Apr 23 2025
Calling all theatre artists in Galway City and County
The Town Hall Theatre, in partnership with Theatre Artist James Riordan and Galway Theatre Festival, are inviting applications for Blas, a pilot Artist Development programme to take place over 7 months during 2025. We are seeking early to mid-career theatre and performance artists from or based in Galway City or County. The purpose of this first stage of Blas is to support a group of artists to develop new solo pieces of theatre to a work-in-progress stage in 2025, with a view to full production in 2026.
The programme will involve bespoke mentorship, masterclasses, rehearsal space and technical support and will be led by Theatre Artist James Riordan (Brú Theatre). The Town Hall has had a long-standing relationship with James, who was Theatre Artist in Residence of the building for two years and who has presented his work on the main stage.
We are keen to assist in the sustainability of artists making work in Galway, welcoming the selected artists into the venue in the heart of Galway city and supporting them with all of our available resources. Applications may be submitted in English or Irish and we welcome proposals from artists working in either language. We particularly welcome applications from the global majority. Blas is funded by the Town Hall Patrons Award and the Arts Council.
The programme includes:
A €3,000 stipend for each of the 3 selected artists.
Continuing in-person and online mentorship and support from James Riordan, along with an assortment of professional mentors. Successful applicants must attend 6 in-person days in Galway city throughout the programme, along with their own rehearsals. Dates to be decided with the chosen artists to allow flexibility.
Strategic and Dramaturgical support.
Access to the Town Hall Studio throughout the remainder of 2025.
A sharing to an invited audience.
Support from Galway Theatre Festival, with an eye towards presenting the finished pieces as part of the festival in the future.
Networking events in the city with funders, festivals and venues.
A number of theatre tickets for shows in the Town Hall and Black Box, including Q and A’s with visiting theatre companies.
Timeline
Dates:
Call Out - Thursday April 24th
Deadline Thursday May 15th at 5pm
Outcome May 23rd
Blas begins June 9th
About the Town Hall
The Town Hall Theatre is Galway’s premier performing arts venue, at the epicentre of Galway’s cultural activity and providing a platform and supportive environment for artists and arts organisations. This pilot programme is part of a number of initiatives to encourage and support creative development for Galway artists, companies and producers and to assist with the creation of work by Galway artists in the performing arts; theatre, music and dance.
The Town Hall Theatre online booking system features a Patron Donation option and anyone who wishes to donate to the Awards can do so here - tht.ie/patron-donation-awards/
Town Hall Theatre wishes to thank everyone who has donated in the past and looks forward to continued support for the development and creation of exciting work by artists in Galway in the future.
About James Riordan
James Riordan(he/him) is Artistic Director of Brú Theatre. He is a writer and theatre maker from Galway and trained at LISPA (London) and the APT (Berlin).
James spent many years working in Berlin and London for companies including the ENO and Absurda Comica and was a core member of The LipSinkers (UK) for 4 years. After returning to Ireland, he set up Brú in 2018 with Jill Murray.Brú have produced 7 shows to date, and tour nationally and internationally, most recently bringing Not a Word to the Barbican centre London.
In 2024 he was Resident Director with the Abbey Theatre and directed the 2023 flagship Macnas Parade, Cnámha La Loba. He was Digital Artist in Residence with the Centre for Creative Technologies at the University of Galway in 2023 and is an Irish Times Theatre Awards Best Actor nominee 2020 for his role in Brú’s Selvage.
About Galway Theatre Festival
Galway Theatre Festival, founded in 2008, is the only dedicated theatre festival in the West. GTF presents and produces high-quality, innovative and bilingual work that expands the definition of what theatre can be. The festival’s activities in theatre strengthen the West’s wider performing arts and cultural scene by fostering sustainable artist development through a lasting organisation and funding model. Through strategic partnerships with artists, audiences, arts groups, and funders, it aims to ensure a vibrant, evolving festival that champions creativity and opportunity in the region.
The Application
Artists are invited to submit an online written or video application (3 mins max). Details available here and below.
Applications are open to artists based or from Galway City and County.
Criteria: Applications will be assessed according to the following 3 criteria:
Eligibility of Application - the application form is completed in appropriate detail and is submitted on time; that the proposal meets the aims of the Blas programme including support of ambitious and original projects that can be realised by the end of 2026. Artists should have no more than 3 professionally produced pieces to date. Applications are welcome from artists who have completed other artist development programmes in the city, including FUEL and Remote Control. Applications must not currently be in full time education.
Quality and Nature of Proposal - the excellence and originality of the project or piece of work being proposed in terms of theme or idea and/or in terms of formal approach, and is feasible to get to Work in Progress stage this year. The Town Hall Theatre is open to supporting future productions along with other partners .
Public Engagement - the quality and ambition of the project in its ability to connect to audiences.
Application Questions: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1nBt8gKPfDhUXnPERY1Unkyxd3WO_ZW5m8kIhFuKBlzk/edit
Apr 17 2025
The remarkable life of Galway’s Nora Barnacle – later Nora Joyce – is celebrated in the one-woman show A Rare Journey; Nora Joyce’s Odyssey, which comes to the city’s Town Hall Theatre on May 13.
The 75-minute drama will bring the audience through Nora’s extraordinary life, giving full rein to her razor-sharp and often lethal wit, and featuring songs and music that she and her husband, author James Joyce, loved.
A Rare Journey separates Nora from her famous literary alter-ego, Molly Bloom, and dispels the sometimes lazy myths that have often cast Nora as an appendage of her famous husband.
This is Nora’s story, and Paula Greevy-Lee’s aim in writing it was to separate the reality of this complex, compassionate and intelligent woman from the half-truths that have dogged her since her death in 1951, aged 67.
...
Mar 20 2025
Town Hall Theatre Galway this week announced details of one of its busiest Spring/Summer programmes ever with an outstanding line up of theatre, comedy, music, dance, musicals, local performing arts schools, and lots of special events for all tastes - and all ages!
Sally Rooney, Anne Enright, Roddy Doyle, Donal Ryan, Rough Magic, the Gate Theatre, Fishamble Theatre, Pat Kinevane, Malaprop Theatre, Huun Huur Tu, Choir Choir Choir, G4, Lloyd Cole, Ralph McTell, Peggy Seeger, Rhys Darby, Pat and Faye Shortt, Gearoid Farrelly, Tadhg J Devery, and Jarlath Regan are just some of the big names from the Irish and international entertainment scene featured in the Town Hall’s April to June lineup.
Details of the new season – including information about Cuirt International Festival of Literature and Galway Theatre Festival - are published in the theatre's new season brochure, now available to download from the Town Hall website. Tickets for all performances and events are now on sale from the website and Town Hall box office at Courthouse Square 091 569777.
Theatre highlights this season include performances by Rough Magic and the Gate Theatre, Galway Theatre Festival, Malaprop, MOSH by Rachel Ni Bhraonain, Eoin Ryan, and two Fishamble productions (Before and Silent) by Pat Kinevane. Local favourites KATS bring their production of Arsenic and Old Lace to the main stage, Truman Theatre premiere a new play by Mick Donnellan, and Eastside Community Drama perform the classic Uncle Vanya in the Town Hall Studio. Highlight of the season’s dance programme include performances by M Dance from Romania (with choreography by Eoin Mac Donncha from An Cheathru Rua) and the spectacular Youth Ballet West performance of Outsider featuring Drumadore.
An eclectic music lineup includes concerts by Choir Choir Choir, Ralph McTell, Onoir, Huun Huur Tu, Lloyd Cole, Peggy Seeger, Tom Dunne with Fiachna O’Braonain and Alan Connor, and G4. And for those interested in tribute acts of their favourite artists, the programme features a super line up of tributes to Tina Turner, Johnny Cash, Ed Sheeran, John Prine, Abba, Kate Bush, and Pink Floyd.
Other musical performances include an Evening of Classical Indian Melodies by Aparna and Milind Gurav and the welcome return of Vladimir Jablokov. And musical fans will have the opportunity to see the critically acclaimed Movicals -The Best of Movie Musicals, and the much-anticipated Galway Musical Society production of Sweeney Todd.
Galway comedy audiences will be spoilt for choice with performances by Pat and Faye Shortt, Gearoid Farrelly, Tadhg J Devery, Jarlath Regan, Rhys Darby, and Steptoe and Son Live! The Town Hall Theatre's extensive Spring/Summer programme also includes a host of special events by Forbidden Nights, Bingo Loco, Sean Ronayne’s Birdsong, Bumbled, Drumadore, Jenny Keane and many, many others. Events for families include Dinosaurs Live and an unprecedented 13 local performing arts school groups from across the city and county.
Tickets for all performances and events are now on sale from the website and Town Hall box office at Courthouse Square 091 569777
Mar 10 2025
Closing date 4pm Tuesday 11 March!
Galway City Council is looking for a driven marketer to lead Town Hall Theatre Galway’s marketing and digital communications. The successful candidate will be responsible for the execution of the Theatre’s overall marketing activities to drive sales, increase occupancy, and diversify audiences. Galway City Council invites suitably qualified applicants for the above position - all fully completed application forms must reach the Human Resources Department by 4pm Tues 11 March.
Information/Application Booklets for the above positions are available on Galway City Councils website - https://www.galwaycity.ie/human-resources Applications may be shortlisted on the basis of the information provided on the application form. Please note that applications may also be submitted via email to recruitment@galwaycity.ie. Please ensure to populate the subject bar as outlined in the attached application booklets. Any queries may be forwarded to the Recruitment Team in the Human Resources Department to recruitment@galwaycity.ie
We are looking for a driven marketer to lead Town Hall Theatre Galway’s marketing and digital communications. The successful candidate will devise and implement an integrated marketing communications strategy incorporating a cost-effective mix of online and offline activity and will be responsible for the execution of the Theatre’s overall marketing activities to drive sales, increase occupancy and diversify audiences. The Town Hall Theatre Galway, owned and managed by Galway City Council and incorporating the 400-seat Main Auditorium and the 52-seat Studio Space at Courthouse Square, and the nearby, multi-purpose Black Box performance space (up to 550 seated, 750 standing) on Dyke Road presents an extensive and eclectic mix of theatre, concerts, musicals, dance, film, comedy, and family shows year-round. The venue attracts audiences in excess of 100,000 annually making it one of the busiest and most successful theatres of its size in Ireland. Each year, the venue is the epicentre of activity for virtually all of Galway's key festivals and cultural events including Galway International Arts Festival, Galway Film Fleadh, Cuirt Festival of Literature, Baboro Children's Festival and Galway Comedy Festival to name but a few. Druid have premiered many of their acclaimed and award-winning productions at the venue before embarking on national and international tours, and an increasing number of Galway International Arts Festival's own productions tour the world following premieres at Town Hall Theatre and Black Box. Acclaimed for consistently delivering the best of national and international talent year-round to Galway audiences, the venue's programme proudly features the work of many performers, companies, musical societies and arts organisations (both professional and amateur) from across the city and county.
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