Six in the Attic

In addition to the physical space ITI provides a framework of ongoing support and mentoring including expert advice on a range of topics from networking and touring to application processes, funding schemes, artistic planning, career development and payroll and budget management to each company/artist.

Facilitating artform development is at the core of this scheme and ITI schedules regular informal Six in the Attic coffee meetings for the participants to foster a spirit of collegiality, to provide a forum for information exchange, to create awareness of the activities taking place in No. 17 and to get feedback and progress reports from the participants. Regular bespoke information sessions are also arranged with a variety of key theatre sector stakeholders including funding agencies, presenters and festival directors.

The scheme is designed to provide each participant with access to a range of reliable administrative resources as well as a wealth of in-house expertise to help them engage, explore, develop, debate and collaborate on their projects. Six in the Attic encourages participants to realise their artistic ambition, enhance their professional skills and facilitates them in fulfilling their artistic goals.

Current Participants:

Pom Boyd
Born and raised in Dublin, Pom Boyd is an award-winning writer, performer and collaborative artist. She has written for, and acted extensively in theatre, film, TV and Radio, and her comedy shows have featured in the Dublin Theatre and Edinburgh Fringe festivals. Her first play Down Onto Blue won a Stewart Parker award and her radio plays have been broadcast on BBC 4 and RTÉ radio. Recently Pom wrote and performed Kathleen xx for the 1916 commemorations and appeared in Brokentalkers play This Beach (Interference Festival, Romania, Europoly Festival, Munich, Tiger Dublin Fringe Festival & Irish tour 2017) and The Shitstorm at Peacock Theatre, (Dublin Fringe Festival 2017). In 2018 Pom will appear in the film, Rosie, written by Roddy Doyle.

 

Lee Coffey
Lee is a writer from Dublin. His shows include Leper + Chip in Theatre Upstairs, Project Arts Centre, The Edinburgh Fringe Festival (nominated for the Broadway Baby 5 Star Award and the National Student Drama Award for Best Play) Electric Picnic, The Lyric Theatre, Belfast, axis:Ballymun, Cork and an American production by Inis Nua in Philadelphia. Peruvian Voodoo (Theatre Upstairs), 24 Hour Plays, (Abbey Theatre), Slice the Thief (Smock Alley, axis:Ballymun), Murder of Crows (Theatre Upstairs, Project Arts Centre, Garter Lane, Lyric Theatre Belfast) and From All Sides (Dublin Fringe Festival). Lee was a participant in Rough Magic Theatre Company’s SEEDS programme 2016 – 2017. He has also written plays for Inchicore College of Further Education and The Gaiety School of Acting. He is a founding member of Bitter Like A Lemon Theatre Collective.

 

Caitríona Daly
Caitríona Daly is a playwright from Dublin. She is a graduate from both The Lir’s MFA in playwriting and the Royal Court’s Young Playwright programme. Her plays have been produced in Ireland, England and Scotland. She was most recently nominated for the Fishamble New Writing Award at the Dublin Fringe Festival for Normal and an Irish Times Theatre Award for Best New Play for Test Dummy. She also runs the theatre collective We Get High with her artistic partner Caitríona Ennis.

 

Karen Egan
Actress, playwright, singer and composer, Karen Egan originally qualified as a barrister (King’s Inns, Dublin). She went onto train at the Gaiety School of Acting, later graduating with an M Phil in Irish Theatre Studies (Trinity College Dublin). Karen is a former member of Irish comedy singing trio The Nualas, who toured Ireland, the UK, Singapore and Australia. The Nualas also wrote their own radio series on BBC Radio Four, nominated for a BBC Light Entertainment award. From 2011- 2016 Karen was invited as visiting artist to Rakastajat-teatteri, Pori, one of the largest independent theatre companies in Finland. During this time, she worked both as an actress and singer in numerous shows, including Tiernapojat, Love Me or Leave Me, Kaikkeä Hyvää, Goodbye Pori, Kaikki Tarvii Lempee and Kaikki Tarvii Äitii, performing in both English and Finnish. She was commissioned by Rakastajat-teatteri to write Kippis (2015), which was translated into Finnish by celebrated playwright Juha Siltanen. Since returning to Dublin Karen was commissioned to write a radio play Jumi for YLE, Finland’s national broadcaster (2017). Karen is currently in discussions with YLE to develop an original radio drama series Ulkopuoliset (Outsiders) for 2019. As an actress, Karen has worked for a variety of theatre companies throughout Ireland, including The Abbey (Bookworms), Corn Exchange (most recently Dublin by Lamplight), Pan Pan, Fishamble, Bewley’s Café Theatre (Just A Little One – A Dorothy Parker Cocktail; Café Cabaret; Lovely Betty). For film and television, Karen has appeared in Ripper Street (BBC), Rock Rivals (ITV) and the award-winning Irish comedy Your Bad Self. She has featured in Man About Dog (Treasure Films), Kiddo (Perry Ogden), Wasted (RTE), Fair City (RTE), Liz & Margie – Live! (RTE; LWT), X-it File (RTE) and The Stand-Up Show (BBC), hosted by comedian Ardal O’Hanlon.

 

Kate Heffernan
Kate Heffernan is a writer who hasn’t always been a writer. She has worked as a producer, a designer, and an editor, and these things shape and inform her work. Her first play, In Dog Years I’m Dead (MIRARI Productions) was a winner of the 2013 Stewart Parker Trust’s Emerging Playwright Award. In 2014, with director Maisie Lee, she was artist-in-residence at Dunamaise Arts Centre, where they produced Hometroots, a series of radio plays with, for and about the people of Laois. An Associate Artist of Theatre Lovett, she is also the writer and designer of their acclaimed show programme series. Kate is currently working on bringing two texts to the stage: Live at The Montague (developed as part of Pan Pan’s International Mentorship, and commissioned by Mermaid Arts Centre) explores the histories of a former hotel and country-music venue turned Direct Provision Centre in her hometown; Peat (supported by The Ark and Mermaid) is a play for young audiences about two twelve year olds and a dead cat. Kate was an Arts Council Next Generation Artist 2017.

 

Breffni Holohan
Breffni is a Dublin/London based theatre maker, performer, and producer. Since graduating from Trinity College in 2015, she has worked with and learned from some of Ireland’s leading theatre companies including Collapsing Horse, Dead Centre, Brokentalkers, ANU Productions, and Rough Magic. In 2015, Breffni co-founded MALAPROP Theatre. MALAPROP’s works include LOVE+ (Spirit of Dublin Fringe & Project Arts Centre Commission Award 2015), BlackCatfishMusketeer (Edinburgh Fringe 2017), JERICHO (Bewley’s Theatre commission 2017), and Everything Not Saved (Georganne Alrich Heller Award and nominated for Best Production at Dublin Fringe 2017). Breffni was invited on Theatre Forum’s MAKE Artist Residency 2017, receiving mentorship from Mariano Pensotti. She is also an alumni of Dublin Theatre Festival’s Next Stage programme, having participated in 2016.

 

Margaret McAuliffe
Margaret McAuliffe is a writer and actor. She has performed in many theatre productions including Anna Karenina at the Abbey Theatre and Jezebel and Digging for Fire for Rough Magic Theatre Company. Her writing credits include The Humours of Bandon which she produced and performed for the Show in a Bag initiative at the Dublin Fringe Festival 2016 (Winner of the Bewley’s Little Gem Award and nominated as Best Performer at the Fringe Awards). Fishamble has since presented her play nationally and internationally for over 100 performances including a critically acclaimed sold-out run at Edinburgh’s Dance Base for Edinburgh Fringe 2017. Margaret won the 2016 ZeBBie award for Best Theatre Script, was a recipient of the Pavilion Theatre’s Patron Artists’ Bursary 2017 and this year was selected as one of 30 play submissions to participate in Fishamble’s A Play for Ireland initiative.

 

Clare Monnelly
Clare is an actor and theatre maker. She trained at the Gaiety School of Acting. Theatre credits include The Unmanageable Sisters (Abbey Theatre), her own one woman show Charlie’s a Clepto (axis:Ballymun & on tour) (Irish Times Theatre Award Nominee Best New Play & Best Actress; Stewart Parker Award Nominee), Harder, Faster, More (Red Bear Theatre), Bailegangaire (Livin’ Dred & Nomad) (Irish Times Theatre Award Nominee Best Supporting Actress), The Big Wall (Hawk’s Well Theatre), Big Maggie (Druid), A Month in the Country (Gate Theatre), King Lear (Sackville Productions), Hitting the Mark (RamblinMan Theatre Company), Walking the Road (Cavan Theatre Festival), The Bachelor of Kilkish (Bottom Dog Theatre Company), Alone it Stands (Verdant Productions), Broadening (Glass Doll), Portals (Skylarkin Theatre) and Ride On! (Livin’ Dred Theatre Company). Screen work includes Rosie (Element Pictures), Nowhere Fast (RTE & Deadpan), Rip To The Rescue (Deadpan), Alison Spittle in Ireland (Sky, Baby Cow), Smitten (RTE), Identicals (Finite Films), Scúp (TG4) and three series of International Emmy Award winning Moone Boy (Sky, Baby Cow). She is the 2017 recipient of the Tilestyle Jim McNaughton Artists Bursary. Clare is also an accomplished voice over artist.