Fishamble is at the heart of new writing for theatre in Ireland, typically supporting over 50% of the writers of all new plays produced on the island of Ireland every year.
Development programmes include the New Play Clinic, and DUETS which was ran in partnership with Dublin Fringe Festival and Irish Theatre Institute.
Fishamble's development programmes are facilitated by Artistic Director Jim Culleton and Literary Manager Gavin Kostick, in collaboration with numerous freelance dramaturgs, theatre makers and other theatre artists.
Fishamble's development programmes are facilitated by Artistic Director Jim Culleton and Literary Manager Gavin Kostick, in collaboration with numerous freelance dramaturgs, theatre makers and other theatre artists.
Fishamble is driven by a commitment to tell original, character-driven stories that explore themes of national and universal importance. Because they are led in process by the many writers with whom they collaborate, they develop theatre of varying style and form but across the board, their process is rigorous, nurturing, and always in support of the artist making the most original and compelling work for the audience. Indeed, the work of Fishamble is both brave and crowd-pleasing, experimental and inherently populist.
Nina Steiger, Senior Dramaturg at the National Theatre, UK
Fishamble Supports
The public
through an ongoing range of playwriting courses in Dublin and and at a variety of venues and festivals nationwide. |
Playwrights
through The New Play Clinic, which develops new plays planned for production, through the annual Fishamble New Writing Award at Dublin Fringe Festival, and through development workshops. |
Actors
through its Show in a Bag programme, which creates new plays for actors and showcases them in association with the Irish Theatre Institute and Dublin Fringe Festival. |
Students
through work in association with NUI Maynooth, The Lir, TCD, GSA, and NUIG, and as Theatre Company in Association at UCD Drama Studies Centre. |
Emerging artists
through Mentoring Programmes and internships in association with venues and local authorities. |
Current Development Programmes
New Play ClinicCreated in 2010, the New Play Clinic is Fishamble's ongoing initiative to support the dramaturgical development of new plays for production in Ireland.
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Playwriting CoursesFacilitated by Gavin Kostick, the evening and weekend courses provide new writers with the confidence, skills and stimulus required to write successfully for theatre.
2022-2023 Transatlantic Commissions ProgrammeFishamble and Irish Rep have commissioned four Black Irish artists and writers of colour to work with mentor Dael Orlandersmith (Pulitzer Prize Finalist & Obie Award Winner) over the coming year to create new works that will be workshopped and presented in public readings by Fishamble in Dublin, Ireland and Irish Rep in New York City in early 2023.
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Writing
Submit Your WritingFishamble offers dramaturgical support and advice to new and developing playwrights. We welcome manuscript submissions of new, original dramatic work and appreciate the time, effort and the act of creation that goes into writing a play.
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Fishamble New Writing AwardThe Fishamble New Writing Award was awarded to a new play premiered in the Dublin Fringe Festival.
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Previous Development Programmes
Pilot Dramaturgy Development ProgrammeFishamble intoduced this programme in 2020 to support the development of, and conversation about, dramaturgy, in order to help practitioners deepen their craft for the benefit of the sector. This programme was for people engaged in dramaturgical practice.
Performance Gaeilge ar StáitseIn 2021 Fishamble: collaborated with writer, composer and actor Fionn Foley to put together Gaeilge ar Stáitse over two weekend sessions. The aim of this new workshop was to facilitate the development of new Irish plays, written either entirely in Irish, or that engage meaningfully with the language.
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Show in a Bag
An artist development initiative of Dublin Fringe Festival, Fishamble: The New Play Company and Irish Theatre Institute to resource theatre makers and actors. Established in 2010 to facilitate the creation of five new small scale, tourable shows which would highlight the talents and skills of performers making work for the Dubin Fringe Festival.
Writing for Performance WorkshopFishamble joined forces with poet, performer and playwright Felicia Olusanya (Felispeaks) to offer a Writing for Performance workshop. Aim of the workshops was to support underrepresented voices in Irish theatre, by providing the training and tools to write for the stage.
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Duets
An artist support initiative for pairs of artists from Fishamble: The New Play Company, Irish Theatre Institute and Dublin Fringe Festival
The Fishamble New Play Conference
Fishamble held its first New Play Conference on playwriting and dramaturgy in Dublin on Thursday 24th May, 2018. Videos of the conference and related resources are available to watch and download.
Fishamble held its first New Play Conference on playwriting and dramaturgy in Dublin on Thursday 24th May, 2018. Videos of the conference and related resources are available to watch and download.
Support Fishamble's development programme by becoming a Friend of Fishamble.