WEFT

Weft is a Dublin Fringe Festival initiative that focuses on talent development and network building for emerging and early career Black artists and artists of the global majority*. Responding to the lack of support and holistic understanding for Black artists and artists of the global majority early in their careers in Ireland, the Weft studio creates space for these artists to learn more about their own creative habits, develop their artistic skills and take the lead in creating their own work on their own terms.

Weft Studio was first launched in 2022 to address this gap, by interweaving individual artist supports with practical project development opportunities within a community of peers who have experiences of what it is like to live and work in Ireland as a Black artist or artist of the global majority. This year a group of eight artists will participate in the Weft Studio programme from August 2023-February 2024. This will be led by award-winning writer and creative producer Shannon Yee, with provocations from international mentors.

Dafe Orugbo, a multidisciplinary artist, boasts an impressive artistic practice and extensive industry experience. His passion lies in creating art that centres around the audience’s experience, as evidenced by his work with Dublin Fringe Festival and the Word Up Collective. Dafe’s remarkable musical career as one half of hip-hop duo Tebi Rex has garnered international acclaim, with two albums released and tours across Ireland, the UK, and Europe. As a writer, spoken word artist, podcaster, and public speaker, Dafe covers a range of topics, from modern-day Ireland to Greek mythology. His project Filmore! at the 2022 Dublin Fringe Festival fused interactive art installations with live performances, drawing inspiration from internet and meme culture. Dafe’s commitment to mentorship is evident in his teaching of hip-hop, spoken word, and songwriting classes for the Word Up Collective, impacting the lives of young people through initiatives like Criunniú na nÓg, Youth Reach Tallaght, and Music Generation.

Shanna May Breen, a performance artist, creates multi-platform artworks to provoke change. Inspired by nature, place and community, her projects ambitiously invite audiences through city streets, back gardens, beaches and performance spaces.

Shanna demonstrates a unique approach to stretching out climate conversations by creating projects that have long-term impacts. Her previous works such as Root at Dublin Theatre Festival 2021 and 1000 Miniature Meadows at Dublin Fringe Festival 2020 initiated large-scale native planting projects across the island of Ireland.

Shanna’s most recent project, GULL, cocommissioned by the Abbey Theatre and Dublin Fringe Festival 2022, showcased the work of multidisciplinary artists in a celebration of Dublin’s (sea)gulls. Shanna is currently collaborating on a walking project titled Walkscape, where she is walking the length of Ireland in 2023, supported by the Arts Council of Ireland. Her dedication to the environment and the arts is reflected in her mentoring of fellow artists and her involvement in a solo climate start-up.

*Language note: we use ‘people of the global majority’ in instances where we can’t be specific about ethnicity or background. We have worked with What If Experiment to review our processes and procedures through an anti-racist lens. Decolonising language and de-centring whiteness was a key component of that learning.

In 2023 Dublin Fringe Festival and Earagail Arts Festival partnered for the first time on a new Weft residency programme with Afro-Brazilian dancer Alessandra Azevedo to support the development of her new work Terra and to build connections with communities and dancers of all backgrounds across Donegal. Terra will be presented as part of next year’s festival with the support of our Break New Ground Bursary.

Want to join the Weft community? Become a member of the Audience Club and see shows at the festival for free hosted by Co-Ordinator Khanyisile Mbukwane. Visit fringefest.com for more information.

If you would like to know more about Weft Studio, please email weft@fringefest.com.

Weft is proudly funded by the Arts Council / An Chomhairle Ealaíon with support from the British Council Ireland.

Weft was previously funded by the Arts Council’s Open Call Award 2021 and was conceived through conversations with Origins Eile and Carys D. Coburn.

18th Annual Information

Toolbox

Friday 15 September

Each year, Irish Theatre Institute (ITI) runs the networking event at Dublin Fringe Festival in partnership with Culture Ireland. Now in its 18th year, ITI’s INFORMATION TOOLBOX o ers theatre and dance artists/ companies presenting work in Dublin Fringe Festival 2023 to engage with programmers, presenters and potential collaborators from across Ireland and from abroad.

Further details including venue and time is available on fringefest.com and irishtheatreinstitute.ie

How it Works

You must register to attend. In advance of the event, you will be given a timetable of one-to-one meetings. You’ll have the chance to meet programmers and presenters, present your show to venues and festivals, hear from other artists about their upcoming work, and build your network of connections at home and internationally.

Registration Details

Registration will open on Thursday 13 July and close on Sunday 27 August.

Capacity is limited — early registration is strongly advised.

You must be presenting a theatre or dance show at Dublin Fringe Festival 2023 to register.

Show And Tell

Artist Pitching at Dublin Fringe Show and Tell is a curated pitching opportunity for Irish artists for work that has been made, and work that is in development. It is an opportunity for artists not programmed in Dublin Fringe Festival 2023 to pitch their work. It is coordinated and curated by Culture Ireland and Irish Theatre Institute in partnership with Dublin Fringe Festival.

Selection to participate in Show and Tell is by open call which will be launched later this summer. Selected artists will share their projects with an eye to securing development support, collaborations, presenting partners, touring opportunities, and other necessary support. The session will take place during the festival for invited national and international presenters and programmers. Artists will be provided with training in how to pitch your work in advance of the presentations.

Details available on cultureireland.ie

Duets

Irish Theatre Institute (ITI), Fishamble: The New Play Company and Dublin Fringe Festival have paused the DUETS initiative for 2022-3. Through the shifts of the last two years, ITI, Fishamble and Dublin Fringe Festival took the opportunity to solicit feedback and undertake research to identify the resources and supports now most needed by the sector.

The DUETS partners are excited to be announcing the next iteration of our partnership in late 2023. For now, each partner will continue to support idea and artist development through our existing and new artist support programmes.