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DLI NEWSLETTER 1 JULY 2021
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 As we head into the second half of 2021 and beyond, the DLI has good news indeed for all our members of the amateur drama society. We submitted our application to the Arts Council’s Amateur & Voluntary Practice Award/Theatre in May. Last week we received confirmation of the funding we asked for the projects outlined below: DLI Chairman Willie O'Brien is pictured delivering the good news on Facebook.
Our drama community will appreciate that, having just received this excellent news, we cannot yet provide specific dates for the planned events. We will happily keep you all informed over the coming months! The DLI Board showed huge commitment and and effort in securing this award. The Finance Committee of Willie O'Brien, Karen Carleton and Ollie Kenny, and DLI PRO , Joanne Keane, deserve particular recognition for their Trojan work on this.
In other news, the ADCI/DLI Joint '6 & 6' Committee will meet on Sunday 11 July, when the important issue of the 2021 One Act Festival circuit is up for discussion. The hope is that it will proceed under very different circumstances in the current ever-changing Covid climate, but we will have to await a decision on that.
WORKSHOPS
DLI will support 30 Outreach Workshops on a national basis, beginning this autumn. Thanks to those groups who have already expressed an interest in bringing a workshop to their local area. There will be further opportunity to put in an application with us this autumn.
DLI WINTER SCHOOL 2022
We are delighted to reintroduce this event to the annual DLI Calendar, after an absence of many years. The school will be held over one weekend in Feb/March 2022 in Sligo, and will be in conjunction with Blue Raincoat TC. More details will follow in due course.
DLI SUMMER SCHOOL 2021
Our 55th DLI Summer School will take place in UL 31 July -7 August. As ever, our courses are led by top class tutors. Covid regulations will be strictly observed – Rapid Antigen Testing will be available on site and a Covid Compliance Officer will be on campus for the week. Course details on www.dli.ie All enquiries to summerschool@dli.ie.
NEW WRITING
In collaboration with Livin’ Dred TC, and Fishamble, the New Play Company, a number of the plays (Runners Up and Highly Commended) from the 2020 DLI /ADCI Playwriting Competition will be workshopped over designated weekends during Winter 2021/Spring 2022. See below for the announcement of this year’s competition.
COMMUNICATIONS, PR STRATEGY, IT DEVELOPMENT
Our new Communication Team, led by DLI PRO Joanne Keane, will update and improve communication to members, adding to and adapting the website and encouraging more interaction with groups, individuals and all those interested in amateur drama in Ireland.
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OIREACHTAS JOINT COMMITTEE MEETING
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 Drama League of Ireland (DLI) represented by Ollie Kenny (pictured), Amateur Drama Council of Ireland, represented by Brendan McGowan and AIMS, represented by Rob Donnelly, met the Oireachtas Committee yesterday to make a strong case for ongoing funding for amateur drama.
Thanks for your support Malcolm Byrne, Catherine Martin T.D., Oireachtas Joint Committee, Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media.
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UPDATES FROM THEATRE FORUM
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 Arts Events Guidelines – Update
As decisions have been announced about indoor dining being deferred until later in July, levels of uncertainty around what’s possible for arts events have also risen sharply. Here’s an overview of the guidelines that are coming and those currently in place so you and your teams can consider the various announcements and implications for your programme in context.
Since 7 June…
Arts Events Indoors – maximum of 50 people
Since 7 June, cinemas, theatres and arts centres (only in so far as they operate as a theatre or cinema), have been able to open with a maximum of 50 people, in groups of no more than 6, attending arts events. Social distancing of 2 metres applies in fixed seating with arrangements to ensure public safety and no intermingling of groups takes place. In larger capacity arts venues, it’s a maximum of 100 people where strict 2 metre, seated, social distancing and one-way controls for entry and exit can be implemented.
Arts centres with gallery spaces and cultural indoor attractions, as detailed in Schedule 2 of the current regulations, can provide general admittance to the public.
Arts Events Outdoors – maximum of 100 people
From the same time in early June, the numbers now permitted at organised outdoor arts events are a maximum of 100 for the majority of events, with a maximum of 200 for outdoor venues and stadia with a minimum accredited capacity of 5,000.
From 5 July…
Arts Events Indoors – no change from the maximum of 50 people
The numbers of people attending indoors arts events will not increase as originally planned and remain at the current level of 50 people, in groups of no more than 6. Social distancing of 2 metres and fixed seating continue to apply with arrangements to ensure public safety and no intermingling of groups in place. In larger capacity arts venues, the maximum of 100 people with strict 2 metre seated social distancing and one-way controls for entry and exit remain in place too. There’s no change either for Arts Centres with gallery spaces and cultural indoor attractions providing general admittance to the public.
Other indoor activities – reopening plan on hold until 19 July
Note the significant change that indoor activities, other than those detailed above, will not yet proceed as expected on 5 July. These plans for indoor activities including workshops, classes, training, exercise and dance classes taking place in a theatre or arts centre are now pending the implementation of a system to verify vaccination or immunity. The Government expects to devise their implementation plan by 19 July.
Events Outdoors – maximum increased to 200 people
The numbers permitted at organised outdoor events will increase as planned, to a maximum of 200 attendees for the majority of stadia, and to 500 for stadia/venues with capacity greater than 5,000, but with all the appropriate protective measures in place.
Pilot events…
You’ll have heard about several sport and cultural pilot live events taking place in the last month with bigger audiences than are possible at general indoor and outdoor art events. The purpose of these pilots, taking place with the support of the Department, is to assess logistical arrangements to implement necessary protective measures. This will inform the Department’s guidance for venues due to reopen later in July and August.
Presentation of Festivals and Live Events
The Arts Council and Fáilte Ireland have come together in partnership to develop guidelines in line with the government’s COVID-19 Resilience and Recovery 2021-The Path Ahead to help festival and event organisers minimise the risk of the transmission of COVID-19 at festivals and individual events, and to rebuild confidence and trust among attendees.The guidance is designed to support festivals and event organisers in the preparation, execution and safe presentation of festivals and events during the pandemic; it also contains response planning, helpful links, templates and examples for users. A link to the guidance and its appendices is now available to you on the Arts Council website.www.artscouncil.ie
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 DLI Summer School Director, Ollie Kenny is pleased to announce that a small number of Half Scholarships (Value €225 each) are now available for Course A Tread Softly with Catherine Sheridan, and Course G Technical Theatre with Pius McGrath. Pius has just supplied the following details about his course:
Technical Theatre
This course will help the student take a script from a piece text to onstage presentation, exploring the technical elements that affect the sensory aspects of Theatre through Lighting, Sound, Set design and audiovisual practice.
It will explore how to create production values under the constraints of time, budget and available equipment. Suitable for complete beginners and experienced production personnel alike. This will be a blended learning course, exploring the areas of:
- Lighting Design - Theory and Practice.
- Introduction to QLab and its applications for Live Performance.
- Video Projection Mapping and Multimedia Interfacing for Theatre.
- Production Design and Implementation.
All enquiries to summerschool@dli.ie
Course details on www.dli.ie/theatretraining
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 Launch of the competition for the DLI/ADCI Playwriting Award, in association with The Ramor Theatre, Virginia
The Drama League of Ireland and the Amateur Drama Council of Ireland (Joint Committee) are delighted to announce the launch of the DLI/ADCI Playwriting Award, in association with The Ramor Theatre, Virginia, Co Cavan for 2021.We welcome the sponsorship of The Ramor this year, and look forward to a mutually beneficial partnership.
As you all know by now, the purpose of the competition is to promote, support and encourage improvement in play writing on the one-act circuit in Ireland and to inspire excellence in writing plays.
The rules and details of the competition are set out below. The Joint Committee would like to thank Walker Ewart for developing the competition which has been hugely successful over the last number of years and so welcomed by all the budding authors out there. We also wish to thank Anne Mekitarian DLI, Trisha Keane ADCI and Walker for agreeing to take on the very important task of judging the plays submitted.
Wishing you all a very fruitful few months of writing!!
Issued by the DLI/ADCI Joint Committee, June 2021.
Competition Rules and Guidelines
Closing Date
Entries for the competition for original new plays which have not been performed in public before 2021 should be received before Friday 10 September 2021.
Eligibility Criteria:
Those amateur playwrights who were born in Ireland, have gained Irish citizenship or who have lived in Ireland for a minimum of three years.
An original play which has not been performed in public, and which has not received funding from another source.
The panel can only judge one play per entrant.
The Judging Panel:
The judging panel will be made up of 3 members selected by the 6/6 Committee.
There will be an independent Chairman, a member of DLI and a member of ADCI who will oversee the judging of the competition. The panel for the 2021 competition will be: Chair Walker Ewart, Anne Mekitarian representing DLI and Trisha Keane representing ADCI.
Judging the Plays:
The play will be judged solely on the quality and potential of the writing.
The judging panel will provide the playwright with short feedback.
In addition to an overall winner, at the discretion of the judges, some plays may be ‘highly commended.’
The Award:
The overall winner for the year will be announced on the final night of the All-Ireland One Act Finals. The decision of the judges, overseen by the 6/6 Committee, will be final.
The winner will be awarded a week’s residency in the Tyrone Guthrie Centre at Annaghmakerrig, Co. Monaghan sponsored by the Ramor Theatre, Virginia, Co Cavan. S/he will be expected to present a short report and some evidence of the work done during their residency.
The panel reserve the right NOT to award the prize where the overall quality is deemed to be not sufficiently good.
In addition to the winning, performance ready plays, there will be a short-list of up to 6 plays which are ‘works in progress’ and which, with a little more work and guidance, could be made performance ready.
Advice to Entrants:
Advice on the presentation of plays for the competition can be accessed on either the DLI or ADCI websites, or through contacting the Chair directly.
Plays should be forwarded to walker.ewart@gmail.com before the closing date for entry.
Contacts for queries:
Mairead Broderick :Chair of DLI/ADCI Joint Committee at:
adcisecretary18@gmail.com
Ollie Kenny: Secretary of DLI/ADCI Joint Committee at:
6and6secretary@gmail.com
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ALICE'S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND
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