Druid initiative to increase access to theatre

This follows the success of a similar programme he company ran last year alongside its DruidGregory production – that Community and Engagement programme won Best Small Sponsorship at the 29th Business to Arts Awards earlier this year.

During the DruidGregory tour which visited 13 locations countywide in 2020, the company engaged with schools and communities to make the work of local playwrights Lady Augusta Gregory and Tom Murphy accessible to audiences of all ages and backgrounds.

Druid worked with all 234 Galway primary schools, providing a range of free resources that introduced younger students to Lady Gregory, outlining her importance to Ireland’s heritage and role in the  country’s literary history.

The company also gave five performances of On the Outside, Tom Murphy’s first play written with his friend Noel O’Donoghue, to almost 300 students in five second-level schools.  These shows were accompanied by education packs for students and teachers, that provided further information on the play.

On the Outside had an additional 20 performances in Tuam, Ballinasloe, Glenamaddy, Kinvara, Oughterard and Athenry. Lady Gregory’s plays, Cathleen ní Houlihan and Hyacinth Halvey, were also presented in Teach an Phiarsaigh, Ballyglunin Station and Clifden.

Druid will incorporate the new Community and Education initiative in its programming activities for the next two years – with visits to schools in Galway and the West, as well as on touring locations

This project supported by local healthcare company Aerogen and the New York based Adrian Brinkerhoff Poetry Foundation.