Lecture One - Marc MacLochlainn

Our first lecture of the spring season is on Monday, March 24th at 7pm.

The lecture takes place in T1.16 in the Tara Building in MIC, Limerick. It is free and open to the public. It promises to be an excellent starting point for the lectures, especially for those working in theatre or with young people. The abstract for Marc's talk is below!

Theatre for young audiences in Ireland:

The work of Branar - 

The international context of Irish work for children.

There are 1 million Irish citizen under 25. In 2008 saw the highest birth rate on record since the famine. These young citizens deserve access to quality theatre that is made for them. Theatre for young audiences in Ireland is and has always been the poor relation in Irish theatre. The view of work for children within the wider theatre fraternity has been at times a patronising one. The funding disparities between theatre for adults and theatre for children is an ever widening gap. In recent years due in no small part to the growth of children's arts festivals, Irish theatre artists have been exposed to high calibre European work dedicated to children. There have been a small number of Irish companies, Branar among them, who have been invited to present work at international festivals.  I will attempt to chart the growth and evolution of Irish children's theatre. The internationalisation of Irish companies and the how the footloose nature of children's theatre has allowed it to prosper where theatre for adults has floundered.

Marc is the Artistic Director of Branar

 Branar Téatar do Pháistí is Ireland’s leading theatre company for young audiences. The company has consistently developed and produced high quality theatre performances, touring nationally and internationally. It creates work that is not language dependent and captivates both young and old. Their body of work is imaginative, stimulating and entertaining while serving as a catalyst for education, thus making it an excellent choice for the residency at Mary Immaculate College.