Stage

Dublin Theatre Festival asks audiences to choose a play for it to stage

EU’s new Be Spectactive! project aims to involve audiences in processes behind the arts

Dublin Theatre Festival: Willie White, surrounded by actors, at the launch of the 2018 event. Photograph: Cyril Byrne

Mon Apr 8 2019 - 10:00

Dublin Theatre Festival wants its audiences to get involved behind the scenes by choosing a play for this year's event.

The festival is looking for people to join an "active spectators group" that will meet in Dublin about three times this year, beginning in May. Anyone between the ages of 18 and 25 can apply. Willie White, the organisation's director, will show them a selection of potential projects and ask them to select which one becomes part of the 2019 festival, which runs from September 26th until October 13th.

“I would like as many people as possible to experience theatre, and I’m eager for the public to get more involved in shaping our festival programme,” he says. “I want our festival to reflect the city it comes from and to welcome new voices, new stories and new ideas. This initiative will open up the festival in exciting new ways.”

The project is part of Be Spectactive!, a European Union project to encourage audience engagement, in part by involving them in the processes behind the arts. The scheme is also running in Italy, Portugal, Hungary, Austria, Spain, Croatia, Romania, Slovakia, Serbia, Czech Republic, Belgium, Sweden and Slovenia.

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To apply, email info@dublintheatrefestival.com, with Be Spectactive! in the subject line, and let them know in no more than 300 words why you would like to become a member of the active spectators group. The deadline is Friday, April 19th. This year’s full festival programme will be announced in late July.

Correction: an earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that anyone over the age of 18 can apply. In fact, the age range is 18 to 25.

EuWillie White