Arts Council of Ireland

Theatre Bursary

Round 1, 2023

Over 2023 - 2024, Al Bellamy will be working to develop their practice as an inclusive Director holistically, working on Disability inclusion in theatre and creating accessible work. Engaging with the process of theatre-making from writing to final production, Al will utilise the resources of Birds of Paradise (Scotland), Disabled Artists & Disabled Academics Campaign to further research and engagement.

This holistic process of engaging in accessible theatre will be enriched with mentorships from Jody O’Neill, Aisling Byrne of Run of the Mill, and Dorothy Grace Laity of the Irish Equity Executive.

In November and December 2023 Al will work with Draíocht Blanchardstown in 2 shared conversations where they will be developing accessible practices in the venue and creating a workplace that welcomes Disabled artists and caters to all accessibility requirements. Engaging in this conversation to understand venue requirements and to share findings of research and mentorships with venue and staff. These conversations will be led by Emer McGowan and engagement with Draíocht’s EDI Officer.

In the months of February - May 2024 research will be collected and Al will create a responsive presentation on accessible theatre from this Bursary which will be shared in Draíocht in May 2024 with the theatre community.

This work will develop my practice as a Director from writing, to development, to production. It will also allow me contact with artists who are interested in creating work that is accessible to all. I will develop further as an artist interested in accessibility to engage with Disabled and Neurodiverse artists of a variety of backgrounds and diagnoses and build a more diverse form of accessible engagement in my future work. This Bursary will allow me to redefine theatre making and accessibility as a holistic practice which will benefit my practice and the practice of other theatre-makers.