APAC15

Theatre Forum and TheatreNI present All-Ireland Performing Arts Conference

#APAC15

Question Everything (with kindness)

The Model, Sligo 11-12 June 2015

Each time the performing arts community comes together we challenge ourselves to change, renew, transform. For nearly a decade now, we’ve been “at a crossroads”.

Across the island, we’ve been battered and bruised and reduced by economic crisis.

In all this turbulence, we tell ourselves that there’s an urgent need for transformation, innovation, diversification in the sector.

But has anything really changed? Have the structures of how we make and present work really been interrogated? We like to think of ourselves as different, but how much does the performing arts community simply reflect broader society: broadly conservative, change-averse and divided between the haves and the have-nots.

If that’s the case, how can we affect real change? Or do we even want change? Is it time for some straight talking and more action? Do we need to embrace radical ideas that challenge the old ways of doing things and create more collaborative, kinder and more progressive models? Surely our greatest asset is that we can creatively reimagine ourselves. Join us at The Model in June as we reconnect with our desire to be involved in the arts whilst interrogating the status quo.

Topics include Kindness, Participation, Artist as Activist, Leadership, Venue Models and Arts Speak. Sessions will ask questions about everything including: When was the arts scene in Ireland and Northern Ireland last radical? and Instrumentalism – did we make the wrong argument?

About the Programme The APAC15 programme, curated by Jo Mangan, is designed so that delegates question the norms, attitudes, models, means and practices that prevail in the performing arts today. Jo has devised this programme to provoke producers, artists, arts managers and programmers to question everything, themselves included. It’s important that while this questioning is rigorous, it is better done with kindness.

International speakers At APAC15, you’ll get to hear international speakers spark new ideas while artists, producers and policy makers from our own communities will share their experiences and bring possibilities to life: Birgitta Jónsdóttir

Sir John Tusa

Claire Hodgson

Tom Andrews

Elizabeth Crump

Jeanie Scott

Owen Calvert-Lyons

Poetician and activist in the Icelandic Parliament for the Pirate Party Eminent broadcaster, author, previously Managing Director of BBC World Service and the Barbican Centre Founder and Chief Executive of Diverse City, Co-artistic Director of Extraordinary Bodies a circus company of disabled and non-disabled artists Founder and Co-Director of People United, an organisation that explores how the arts and creativity can grow kindness Co-Director of the Cultural Learning Alliance, Strategic Lead at the What Next? project Executive Director at a-n The Artists Information Company Artistic Director of The Point at Eastleigh

Open Call for Speakers In addition to the programmed speakers, proposals are invited from people who want to speak for 10 minutes on a topic that they believe will excite and challenge delegates.

We are particularly keen to hear from you if you would like to pose questions about Participation, Censorship or Instrumentalism. Up to four speakers responding to this call will be included in the programme. Selected speakers will receive a complimentary conference ticket plus their accommodation and travel costs. If you would like to address the conference, email a one paragraph outline to jomangan@me.com by 15 May. Artists Welcome In recognition of artists at the heart of the performing arts, this year we are encouraging venue, festival and company members of Theatre Forum and TheatreNI to invite an artist to the conference.

Thank you Jo would like to thank the directors of Theatre Forum and TheatreNI, and especially Ali FitzGibbon (Director of Young at Art, NI), for all their support in putting together the conference programme.

Location & Time APAC15 takes place in The Model, The Mall, Sligo. The conference opens on Thursday 11 June at noon with the first session after lunch at 13.30 and it ends on Friday 12 June by 16.00 to facilitate people travelling to and from Sligo.

Tickets Tickets cover access to all conference sessions, lunch on both days as well as the Thursday evening programme, including dinner. Early Bird tickets are only available to Theatre Forum and TheatreNI members until 18 May. Tickets available to purchase using Paypal on www.theatreforum.ie Early Bird Member Ticket (until 18 May) Standard Member Ticket (after 18 May) Non Member Ticket

€90/£64* €120/£86* €180/£129*

*Sterling prices are approximate only and the exchange rate at the time of PayPal purchase will apply.

Accommodation Sligo hotel and hostel options and links to book accommodation are detailed on www.theatreforum.ie. Remember to quote APAC when booking to secure the conference accommodation deals.

Transport Sligo has good rail, bus and road connections and details are available on our websites.

Benchmarking Presentation For Theatre Forum Benchmarking Study participants, there will be a presentation of the 2014 findings on Thursday morning, 11 June from 11.30 - 12.30 in The Model.

When you’re in Sligo…

DruidShakespeare - see the Cycle in the Hawk’s Well Theatre on Friday 12 June.

Só Sligo Food Festival 10-14 June coincides with the conference.

Yeats2015 Anniversary celebration events from 12 June.

Contact us with your conference questions.

TheatreNI

Theatre Forum

c/o Lyric Theatre, 55 Ridgeway Street, Belfast, BT9 5FB | info@theatreni.org

Office 3, 43/44 Temple Bar, Dublin 2 +353 1 677 8779 | info@theatreforum.ie

t: @theatre_NI | f: theatreNI

t: @TheatreForumIE | f: theatreforumireland

TheatreNI