An Táin Arts Centre, Dundalk

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Theatre Company in Residence

An Táin Arts Centre’s theatre residency programme supports emerging companies with the resources to make new work. As part of the residency, companies are provided with rehearsal space, technical and marketing support, dramaturgical advice and a production stipend. 

Encore Productions (2019 – present)

Encore is a theatre company based in RehabCare Resource Centre in Dundalk – a centre which supports adults with intellectual disabilities in living the life of their choice as independently as possible.  Under the leadership of Sandy Sneddon, Encore has to date produced 14 shows and a feature film. Of the residency at An Táin Arts Centre Sandy says ‘this residency is the culmination of many years of hard work by all the service users and staff at RehabCare in Dundalk. For the actors to have their skills recognised in this way is a validation of their talents and efforts.’

Director of An Táin Arts Centre Paul Hayes says ‘I am delighted to announce Encore Productions as our next company in residence. They have been working in the Arts Centre for the past number of years and I have been hugely impressed with the standard of their productions. Their seemingly endless enthusiasm for theatre, coupled with Sandy’s artistic vision ensures this should be a very successful collaboration.’

An Táin Arts Centre’s theatre residency programme supports companies with the resources to make new work. As part of the residency, companies are provided with rehearsal space, technical and marketing support, dramaturgical advice and a production stipend. Quintessence Theatre was the inaugural recipient of the award, in residence from 2015 to early 2019. Follow their progress on Facebook @EncoreDundalkRC #antainartists

Encore Blogposts
January 2019 | Blogpost #1
February 2019 | Blogpost #2
March 2019 | Blogpost #3
April 2019 | Blogpost #4
June 2019 | Blogpost #5
July 2019 | Blogpost #6
August 2019 | Blogpost #7
September 2019 | Blogpost #8 
January & February 2020 | Blogpost #9
‘Being Friendly’ (Piece for Argus Newspaper) by Sandy Sneddon | Read Here
Meet the Artistic Director of Encore Productions, Sandy Sneddon | Watch Here
September 2020 | Blogpost #10
October 2020 | Blogpost #11
November 2020 | Blogpost #12
March 2021 | Blogpost #13
June 2021 | Blogpost #14
July 2021 | Blogpost #15 ~
October 2021 | Blogpost #16
November 2021 | Blogpost #17
December 2021 | Blogpost #18
January 2022 | Blogpost #19
April 2022 | Blogpost #20

Encore Productions Aesop
Aesop 4 – Encore Theatre Productions
Encore Productions Aesop
Aesop 3 – Encore Theatre Productions

Encore Productions Aesop
Aesop 2 – Encore Theatre Productions
Encore Productions Aesop
Aesop 1- Encore Theatre Productions

Encore Residency rehearsing on main stage at An Táin Arts Centre
Encore Residency rehearsing – June 2021
Encore Residency rehearsing on main stage at An Táin Arts Centre
Encore Residency rehearsing – June 2021

Encore Residency rehearsing on main stage at An Táin Arts Centre
Encore Residency rehearsing – June 2021
Rehearsing for upcoming play

Rehearsing for upcoming play
Promo for ‘Our Town’

Encore productions
Oliver

Courage promo pic
Compagnie Animotion Workshop

Rehearsals

Big Telly Theatre Company Workshop
Big Telly Theatre Company Workshop

Big Telly Theatre Company Workshop
Quintessence Theatre Workshop

Workshop with social care students from DkIT
Timeline with cast

Start of residency

 

Quintessence Theatre (2015 – early 2019)

Formerly known as Upstart Theatre the company was founded in 2008 by Dundalk actor Conor Honan and award-winning director Anna Simpson. Specialising in outdoor, site-specific adaptations of classic plays and novels using stylised, physical ensemble approaches productions included A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Animal Farm, Macbeth and Alice in Wonderland. In 2010 Upstart disbanded to pursue professional training in the UK. In 2015 the company returned with renewed focus, skill, and a new name: Quintessence Theatre.

As a company Quintessence seeks to explore the human condition through the most theatrical means available: the actor themselves, and their shared imagination with an audience. They harness the full potential of the actor’s body through heightened physical approaches, mime and a playful ensemble. Quintessence seek to surprise, move and provoke audiences, entertaining them and creating dynamic, innovative, visceral and compassionate story telling that touches on issues at the heart of Irish society here and now.

Productions in residence include The Picture of Dorian Gray (2015), Alice in Wonderland (2015), Vessel (2015), Hamlet (2016), Romeo and Juliet (2016), Grimm Tales for Young and Old (2016), Cracks (2016), Dracula (2017), The Warrior of the Táin (2017) and The Wind in the Willows (2017), Some of Our Children (2018), The Deadly Wizard of Oz (2018) and Warrior of the Táin (revised) (2019)

Anna Simpson ǀ Co-founder, Artistic Director/Director
Anna started directing as a student in University College Dublin before training as a director at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. Irish credits include: ‘Dracula’ (Smock Alley, Dublin), ‘Cracks’ (National Tour), ’The Deadly Wizard of Oz’ (Ananverna House), ‘Some of Our Children’, ‘Romeo and Juliet’ (An Táin Arts Centre), ‘The Wind in the Willows’ (Anaverna House); ‘Hamlet’ (An Táin), ‘Vessel’ (An Táin; the New Theatre, Dublin); ‘Alice in Wonderland’ (Anaverna); ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’ (An Táin); ‘Messiah’ (Project Cube, Dublin). Previous acting roles include: The March Hare in ‘Alice in Wonderland’ (Quintessence), Lady Capulet in ‘Romeo & Juliet’ and Ophelia/Guildenstern in ‘Hamlet’ (Quintessence), the Fool in ‘King Lear’ (Samuel Beckett Theatre) and Duckling in ‘Our Country’s Good’ (UCD). Anna is the co-founder and Artistic Director of Quintessence Theatre, an Education Practitioner with Shakespeare’s Globe, and Creative Associate of the Pleasance.

Follow their progress on Facebook @quintessencetheatreco and on Twitter @QuintessencePro #antainartists  

Warrior of the Táin
Warrior of the Táin

Some of Our Children
Some of Our Children

The Wind in the Willows
The Wind in the Willows

Dracula
Dracula

Cracks
Cracks

Grimm Tales for Young and Old
Grimm Tales for Young and Old

Hamlet
Romeo and Juliet

Romeo and Juliet
Vessel

Vessel
Alice in Wonderland

The Picture of Dorian Gray
The Picture of Dorian Gray


What's On!

Quick Contact

An Táin Arts Centre
Crowe Street, Dundalk,
Co. Louth, A91 W20C
Ireland.
+353 (0)42 9332332 info@antain.ie

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An Táin Arts Centre is an arts space for Dundalk, based in the Town Hall, Crowe Street. Tweets by Linda & Mary Claire. #louthchat

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Tickets are free, but places are very limited.

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