
Waterford Gathering Programme
Programme at a glance…
Day 1 Tuesday 30 May – Theatre Royal (TR)
11:00 Green Arts Forum TR Large Room
12:30 Registration and Lunch TR Box Office & Vestibule
14:00 Session: Provocations & Conversations TR Auditorium
17:45 Welcome Reception TR Vestibule
18:15 Artistic Programme Leaving from TR
19:15 Dinner Bishop’s Palace Café
Day 2 Wednesday 31 May – Garter Lane (GL)
09:30 Blaa Blaa Blaa Walk Leaving from outside TR
10:30 Out of the Ordinary/As an nGách VR opera GL Auditorium
Out of the Ordinary/As an nGnách, Irish National Opera’s VR Opera. Hear from Creative Futures Academy
10:50 Let’s talk about…
Production as Gaeilge GL Rehearsal Room
OR
Marketing and data driven decision-making GL Auditorium
OR
Trip to Spraoi Studios
Gather in GL courtyard
12:00 Open mic GL Auditorium
12:20 New Production Models GL Auditorium
13:30 Lunch GL courtyard
A bit more info…
Day 1 Tuesday 30 May at the Theatre Royal
Green Arts Forum
11:00 – 13:00 Large Room, City Hall
Hear all about the Green Arts Initiative in Ireland (GAII) projects, Greening Venues and Greener Touring, and their relevance to theatres, arts centres, and production companies as well as the latest on the Theatre Green Book. Speakers include: Mary Boland, Lisa Burger, Paddy Dillon, Catríona Fallon, Nicholas Kavanagh, Martin Lindinger, Niall Gomes O’Connell, Mike O’Halloran, Eva Scanlan.
Registration & Lunch
From 12:30 Box Office & Vestibule.
Note:12:30 – 13:00 Theatre for Young Audiences Ireland (TYAI) coffee and info session in the Theatre Royal bar – open to all.
13:15 – 13:55 Marketing, comms, and coffee mingle with Ticketsolve in Theatre Royal bar.
Session: Provocations and Conversations
Curated by Ruth McGowan
Programme Note:
Theatre Forum’s Big Gathering offers us a valuable opportunity to zoom out. To talk to each other about why we do what we do so passionately week-in, week-out. To remember the philosophy that informs how we do it. To figure out what’s urgent, what’s important and what’s next for us.
When Theatre Forum invited me to put together this afternoon of conversation and provocation, I started by thinking about the end. I wrote a list of four things I wanted everyone to take away with them on the journey home after this event.
- Good questions
- Hope
- A practical action to take as soon as you get back to the desk
- A funny story
The artists and ideas in this afternoon’s packed programme will endeavour to give you all of the above. They’ll talk about defying expectation, about letting the needs of your community lead the way, and about letting go of structures that no longer serve how we want to work now.
We are at our strongest in community, so let’s make this a brave space where we can consider the uncomfortable questions that we don’t yet have the answers for. There is power in looking at our challenges together, through the various new lenses provided by our guest contributors. The goal is that their provocations open up conversations in your place of work, and embolden us all with the certainty that change is possible, essential, and exciting.
Something many of our speakers have in common is that the game-changing projects they will talk about were made possible by a sustained commitment to ideas, to first principles. There was no deus ex machina, no surprise cheque from a billionaire, no lone genius appearing with a fully formed masterwork. They are just dedicated theatre people, like you, who decided to risk the new, disrupt the normal way of things and stick it out until it worked.
They are all here because I find hope and inspiration in their stories. Inspiration isn’t a fuzzy-feeling, ‘nice to have’ – it has a very practical application in our business. Hope is a form of planning (Gloria Steinem’s words, not mine) – we won’t do our best work, or enable the best work of artists without actively cultivating it.
Inspiration is vital, but I’m also a big fan of action. So, I hope you come away from today with a short to-do list of your own – send the email, make the thing, press go, say no, try something new.
And as for the funny story, well, who doesn’t want a funny story to bring back from the work thing they went to in Waterford?
– Ruth McGowan
14:00 Opening address, by Arts Council Director, Maureen Kennelly
Part 1: Provocations
14:15 – 15:00 What type of ancestor would you like to be?
Keynote by anti-disciplinary artist and sustainable innovation expert Adah Parris, followed by a Q &A hosted by writer/ director Maeve Stone on how our everyday behaviour should be informed by understanding that we are creating legacies through our actions.
15:00 – 15:45 Until Everyone Has Crayons, No One Gets Opera.
Alan Lane, Artistic Director of Slung Low reads from his book The Club on the Edge Of Town followed by an interview with Oonagh Murphy, Director of Cultural Philanthropy Foundation about the real life theatre events that inspired his memoir and the cost of trying to do good in a divided world.
Some members of our community are immunocompromised and are safer in crowded spaces when everyone is masked. We have masks available in the room. We’d appreciate if you could wear a mask for the next provocation session in solidarity, and so that everyone is as comfortable as possible.
15:45 – 16:00 Good Question!
Róisín Stack
Can Boggers Be Radical? And other questions about contemporary theatre beyond the Pale
Trudie Gorman
Dreaming an Accessible Future: How can arts spaces be made more accessible and radically inclusive?
Shauna Harris
What does an Irish actor look like?
16:00 Short coffee break
Part 2: Conversation
16:15 – 16:55 Big Talks
Two facilitated discussions about fresh approaches to connecting shows with their audience
- Social Media & Influencer Marketing: Unlocking Future Audiences (20mins)
Josh Bird, Digital Producer at Global Musicals and the mind behind the unstoppable viral marketing campaigns for the smash hit Six The Musical joins Claire Murray, Head of Development & Marketing for Lyric Theatre Belfast in a Q&A about dynamic brand strategy, social media & influencer marketing for theatre.
- Disrupting Criticism: Enriching the Critical Conversation (20mins)
16:55 – 17:40 Michael R Jackson & Sonya Kelly in conversation
An artist-to-artist conversation between two celebrated playwrights on creative process, queer stories on big stages and how sustained artist support facilitates work of ambition.
Playwright, composer, and lyricist Michael R. Jackson is one of Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people of 2022. His ground-breaking and beloved Pulitzer Prize and New York Drama Critics Circle winning A Strange Loop received 11 Tony nominations in 2022, and will open at The Barbican in London next month.
Sonya Kelly is a celebrated playwright and writer for film and television. Her award-winning plays have delighted audiences in Ireland and internationally from New York to Brisbane since 2012, including The Wheelchair on My Face, Furniture, Once Upon A Bridge and The Last Return.
17:45 – 18:15 Welcome Reception hosted by WC&CC
Drinks reception by Thin Gin
18:15 – 19:15 Artistic Programme curated by Lynn Cahill Various Viking Triangle locations near Theatre Royal
The Waterford Gathering Artistic Programme is set to be an artistic adventure into the historic Viking Triangle. You’ll follow young musicians from Music Generation Waterford and along the way, you’ll encounter installations from Spraoi, enjoy a dance performance by Rachel Ní Bhraonáin and a street theatre performance from Curious State, before arriving into Christ Church Cathedral for the finale: an opera recital from the Blackwater Valley Opera Festival.
Rachel Ní Bhraonáin – Dance
Rachel is an artist making multidisciplinary shows and short films from her hometown of Waterford. With storytelling at its core, her work combines dance, writing, sound and sometimes aerial, to create visually exciting and emotionally honest work. Her interdisciplinary approach comes from her varied background as a performer on stage, on screen and on the sides of buildings. Rachel is the 2022 recipient of the SEVN Bursary and will be developing a new show for 2023.
Curious State presents ‘Le pOpéra’
Le pOpéra is a one-act tragicomedy jam-packed with humour, live music, comic songs, hilarious characters with lots of surprises along the way. Le pOpéra is suitable for all the family.
Created and designed by Curious StateDirected by Nicholas KavanaghStarring Killian Browne, Laura Broderick and Cilian Jacob.Script & Lyrics by Nicholas KavanaghComposed by Killian Browne
Curious state are experts in creative intervention, taking to the stage and street with quirky theatre for all the family. reclaiming public spaces with captivating antics and laughter. curious state are an Irish-based theatre and street spectacle company.
Blackwater Valley Opera Festival
Pari siamo Rigoletto VerdiPietà, rispetto, amore Macbeth VerdiVittorio Vitelli, Baritone Vittorio was born in Italy. His repertoire includes Amonasro in Aida, Germont in La traviata, the title role in Simon Boccanegra and Rigoletto, Di Luna in Il trovatore, Renato in Un ballo in maschera, Don Carlo in La forza del destino (Verdi), Enrico in Lucia di Lammermoor (Donizetti), Marcello in La boheme, Scarpia in Tosca (Puccini), the title role in Hamlet (Thomas) and many other roles. He performs in La Scala in Milan and in the opera houses of Barcelona, Madrid, Bilbao, Berlin, Nice, Tokyo, Venice, Florence, Verona, Rome, Trieste, Turin, Palermo, Bregenz, Hamburg, Montreal and many others.
Killian Farrell, Piano
Killian Farrell, designated Generalmusikdirektor of the Staatstheater Meiningen, currently holds the position of First Kapellmeister at the Staatsoper Stuttgart, where he has conducted a wide range of repertoire from Monteverdi’s Orfeo to Prokofiev’s The Love for Three Oranges. The 2022/23 season includes performances of Rusalka, Carmen and Hänsel und Gretel, and his debut at the Semperoper Dresden with Die Zauberflöte.
Spraoi
For decades there has been no August Bank Holiday Weekend in Waterford. Locals call it ‘The Spraoi Weekend’ or simply ‘The Spraoi’. Waterford people took ownership of ‘The Spraoi’ years ago, and why not? It’s their festival, planned and made by people from here who come from all walks of life. A special energy exists when a people and place harness creativity and give it away for free. You couldn’t buy it, they wouldn’t sell it, but they’d love you to be part of it. You are warmly invited to Spraoi ’23. Book a room or mate’s sofa now!
Listed as one of Ireland’s top festivals by The Irish Times.
Music Generation Waterford
Music Generation is a national partnership programme whose mission is to create inspiring experiences for children and young people through music.
Together, we strive to transform children and young people’s lives by giving them opportunities to create, play and perform music in their own communities and on their own terms. Music Generation Waterford is managed by Waterford Music Education Partnership, led by Wexford and Waterford Education and Training Board in partnership with Waterford City and County Council.
19:15 – 21:00 Dinner
Bishop’s Palace Café
Day 2 Wednesday 31 May at Garter Lane
Departing Theatre Royal : 9:30, 9:35 and 9:45 Blaa Blaa Blaa Walk
A fascinating walk from the Theatre Royal to Garter Lane. Along the way, young guides from Waterford Youth Arts tell tales of Waterford’s past and present. See some ‘Waterford Walls’ and stop off for that all important coffee.
10:30 – 10.50 Out of the Ordinary/As an nGnách, INO’s VR Opera
Hear from James Bingham about the Irish National Opera world’s first virtual reality community opera, “Out of the Ordinary/As an nGnách,” in collaboration with communities throughout Ireland. The piece was composed by Finola Merivale with a bilingual libretto by Jody O’Neill, and directed by Jo Mangan. More information about this project. Robert Griffin of the Creative Futures Academy explores some of the technologies that make virtual reality community opera and other ground-breaking projects possible.
Experience the opera on a VR headset throughout the morning in Garter Lane’s Gallery space.
Let’s talk about …
10:50 – 11:50 Various spaces, Garter Lane and bus tour
Production Forum in partnership with Ealaín na Gaeltachta A conversation as Gaeilge with live translation to talk about theatre production with panellists Val Ballance, Arts Council; Alan Esslemont, TG4; and Muireann Kelly, Fíbín sa Taibhdhearc, chaired by Rachel Holstead.
OR
Marketing Forum and data driven decision-making
A workshop with Heather Maitland, Katy Raines and Ticketsolve to share expertise about using data to make data-driven marketing decisions and a preview of Theatre Forum’s Audience Insights project tools.
OR
Tour to Spraoi Studios
12:00 – 12:20 Open Mic
12.20 – 13:30 New production models
Jimmy Fay of Belfast’s Lyric Theatre kicks off a discussion with Sara Cregan, Rough Magic; and Louise Donlon, Lime Tree Theatre and Belltable about how artists, production companies, hubs, venues, networks and festivals are adapting their approaches and evolving production models. Hooligan Art Community Director Peter Cant talks about the kaleidoscope of dance, drama and song that is BUNKER CABARET.
13:30 – 14:30 Lunch Courtyard
Farewell lunch from Grow HQ, an award-winning café and organic garden in Waterford City, and a working model of a sustainable food system.
Important coffee information
If you’re looking for a nice flat white or latte, bring your keep cup to one of these recommended coffee shops:
Near the Theatre Royal
Bishop’s Palace Cafe
Gallweys Chocolate Cafe
Under the Clock Coffee House
Near Garter Lane
The Granary Cafe
The Stable Yard Food Hall
Useful Links
Garter Lane
GOMA
Theatre Royal
Visit Waterford
Waterford Gallery of Art
Waterford Treasures
Waterford Walls
Thank you to our funder, partners and sponsors:


