Breaking Barriers Youth Theatre Group Awarded Development Funding

Crann’s Breaking Barriers Theatre group is delighted to receive €8500 from Youth Theatre Ireland, through financial support from the Creative Ireland programme, towards the growth and development of the group in 2023. The Breaking Barriers Youth Theatre Group are in the process of being formally affiliated with Youth Theatre Ireland and will join a network of almost 60 youth theatres nationwide.

Crann is a pioneering Irish charity located in Cork, which provides life-long, life-changing solutions for children, adults and families living with neuro-physical disabilities including Spina Bifida, Hydrocephalus, Cerebral Palsy, Muscular Dystrophy, Osteogenesis Imperfecta, Arthrogryposis, Spinal Muscular Atrophy, Spinal Cord Injury, Stroke and Multiple Sclerosis. Crann has been running Breaking Barriers since 2018 as a fun, collaborative theatre group that supports children, teenagers and adults with neuro-physical disabilities to develop their confidence and communication skills through drama. Over the past 5 years almost 120 children, teenagers and adults with neuro-physical disability have had the chance of equal inclusion in the arts through participation in Breaking Barriers.

Speaking about the development of a youth theatre in the Crann Centre, Alan King, Deputy Director of Youth Theatre Ireland said “Youth Theatre Ireland’s mission is to empower young people through youth theatre and to provide access to youth theatre to every young person in Ireland. With thanks to the support of the Creative Ireland programme, we have been able to invest significant funds to support the development of a youth theatre in the Crann Centre. Not only will this financial investment make a significant impact on the members of the group, providing an enriching creative space for members to explore and grow as artists and people, it will help Youth theatre Ireland improve equality of access to youth theatre for more young people and ultimately move us closer to achieving our mission.”

The success and future of Crann’s Breaking Barriers Theatre Group can only be made possible through generous support like this. Colette Cahill, Head of Services at Crann explains; “We don’t receive state funding, so with this vital backing, we can help children, young people and families find their best way forward. Breaking Barriers ensures the basic right for its members to equal inclusion in the arts. It offers each member an opportunity to perform in a public theatre space, often for the first time, with professional lighting, stage, set, and sound that considers the group’s diverse needs. Our 2023 programme has three groups - children, youth and adults - culminating in our biggest show to date in the Stack Theatre back in early March. We are so grateful to Youth Theatre Ireland and extremely excited about the partnership ahead.”