Enjoy fascinating interviews with Ciara Hayes, Producer for the annual international Irish Arts and Human Rights festival and with David Scott, an actor, writer, director and acting teacher.
Welcome to the Smashing Times Arts and Human Rights radio show where we explore all things arts, culture, and human rights. You can find us on Dublin South FM, 93.9 FM, every Wednesday 6 to 7pm, and at dublinsouthfm.ie.
This episode of the Smashing Times Arts and Human Rights radio show broadcasts on Wednesday 11 June, 6-7pm and is repeated on Wednesday 18 June 2025, 6-7pm and is available as a podcast. The show features two interviews. The first interview is with Ciara Hayes, Producer of the annual international Irish Arts and Human Rights festival. Ciara is announcing three open calls inviting artists and organisations to apply to present events at this year’s festival. The second interview is with celebrated actor, writer, director and acting teacher, David Scott. David is a multi-talented artists and gives a unique insight into his approach to actor training, his work as an actor, playwright and novelist and his journey in self-publishing. He shares with us some fascinating insights into ways to create a more level playing field in the world of acting auditions, his views on the arts and human rights and what changes he would like to see for theatre and the wider arts sector into the future.
Interview with Ciara Hayes
Host Freda Manweiler chats with Ciara Hayes, a producer with the annual international Irish Arts and Human Rights Festival. Smashing Times International Centre for the Arts and Equality and Front Line Defenders, and a range of partners will present the seventh annual, Irish International Arts and Human Rights Festival from the 10 to 19 October 2025. The aim of the festival is to showcase and highlight the extraordinary work of human rights defenders in Ireland and around the world, past and present, and the role of the arts and artists in promoting human rights, equality and diversity today. Ciara talks about the success and growth of the festival and the fact that the name has changed from the Dublin Arts and Human Rights festival to the Irish International Arts and Human Rights Festival. The festival has grown in size and the new name reflects the fact that this is an all-island festival featuring events from across Ireland, Northern Ireland and internationally.
Ciara is also announcing a series of three open calls inviting artists and organisations to apply to present events at this year’s festival. The calls are open to artists, arts organisations, civil society organisations, NGO’s, community groups, business companies, environmental groups, libraries, arts offices and all kinds of bodies both public and private.
The first festival call is open to organisations who want to present their own event in their own venue and to have this event included in the official programme for the annual Arts and Human Rights festival in October 2025. The second open call is for artists and arts organisations who want to present their own event and are looking for a venue. They can apply to present their work at the new Smashing Times arts venue at 30 Sanydcove Road, Dublin A96V9P1 which opens in August 2025. It will be the first arts and human rights centre in Ireland and is a dual-purpose space serving as both a visual art gallery and a space for live events.
Call three is for artists, arts organisations and environmental groups to apply to present their work at a major Creative Arts Eco-Conference taking place at the historic Rathfarnham Castle, Dublin, on Tuesday, 14 October 2025, from 10am to 6pm as part of the Irish Arts and Human Rights Festival. This event explores how the performing, visual, and digital arts can inspire action and advocacy around climate change, biodiversity, and marine conservation. The open call is for passionate artists or art activists based in Ireland and Northern Ireland who are making a difference for the environment through their work and who want to present on their practise at this major one day conference.
Interview with David Scott
We then have our feature artist interview conducted by Mary Moynihan in conversation with David Scott, an Australian born actor, writer, director and acting teacher. David has worked as a professional actor in both Australia and Ireland in TV, film and stage. Over a decade ago, David established The Actor’s Wednesday Workshop and The Actor’s Friday Studio, two part-time programmes for developing and advanced actors. He also set up The Applied Art of Acting, a full-time program for actors of exceptional ability. Since 2023 David has been the Director of The Foundation Diploma in Acting and Theatre at The Lir Academy in Dublin.
David is also Artistic Director of Company D, a Dublin based theatre company focused on promoting new work and new actors. Company D has produced many critically acclaimed shows since its foundation in 2006, including twelve plays written by David.
David is a multi-talented artist and gives a unique insight into his approach to actor training, his work as an actor, playwright and novelist and his journey in self-publishing. He shares with us some fascinating insights into ways to create a more level playing field in the world of acting auditions, his views on the arts and human rights and what changes he would like to see for theatre and the wider arts sector into the future.
The Smashing Times Arts and Human Rights Radio show is broadcast every Wednesday 6-7pm with Dublin South FM with each episode available as a podcast. The show is hosted by Mary Moynihan, writer, poet, creator of art and photography and Artistic Director, Smashing Times along with co-host Freda Manweiler, Producer, Smashing Times. Enjoy an engaging hour of in-depth discussions focused on all things arts, culture and human rights. Tune in to Dublin South FM 93.9, or listen online at www.dublinsouthfm.ie. As always we extend a special thanks to text and contributions from Féilim James, writer and Editor of the Smashing Times Newsletter and Tintreach: Smashing Times Arts and Literary Journal and to Carmen Ortiz Victorino, Assistant Newsletter Editor.
Mary Moynihan, MA, she/her, is an author of novels, poetry, films and plays, 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, poetry 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 international Arts and Human Rights
festival.
Freda Manweiler has worked with Smashing Times since 1999. She is highly skilled in project management, coordination and implementation. She has extensive experience working at a European level developing and delivering a range of European Initiatives, collaborating with over 50 cultural, educational and civil society organisations from over 22 European Countries. Promoting European Values through working on activities and projects that promote human rights, gender equality, positive mental health, remembrance and civic engagement.