Madam, – Could we please move on from the tiring debate regarding a future home for our national theatre? A genuine controversy of far greater concern is brewing within the Abbey itself where management is considering the closure of its in-house workshop, possibly axeing its carpentry and scenic arts departments. My understanding is that upwards of 20 jobs are at risk.
And the work of these employees would then be outsourced to England or beyond. The Abbey’s remit is to encourage all forms of theatre practice and that includes set-building and the scenic arts. Surely the collective knowledge within the Abbey’s workshop is invaluable for the next generation of Irish designers and artists? Taxpayers’ money would be better spent saving the careers and livelihoods of the talented individuals working in the Abbey’s workshop than on costly and wasteful feasibility studies which, let’s face it, will achieve nothing. – Yours, etc,