iad-T in the Park, April

The last event in the iad-T in the Park season is taking place this Saturday 24th April, at the the Tea Rooms in the People’s Park, Dun Laoghaire. The theme is: Play 4 Today (drama).

At noon there will be an Improvisation and Storytelling Workshop followed at 2pm by a Presentation by Annie Ryan and Michael West of The Corn Exchange, the theatre company behind the Dublin Theatre Festival's hit Freefall.

The events are organised by Mia Gallager, the 2009/10 IADT Writer in Residence.

BBC Writers Academy

Applications are now open for the BBC Drama's Writers Academy

Outline

The training you receive from BBC Drama’s Writers Academy will give you the specific skills required to write for some of the BBC’s most popular series such as Doctors, EastEnders, Holby City and Casualty, and a springboard to write across all the BBC’s drama output.

To be eligible for this scheme, writers will have already had at least one professional (paid) drama commission in film, television, radio or theatre.

The Writers Academy will train up to 8 writers a year, over a period of twelve months.

Course Breakdown

The course will break down as follows:

Introduction to Writing for Continuing Drama Series

This is a 3 month training course in writing for Continuing Drama Series which will consist of a number of workshops and lectures accompanied by intensive writing exercises and analysis.

During this period each writer will write a broadcast episode of Doctors.

The training course will be lead by John Yorke, Controller, Drama Production and New Talent, and other industry experts from all areas of drama production.

Course participants will be required to attend classes at the BBC premises in Elstree for three days per week, and one day at Television Centre in London.

Some expenses will be paid for writers based out of the London area for this period.

Writing for Broadcast

After you have completed the initial training and the Doctors script, your work will be assessed. If you have reached the required standard for production on Continuing Drama Series you will begin the next phase of the training.

Writers will rotate across Casualty, Holby and Eastenders in turn, writing a broadcast episode, spending a maximum of 12 weeks on each show.

At the end of the 12 months, each writer will have written for each of the four shows.

Core team & HQ

The course will be run and administered from BBC TVC in London W12 and BBC Elstree Studios. The course will be overseen and run by a Course Producer.

The deadline for applications is: May 5th 2010. More information and how to apply is on the web site.

Writer's Seminar

An intensive five-hour writer's seminar will be held at the New Theatre, 43 Essex Street, Temple Bar by the novelist and playwright Paddy Kelly at 11am on Saturday the 10th of April.

The seminar/workshop will cover all aspects of creative writing based on and around character and storyline development in the novella, novel, stageplay and screenplay formats. Participants are encouraged to bring with them a current project of their own with a view towards developing the project to which ever level they seek.

The cost is €60 Euros and includes a three course lunch at Ciao Bella Roma.

To register please email paddy.incanto@gmail.com or ring 085 729 5190.

Belfast Film Festival Programme

The 10th Belfast Film Festival (15-30 April) has launched its programme.

The 10th Belfast Film Festival boasts over 30 UK/Irish premieres in a jam packed programme, with 125 screenings and events across Belfast from over 25 countries including, Russia, Japan, Iran, Argentina, Israel and South Africa, to name but a few.

The Festival opens on Thursday 15th April at the Moviehouse, Dublin Road with the UK/Irish Premiere of Triage starring man of the moment, Colin Farrell.

Closing night film of the 10th Belfast Film Festival, will be the UK/Ireland premiere of a film by one of Hollywood’s greatest directors-Francis Ford Coppola; Tetro starring Vincent Gallo is Coppola’s first original screenplay since The Conversation; this beautiful film, is shot in black and white and set in the bristling streets of Buenos Aires.

Dublin Film Fringe 2010

FilmmakersNetwork.ie is hosting the Dublin Film Fringe this Saturday the 6th of March at the Banquet Hall, 15-19 Essex Street West, Temple Bar.

Here is the schedule of events:

13:30 – 15:00 Cinematography Workshop | Banquet Hall, 15-19 Essex Street West, Temple Bar
IFTA nominated DOP Ruiarí O’Brien and Production Depot owner John Leahy talk about the various cameras and formats and when to choose one over the other. Another guest speaker to be confirmed. Followed by general chat and networking.

16:00 – 17:30 Shorts Screening 1 | Banquet Hall, 15-19 Essex Street West, Temple Bar

18:00 – 19:30 Shorts Screening 2 | Banquet Hall, 15-19 Essex Street West, Temple Bar

20:00 – Late! | Le Cirk (Sweeneys), Dame Street

* 21:00 Music Videos Screening (Free finger food / Drinks promo)
* 22:30 – 23:00 Awards Ceremony
* 23:00 DJ

Prices: The workshop and each of the screenings will cost €6 admission. Alternatively you can pay €10 which cover entrance to all 3 events. The Music video programme in Le Cirk is free and there will even be free finger food served!

IWC Publishing Day

The Irish Writers Centre is hosting a Publishing Day on Saturday March 20th from 10am - 4.30pm.

The Irish Writers' Centre is hosting an information day on publishing for writers and other interested parties. The day will feature talks with literary agent Jonathan Williams, commissioning editor for Hachette Books Ciara Considine, digital publishing expert Eoin Purcell, acclaimed novelist John Boyne (author of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas) and literary marketing expert Cormac Kinsella. There will be opportunities for question and answer sessions with our guest speakers. The day will start at 10am with registration and run until 4.30pm. Tickets are €50 and can be booked by paying online or calling the Centre.

The Practice of Writing

Novelist and dramaturge, Mia Gallagher, is running a course in the Irish Writers Centre called "The Practice of Writing", on Saturday 27th and Sunday 28th March from 10.30am - 4.30pm.

There is no generic 'how-to' when it comes to writing. Each writer is different, with a different mesh of concerns, obsessions, interests, habits, challenges, strengths, fears, hopes and blindspots. All these various elements are what make up an individual practice. But a practice needs to be practised in order to get richer, more informed, more vital and, hopefully, generate more meaningful output.

This workshop is aimed at people who want to deepen their awareness of their writing process with a view to sustaining their writing practice in the long-term. Using elements which are key to the facilitator's own practice – reading, dialogue, field trips, dedicated writing time, entertainment and critiquing – participants will explore ways of generating material, engaging with content and form and challenging their own (and others’) received notions of writing.

The cost of the two-day event is €160 and can be booked online.

The Myths We Live By

Sandy Dunlop is running a monthly Saturday workshop called "The Myths We Live By" in Dublin and Mullingar, Belvedere House alternatively, which will take place from 10am - 4.30pm on March 27, April 17, May 15 and June 19. The cost is €50.

Myths have long been an inspiration for writers. They have been a rich source of ideas, symbols, structures and, of course, characters. What is proposed here is an opportunity to work within a group context to explore a series of the important myths of the rich and unique Irish Tradition. Specifically we will look over four Saturdays at Irish Leadership Myths and the stories of Lugh and Balor, Cormac mac Airt and Conaire, mythical king of Tara. This is within a context of a research study within UCD Folklore Department on myth and modernity, the relevance of myth to the modern world, and understanding the mythic roots of modernity.

If interested please e-mail sandy@alexanderdunlop.ie, or call Sandy on 086 2430981 to find out more.

Save our Scripts

The Bureau Film Company is launching a new MEDIA-funded development programme called SOS: Save Our Scripts.

The SOS development programme is currently searching Europe for emerging producers and screenwriters.

Writers will develop their selected one page idea to a full length script, which will then receive feedback from financiers and key industry figures. Alongside this the producers will build their development skills, and new relationships with the participating writers, producers, and industry contacts.

The training will run from May until December and is made up of 3 intensive workshops and a number of one to one virtual script meetings. The workshops will take place in the UK, France and Belgium, and will be composed of a range of writing exercises, master-classes, and peer to peer development.

Writers must be able to display the strength of their writing ability, but cannot have had more than one feature film produced.

More information on the application process is on the web site - note a new web site for the programme will be launched soon.

The deadline for entries is the February 26, 2010.

If selected, the Initial Development fee is £250, and the Final Development fee is £250.

Big Smoke's Drama Workshop

The Big Smoke Writing Factory is organising a one-day drama and writing workshop.

Big Smoke Writing Factory is delighted to offer this day long workshop in drama and creative writing, designed and facilitated by one of its founding members, Nicole Rourke. Nicole trained in theatre with Tmu-Na Theatre Company, Tel-Aviv, Israel. She has worked in professional theatre both here and abroad for many years, mainly as an actor but has also experience in writing and directing. On top of this Nicole is highly experienced as both a drama facilitator and a creative writing facilitator - a combination which makes for a very unique workshop experience.

When it comes to telling stories, drama is really where it all begins. After all, we learn to speak and play before we learn to write. Combining the two can help the writer to expand their powers of observation, imagination and language as well as add that dramatic element that may be lacking. This unique workshop brings drama to your writing in an immediate and effective way.

Queries regarding course content may be directed to Nicole either over the phone at 086-857-6705 or email: bigsmokewritingfactory@gmail.com

Entry fee: €75 for one full day

Listowel Workshops 2010

Listowel Writers Week is running a wide range of workshops during the festival, and two in particular might be of interest to our members.

Writing for Theatre with Michael Harding.

Finding your story. This workshop will deal with the following aspects of writing for theatre. What is the best starting point for a story? How do you examine and present characters and the world of the story? How do you shape your story, including how to structure and shape a play for theatre? What are the essential rules and principles of the craft, and of making your story work on the stage? How do you examine the personal and socio-political aspect of your story and how it must serve the requirements of the audience?

Entry free: €175.00 for each three-day workshop.

Writing for Screen with Paddy Breathnach.

This workshop will concentrate on the beginning of a screenplay. Refining the idea, exploring the central characters, describing the setting and identifying the tone.

Entry Fee: €175.00 for each three-day workshop.

iad-T in the Park, January

The January iad-T in the Park takes place this Saturday 30th January, at the Tea Rooms in the People's Park in Dun Laoghaire. The event is hosted by Mia Gallagher, writer-in-residence at the IADT, and the theme is: Murder on the Bookshelves (crime fiction).

12noon: Writing the Dark Side (workshop). A fun workshop exploring how to get the most out of your dark side, structure suspense and play with horror and thriller motifs.

2pm: Readings & discussion by Declan Hughes and other crime writers.

New Belfast Arts Venue

The Stage reports that construction has begun on Belfast's new £17.5 million city-centre arts venue.

When complete, the six-storey complex will become the new home for the Old Museum Arts Centre and house two black-box performance spaces seating 150 and 350, workshop rooms, rehearsal and dance studios, an art gallery and retail unit.

The development is the latest capital project in a decade-long investment in new infrastructure venues in Northern Ireland, including a new home for the region's only repertory company, the Lyric Theatre, and major refurbishments of Belfast's Crescent Arts Centre and the Playhouse Theatre in Derry.

IWC Open Day

On the 5th of Decemember, from 12pm until 10pm, the Irish Writers' Centre is holding an open day to publicise its new line-up of courses for 2010. Course organisers and tutors will be on hand to answers any questions and offer advice.

The Writer in Residence, Catherine Morris, will give a presentation on Alice Milligan - poet, dramatist and key figure of the Irish literary revival. All of which will be followed by a table quiz and raffle, starting at 6.30pm. There will be drinks and nibbles and wonderful prizes. Tables of 4 cost €16.

iad-T in the Park

On Saturday November 28th, IADT and the Dún Laoghaire Arts Office are launching iad-T in the Park, a series of literary happenings taking place once a month at the Tea Rooms in the People's Park, Dún Laoghaire.

Writers, readers and booklovers of all ages are invited to drop in and join Mia Gallagher, writer-in-residence at the IADT, for an exciting mix of literature, cakes and super-strength espresso. Tea-drinkers are also catered for!

Whether it's poetry that takes your fancy or crime fiction that keeps you turning those pages, iad-T in the Park offers you the chance to share your work in public, chat with other writers, meet some of Ireland’s brightest literary talents – or just talk about the books you love reading.

The events are free of charge, open to all and will run from midday to 4pm.

A full list of all the events is available on the web site.

Cork Festival Talks Industry

The 54th Corona Cork Film Festival takes place from November 1-8, and will offer a splendid array of premières, documentaries, film tributes, special guests, exhibitions, short films, animations, workshops, and courses.

In association with MEDIA Desk Ireland the festival will be coordinating a discussion about film production at the University College Cork, on Friday, November 6th from 2.30pm to 5pm.

"Having been impressed by the cultural and economic enquiry of the recent Global Irish Economic Forum, we invite those active in the Irish film, television and new media sector to attend the Cork forum to engage in reflection and debate," says Festival Director, Mick Hannigan.

"In the European Year of Creativity and Innovation, we are delighted to partner with the MEDIA supported Cork Film Festival in this creative forum which will allow for blue sky thinking," Siobhan O'Donoghue, CEO of MEDIA Desk Ireland continues.

Screen Producers Ireland will host a networking reception for the event’s participants. For further information contact MEDIA Desk Ireland.

Cinemagic Workshops

The Coca-Cola Cinemagic Film and Television Festival for Young People, which is taking place during from 18 November - 4th December 2009 in Belfast, is seeking young people aged 16-25 to participate in their ‘Talent Lab’ and Masterclass series - covering topics such as screen fighting, casting, makeup, production, acting and screenwriting amongst others.

The 2009 Masterclass lineup for the Cinemagic Festival includes: ‘Fights for Stage and Screen’ with Youngblood’s fight director Tim Klotz (Shakespeare’s Globe, Lyric Hammersmith, Royal Festival Hall); ‘Make-up for Film’ with Academy Award winning hair and make-up artist Christine Blundell (Topsy Turvy, Casino Royale, Sherlock Holmes); costume design guidance from Academy Award winning designer Jenny Beavan (A Room with a View, Gosford Park, Alexander); a script writing lesson with Ryan Rowe (Tapeheads, Run’s House, I’m on Fire); a film production session with Terry Bamber (Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace, Phantom of the Opera) and David Cain (Thunderbirds, Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, Hannibal Rising), casting advice from casting director Ros Hubbard (The Commitments, The Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Bourne Ultimatum), and location management pointers with Andrew Wilson (City of Ember, Middletown, Breakfast on Pluto).

Cinemagic are running other special events in November. Amongst these is an ‘In Conversation with’ session with Muppets Potto and Hilda on November 20th who will be screening ‘Sesame Tree’, the Northern Ireland adaptation of ‘Sesame Street’. There will also be an acting masterclass with IFTA winning actor Ciaran Hinds (The Eclipse) on November 23rd where the actor will deliver a practical workshop in acting for film. Another masterclass being held on the same day is the Channel 4 Programme Making Workshop, hosted by Neil McCallum (head of music at Channel 4) and other members of the Channel 4 Production Team, which aims to expand the skills of individuals who already have gained a degree of experience in areas such as presenting, producing and directing. The Channel 4 Programme making workshop will run for two days.

DEAF 2009

Next week see the launch of the eight Dublin Electronic Arts Festival (22 - 31st October, 2009).

DEAF's focus is on the experimental, and the intersection between music, art, film and the public. It attempts to promote a genuine inclusiveness in its approach to showcasing the electronic arts to new audiences in Ireland.

The festival will be running films, workshops, gallery showings, talks and of course live gigs.

Create n Innovate

Create 'n' Innovate '09 is a conference going on in Belfast from 11-12 November 2009 that will include presentations, panels and workshops highlighting and exploring ideas and good practice in creativity and innovation, and its importance for our future.

Speakers and panellists from across the UK - keynote from Feargal Sharkey, CEO of UK Music, and panel discussions with creative practitioners, representatives from the business sector, educators, researchers and policy makers.

An amazing array of 12 workshop and presentation sessions where you will be stimulated and challenged – led by people such as Baba Israel, New York hip hop emcee, poet and beatboxer who now runs Contact Theatre in Manchester; Cathy Hunt from Australia who will present the development of Australian indigenous art; Stephen Feber who will be creative about the amazing new Heartlands development project in Cornwall; Marek Banczyk who has worked on a development strategy for Poznan, a "second city" in Poland; Jan Runge, one of the authors of the recent "Creativity in Europe" report; Venu Dhupa who will challenge us on our understanding of what these words mean; Sharon Taylor who will look at the relationships between creative professionals in schools; Raj Isar who will take examine some of the assumptions sometimes made about the successes and failures in this area; and Pia Alebrad from TILLT in Sweden which works on projects where artists are based in everyday workplaces.

Information on how to join the conference is available on the web site.

Darklight X Announced

Darklight X: New World Order (October 8 - 11), Ireland's celebration of art, film and technology, is a three-day event involving performances, screenings, workshops, seminars, symposiums, visual art happenings and much more. This year the festival is taking over Dublin's Smithfield district, where the Lighthouse Cinema and other venues will host a feast of events.

Highlights include:

• A public interview and workshop with legendary music video director Mark Romanek. Mark directed the classic video for "Hurt" by Johnny Cash, and has worked with everyone from Michael Jackson and Madonna to Nine Inch Nails and Jay-Z.
• The Irish premier of a major new video instillation, Three Potential Endings, from two-time Turner Prize nominee Willie Doherty, on Smithfield Plaza.
• A celebration of Oscar-nominated Irish animation company Brown Bag.
• Collaborations with cutting-edge Irish companies thisisnotashop, Synth Eastwood, Nartystation and Performance Corporation.
• A discussion with Anna Troberg, the Vice-Chairwoman of Sweden's Pirate Party the political outfit dedicated to radical copyright reform who recently won two seats in the European elections.
• Ten Irish filmmakers conspire to produce a brand new feature film in seven days! It's our latest DIY movie spectacular, Hotel Darklight!
• The World Premiere of Vincent Moon's stunning Irish-lensed concert movie R.E.M. Live At The Olympia.
• The debut of Virtual Cinema 2.0, the Irish Film Board's latest round of cutting-edge on-line short films.
• A screening of Brendan Muldowney's Savage, the most controversial Irish film of 2009.
• A weekend long Performance Lab with acclaimed artist Amanda Coogan.
• The EA Hub Gaming Station, a spectacular outdoor gaming extravaganza.
• O Canada! Screenings celebrating 70 years of the Canadian Film Board.
• Plus: The Straylight visual art trail and unexpected happenings aplenty...

Booking information will be available on the web site from Friday, September 11 2009.