Blue Teapot Theatre Company is hosting a special exhibition celebrating 15 years of its Performing Arts School

This will take place next Friday, September 19, for Culture Night and will include photographs and displays of costumes, puppets and theatre crafts, along with screenings of theatre productions and short films. These date from 2010 – when the company first enrolled students – to the present day.

“It’s incredible to be celebrating 15 years of Blue Teapot’s Performing Arts School and all 45 graduates that have acted, sang and danced their way through its three-year QQI accredited programme,” says the company’s Artistic Director Petal Pilley.

“Our Performing Arts School was born out of the fact that in 2010, there was no quality, accredited performing arts training for people with intellectual disabilities (ID) anywhere in Ireland.

“So, we committed ourselves to establishing a vibrant programme, facilitated by some of the West of Ireland’s finest theatre practitioners, to start levelling the playing field for ID artists,” she explains.

“Today, our Performing Arts School delivers to 15 students every year, with its own premises, unlocking extraordinary artistry and expanding the lives of its students.”

The Manager of the Performing Arts School Judith Wolf  says this exhibition – the company’s first event for Culture Night – will “give the public a flavour of the work we do here and the amazing productions we had over the last 15 years. It is clear how the students have blossomed into creative and talented makers and performers”.

The exhibition will be hosted by current students and graduates and is open from 7pm to 9pm at Blue Teapot Theatre, Munster Avenue, Galway City, H91 FVF9, next Friday, September 19. Everybody is welcome.

■ Further information from pas.manager@blueteapot.ie or go to https://blueteapot.ie.

Pictured: Photographs, costumes and puppets will be on show and there will be screenings of stage prductions and films.