Four decades of Graffiti: One of Cork’s oldest theatres

Al Dalton, Marketing and Development Officer at Graffiti Theatre Company, is in a reflective mood.

“We are one of the oldest theatre companies making work for young audiences in Ireland, and in terms of Cork, since the closure of Corcadorca, we are now the oldest theatre company here,” he said.

Al and Lynn Canham, General Manager, say their 40th anniversary has crept up on them. They are so busy! Indeed, their Artistic Director, Niall Cleary is off working on a show as we chat.

“We’ve inherited that approach of putting your head down and doing the good work that Emelie FitzGibbon established back in 1984,” says Al.

“Absolutely,” Lynn agrees. “For all that has changed since then, the ethos of what Emelie did in terms of nurturing creativity, curiosity and wonder in children, is still central.

“It started as being about theatre education in schools and now we have a range of programmes, working with young people from birth to their twenties.

“It’s an exciting time for us and the 40th is a chance to step back and reflect, and also to look forward, asking what’s next?”

So, what is next?

Lynn believes it’s not necessarily about getting to more children.

We want to keep doing what we‘re doing. Last year was a big one with almost 27,000 encounters and though the number of children has been growing, it’s the number of times we’ve seen them that’s really increased.

“We had children learning about set design, sound design and playwriting, working with professionals in those fields - creative learning that is about depth as much as reach. That is the Graffiti way!”

Al adds that the positive impact of continued engagement is well-documented.

“Any form of long-term, deep creative engagement develops hope in children. And that has been proven in research and is a big part of what motivates us.”

Long-term Relationship

Lynn reflects on the longevity of the company and what it means for them personally too.

The great thing about being 40 is that a lot of people who came through the place are coming back. People have grown up with Graffiti.

“Al and I were both in the youth theatre as teenagers. Julie O’Leary, who now runs our Activate youth theatre, came through here too. We all went away and did our own thing and came back.

“Graffiti must be doing something right if we’re all coming back for jobs here!

“Beyond us, a lot of friends still talk about their experiences at Graffiti. Niall tells a story about getting his bike repaired once, where he mentioned working in Graffiti, and the guy shouted out ‘You came to my school!’ His school had visited the Crawford Art Gallery, and an actor had come to life from a statue. Just a bit of magic. Those sorts of moments stick.”

Al had a similar experience bringing the theatre van to get the lettering re-done. The man remembered a school visit when they got out of class.

We can arrive in a school, create a bit of magic, and break up the day. They are the origins of Graffiti, and we continue that work.

Lynn clarifies that they’re not suggesting all children who encounter them will become actors.

“It’s just a chance for them to use their brains in a different way and find their tribe. There are soft skills, oratory skills, interpersonal skills, to develop, and then they might go on to become barristers or teachers or whatever.”

Early Years arts are also an important focus for the team.

“We have an amazing team of multidisciplinary artists who work on our BEAG programme for 0-3 year olds. BEAG was one of Emelie’s babies and it has been running for about 16 years now. It runs in creches, in Direct Provision, with Traveller Visibility Group and on Oilean Chléire.

“It introduces the arts to our youngest citizens and encourages childcare providers and parents to get involved.”

Cork support

“We have an amazing community of artists who support us and people from the wider community. It is a Cork City Council building, and the Arts Council provides a lot of funding and support,” says Lynn.

Al points out that a number of well-established actors and theatre practitioners have passed through, people like Siobhan McSweeney, Enda Walsh, Jennifer Barry, Shane Casey, and Stephanie Preissner. So many have been influenced or been given work, which he says is an important part of the ecosystem.

There are a lot of ‘sound heads’ working with young people in Cork which makes a huge difference, he suggests.

“When you get the right mix of creative people working for and with young people, amazing things happen.”

Money makes the great work possible of course.

“It’s great that other businesses are recognising us as we get our message out there, because we do require donations of all sizes to keep the doors open and the stage lit. We are a registered charity and to be less reliant on government funding would be great.”

Happy Workplace

Whatever about having time to celebrate, this theatre company is a happy one.

“I’ve been here five years, and there has hardly been a day when I’ve put the key in the door and thought, I don’t want this today. It is genuinely a privilege to work here,” says Lynn.

“And I’ve also worked as a freelancer,” chimes in Al. “To get a call from someone like Niall saying he’s a bit of work for you – it’s an amazing relief, so it’s great to commission artists. There is a certain energy to this building and there is a whole other young generation coming up and the talent and interest is phenomenal.

“It’s a place for them to be themselves and find their voice – a nurturing home for them.”

Grace

One definite part of their celebration is the play they commissioned by Jody O’Neill, Grace, about a girl who is non-speaking.

“It shows in the Dublin Theatre Festival in a few weeks and has been a huge undertaking. It is designed to be inclusive.

Every show is a relaxed performance and that is very much the ethos of Graffiti. It is also lovely that Jody is one of our youth theatre alum.

“All children are welcome here,” says Lynn.

“We piloted Activate Space this year, a youth theatre for young people with physical and intellectual disabilities thanks to funding from Cork City Council. The group absolutely loved coming for their weekly workshops. Now the job is to find financial support to keep it going.”

It’s an exciting time for the company. Their past is impressive, and both Lynn and Al feel that Niall, their AD, has a great vision for Graffiti and for carrying on what Emelie started.

“For many children who come to us,” Lynn says, before I leave, “this might be the only time they’ve been in a theatre and that’s special. We had a little boy last year who couldn’t get over that there were real people on stage. Those moments are wonderful.”

“You see hope growing in young people as they watch a performance. That’s the power of live theatre,” says Al.

Graffiti is always looking for ‘Sound Adults’ so that they can reach and inspire more children and young people. If you are a Sound Adult, you can donate at graffiti.ie/support/ or reach out to Al: al@graffiti.ie