What would you change about the Leaving Cert? It’s finally time to answer that question.
Join Freshly Ground Theatre for the examination to end all examinations: an explosion of digital art, representing the voices of secondary school students in an exam year like no other. A meeting of film, sound art, personal response and collective conversation. We’re letting the words of real students and real teachers tell us what is broken and what needs to change.
Post-show, it’s over to you. The key changemakers, students themselves, will lead us in this urgent conversation. Together we can pave the way for new beginnings. We’ll start with a blank page.
This is a Blank Page, presented by Freshly Ground Theatre in collaboration with an ensemble of young artists, is a remote online piece that is experienced through a website platform and embedded Zoom call. It consists of a radio play, film and workshop. This is a Blank Page was created in collaboration with a group of students sitting the Leaving Certificate, through workshops and interviews in school settings. These student’s voices, and their opinions on the Leaving Certificate system, are represented through various mediums, and the audience has a chance to hear these voices and respond to them, aiming to creatively answer the question: does the Leaving Cert system need to change, and why?
You will be sent a link 1 hour before the show with an access code for the digital website platform. If you click this link at your specified show time, you will be admitted to the online experience, which includes listening to an audio piece with an accompanying written exercise, watching a short film, and participating in a LIVE Zoom workshop with our company and young ensemble, responding to the themes of the piece. You will be guided through this experience and our team will be on hand to help with any technical issues.
If you book before 5pm on Thurs 21st Oct, you will be posted a worksheet which you will complete during the show.
Schools Shows: Booking Direct with the Company 19 – 22 Oct.
Public Performances October:
Wednesday 27th: 6pm & 8pm
Thursday 28th: 6pm & 8pm
Friday 29th: 6pm & 8pm
Saturday 30th: 2pm & 7pm
Presented by Freshly Ground Theatre: Bronwen Barrett, Vlad Gurdis, Michelle Henry and Martha Knight
Young Ensemble: Emma Corrigan, Heather Jones, Robbie Imperial, Adam McDowell and Trudy Nolan
Young Ensemble Facilitator/Dramaturg: Seán Farrelly
Project Mentors: Jenny Macdonald and Joe Salvatore
Executive Producer: Hannah Mullan
Line Producer: Sophie Coote
Film
Devised by Freshly Ground Theatre (Bronwen Barrett, Vlad Gurdis, Michelle Henry and Martha Knight) with Samuel Coyle
Co-Directors: Vlad Gurdis and Michelle Henry
Performers: Bronwen Barrett and Samuel Coyle
Dramaturg: Seán Farrelly
Filmmaker, Film Editor and Web Designer: Annette Barnaville – FINK
Sound Designer/Composer: Martha Knight
Lighting Designer: Cain Lynch
AV Designer: Dermot Marrey
Mask design and build: Tadashi Kato
Stage Manager: Shannon Cowan
Production Manager: Veronica Foo
Lighting Operator: Ciara Meehan
Sound Recordist: Tara Perry
Crew: Laura Rainsford and Gavin Kennedy
Radio
Devised by Freshly Ground Theatre (Bronwen Barrett, Vlad Gurdis, Michelle Henry and Martha Knight) with Samuel Coyle
Co-Directors: Vlad Gurdis, Michelle Henry and Martha Knight
Sound Designer/Composer: Martha Knight
Performers: Bronwen Barrett and Samuel Coyle
Dramaturg: Seán Farrelly
Sound Engineer: Domhnaill Corrigan
Workshop
Young Ensemble: Emma Corrigan, Heather Jones, Robbie Imperial, Adam McDowell and Trudy Nolan
Young Ensemble Facilitators: Seán Farrelly and Michelle Henry
Co-Facilitator: Bronwen Barrett
Photo by Nagle Digital Creative
Co-produced & supported by The Civic’s artist in residence programme.
Funded by the Arts Council of Ireland and South Dublin County Council.
Supported by Tallaght Community Arts.
Thanks:
Deansrath Community College, Larkin Community College, Tallaght Community School, Tallaght Community Arts, Firhouse Educate Together and Giant Wolf Youth Theatre.
Jennifer Webster, Tony Fegan, The Civic Team, CONTACT Studios, Martin Hawkes, Catherine Byrne, Sarah Fitzgibbon, Veronica Coburn, Victoria Durrer, William Barlow, Tony Goode, Sister Catherine Kelly, Máire Higgins, Michelle Fallon, Siobhán Lee, Calantha Forde, Lloyd Collins, Laura Henry, all student participants, Joe Holohan
