Theatre for all: Sligo-Leitrim disability arts initiative awarded over €130,000
€134,480 has been awarded to Shine Drama, Music and Drama Co., based at the Hawk’s Well Theatre in Sligo, which hosts weekly immersive drama workshops for a group of young people with intellectual disabilities.
Over €130,000 has been awarded to Shine Drama, Music and Drama Co., based at the Hawk’s Well Theatre in Sligo.
The theatre partnered with Sligo-Leitrim Community Inclusion Training Services, the National Learning Network, This Ability, and Down Syndrome Sligo to launch the programme, which offers immersive drama workshops for young adults with intellectual disabilities. It also includes training for local artists to work in inclusive performance settings.
The programme began in January 2023 and features weekly drama workshops aimed at increasing accessibility and participation in theatre for people with intellectual disabilities.
Sligo-Leitrim TD Frank Feighan welcomed the announcement for Hawk’s Well Theatre.
“I am delighted to see such a generous allocation of funding to Shine who have a pro-active engagement with community groups and support services which has in turn shaped the programme.
“I would like to thank those who took the time to put together an excellent application to ensure the successful funding was secured,” concluded Deputy Feighan.
The €134,480 in funding for Shine is part of a nationwide initiative in which 22 projects will receive a combined €2.8 million under the latest round of the Disability Participation and Awareness Fund.
A call for applications was issued in September 2024, and after a robust selection process, 22 organisations were awarded grants of up to approximately €200,000.
The announcement was made on June 18 by Minister for Children, Disability and Equality Norma Foley and Minister of State with responsibility for Disability Hildegarde Naughton.
Grants are being provided for projects that support people with disabilities in participating in community, sport and physical activities, arts and culture, social enterprise, and neurodiversity initiatives.
Among the funded projects are canoeing clubs tailored for people with disabilities, audio theatre workshops, disability arts festivals, and DIY wheelchair repair programmes. Additional supports include employment skills courses and stroke rehabilitation programmes.