Our vision is to provide a learning experience that is immersive, practical and creative, producing theatre artists who are self-directed and responsible, who can express themselves through their craft and who value collaboration.
In acting, students are introduced to range of vocal and physical skills and acting techniques for characterisation and regularly showcase their work. In theatre design, students develop skills in designing for performance, visual research, costume design, lighting design, model-making and building imaginative worlds and stories.
Both acting and design students have opportunities to collaborate with professional practitioners, including directors, writers, scenic artists, filmmakers, light and sound designers.
Our programme has a relationship unique in Ireland with the national theatre, The Abbey, through the Yeats Bursary, leading to workshops, consultations, placements, and working with Abbey directors.
Blue Raincoat Theatre Company and The Hawkswell in Sligo further enrich students’ learning experience. Our programme has added ballast from working with local artists, practitioners and community groups, basing us solidly in Sligo.
Sligo is central to our vision for this course. Seamus Heaney spoke about the significance of place in the imaginative experience, “that nourishment that comes from belonging to or knowing a place.” The landscape and stories connected toSligo have shaped the spatial and poetic exploration of place encouraged in this programme. Landscapes, ruins, dolmens, passage tombs, and sites connected toIrish mythology and folklore have been used for performance, design, filmmaking and storytelling.
We read, imagine, design, make, reimagine, adapt, perform, and create stories in every module. Be it voice, body, movement, performance, space, words we are making narratives.
Here is a link to our 2021 Annual Yeats project, Calvary, for final year actors on the BA Hons Performing Arts programme, this year rehearsed and recorded entirely through zoom. The project was taught and led by Declan Drohan and Marketa Formanova. Footage was edited and assembled by Rachel Wakefeld. Choreography and movement Marketa Formanova, directed by Declan Drohan.
Recent Projects
