Resident Director Programme

The Abbey Theatre is committed to providing opportunities for directors to develop their craft and to expand their knowledge and practice. We are thrilled to announce our resident directors programme will return in 2024 to fulfil our aims and develop four resident directors on a year-long attachment to the theatre, commencing January 2024.

Chun an leathanach seo a léamh i nGaeilge, cliceáil anseo.

The Programme 

The programme of learning enables directors to expand their knowledge of directing through the following:

  •  At least one opportunity to be an Assistant Director on Abbey Theatre mainstage production in 2024.
  •  A full time two week professional development intensive from 19th February to 1st March 2024
  • Desk space for one year at the Abbey Theatre
  • Mentoring and monthly meetings with Associate Director, Caroline Byrne.
  • Networking sessions with Theatre Industry professionals and Abbey staff.
  • Quarterly meeting with the Artistic Director, Caitríona McLaughlin.
  • Training and development sessions with Voice and Text Director, Andrea Ainsworth at the Abbey.
  • 4 International directors masterclasses in 2024.
  • One sponsored weekend trip to an International Theatre Festival.
  • Tickets to see work at the Abbey
  • Access to day-to-day running of the theatre including sessions on casting, marketing, production and literary and new work.
  • Contribute to script meetings every six weeks with senior management and Abbey associate Artists.
  • Opportunities to be engaged and paid for rehearsed readings and community projects.

The year-long attachment to the theatre provides a stipend of €12,000 for the residency and base at the Abbey. This amounts to approximately 60 days of paid professional development at the Abbey Theatre.

The programme is design to support directors who need to supplement their residency with additional work.

Directors must be available for the two-week intensive development, as well as the masterclasses and regular script/programming meetings. Dates and full schedule to be confirmed. We are particularly interested in applicants from artists from communities that have been historically underrepresented in Irish Theatre.

All applicants must be based in Ireland in 2024.

How to Apply:

Please fill in our application below. All applicants need to complete the application in full – all questions are mandatory.

Please keep answers to 300 words maximum. If for any reason it is difficult for you to answer these questions in the format below we will accept video submissions adhering to the same word count. 

The closing date for applications is noon, 8th November 2023.  Please note, no applications will be accepted past this deadline.

 

Applicants and Selection Process 

Who Should Apply?

This is an opportunity for early career directors. You should have a minimum of three professional directing credits and have an ambition to contribute to and create work of scale.

Submission, Selection Process and Key Dates

All applications will be considered as part of the initial assessment process based on the selection criteria below.

Candidates will be shortlisted and an interview/workshop process will be undertaken.

The following selection criteria, in addition to application form responses will be applied for shortlisting:

●              Applicant’s artistic ethos

●              Applicant’s artistic output to date

●              Applicant’s interest in and experience of learning

 

A selection of directors may be invited to interview on the 27th November.

Selected directors will be notified by 4th December.

All applicants will be contacted regardless of the outcome although we cannot provide individual feedback.

The official beginning of the residency is January 2024. 

If you have any queries, please contact Aoife McCollum at  aoife.mccollum@abbeytheatre.ie  

 

Complete the application here