PAST PROJECTS

The Playhouse Theatre & Peacebuilding Academy 2018 – 2020

The Playhouse’s Theatre & Peacebuilding Academy (TPA) is an ambitious truth recovery cross border project. Through the creation of theatre and art, the project enables participants and audiences to reflect on the impact of the Conflict, as well as promoting dialogue and building techniques to engage with painful memories.

TPA is currently working with victims and survivors and representatives from historical atrocities, as well as engaging with many others impacted by the Northern Ireland Conflict.
Through our work untold stories will be explored in a safe and accessible environment, promoting healing and reconciliation in a liberating, healing and transformative way.
Our team include: Playhouse Founder & Artistic Director, National / International Project Coordinator Elaine Forde, Local Project Coordinator Liam Campbell and Administrator Cindy Le Clère.

Partner Organisations: Gerard Deane - Holywell Trust; Anthony Russell - Thomas D’Arcy McGee; David Grant, Queens University Belfast.

STELLA

STELLA is a EU Erasmus + project that creates links amongst European partners working to advocate for disabled people's rights and autonomy.
Partners from ten different countries, including The Playhouse, hve formed a strategic partnership, cooperating for innovative changes in different fields of practice and the instigation of social inclusion, diversity and staff's education. 

Fighting Words 2020

Fighting Words offers free storymaking workshops, powered by volunteer mentors. 

Fighting Words NI and The Playhouse offered eight young emerging writers the chance to partner with two local theatres to produce their very own new plays for radio.

These young emerging writers aged 14-18 worked with professional directors, actors and sound designers here at The Playhouse and Riverside Theatre Coleraine to produce the new scripts. 

PROCESSIONS 2018

PROCESSIONS 2018 celebrated one hundred years of votes for women by taking part in a living portrait of women in the 21st century.

Local textile artist Helen Quigley was one of hundred women artists being commissioned across the UK to work with organisations and communities such as The Playhouse to create one hundred centenary banners for PROCESSIONS as part of an extensive public programme of creative workshops. 

Playcraft Live 2017

Playcraft Live was an exciting new project to create the world's first play inside Minecraft.

An amazing team of writers, directors, actors and professional Minecraft builders  created a brand new play and then performed it live inside Minecraft and on stage at The Playhouse.

Every set was  built in blocks. Every character was  performed live inside Minecraft by real gamers. Every word of the play was performed live in the theatre by real actors. 

No Place Like Home 2017

A project looking at the subject of homelessness and culminating in a performance by young homeless parents from the Shepherd's View Young Parents initiative.

The show was developed from the original stories of the young parents and their experiences of homelessness and featured song, satire, drama and a very powerful message about the often overlooked issue of homelessness in this city and beyond.  

CreatEVE House 2016

The ‘hardest way to make an easy living'? The industry of ‘play'? The lonely world of free labour and inequalities? Our greatest success story?

The CreatEVE House project delivered a programme of workshops, masterclasses, exhibitions and other events on the theme of Women In The Creative Industries.

All events were free, open to all and focused discussions on various areas of creative work with contributors from various fields, men and women. 

Arts & Older Peoples Programme 2014- 2015

A Playhouse programme which invited rural community groups aged 65 + to participate in Digital Multi Media, Visual Arts, Music and Creative Writing.

Groups involved in the programme included 

• Tullyalley Cosy Club- who participated in Digital Multi Media and Creative Writing.
• Sionmills Community Forum- who explored Creative Writing and through the Music workshops completed a song about Mill life
• Faughanvale Community Project- who used Music, including dancing, writing, singing some of their own work, and participated in Multi Media workshops.

Artskills 2008-2015

Through Artskills, The Playhouse offered an innovative approach to literacy training, by using the arts as an alternative medium to develop literacy skills. 

This innovative approach is an opportunity for people  to develop skills and interests whilst engaging in meaningful, social and creative activity. 

iRemember 

iRemember was a major arts project, working with partners across Europe, led by Italian partners, including one the largest University in Europe, The University of Rome. Other partner countries include Armenia, Romania, Spain and Portugal.

It aimed to develop, share and test an innovative methodology for the teaching/learning of contemporary history. 

The project aimed to enhance teaching skills through intergenerational management techniques, storytelling and storyboarding techniques and innovative technology.