Theatre in Palm

Theatre in Palm

Smashing Times International Centre for the Arts and Equality are one of twelve partner organisations involved in Theatre in Palm, a large scale European platform project funded by the Creative Europe programme 2021-2025. The Theatre in Palm platform brings together twelve partners from across Europe to collaborate and co-create as part of an international,  intercultural platform supporting  artists including emerging artists, to engage in international networking and to build theatre-based skills in transnational cooperation and co-creation.

As part of the Theatre in Palm project, Smashing Times International Centre for the Arts and Equality are delighted to host a range of artist talks, workshops and performances presented live for the annual Dublin Arts and Human Rights festival. In addition  artists and guests from all 11 partner countries taking part in the project will attend Dublin, Ireland to view the following events: 

  • Attend the Launch and opening of the Dublin International Arts and Human Rights Festival on Friday 13 October at 6pm
  • Attend a Live performance of States of Independence on Friday 13 October at 7pm
  • Attend a Tour of the States of Independence Exhibition on Saturday 14 October at 3pm
  • Present live performances, artist talks and workshops  on 15 October 2023 from 2-4.30pm
  • Present live performances and post-show talks on 15 October 2023 from 7-10pm

The project will engage with 3,500 emerging artists, of which 384 will receive financial or institutional support to co-create, educate, and develop their skills and promote their work. Theatre in Palm is conducted on the basis of the Creative Europe, Sub-programme European Platforms for the promotion of emerging artists (CREA-CULT-2021- PLAT) and contributes to the objectives set out in the programme. Specifically, it aims to increase the visibility and the circulation of European emerging artists and works outside their own borders, in Europe and beyond. It will also increase access to and participation in cultural events and activities, as well as audience engagement and development.

Smashing Times organised and documented four mobilities- two inward and two outward – in 2023, sending and receiving artists and company representatives.  In 2023, Ireland sent out two artists (Féilim James, writer and Michael McCabe, actor, movement choreographer and facilitator) for ten days each, to Cyprus and Italy respectively, and hosted  two  inward bound people from  two different partner countries, Cyprus and Italy, for ten days each.

  • Smashing Times were delighted to welcome Maria Efstathiou from Cyprus Theatre Organisation, to Ireland for a ten-day mobility exchange from 20-29 January 2023
  • Smashing Times were delighted to welcome Marco Maccieri from MaMiMo Theatre, Reggio Emilia, Italy, to Ireland for a ten-day mobility exchange from 1 -10 March 2023
  • Féilim James, an artist from Smashing Times, visited Cyprus Theatre Organisation and did a ten day Residency ‘Go and See’ mobility exchange from the 1-10 March 2023. See website:  Theatre Organisation, Cyprus,
  • Michael McCabe, an artist from Smashing Times, visited  MaMiMo Theatre, Reggio Emilia, Italy, and did a ten day Residency ‘Go and See’ mobility exchange from 27 February – 6 March 2023.

The project is also designed to contribute to the implementation of EU policy priorities in the culture field. In this regard, the circulation of artists and works will contribute to the activation of new and/or more sustainable cultural public spaces. The platform can be defined as showcase/springboard platform composed of a coordinating organisation and 11 member organizations with a common artistic editorial and branding strategy. The Platform is defined as a platform of international and intercultural co-creation, created among 12 organizations from 12 EU countries, and aiming at supporting emerging artists and cultural performers to co-create, cooperate, and promote their work, developing a common European programming of non-national artists and trainings.

Smashing Times artists Niamh Sweeney and Rob Harrington tool part in a Yoga for dancers and performing artists session, with Martina Kosta, as part of Theatre in Palm Academy, in Lisbon, Portugal

The organisations involved are:

  • Turku University of Applied Sciences, Finland (lead partner)
  • Intercult Productions, Sweden
  • Fondazione E35 per la progettazione internazionale, Italy
  • Smashing Times International Centre for the Arts and Equality, Ireland
  • JAIT – International Theatre, Portugal
  • Stichting ZID, the Netherlands
  • ANAZITIT ES THEATROU, Cyprus
  • European Theatre and Film Institute, Belgium
  • THOC, Greece
  • Homemade Culture, Romania
  • OECON GROUP, Bulgaria