Halfway to Heaven and Interantional Protection Applicants
As part of our commitment to working with migrant communities, we helped develop a play with International Protection Applicants in City West Transition Hub. Created in collaboration with South Dublin County Council and the International Organisation for Migration, Halfway To Heaven was performed on 27th September 2024 in City West. It was directed by theatre and film maker Newton Barabara who is being mentored by the Abbey and was based on his own experiences of living in Direct Provision. Find out more about this project here.
The Sleepaways and Belong To
The Sleepaways was our third collaboration with this dynamic LGBTQ+ advocacy group. This intensive week-long summer school was led by director and improvisation specialist Darren Yorke, culminating in a play about queer spaces performed on the Abbey Stage in August 2024. Find out more about Belong To.
The Sugar Wife and the SAOL Project
SAOLl is a community project focused on improving the lives of women affected by addiction and poverty and have been partnering with the Abbey Theatre for over 11 years. In 2024, Abbey Theatre facilitator Phil Kingston and Resident Director Esosa Igodharo worked with a group of women to create their own response to The Sugar Wife to explore themes of difference and inequality. Two of the cast, Siobhan Cullen and Síofra Ní Éilí performed a scene from the play with the community and were invited to a post-play barbecue with the group. Find out more about the SAOL Project.
Mentoring with SoloSIRENS
This theatre making and producing collective based in Tallaght seeks to widen access to the arts and amplify female identifying voices onstage and beyond. They were one of our 5 by 5 participants in 2019 and Dear Ireland III in 2020. Currently we are mentoring one of the collective, Neltah Chadamoyo, to become a drama facilitator. Find out more about SoloSirens.
An Approach to Coping and Caring at the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland
As part of the mandatory training of obstetricians by the RCPI, the Abbey Theatre deliver An Approach to Coping and Caring three times a year. This innovative use of applied drama has led to regular invitations to teach internationally (New York Steinhardt School, Royal Central School of Speech and Drama London). Find out more about the RCPI.
Get involved
If you are interested in finding out more about our community work, please contact phil.kingston@abbeytheatre.ie or if you’d like to play a role in supporting these projects, please contact marie.lawlor@abbeytheatre.ie
