Ms Mary Moynihan:

From the beginning, the company has focused on working in areas of disadvantage. We do so particularly because theatre is an accessible medium which can engage young people who might otherwise not be engaged in activities happening around them. We have had a number of independent evaluations and feedback from community workers on this. For example, we have worked with a community group where the youth workers have told us the group does not engage in any of the activities set up, but they sit and listen to what we are doing and engage with our work. We are continually being asked to come back to work with groups that might be designated as difficult or who are difficult to engage with. Our work seems to engage them.

It is important we go in and work with young people and that we listen to them and hear what they have to say. We have performances, but there are also workshops and these workshops enable the young people to become part of the work and central to the process, particularly in the area of suicide prevention. We have worked with the Samaritans and the Irish Association of Suicidology since 2005. We have visited schools in the Border counties of the South and have recently started to work in Northern Ireland on suicide prevention work. There is huge demand for this work because of what is happening and the Samaritans and the Irish Association of Suicidology are very supportive of that work because they believe it engages with young people and is getting the messages across to them. Feedback from teachers supports this and we are continually invited back to schools to work with young people.