Articles and Reports

THE ADUNTAS PROJECT

This is a report on our Adúntas Project of free workshops for young people in schools in Kildare. It was funded by the HSe as an initiative to promote positive mental health and wellbeing in young people.

Come Seeling Night: Notes for Leaving Cert students and teachers on 'Macbeth'

Here are notes on our interpretation of Shakespeare’s ‘Macbeth’ arising out of our production on the play in May 2018. The notes are for Leaving Cert students and teachers, but may also be of interest to a general reader.

Written by Peter Hussey, May 2018.

Personal Testimonies: young people's reasons for being in youth theatre

In this document are gathered statements from young people involved in Kildare Youth Theatre in response to the question, ‘What does Kildare Youth Theatre mean to you?’ They span seven years, from 2008 to 2015.

Many of those who wrote statements have gone on to third level acting degree programmes, or film studies, or are working in the creative industries today (January 2015).

Others have found the support to come out, to challenge injustice and champion the marginalized, and to attempt positive social change.

Some have had to emigrate, and others are working with the youth theatre now as leaders and artists. The more recent statements are from young people currently involved in the projects.

Why stage Shakespeare with young people?
by Peter Hussey

Classic texts, particularly the plays of Shakespeare, provide challenging artistic encounters for both young people and directors. They are a rich source of material for personal and aesthetic growth. This short article makes a case for producing Shakespeare with youth theatres.

Notes for Imaginers by Peter Hussey

Notes for Imaginers explores the geography of liberating theatre in the context of adult education, community development and social justice. It looks at those practices of theatre that attempt to engage the audience in liberating reflective discourse: performances that are created by the audience as much as by the performers – a drama that depends upon the release of a collective imagination in order for it to exist. The article is published as Chapter 2 in Unsettling The Horses: interrogating Adult Education Perspectives (ed Anne Ryan and Tony Walsh) by MACE: Maynooth Adult and Community Education, 2004.

The War Against People by Dr Bríd Connolly and Peter Hussey

An exploration of the role of adult education for critical democracy explored through a dialogue between a theatre-maker and a feminist. The place of applied theatre, and of participatory theatre, is examined in relation to encouraging people to resist the erosion of their rights and values.
This was published in the Irish journal of Adult and Community Education, The Adult Learner 2013 edited by Rob Mark.

The Jesus of Rio Syndrome by Peter Hussey

This article examines the tendency towards colonisation of audiences and learners alike in the fileds of theatre and of education.

This was published in the Irish journal of Adult and Community Education, The Adult Learner 1999 edited by Liam Bane.

Youth Theatre and Suicide Prevention by Peter Hussey

Can engagement in theatre really help prevent suicide? Here, Peter Hussey details a number of transferrable, life-enhancing skills that young people can develop uniquely through the practice of good youth theatre.

Headspace Project Report (2012) by TSA Consultancy for Kildare Youth Services

Headspace was an initiative of Kildare Youth Services and Crooked House over 2 years in North Kildare which used theatre programmes to explore the impact of negative mental health on young people’s lives.

Life Force Project Report (2009) by Patricia Hunt for Blue Drum

The core focus of the Life Force Project was concerned with enabling community groups from Tallaght, Swords and Ringsend, in particular young people, to examine suicide, parasuicide and preventative suicide related issues through a theatre programme. The project was also concerned with developing the knowledge and skill base of the community groups in terms of suicide prevention strategies. This report was commissioned by Blue Drum, the project organisers.