Following our recent open call, Branar and The Ark are delighted to announce the selected artists who will take part in our upcoming Pop-Up Poetry artist development workshops at The Ark, Dublin.

In the workshops, led by Marc Mac Lochlainn, artists will play and explore the worlds and words of early years children through poetry, rhyme, nonsense verse and song.

The selected participating artists are: (in alphabetical order) Joe Brennan, Luke Casserly, Helen Gregg, Orla McGovern, Shane McGrath, Chandrika Narayanan-Mohan, Lasairfhíona Ní Chonaola, HK Ní Shioradáin, Sian Quill, Molly Twomey, Jen Wallace, and Grace Wilentz.

Pop-Up Poetry for 'Lil Peeps commissions new and original poetry, rhymes and songs by contemporary artists based in Ireland that resonates, engages with and inspires our youngest citizens. Stay tuned for news of the next phase of Pop-Up Poetry for ‘lil Peeps Volume 2 over the coming months.

We had a wonderful time with our Tar Isteach workshops in Branar HQ last week! A week full of sharing ideas, processes, games and stories.

The Tar Isteach workshops were facilitated by by Marc Mac Lochlainn, Jonathan Gunning, and Miquel Barceló.

Supported by the Arts Council of Ireland.

Branar and NIE will be making the New Victory Theatre our home for a few weeks! Our show, Grand Soft Day, is heading to New Vicotry in NYC next January for their 23/24 season.

We can’t wait to perform for NYC families on their historic stage. More info: https://bit.ly/3X65zPz

Grand Soft day is a co-production by Branar and New International Encounter (NIE) Commissioned by The Ark Dublin

Supported by the Arts Council of Ireland, Arts Council of England, Culture Ireland, and Foras na Gaeilge.

We are thrilled to announce that we will be presenting 'You'll See...' at this years Galway International Arts Festival. 'You'll See...' was sreated in 2022 as part of the #Ulysses22 project, and explores James Joyce’s epic story of one day in one city.

You'll See... runs from the 25th - 30th July in the Bank of Ireland Theatre at 1pm and 6pm. Tickets on sale now at https://www.giaf.ie/festival/event/youll-see

Originally commissioned by and produced as part of Ulysses 2.2 a collaborative project between ANU, Landmark Productions and Museum of Literature Ireland

Photo of the Meitheal group that travelled over to Edinburgh last week for the Edinburgh International Children's Festival. Four days of seeing shows, attending talks and networking!

Standing: Orla Henihan, Linda Geraghty, Mags Keoghan, Jess Rowell, Orla Clogher, Phillida Eves, Liam McCarty, Elaine Donovan, Selma Daniels, Claire O'Neill, Michelle Cahill.

Front Row: Noel Minogue, Niamh Ní Fhlatharta, Neasa Ní Chuanaigh, Caoimhe Whelan, Grainne Hope.

Devised and initiated by Branar, Meitheal is a pilot scheme funded by the Arts Council of Ireland

Tar Isteach is an invitation to play for theatre makers and performers* from under-served communities based in the West of Ireland who are interested in working in the area of arts for children and young people.

Deadline for applications is 11:59pm on Wednesday, 31st May, 2023.

You can apply in writing or by audio/video (for details on video/audio applications, see link above)

To send a written application please use the application form at this link: https://www.jotform.com/231092769370359

If you prefer to apply with an audio or video file, please send using Wetransfer (size limit 2GB). See: wetransfer.com 

Team picture from the opening night of The Table at the Abbey Theatre last Thursday evening! We are over the moon to be bringing this show to Dublin audiences. Thank you so much to all the audience members we've had so far. We're looking forward to welcome even more into Gort na Goille for the last 2 weeks of our run. There are limited tickets available so get yours before it's too late!

Schools performances run weekdays from the 1st - 16th March. Public Performances run every weekend from the 1st - 18th March (excluding March 17th).

Written by Christian O’Reilly and directed by Marc Mac Lochlainn, The Table is performed by an ensemble cast.

Rehearsals are underway! In the little bike shop at the end of town, a world of adventure awaits. Rothar travels to Belfast for the Belfast Children's Festival next week!

📍 Cultúrlann McAdam Ó Fiaich, Belfast
📆 March 4th & 5th, 2023
🎟 https://youngatart.ticketsolve.com/ticketbooth/shows/873641897 (link in bio)

Rothar is produced in association with Drama at University of Galway and Baboró International Arts Festival for Children as part of Creative Europe's Mapping Project.

On Saturday, we finished our run of The Table at the Town Hall Theatre, Galway. Thank you so much to our Galway audiences who travelled to Gort na Coille with us. Next stop is the Peacock stage at the Abbey Theatre Dublin, from the 1st - 18th March, excluding March 17th.

The Table is written by Christian O’Reilly and directed by Marc Mac Lochlainn, The Table is performed by an ensemble cast.

The Table is kindly supported by the Arts Council of Ireland, Galway City Council, Galway County Council and Foras na Gaeilge

Image by Anita Murphy

The second year of Meitheal has begun! This year, we will be expanding the programme through our new producer strands, bringing our total number of participants up to 16!

Following a call out for participants, we now have 4 Nurture Producers taking part in the programme; Michelle Cahill, Gráinne Hope, Mags Keohane, and Claire O'Neill.

We have also introduced 2 new 'Producer in Residence' awards to support the professional development of two new producers, Elaine Donovan and Caoimhe Whelan.

With these residencies, we are aiming to deepen and advance the knowledge and experience of an emerginf producer while providing the support and insight of working within a company and a venue context.

Meitheal is a pilot scheme funded by the Arts Council Ireland, and devised and initiated by Branar.

The whole team are gathered around the table today for for our first readthrough of 'The Table'! We are so excited to start rehearsing this show ahead of its premiere in February.

With this new project, the team at Branar sensitively explore the impact of the Civil War through this resonant story of how a family can be divided. Written by Christian O'Reilly and directed by Branar's own Marc Mac Lochlain, 'The Table' is an exploration of family, history, and language, coming to Galway and Dublin this spring. Don't miss out and book your tickets!

'The Table' is at the Town Hall Theatre, Galway, from February 14th-18th, before moving to the Peacock Stage at the Abbey Theatre, Dublin, from March 1st-18th.

And that's a wrap on How to Catch a Star's trip to Theatre Hullabaloo in Darlington, UK.

The boy flew the Branar team over in his rocket for a magical run of 39 shows from the 2nd-24th of December. Finishing today, the Branar team will be home just in time for Santa to come!

A huge thank you to everyone at Theatre Hulabaloo for looking after us. Merry Christmas from the Boy and all at Branar. We look forward to showing what more wonder lies in store for 2023.

We are thrilled to announce our new show “The Table” coming early 2023 to the Town Hall Theatre Galway and The Peacock Stage at the Abby Theatre, Dublin.

Branar sensitively explore the impact of the Civil War through this resonant story of how a family can be divided. Written by Christian O’Reilly and directed by Marc Mac Lochlainn, The Table is performed by an ensemble cast.

The Table will be coming to the Town Hall Theatre Galway from the 14th – 18th February 2023 and to the Peacock Theatre, Dublin from the 1st – 18th March 2023

Supported by The Arts Council of Ireland, Galway City Council and Foras na Gaeilge.

We are thrilled to be launching a new Producer Development Strand as part of Meitheal.

Applications are open until 4:00pm, December 14th. You can apply at https://form.jotform.com/223206022454342

Are you a producer who is working, or interested in working, across the area of performing arts for young audiences? Are you keen to expand your producing practice or learn more about working this area? This Meitheal strand supports independent producers to develop their knowledge and skills in this area and to build relationships with artists in a supported environment.

Open to both emerging and experienced producers seeking to move into or further develop their skills in the field of performing arts for young audiences.

We are looking to appoint up to 3 new board members to work with the existing board and staff to help us achieve our strategic goals goals as we implement our new strategic plan (2022 - 2025). We are looking to extend and deepen the skills and expertise on our board. Specifically, we are looking for individuals with the following skills:

Legal expertise

HR

Communications

The Board meets formally every 2 months (including our AGM) and board positions are undertaken on a voluntary basis.

For an informal discussion about how you can contribute to Branar’s future please contact Marc Mac Lochlainn at info@branar.ie

You'll See... finished its run in the Cork Midsummer Festival a few days ago! A huge thank you to the wonderful audience members who joined us as we explored James Joyce's epic story in a very Branar way!

In case you missed the live show, you can still catch the film version of You'll See... online and take part in #MyBloomsday where we invite children throughout Ireland to celebrate and tell us about their Bloomsday, 100 years in from the book's original publication date.

Branar HQ was alive with activity last Wednesday when we had our very first Meitheal artists day!

Artists from across all three strands of Meitheal came to the office for a day of workshops, talks, and skill-sharing. We were delighted to be able to meet up in person as a group as we have previously only met digitally.

Having spent the day hearing about each artist's upcoming projects, we could not be more excited about the future of Meitheal.

This Bloomsday (June 16th 2022), we are asking young people from 2nd to 6th class to tell us all about a day in their life. And teachers, it's a schoolday – so we need your help!

As a follow-on activity from watching our You’ll See… film, we want to capture the diversity of lived experiences of young people from around the island of Ireland and put their voice and perspective at the heart of this day. Schools from across the country are taking part, and the submissions will be presented as an online archive later this year.

More info here

How to Catch a Star finished its run in the Irish Arts Centre last Sunday. A huge thank you to everyone who came to see our show and to the team at the Irish Arts Centre for looking after us. We were also delighted to have How To Catch A Star included in the New York Times list of "What to Do in New York City in May"!

The How to Catch a Star team now has a few days rest before heading to Ottawa for the Ottawa Children's festival from the 19th - 23rd May

This tour is supported by Culture Ireland, Arts Council Ireland, Galway City Council, and Galway County Council.

Branar are going to Cork this Summer for the Cork Midsummer Festival! We will be premiering our new live show You'll See... from June 16th - June 19th. Tickets available here

James Joyce’s epic story of one day in one city is brought to life in this inventive new show, bringing Ireland’s most notorious book to audiences aged 8 and upwards, and to all those who haven’t got around to reading it yet.

More information coming for schools soon.

We are WHEELY excited to be touring Rothar to schools around Galway as part of our 21st birthday celebrations.
We will be touring from the 27th of April to the 13th of May. We have a very limited number of spaces left so if you would like to book the show for your school or would like more info, please email info@branar.ie

Rothar first premiered in Baboró 2021, and now we are thrilled to be bringing it to students all over the county.
There will be more birthday surprises coming later in the year so keep an eye out.

Supported by Galway County Council and Foras na Gaeilge

Introducing our brand new strategy 2022-2025

We here at Branar are delighted to launch our new strategy for the company for 2022 to 2025. Alongside our new strategy, we have also launched our new Branarfesto! This can be found on our website and is available in both Irish and English. To read more click here.

Branar are delighted to return to international presentation this May after over 2 years. How to Catch a Star will tour to Irish Arts Center, New York, from the 4th–15th May, and Ottawa Children’s Festival, Canada, from the 19th–24th May. We are excited to be presenting How to Catch a Star as part of the Irish Arts Center, New York’s opening season, in their brand new beautiful building, you can book tickets here: https://irishartscenter.org/event/branar-how-to-catch-a-star

Plans are developing for our new show for early years. It’s about the weather, about rain and snow and hot and cold and splashing in puddles and putting on wellies. It will be presented inside a beautiful, immersive, forest like installation. Further development was held in autumn 2022 with the show opening in October. Grand Soft Day is a co-production with NIE (New International Encounter). Suitable for ages 3 -6 (TBC)

1 book. 1 year. 18 artistic experiments.

We are delighted to be working with Anu Productions, Landmark Productions and Museum of Literature Ireland to present Ulysses 2.2 and inviting children throughout Ireland to work with us!

"Yes, by Jove, Mr. Dedalus said. That will be worth seeing, faith."

Ulysses is a year-long, nationwide odyssey of creative responses to the 18 episodes that chronicle an ordinary day in the life of Leopold Bloom. Find out more at www.ulysses22.ie

Ulysses 2.2 is curated, presented and produced by ANU, Landmark Productions and Museum of Literature Ireland and is funded by an Open Call award from Arts Council Ireland.

Branar are delighted to commission composer Moisés Mas Garcia & filmmaker Alice McDowell to create new work for children aged 2 -5 years with support from the Arts Council Ireland Commissions Award 2021.

Moisés and Alice visited the children & staff of Ulla Beag Early Learning, Co. Clare, last month where the children introduced them to their environments and the sounds within them.

This new work will be disseminated as part of Fuaimrian, Branar's exploratory digital arts project, more info coming on this soon.

We're rocking on up to the Belfast Children's Festival this March with Rockin' Rhymes! 🎤🥁🎹🎸

Rockin' Rhymes is a show for music lovers aged 2 to 102. It is a rock-n-roll adventure, performed by a band of five musicians, featuring nursery rhymes as you’ve never heard them before.

Rockin' Rhymes runs in Cultúrlann McAdam Ó Fiaich on Saturday the 12th of March. More information on tickets can be found here: www.youngatart.co.uk/whats-on/rockin-rhymes

As well as Rockin' Rhymes, Branar will also be taking part in a Talking TYA "Learning to Listen" panel as part of the festival. We will have more information on this soon so stay tuned!

Rockin' Rhymes is produced in association with the Pavilion Theatre and Roscommon Arts Centre

We are delighted to open applications for Meitheal, a new creative production services initiative by Branar, made to support artists creating work for young audiences.

Meitheal supports are divided into two distinct strands to help artists at different stages in the development of their work. These strands are “Seed and Sow” and “Nurture and Grow”.

“Seeds and Sow” is for early concept development across the performing arts disciplines.

“Nurture and Grow” is for further development of potential productions.

Application forms can be found at www.branar.ie/meitheal. The deadline for submissions is Monday the 31st of January at 4pm.

Thanks to everyone who came to our shows or worked with Branar this year! We've put together just a few of our favourite figures from this year.

117 live performances.
3,463 streams globally.
35 collaborating partners.
140 artists and creative professionals.
1,288 classrooms reached nationally.
4 commisons.

Here's to an even bigger and better 2022!

We are turning 21 years old in 2022 and we have a year of celebrations and exciting projects planned 😎

Thank you to everyone who has supported Branar in our first 20 years! Without your support we would not be able to create wonderful arts experiences for children.

As part of Branar’s 21st year celebrations, we will be posting throwback photos from past productions and events all year long so keep an eye on our social media or use #Branar21.