Druid partners with Blue Teapot to support inclusive work practices
29 April 2025
Andrew Quinn, Jack Walsh. Maria Hannon and Grace Hannon from Blue Teapot outside The Mick Lally Theatre on Druid Lane, photo by Hillary Kavanagh.
Druid has joined forces with Blue Teapot Theatre Company to support inclusive work practices and provide invaluable work experiences to adults with intellectual disabilities.
This partnership with Druid gives Blue Teapot’s third year Performing Arts School students the real life experience of working in busy arts venues in Galway such as the Town Hall Theatre and Druid’s own venue, The Mick Lally Theatre. This is to prepare the students for working within many aspects of the arts sector and interfacing with a wide cross section of audiences. Each student is fully supported by Blue Teapot staff during their work experience.
Blue Teapot has received funding for this initiative through Pobal: Workability Programme. The Workability Programme is co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union and aims to support people with disabilities who are currently not work ready and/or are distant from the labour market in gaining access to employment/self-employment.
Speaking about the partnership, Executive Director Jane Parsons explained, “Our WorkAbility Programme is a hugely important strategic programme within Blue Teapot as it provides a progression routes for both our actors and students. By having a partnership with Druid, a company of such prestige and national importance, we can provide meaningful work experience and opportunities for our students”.
Of the partnership, Druid’s Executive Director Anneliese Davidsen commented: “Druid was founded in Galway in 1975 as the first Irish professional theatre company outside Dublin, creating cultural employment opportunities for people in the West of Ireland. This year, as we celebrate our 50th anniversary, we are delighted to support Blue Teapot’s WorkAbility programme and to host an Accessibility Day at The Mick Lally Theatre, facilitating meaningful workplace experiences and important conversations about accessibility and the creation of both employment and engagement opportunities in Irish theatre.”
At the Accessibility Day in The Mick Lally Theatre, students will get to meet the Druid team and discuss first-hand the barriers they face to working in or attending a show in their theatre. Jane Parsons further explains, ““The purpose of an Accessibility Day is to help inform accessibility practices. Our students will have the opportunity to talk to Druid staff about the barriers they experience as arts workers, performers or audience members. We thank Druid for supporting our WorkAbility programme and helping to create a Galway arts sector that is welcoming to all.”
Blue Teapot are also inviting other arts organisation in the Galway area who are interested in being involved with this programme to get in contact via projectmanager@blueteapot.ie.
About Blue Teapot
Blue Teapot is a bold, diverse, Irish theatre company working with artists with intellectual disabilities. The core group of professional actors are inspired by the practices of a diverse range of contemporary artists from Ireland and internationally. Blue Teapot works to achieve their artists’ potential through groundbreaking theatre, storytelling and providing a guiding model for accessibility in the arts and cultural sector.
Blue Teapot works consistently to radically transform theatre practices by telling stories through the lens of disability, paving the way for inclusive practices to become the norm. Artistic achievements in theatre include Sanctuary, Dancing At Lughnasa, Into the Dark Woods and Fairy Tree. Twice nominated for an Irish Times Theatre Award for ‘long-standing creative work with artists with intellectual disabilities’.