CALL OUT – Artist Mentorship Programme with Anna Newell

CALL OUT – An opportunity for four professional artists (theatremakers, musicians, composers, dancers, visual artists etc) based in Limerick

Artist Mentorship Programme with Anna Newell, one of Ireland’s leading theatre makers for young audiences.

Anna Newell creates high quality arts experiences, specifically for babies, early years and children with complex and profound needs. Anna will draw on her vast experience as a theatre maker to deliver an artistic mentorship programme that allows four professional artists from a range of disciplines and based in Limerick an opportunity to learn from an expert in sensory theatre. The artists will develop key creative skills during the project that will enhance their current artistic practice to enable each artist to work with children in their everyday setting within St Gabriel’s school and similar environments in the future.

Please read all information before submitting.

Project time-line: 

• Sept/Oct 2024: Classroom Observation

Our four participating artists will spend one day observing children in their classroom environment

• Oct 2024: Artist Development Workshop

Our four participating artists will complete a one day development workshop facilitated by Anna Newell, exploring process, methodology and approaches to creating work for children with complex and profound needs.

• Nov 2024: Reflection

Artists will complete a reflection workshop day, drawing on their experiences of observing children in the classroom environment and observing Anna’s work. This will be completed prior to a three day intensive residency in November 2024.

• Nov 2024: Intensive Three day Residency at St. Gabriel’s.

Artists will complete a three day residency engaging the children and the staff in the classroom setting.

Our Objectives for our Child participants:

The children at St. Gabriel’s Special School will have the opportunity to participate in multiple excellent arts experiences under the guidance of Anna Newell and her four participating artists. This will take the form of several workshops and the intensive residency. The child’s voice will be at the centre of this creative process, observation in the classroom will allow Anna and the four artists to respond in real time to the suggestions by the children. This may be communicated through ‘free play”, storytelling, drama games and exercises, music, song, percussion, gentle slow movements accompanied by sensory lights which all encourage eye contact and engagement. This will then inform how the team work together in the classroom over the course of the residency.

Our Objectives for our Participating Artists:

Our objective is to deliver an artistic mentorship programme that allows four professional artists based in Limerick and the mid-west region an opportunity to learn from an expert in this specialised area.

Engaging in the arts has numerous benefits for children: greater self-esteem, confidence, socialisation, analytical skills, problem solving, concentration, collaboration and critical thinking. Most of all, we believe that they have a fundamental human right to beauty. Our project provides a positive and uplifting element to these children’s lives and bridges the gap between those who have regular access to the arts and those who don’t.

This project will have a long-lasting impact to the artists involved. It is a game-changing opportunity for artists to expand upon their practice and to explore how they can adapt their skills. As much as Anna will ‘train’ the artists, the participating children will be the real trainers. The work is collaborative and is informed by what creativity comes out of the classroom.

Artists will be remunerated for their participation in this programme.

How to apply:

Please email AIR@limetreetheatre.ie with a one page CV and headshot. In addition please attach a short one minute video (it can be recorded on your phone but must not be longer than one minute) describing why you would be interested in this project.

Closing date for applications is Friday 30th August 2024