Belonging: Three-Day Creative Arts Workshop

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Artists

Mary Moynihan, award-winning author of novels, poetry, films and plays, and a creator of art and photography

Full Event Details

Enjoy a three-day Creative Arts Workshop to meet with other women; to explore themes of nature, belonging and a shared European identity and to take part in an open ‘Poetry Day’ at the Smashing Times Visual Art Gallery to celebrate Poetry Day Ireland. The workshop runs on Tuesday 26 May, 9.30-12.30, Wednesday 27 May 11-2pm and Thursday 28 May 11-2pm (3 hours per day), with the third day presented as an Open Poetry Session and Artist talk titled Belonging and open to the public. 

Guided by methods and artworks on display from Smashing Times International Centre for the Arts and Equality, Dublin, Ireland and Théâtre & Réconciliation, Brussels, Belgium, participants share reflections on identity, migration and belonging, engage in poetical expression in celebration of Poetry Day Ireland, and create a space for shared experiences and diverse voices to connect. On days one and two, the workshop involves drama games and exercises, discussion and chat. Wear practical clothing for active participation. No experience necessary.  On the third and final day, we present Belonging, an open session of poetry readings and artist talk by Mary Moynihan, for the Poetry Day Ireland celebrations.   Workshop participants attend the open poetry event and can become involved as a ‘Welcome Guide’ inviting people into the space or can read a poem (to be confirmed as part of the workshop process) or simply attend and enjoy the celebrations. See further details on the public event below.

As part of the workshop participants have the opportunity to meet with international theatre and arts practitioner Frédérique Lecomte, founder, CEO and artistic director of Théâtre et Réconciliation located in Brussels, Belgium. Frédérique is an award-winning internationally recognised artist and creator who has developed her own theatrical techniques for over 40 years. She has worked with vulnerable populations both in conflict zones (the Great Lakes region of Africa) and in Belgium. Her Théâtre et Réconciliation method, named after the theatre company, she founded, brings together creative and methodological tools for developing theatrical productions quickly, enabling her to achieve results in a short space of time, thanks in particular to her unique technique of live staging. For her work, she received the 2018 Woman of Peace Award in Belgium. Frédérique Lecomte has given numerous training courses, masterclasses and lectures at universities across Europe and around the world.

The three-day workshop is facilitated by artist Mary Moynihan, a writer, poet and creator of art and photography. Mary is a professional artist and Artistic Director of Smashing Times International Centre for the Arts and Equality and Artistic Curator for the annual international Irish Arts and Human Rights festival.

Presented as part of the European project WE AREurope, exploring shared European values of human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, diversity, human rights, gender equality, and peace.

Speaker Biographies:

Mary Moynihan, MA, she/her, is an award-winning author of novels, poetry, films and plays, and a creator of art and photography. Mary is from Dublin, Ireland. Mary embarked upon her award-winning career as a writer in theatre and film and has garnered much acclaim for her plays, poetry and short film scripts, and for creating interdisciplinary artworks combining writing and photography presented in galleries and online. She established and became Artistic Director of Smashing Times International Centre for the Arts and Equality and is Artistic Curator for the annual Dublin Arts and Human Rights festival. Mary has an honours BA in Drama and Theatre Studies from Trinity College Dublin and an honours Masters in Film Production from TU Dublin.

After raising four children, now adults, Mary dedicated her time to writing and creating art and photography. She writes fiction for young people and adults featuring stories of courage, laughter, tragedy, happiness, love, death and action-packed adventures. Mary is the author of a young adult fantasy novel Amergin and the Warriors of Zen. In her adult fiction, Mary’s characters are clever, fearless, vulnerable, crazy, strong, and dangerous, looking for love, fun, success and happiness. Her work promises enthralling plots, dramatic lives, lots of laughs, serious flirting and sexual intrigue and insights into love, happiness, creativity and meaning in life.

Mary pens a series of articles titled Creative Reflections on Arts, Creativity, Leadership and Self-Esteem which appear in the Smashing Times International Centre for the Arts and Equality newsletter and on Mary’s website marymoynihan.ie

Mary is an interdisciplinary artist and  regularly creates artworks that fuse photographic imagery, poetical texts and film, many of which are inspired by landscapes and seascapes especially of the seas and oceans around Ireland. In her free time Mary loves to spend time with her four adult children and hang out with friends.  She swims in the sea all year round. She loves the ocean, sky and moon and has a spiritual connection to the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea, to the environs of Dublin bay and to the mystical landscapes of Valentia Island and the surrounding Iveragh peninsula in County Kerry, her spiritual home. She is a big fan of the Dublin Gaelic football and hurling teams.

 

WE AREurope: Theatre, Identity and European Values

The WE AREurope – Women Empowering, Allying, and Reinventing Europe on Stage project – funded by Erasmus+, is a collaborative initiative between Smashing Times International Centre for the Arts and Equality, Dublin, Ireland and Théâtre & Réconciliation, Brussels, Belgium that uses theatre and creative arts to support the inclusion and empowerment of women from migrant communities across Europe. The project raises awareness of shared European values, identifies recommendations and modes of action to facilitate the inclusion of women from migrant and ethnic minority communities in Europe, and promotes learning opportunities for all citizens and generations through creativity, the arts and culture. Read more about the project here.

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