THIS year’s Kilkee Playwright Festival is responding to the climate emergency and includes online playwriting workshops for stage, radio and a discussion on developing ecological performances’ in community spaces.

Jenny Bassett, who curates the Kilkee Playwright Festival said, “We feel privileged to have highly experienced and extremely talented, award winning dramatists facilitating workshops.

“Added to that we shall be focusing on the most urgent and important issue of our time – the climate crisis.

“It is hoped that the seeds from this year’s festival grow to mighty trees and go on to be developed and performed at next year’s festival.

“Because we are funded by Clare County Council we have adopted a Pay What You Can pricing policy so that everyone has access to participating.”

On October 10 from 6.30 pm to 10 pm Gavin Kostik the Literary Manager with FISHAMBLE will be running an online playwriting workshop for stage.

Participants shall have the chance to engage with Fishamble’s Tiny Plays for a Brighter Future, where the focus of the workshop is ecology through drama.

During the workshop participants will read and discuss successful works, and write their own tiny plays. Just bring paper, pen and enthusiasm, and be ready to engage.

From Tuesday October 11 to Thursday 13, from 8pm to 10 pm the focus is on writing radio drama based on actual events with David Morley.

During the workshop Morley will discuss his writing process using primary research, paying particular attention to his play ‘Smoking Guns’, as well as writing for radio as a technique.

Developing from the first workshop and taking place on Wednesday and Thursday October 12 and 13 starting at 8pm these 2 hour workshops will equip participants with insights, tips and feedback on their work.

On Friday October 14 from 8.30 pm to 9.30 pm the discussion on Eco Scenography with Dr Tanja Beer shall be of particular interest to growers, community groups, poets, musicians, environmentalists and theatre makers.

Eco Scenography merges gardening with performance where ‘The Living Stage ‘ combines stage design, horticulture and community engagement to create recyclable, biodegradable, edible and biodiverse performance spaces. It is a direct response to ‘what can theatre and performance design do?’ in the face of increasing environmental concerns.

For all events please email Kilkeeplaywrightfest@gmail.com  and put workshop in the header. All updates are posted on Kilkee Playwright Festival facebook page.