Draíocht celebrates 25 years in operation

Draíocht Theatre in Blanchardstown celebrated 25 years in operation in the presence of some special guests.

Mayor of Fingal County Council Tony Murphy and President of Ireland, Catherine Connolly, were in attendance for a performance of Without Distinction of Sex.

The play, written and directed by Veronica Coburn and in collaboration with composer Sinéad Diskin and dance artist Sibéal Davitt, examines the violent legacy of Article 41 and the Irish state’s control of women’s bodies, identities and freedoms. 

This provocative new work blends spoken text, choral song, dance by sean nós and contemporary dancer Sibéal Davitt, an original score/sound design by Sinéad Diskin and the voice of a powerful virtual chorus of 41 women, Coburn created a theatrical reckoning with gender, power and the unfinished fight for equality.

Councillor Murphy said, “Draíocht is well named; the Irish word for magic.”

“The alchemy that brought together the vision of a group of local people, an Arts Officer, Rory O’Byrne, in the newly formed and forward-thinking Fingal County Council with the determination of the first Minister of Arts, Michael D. Higgins, to develop arts infrastructure and so increase arts access, was indeed magic.”

The Fingal Mayor said, “Draíocht has surpassed anything that we could have imagined. Its list of achievements is many. Its list of awards, too many to mention. Its vision to deliver ambitious, artistically driven, large-scale projects that have a deep resonance for the public, has become a hallmark of what they do.”

“I would like to express my deep appreciation to the Draíocht team and to its Boards of Directors for their work over the last 25 years. It is an arts centre, that I know, all of us in Fingal are so proud of.”

Emer McGowan, Director at  Draíocht, said “over our 25 years we have facilitated 218 exhibitions in our Galleries, 5,000 performances in our theatre spaces, welcoming 1 million plus people across all of our programmes.”

“We’ve supported the practice of hundreds of artists, and have engaged with thousands of Dublin 15 children and young people. We all know how important numbers are. But behind every number there are small, and sometimes big, moments.”

McGowan said, “each project, workshop, performance, each hello at the box office is a beginning. A way into moments of connection, of self-realisation, of recognition. Moments that are memorable and meaningful; joyful moments, laugh-out-loud moments and ones that have long-lasting impact.”

“To the communities of Dublin 15 and beyond, who have come in the hundreds of thousands to enjoy shows, thank you. We are and will continue to be a cultural space where artists, children, families and communities are invited not simply to visit, but to contribute, imagine and belong,” McGowan said.