Exciting summer residencies at An Tain
An Táin Arts Centre is set to be a hive of activity this summer as four residencies get underway. The easing of lockdown restrictions means that the arts centre is looking forward to resuming its role in supporting the arts in Dundalk and presenting an exciting programme to engage with the local community.
‘We normally have two residencies during the year -a theatre company in residency, with Encore Theatre being our company in residency for 2019/2020, although they are on a prolonged break due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and a visual artist during the summer,’ explains Director and CEO Paul Hayes.
‘We had already made plans for the artist in residence before the lockdown, so Etaoine O’Reilly, a modern ceramacist, was due to come into a studio for July, August and September, and we’re happy that can go ahead as planned.’
He notes that as the phases for easing the lockdown were announced ‘July 1st became a really important date as it’s when we can have people in the building again, although sadly Sandy Sneedon and Encore Theatre won’t be able to come back for a while.’
‘We have this really big building and we are not going to be able to use it for large public gatherings or groups for people for a while so we decided to use it and offer more residencies to people who can work away in different spaces.’
This means that An Táin have been able to offer residencies to a writer, a soundscape artist and a dancer, who will all spend the summer working on various projects in the arts centre.
Dundalk writer Conor McGinnity answered An Táin’s callout for submissions for offsite projects in March, ‘He sent some scripts which I really liked and I will be working closely on him as dramaturg,’ says Paul. This is a role which Paul has fulfilled on numerous occasions, helping writers to develop their scripts to the point that they are ready for production.
Conor is an award-winning radio producer, who is currently working on various Broadcasting Authority of Ireland funded projects for regional and national broadcasters. He has had work broadcast on Today FM and LMFM and his documentary ‘My Father’s Depression’, which was broadcast on RTE, won several awards.
Dylan Connolly is a soundscape artist who is known for his ambient sounds. Originally from England he has been living in Dundalk with his wife and family for a number of years and is looking forward to setting up his electronic equipment and experimenting with new sounds.
Fiona Keenan O’Brien, who is familiar to local audiences through her work with Quintessence Theatre Company, is a trained dancer. She will be using her residency to work on her own practice.
Etaoin O’Reilly graduated from the National College of Art and Design (NCAD) in 2014, winning the overall Student Future Makers Award for her degree show work, ‘ The Buggaplants’, which enabled her to travel to London where she interned for Kate Malone. She has previously completed residencies in NCAD, Limerick School of Art and Design, and has worked in London and in the National Sculpture Factory, Cork. At the end of her residency, she will exhibit work in The Basement Gallery.
Paul says that the team at An Táin are very excited about welcoming people back into the arts centre, with the first exhibition opening in The Basement on July 24. It will feature Els Borghart’s ‘Drawing A Day’ work which she completed while doing an Táin’s Instagram takeover.
The annual outdoor theatre production at Anaverna is set to take place in August, with this year’s offering being Beauty and The Beast.
They are keeping a close eye on the lifting of restrictions to see what other events they can programme with Paul hoping that the film club, for example, can resume in September, moving to the main auditorium so that social distancing can be observed. As they say, watch this space!