Ireland’s national academy of dramatic arts, based in Trinity, has launched a new three-year degree course in Stage Management and Technical Theatre, aimed at offering practical experience to students in technical areas of stage management and technical theatre.
The Lir Academy has announced the plans for the new degree programme that will replace an existing two-year Professional Diploma in the subject, which has been offered since 2012. The course will continue to be of interest to those who wish to pursue a career in professional TV, film, and theatre.
The new degree programme will be available from 2017, subject to academic approval, and is taking applications as of today. The development marks the Lir Academy as being the first academic institution in Ireland to offer an honours degree in the area.
In a statement published on academy’s website, Barry Conway, Director of Technical Training, said that the course was a reflection of the current need for qualified individuals: “The demand within the arts industries for qualified stage managers and theatre technicians is constantly growing and our courses at The Lir Academy are responding to that demand.”
The programme will continue to be practically based, in the same way as the diploma was. However, the new course has been “enhanced” to give students “increased opportunities in specialist areas within stage management and technical theatre (e.g. sound, lighting and construction)” according to the release. In addition to being taught practical skills, students will also carry out professional placements, as well as a major research project in a specialised area chosen by students.
Classes on production management, and managing a freelance business are also set to be introduced later in the year, in addition to courses on design – sets, music, lighting etc – are also set to be offered as part of the degree.
The Lir was opened in 2011, as Ireland’s “academy of excellence” in the dramatic arts, under the joint venture of the Cathal Ryan Trust and Trinity College. Upon opening, Academic Director Brian Singleton, of the School of Drama, Film, and Music in a press release described the academy as representing “our commitment to ensure a bright future for the performing arts in Ireland”.
The Lir is affiliated with the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London. 2015 saw its very first crop of graduates awarded with their degrees. Graduates have since gone on to find work in theatres such as the Abbey and Gate in Dublin and the Globe in London, to name a few.
The Lir offers a number of undergraduate courses and master’s programs in the dramatic arts, including acting, playwriting, and costume design, all of which are accredited by Trinity. In addition, it plays host to numerous productions throughout the year, and is supported and promoted by its ambassadors – a role call of some of Ireland’s most prominent dramatic figures, including Saoirse Ronan and Michael Fassbender.
