with the support of Graffiti Theatre Company, enabled three emerging artists from Meitheal na mBeag to participate in five intensive days of per-formances, workshops and networking at the ASSITEJ World Congress. Bronnadh na scoláireachtaí luachmhara seo ar Ionia Ní Chróinín, Neasa Ní Chuanaigh agus Grace Kiely. Here is what Ionia, Neasa agus Grace said about their experiences at the festival and World Congress: Until I witnessed this impressive gathering of delegates from up to 84 member states, and the energy, time, funding and conviction that goes into the creation of theatre for young audiences on a global scale, I had no idea what an incredible network I am Involved in, as a member of TYAI.

There was a very large Irish contingent at the Congress, which drew a lot of comment from other participants, and it was great to meet and talk with Irish practitioners who are working in theatre for young audi-ences. Chonaic mé rudaí nach raibh rómhaith freisin agus d'fhoghlaim mé go leor ón taithí sin freisin. Bhí go leor "múinteoireachta" san ais-teoireacht do pháistí agus ag caint amach chuig na paistí agus ag caint síos orthu freisin. Chuir sé seo isteach go mór orm mar chonaic mé go díreach cén chaoi a mothaíonn páistí i gcás mar sin. Is daoine iad!!! Bíonn siad níos tapúla ag piocadh suas go leor rudaí mar gheall ar thionchar na teicneolaíochta ina saoil, agus bíonn siad an-ionraic. Bhí lá agam freisin ag an gComdháil féin- ag an 'Assembly'- agus bhí mé in ann tuiscint cén chaoi a n-oibríonn an chu-marsáid ar fad idir na tíortha éagsúla. Freisin bhuail mé le go leor daoine atá i mbun na hoibre seo timpeall na tíre agus chuir mé aithne phearsanta orthu. Bhí gréasán cumarsáide deas idir lucht na hÉireann ar fad agus cabhraíonn sé seo go mór le ta-caíocht a chinntiú sa todhchaí. Rud a bhí ráite ag go leor daoine ná gurb í an ealaíon an rud is táb-hachtaí. 'Sé sin, is cuma faoi cheacht, mothúcháin nó móraltacht ach caithfidh ealaíon a bheith i gceist ag an léiriú. Más fíor é seo, agus má éiríonn linn ealaíon a chur chun stáitse is léir go mbeidh daoine, is cuma cén aois, tógtha leis an an gcríochtháirge. Ráiteas eile ón Ollamh Juncker atá mar chroílár na rudaí nua a d’fhoghlaim mé agus a d'ath-raigh mo dhearcadh pearsanta ar an obair seo ná "We need to look to artists as knowledge-holders, they are the ones that can teach." B'fhé-idir gurb é an t-aon fhabhb leis sin ná na healaíontóirí cearta a aimsiú. D'fhoghlaim mé go bhfuil sé chomh tábhachtach gan laghdú síos ar mheas ar lucht féachana ná ar chaighdéan mar is páistí iad. Freisin, tá siamsaíocht gan uilinn eile oideachasúil leis chomh tábhachtach do ghásúir ná aon cheart eile atá acu. Bhí sé thar a bheith áisiúil do mo chomhlacht féin, Moonfish, de bharr go rabhamar in ann dul i dteagmháil le stiúrthóir ‘Berlin 1916’, an seó nua le NIE Theatre. Bhí sé ar intinn againn le fada an lá iarradh ar

Kjell Moberg teacht chun obair linn ar seó, agus tar éis dúinn bualadh leis ag an gcomhdháil, bhíomar in ann an smaoineamh a phlé leis. Bhí sé iontach sásta teacht sall, mar sin táimid ag súil le bheith ag obair leis in Earrach 2012. [It was] one of the most inspiring, educational and enjoyable experiences of my career as a theatre-maker.

Conference dates and details announced! 18th & 19th November 2011. Beidh Comhdháil Mheitheal na mBeag ar siúl an 18 agus 19 Samhain 2011, in OÉ Gaillimh. Ag tógáil ar chomhdháil straitéiseach agus spreagúil na bliana seo caite, is é téama na bliana seo 'Fás agus Éabhlóid'. Meitheal na mBeag is looking forward to welcoming Ruth Little as our keynote speaker, our 'spreagchainteoir', at this year's conference, entitled 'Growth and Evolution'. Ruth Little is a renowned dramaturg, writer and teacher whose innovative thinking about theatre, culture, society and our environment has stimulated many artists. Her work takes inspiration from Systems Theory and applies it to theatre and creativity. She is based in London but will join us in Galway fresh from recent encounters with the Gaelic culture of the Outer Hebrides. I measc na seisiún eile i rith na comhdhála beidh léirithe ó bhaill Mhei-theal na mBeag, plé ar éabhlóid na réimse agus deiseanna ag na rannpháirtithe aghaidh a thabhairt ar an todhchaí i gcomhoibriú cruthaitheach agus praiticiúil. We hope to provide an inspiring two days of performances, seminars and panel discussions to take the work of Meitheal na mBeag forward in evo-lutionary and maybe revolutionary ways!

Fás agus Éabhlóid Comhdháil Mheitheal na mBeag 2011

OÉG (Gaillimh) 18 & 19 Samhain

Tuilleadh eolais ag teacht ar www.meithealnambeag.ie Beidh fáilte roimh iarratais ón 23 Meán Fómhair

Tá Meitheal na mBeag ag súil go mór le páirt a ghlacadh sa Gathering i gCill Chainnigh i mbliana! Ag súil le sibh a fheiceáil ansin. Meitheal na mBeag is really looking forward to taking part in Gathering in Kilkenny this year. Look forward to seeing you there!

Further information: www.meithealnambeag.ie

Wrapped up against the chill in Malmoe during Congress 2011 Síle Ní Bhroin, Ionia Ní Chróinín, Mairéad Ní Chróinín

The next edition of the TYA Ireland newsletter is due Spring 2012.

The deadline for inclusions is

02nd Dec 2011.

Please send all your news and images to:

philip@tya-ireland.org

International

Write Local. Play Global is a place populated by…YOU It’s an online meeting place for people interested in work written for young audiences. Think of it as a virtual café where you can read about, make contact and catch up with people from around the world. You can find out about exciting new work, how writers approach their craft and about organizations that support and develop the work of writers. We’ve been tweaking the WLPG website, finding more ways for WLPG members to let us know what they’re doing:

· We are now listing theatres that develop new work in our organi-zations/events/resources database. Does your theatre have a com-mitment to developing new work? If so, let us know and we’ll post the information.

· We’ve just launched a What’s happening? blog on the site. Please send information on your region or your country. Feel free to even ‘shamelessly self-promote’ yourself, your company or your best friend. So long as it’s (vaguely) about Theatre for Young Audiences and isn’t offensive, go for it!

We’ve also been working to make it easier to find the information you want:

· You can now search our diverse Community by profession and country to find out playwrights, directors, producers, composers, arts managers, teaching artists and educators who create, support, develop, critique and view plays for young audiences around the world

· Our organizations/events/resources index now lists by category and country as well as title.

· You can now subscribe to an RSS news feed of WLPG news here · And don’t forget – our search engine is always a useful shortcut to

finding what you need. We have now grown to more than 250 members from 37 countries! Not bad, we think, especially considering we've only been up and running for about four months. We also like to list the country and profession/s of our members in Community. If your details are incomplete or incor-rect, please send the correct information to editors@writelocalplayglobal.org There's an African saying that 'it takes a village to raise a child'. In a similar way, our global village (of playwrights, directors, actors, com-posers, educators, dramaturges) can help nurture new plays for young audiences. Founders/Editors: Deirdre Kelly Lavrakas, Tony Mack, Kim Peter Kovac Further information & News http://writelocalplayglobal.org

Suzanne Osten with Interplay Europe Writers/Mentors at

Congress 2011

What is ASSITEJ? ASSITEJ is a World Theatre Network of THEATRE for CHILDREN and YOUNG PEOPLE ASSITEJ was established in 1965 by a global alliance of professional theatre for children and young people. Today, ASSITEJ links thousands of theatres, organizations and individuals through national centres in more than 70 countries. The secretariat is based in Zagreb, Croatia. For more information about ASSITEJ, including its mission statement, activities and resources, visit: www.assitej.org

The Annual Magazine of ASSITEJ International 2011 Available through TYA Ireland @ €10 per copy