Fishamble's Statement 19.02.21

Fishamble recently shared information online about a number of playwright and artist initiatives we have coming up. We are delighted that one of them is our Writing for Performance Workshop with FeliSpeaks, specifically for Black writers, writers of colour, migrant artists, and writers from ethnic minorities. Fishamble is delighted that poet, performer, and playwright Felicia Olusanya has agreed to work with us on this, and hope it will help to develop work for theatre, from artists currently underrepresented within the artform. This programme responds to the objectives of the Arts Council’s Equality, Human Rights & Diversity Policy & Strategy, in particular in relation to taking proactive action to address inequalities within the arts.
 
There have been a number of very upsetting and racist comments on social media, in response to this workshop. We would like to take this opportunity to state that Fishamble opposes racism in all its forms; we do not stand for, and will not tolerate, racism and discrimination. Guided by the Arts Council’s Community Engagement Guidelines, we would like to remind everyone engaging with us on our social media channels we will not permit any comments that are hateful, racist, xenophobic, homophobic, sexist, or deemed prejudicial towards any community. Comments of this nature will be deleted or removed and users may be blocked and/or reported. We reserve the right to hide, block, and/or remove any and all posts, as well as limit access to our channels for users who do not adhere to this. 
 
Fishamble has run a wide range of development programmes, community engagement initiatives, and artistic performances, for and with underrepresented, marginalised, and/or under-resourced groups. Recent and current examples include working with: artists over 55 as part of the Irish Theatre Institute’s Prime; Transition Year students from Dublin’s North East Inner City, as part of the Trinity Access Programme with the Goethe Institute; Arts and Disability Ireland for writers with disability; Dublin Fringe on the Big Ambitions programme for younger artists; prisoners in the Mountjoy Prison School; the Croke Park Community residents; Travellers as part of the Traveller Ethnicity Celebration; and students at Larkin Community College. In particular, Fishamble has worked across Ireland in a number of geographic communities delivering year-long Mentorship programmes for artists, in partnership with local arts centres.
 
Our Writing for Performance Workshop with FeliSpeaks is in line with the company’s track record of working with artists and communities who are underrepresented, and striving to create a more diverse range of voices in Irish theatre. This workshop is in addition to a range of other Fishamble workshops and development initiatives.
 
We would like to thank our community and friends, funders and partners, for their support of this initiative. Further information on this workshop, as well as other writing opportunities open for applications and submissions, can be viewed at www.fishamble.com.

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Arts Council Equality, Human Rights & Diversity Policy & Strategy