Family Theatre (2024 - 2027)
- Project Type
- Theatre
- Title
- Family Theatre (2024 - 2027)
- Release Date
- 2024
- Irish Partner
- Gaiety School of Acting , Dublin
- Co-Partners
- Lead partner: AIDA, Italy
- Dubrovnik Summer Festival, Croatia
- Insite Drama, Hungary
- Funding Strand
- Cooperation Projects (Small)
- Year Funded
- 2024
- Funding Amount
- €200,000
In October 2024, the Family Theatre project was launched to explore and develop the potential of family theatre in a European context, addressing critical challenges that have emerged in the post-pandemic era, such as educational and cultural poverty, with a particular focus on younger generations.
Through the creation and testing of an innovative theatrical format dedicated to families, the project aims to promote social inclusion, intergenerational dialogue, and educational and cultural development. Theatre is conceived as a transformative tool, capable of engaging parents, children, and grandparents in high-quality artistic experiences that inspire reflection, learning, and family cohesion.
Innovation, sustainability, and inclusivity are the pillars of the project. Emphasis is placed on cross-cutting themes such as gender balance, cultural diversity, and environmental sustainability, integrating them into the theatrical format and production activities.
The creation of a European network of family theatre professionals and the drafting of a manifesto to promote the format at an institutional level are integral parts of the strategy for disseminating and enhancing the project’s outcomes.
‘GSA is delighted to be part of the Family Theatre project. The research element of this project is hugely beneficial not just to the GSA but to the wider arts community in Ireland. We have talked to Theatre makers all over Ireland and the depth the quality of work really shines through. We are delighted to be able to showcase Irish companies and productions to a wider European Network. As a training school we have found that Creative Europe is a great way to keep to the forefront of research and create really meaningful collaborations with our European neighbours. All our learnings filter down to the next generation of Theatre Makers. The next stage of this project is really exciting as we will create a working toolkit for theatre makers that gives guidance on how to create productions that connect to the whole family.’ Gaiety School of Acting
Irish Partner
The Gaiety School of Acting – The National Theatre School of Ireland – provides training in the dramatic arts up to the highest level, empowering people of all ages and stages, cultures and backgrounds, to lift their horizons, discover their artistry, and go beyond what they thought was possible. The School, was founded in 1986 by the internationally renowned theatre director Joe Dowling, trains actors for careers in stage, screen and audio and its Professional Actor Training programme is the longest running course of its type in Ireland.