Meet the Drama Facilitation Course participants

How do you feel about doing this course?
Excited

Where you a member of a Youth Theatre? (If so, which one?)
No

Tell us about your previous experience in the arts
Various school fundraising, performance meal, participated in change the story, change the world, full circle playback theatre and narrative 4 events

What do you hope to achieve during the training?
Inspiration and ways of working to enable me to facilitate drama groups in my locality

What excites you most about taking part in the training?
New ideas, new people, new learning and fun.

What are your hopes for the future and how do you hope to apply this training in your ongoing career path?
I hope to run drama 'playshops' locally which help people to explore themselves and their relations with others and the world around them.

How do you feel about doing this course?
Really excited, I'm looking forward to learning new techniques to further my practice

Where you a member of a Youth Theatre? (If so, which one?)
Yes, Fracture in Thurles

Tell us about your previous experience in the arts
I work in Nenagh Arts Centre, Fracture and Presentation Secondary School as a drama facilitator.

What do you hope to achieve during the training?
More of a understanding of how to engage the group and ensure everyone is having fun

What excites you most about taking part in the training?
Meeting my new classmates 😊

What are your hopes for the future and how do you hope to apply this training in your ongoing career path?
I hope to leave feeling more confident in my facilitation toward my youth theatres

How do you feel about doing this course?
Excited to be learning and doing

Where you a member of a Youth Theatre? (If so, which one?)
DYT & Clondalkin YT

Tell us about your previous experience in the arts
I have been a member of Dublin YT & Clondalkin YT , and NYT . In college I ran DIT drama society. I for 5 years I played the a number of roles in the civic theatre Tallaght panto with causeway productions and for the last number of years I have been involved in Lucan Drama Group.

What do you hope to achieve during the training?
I’m hoping to gain a better understanding about the construction and application of workshops. Ideally I would like to be able to facilitate workshops for young people

What excites you most about taking part in the training?
Learning a new skill set

What are your hopes for the future and how do you hope to apply this training in your ongoing career path?
I would like to be able to facilitate for groups within communities

How do you feel about doing this course?
Excited

Where you a member of a Youth Theatre? (If so, which one?)
No

Tell us about your previous experience in the arts
No direct experience however I love the theatre.

What do you hope to achieve during the training?
The insight and skills to set up a youth theatre in Tralee.

What excites you most about taking part in the training?
The energy of the group, the sharing and exploring of ideas

What are your hopes for the future and how do you hope to apply this training in your ongoing career path?
Setting up a strong base for the establishment of a youth theatre group

How do you feel about doing this course?
Excited

Where you a member of a Youth Theatre? (If so, which one?)
No

Tell us about your previous experience in the arts
Active member of many drama groups have completed MA in Dramatherapy facilitate drama groups for adults with additional needs have devised a training course for using drama in education

What do you hope to achieve during the training?
Fill my personal toolbox with more ideas and hone my facilitation skills

What excites you most about taking part in the training?
Being actively involved in Drama workshops

What are your hopes for the future and how do you hope to apply this training in your ongoing career path?
To start a new youth theatre

How do you feel about doing this course?
Excited!

Where you a member of a Youth Theatre? (If so, which one?)
Backstage Youth Theatre

Tell us about your previous experience in the arts
I’m a piano teacher, recently trained as a Speech & Drama teacher after producing several shows for young people… volunteer/chairperson of BYT, Longford.

What do you hope to achieve during the training?
Insight into YTI, Leadership and facilitation skills. Develop a network of colleagues and friends.

What excites you most about taking part in the training?
Participating in the workshops and meeting new people!

What are your hopes for the future and how do you hope to apply this training in your ongoing career path?
Working and developing with BYT as well as within my own business in Longford.

How do you feel about doing this course?
Excited.

Where you a member of a Youth Theatre? (If so, which one?)
No

Tell us about your previous experience in the arts
I trained in Theatre Arts and worked with community drama groups.

What do you hope to achieve during the training?
Skills to be a better facilitator

What excites you most about taking part in the training?
Sharing knowledge.

What are your hopes for the future and how do you hope to apply this training in your ongoing career path?
To be more equipped when asked to facilitate workshops with different groups.

How do you feel about doing this course?
I feel excited to do the course and expand my knowledge and practice in line with Youth Theatre Ireland's ethos

Where you a member of a Youth Theatre? (If so, which one?)
Kilkenny Youth Theatre

Tell us about your previous experience in the arts
I have been acting professionally for the last 10 years. During the pandemic I began writing and directing. Following an opportunity presented by a local theatre group The Barn Owl Players, I've had my work produced both online and in front of a live audience.

What do you hope to achieve during the training?
I'd love to learn new techniques and ways to engage my groups.

What excites you most about taking part in the training?
An opportunity to meet other creatives and learn from their experiences

What are your hopes for the future and how do you hope to apply this training in your ongoing career path?
I hope to be able to provide the best experience possible for my groups. I'd like to use the learning to expand my skills and material in workshops

How do you feel about doing this course?
Delighted to be learning more about facilitating workshops for young people so I can apply it to my current artistic practice.

Where you a member of a Youth Theatre? (If so, which one?)
Cork school of music

Tell us about your previous experience in the arts
I work as an actor and writer across multiple disciplines including theatre, film, TV and radio. I'm particularly interested in creating work with and for young audiences.

What do you hope to achieve during the training?
I hope to upskill as a facilitator and gore my network of people facilitating workshops.

What excites you most about taking part in the training?
To have a space and encouraging space to ask questions.

What are your hopes for the future and how do you hope to apply this training in your ongoing career path?
I hope to have met new people who will be happy to collaborate with me on future projects and plans. I hope to use this training in my future work so I can facilitate more workshops in my work as an artist working with young people.

How do you feel about doing this course?
Really excited! A great opportunity to be creative with others who love drama/theatre. Delighted to upskill and develop facilitation skills to bring back to the young people I work with in and around Mullingar.

Where you a member of a Youth Theatre? (If so, which one?)
No

Tell us about your previous experience in the arts
I trained in England before moving to Ireland in 2000. I have taught in local Speech and Drama schools and Stage Schools since then. I run Across the Boards, the resident performing arts group in Mullingar Arts Centre for children, young people and adults with additional needs.

What do you hope to achieve during the training?
A sense of belonging. Upskilling. Laughter.

What excites you most about taking part in the training?
Chance to upskill and the opportunity to bring learning back to others.

What are your hopes for the future and how do you hope to apply this training in your ongoing career path?
As above. Developing youth theatre in Mullingar

How do you feel about doing this course?
Excited

Where you a member of a Youth Theatre? (If so, which one?)
No

Tell us about your previous experience in the arts
Irish language drama production

What do you hope to achieve during the training?
Learn new techniques and be confident

What excites you most about taking part in the training?
Meet new people with the same interests

What are your hopes for the future and how do you hope to apply this training in your ongoing career path?
Continue working with drama through Irish

How do you feel about doing this course?
Looking forward to it

Where you a member of a Youth Theatre? (If so, which one?)
No

Tell us about your previous experience in the arts
I work as a youth worker which involves drama production through Irish language and as a visual artist (oil painter)

What do you hope to achieve during the training?
Skills in facilitation, become more knowledgeable on drama facilitation, and build contacts within the sector.

What excites you most about taking part in the training?
Learning and completely outside my comfort zone so a new challenge

What are your hopes for the future and how do you hope to apply this training in your ongoing career path?
Apply it to my work both as youth worker and as a visual artist

How do you feel about doing this course?
I am really excited about participating in this course and broadening my knowledge in this field! I am also slightly nervous as I know I will be pushed out of my comfort zone, but am willing to overcome this!

Where you a member of a Youth Theatre? (If so, which one?)
Spotlight Youth Theatre

Tell us about your previous experience in the arts
My background is mainly in the area of musicals. I spent my childhood attending the Spotlight Youth Theatre, where I engaged with different drama activities and games, and performed in shows. As I got older I moved into performing with my local musical society.

What do you hope to achieve during the training?
I hope to broaden my knowledge and skill set in this area that I can use in Youth Theatres and in the classroom. I also hope to become more confident!

What excites you most about taking part in the training?
I am most excited about getting to meet like-minded people and to hear their ideas and perspectives on what we will be discussing throughout the course!

What are your hopes for the future and how do you hope to apply this training in your ongoing career path?
I hope to become more involved in the Youth Theatres in my local area, and to bring my knowledge into the classroom!

How do you feel about doing this course?
I’m extremely excited to be doing this course. I’m so delighted that my love of drama can now be developed through this course and that it will give me a qualification to facilitate drama workshops. I’m really looking forward to the experience of doing the workshops in the course as well as the connections we’re all going to make by doing this course!

Where you a member of a Youth Theatre? (If so, which one?)
Duisigh Youth Theatre (no longer running) Free Radicals (no longer running)

Tell us about your previous experience in the arts
I was in Youth Theatre from age 12 - 17 and from there I went on to get a BA in Theatre and Drama from MTU Cork School of music.

What do you hope to achieve during the training?
I hope to achieve the tools to confidently facilitate drama workshops and from there I hope to build a career for myself by facilitating drama workshops

What excites you most about taking part in the training?
The in person drama workshops! I’m excited to have fun and be learning at the same time

What are your hopes for the future and how do you hope to apply this training in your ongoing career path?
I hope to develop a career as a drama workshop facilitator, preferably working with teenagers.

How do you feel about doing this course?
Enthusiastic

Where you a member of a Youth Theatre? (If so, which one?)
Castletownbere

Tell us about your previous experience in the arts
Involved since school days(1980s). I enjoy performance. Now I enjoy giving back to the youth as facilitator. I have taken exams with LAMDA & LCM up to associateship.

What do you hope to achieve during the training?
Ideas , meeting like minds

What excites you most about taking part in the training?
Focus on the creativity. Social aspect of meeting others.

What are your hopes for the future and how do you hope to apply this training in your ongoing career path?
Continued creativity & fun. I will apply locally with Castletownbere young people.

How do you feel about doing this course?
Very excited to be a student again! From the first session it has felt like the right course for me and I am getting great ideas already to use with the groups I teach

Where you a member of a Youth Theatre? (If so, which one?)
No

Tell us about your previous experience in the arts
I am a trained actor and I have been working professionally as such in Ireland for the last 18 years. In parallel to that since the year 2001 I have been teaching workshops all over the country of various theatrical techniques. Since 2010 I run my own theatre company Cyclone Rep that specialises on theatrical productions of Shakespeare’s works for secondary school students.

What do you hope to achieve during the training?
Learn new ways to inform my drama teaching and my theatre productions for young people

What excites you most about taking part in the training?
Analysing exercises and seeing how other people does so as well. Coming with new tools for my teaching kit

What are your hopes for the future and how do you hope to apply this training in your ongoing career path?
I am constantly teaching young people so I am going to use as much as I can straightaway

How do you feel about doing this course?
Excited, I'm looking forward to learning loads from the Barry and Dave and all my fellow participants.

Where you a member of a Youth Theatre? (If so, which one?)
I was in The Hague in The Netherlands

Tell us about your previous experience in the arts
I had drama classes growing up and worked sometimes as an actor then. Eight years ago I started acting classes for myself again and this is when I decided to link my BA in International Relations and Conflict with drama and theatre, so I did the Masters Drama in Education to study drama and theatre in peace initiatives.

What do you hope to achieve during the training?
Learning from other people's experiences to be better on my feet

What excites you most about taking part in the training?
The amount of collective knowledge

What are your hopes for the future and how do you hope to apply this training in your ongoing career path?
To be able to use insights for theatre for social change and instil confidence in young people

How do you feel about doing this course?
I am really looking forward to starting this course, and am excited to start

Where you a member of a Youth Theatre? (If so, which one?)
Yes, I was a member of Sligo Youth Theatre

Tell us about your previous experience in the arts
I've grown up with Youth Theatre, throughout all of my teenage years and played a big part in my life growing up.

What do you hope to achieve during the training?
I want to improve and built off of the current knowledge and experience that I have

What excites you most about taking part in the training?
Meeting others with the same interests and community of YTI

What are your hopes for the future and how do you hope to apply this training in your ongoing career path?
I'd like to improve my skills as a youth theatre facilitator

How do you feel about doing this course?
I feel excited and very optimistic and positive about what this course has to offer!

Where you a member of a Youth Theatre? (If so, which one?)
Spotlight youth theatre, Funhouse youth theatre

Tell us about your previous experience in the arts
I started drama at age 6, and went onto the adult musical societies age 14. I started working alongside my drama teacher at age 16 and to this day teach alongside her at Spotlight youth theatre. I am a member of both pic players play group (local group in Clara) and Funhouse youth theatres adult play group (Tullamore). I have taken part in a foreign group project where we met a group of people from Finland and organized an exchange where our group pic players went to Finland for 5 days to learn their way of things and likewise they came to Ireland and was introduced to our way of the arts! I’ve done choreography for fundraisers also for my local community.

What do you hope to achieve during the training?
The confidence and skills to bring forward in the future for teaching aspects of all things arts and theatre! Also to learn skills on how to plan and perfect workshops etc for future plans

What excites you most about taking part in the training?
Meeting people who share the same love for the arts as I do, learning all new skills for both everyday life and work life, and just having fun

What are your hopes for the future and how do you hope to apply this training in your ongoing career path?
End goal is to teach youth theatre and hold workshops to help the youth gain confidence in the best way possible and offer a safe space

How do you feel about doing this course?
I am excited to start working with the youth theatre Ireland team and learn from their expertise. I am looking forward to meeting like-minded people to work with and learn from.

Where you a member of a Youth Theatre? (If so, which one?)
Belmullet youth theatre

Tell us about your previous experience in the arts
I qualified with a HND in musical theatre and professional dance in 2020. I completed a diploma in group and community music education in 2021. I currently work in an arts centre co-ordinating arts events, classes, workshops, shows etc. I have worked with Fibin theatre company on shows such as Dracula which was performed in Dublin castle, and the children of lir. I performed in shows in the UK such as You’re a good man Charlie Brown and a Christmas wish.

What do you hope to achieve during the training?
I hope to learn how to create a sustainable youth theatre for my area.

What excites you most about taking part in the training?
Working with like-minded people, making new connections and learning how to guide young people on a journey through youth theatre

What are your hopes for the future and how do you hope to apply this training in your ongoing career path?
I hope to apply this training to create a sustainable youth theatre in Belmullet.