Jun 09 2025
Town Hall Theatre, together with the seven other Nasc Network of Regional Theatres, is currently seeking touring proposals from production companies or producers working in the performing arts (theatre, music, dance, multi-disciplinary) interested in collaborating with the Nasc Network on a tour to all the network venues in Autumn 2026 or 2027.
For more information and how to apply https://forms.gle/ATY9EtJASmZUUMrB6
Deadline: Friday 27 June, 12pm
The Nasc Network venues are:
Jun 04 2025
Are you aged between 18 and 25 and interested in getting experience in artistic programming and planning? Would you like to work with young curators in a network of theatres and arts centres across the country? The Young Curators Venue Network is seeking a panel of innovative and ambitious young people for our fifth Young Curators Programme, which will run from July 2025 to October 2026.
This is an opportunity for you to put your stamp on a programme of events for young people nationwide, and to work with venue managers and fellow curators to create an exciting programme of events across any art-form, from theatre, music and dance, to film, visual arts and everything in between!
You’ll also gain invaluable experience at the heart of the Irish arts industry and make connections with artists, promoters, theatre makers, and musicians across the country. Throughout the programme, Curators are provided with mentoring from industry professionals and guidance across a number of areas including marketing, budgeting, and time-management. You will also be offered the opportunity to attend industry events such as Galway International Arts Festival, Dublin Fringe Festival and regular meet ups with other young curators from across the network, both online and in person to share learnings and ideas.
With the support of the Arts Council, the Young Curators network of seven venues nationwide have collaborated on a young curators’ initiative since 2021.
The seven network partners are:
Town Hall Theatre, Galway
Backstage Theatre, Longford
Dunamaise Arts Centre, Portlaoise
glór, Ennis
An Grianán Theatre, Letterkenny
Lime Tree Theatre, Limerick
Siamsa Tíre, Tralee
Applicants can indicate the venue in the network that they are most interested in to work with. You do not have to have to live near or be from your preferred venue as much of the work is remote, but a specific programme interest or geographical connection is encouraged.
If interested please complete the application form here
Closing date for applications is Thursday 19 June 2025.
Please read all information before submitting.
Who should apply?
The programme is ideal for those ages 18 to 25 who would like to gain experience in working in the arts, especially those interested in venue and festival management and programming.
We welcome expressions of interest from students and recent arts graduates, and also those coming from less traditional educational backgrounds.
We encourage applications by people from a diversity of national, ethnic or cultural groups, including, but not limited to, Asian, Black, Traveller and minority ethnic, refugees, people with disabilities, neurodivergent people, socially disadvantaged and LGBTQI+.
The Curator will ideally:
Be passionate about the arts and attending live performance
Have an ambition to continue working in the arts
Have an interest in programming and presenting work from concept to performance
Have good organisational, budgeting, communication and time-management skills
Have an interest in & experience of digital and social media
Enjoy working in a fast-paced environment as part of a small team
Practicalities:
The Young Curator Programme will run from July 25 to October 26, allowing the Curators time for training, research and development in 2024, before programming and confirming their festival programme in Autumn 2026.
The project will require a part-time commitment to undertake the programme brief – estimated at approx. 6-8 hours per week.
Attendance at mentoring sessions and meet-ups, as well as 2 or 3 days of attendance at network events/field trips will be required.
The time commitment may not be consistent through the year and some periods, such as the lead up to programme launch, may be considerably busier than others.
Development of the programme may be undertaken remotely, but Young Curators will be required to communicate regularly via email and zoom communication.
Curators will be required to attend the events they have programmed.
Curators will be linked with the Young Curator mentor and other curators across the network to develop their programme and will work closely with the venue team to develop and promote the festival.
Curators may be studying arts at third level, but this is not a requirement.
A fee will be paid to the Curators for their participation.
Agreed expenses will be paid including travel to network events and theatre tickets.
The Curators will be allocated a programme budget to manage.
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.
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