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Download a pdf of the PQ 07Programme
Ireland was represented for the first time at the Prague Quadrennial – 11th International Exhibition of Scenography and Theatre Architecture (PQ 07) which took place from June 14th – 24th 2007. This project was initiated by a voluntary Board, supported by Culture Ireland and The Arts Council and was project managed by Irish Theatre Institute.
This prestigious cultural event, which first took place in 1967, is the only exhibition of its kind and magnitude to showcase the best of design for theatre and theatre architecture emerging every four years throughout the world. There were almost 23,000 visitors to the Výstavišt? Industrial Palace over the course of the ten days, comprising exhibition participants, theatre professionals from all over the world and general public.
Ireland’s participation in the Prague Quadrennial proved to be a valuable opportunity to promote and develop the profile internationally of Irish design for performance. 21 professional designers, 10 students and 2 photographers whose work was presented in the Irish exhibit were awarded travel grants by Irish Theatre Institute to attend the event and at least another 10 designers and students traveled to Prague over the course of the exhibition. In PQ they had the opportunity to see international design of the highest standards, meet other practicing professionals and students, take workshops, attend talks and lectures and see a wide variety of performances throughout the city.
Teachers from various design courses in Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology (IADT), Trinity College Dublin, University College Dublin, Inchicore College and Belfast Institute of Technology also attended, as did Eugene Downes, Chief Exectutive of Culture Ireland and Loughlin Deegan, Director of the Dublin Theatre Festival. The ambassador of Ireland to the Czech Republic, Mr. Donal Hamill, spoke at a reception that took place at the Irish exhibit on the 15th of June.
Whilst reflecting the imagination of the best theatre designers from 60 countries across the globe, PQ 07 provided participants with a valuable forum for communicating, networking and exchanging ideas and introduced the best of Irish scenography to a world audience.
IRELAND’S EXHIBIT
Ireland, under curator John Comiskey, was represented in the three main sections of PQ 07 which were 1) National Exhibition, 2) Theatre Architecture and 3) Student Section (emerging and student designers). Irish students also participated in the Scenofest exhibit.
National Exhibition
The theme of Ireland’s National Exhibition was Firing the Canon; Masterworks revisited in modern Ireland. This National Exhibition showed how new approaches in scenography have influenced the re-staging of the Irish and European classical repertoire. It featured the work of over 25 designers from Ireland and Irish designers based abroad who work in stage, costume, make-up, lighting and sound design across the artforms of theatre, opera and dance.
Theatre Architecture Exhibition
Ireland’s changing population and the growth of new and diverse communities across the country have given rise to more cultural activities and the need to construct new venues in which to house them. This was the genesis for Ireland’s exhibition in the Theatre Architecture section of PQ 07. Taking the theme, Small is Beautiful, this focused on two small-scale theatres constructed in Ireland in the last four years which have been incorporated into multi-functional developments: Solstice Arts Centre, Navan, Co. Meath, designed by Grafton Architects, and The Source Arts Centre, Thurles, Co. Tipperary, designed by McCullough Mulvin Architects. This exhibition also highlighted a unique 100 room venue designed by Andrew Clancy for Pan Pan’s production of One – healing with theatre.
Student Exhibition and SCENOFEST
As there are no courses devoted exclusively to theatre design in Ireland, Crosscurrents, the theme for Ireland’s exhibition in the Student Section explored the cross-fertilisation that results from the diverse educational backgrounds of emerging Irish scenographers. Participation in this exhibition was open to students, recent graduates and trainees beginning their careers.
Irish students also submitted designs to the Scenofest organisers to feature in two exciting larger-scale projects: one was to create a stage design for the classic comedy – Aristophanes’ The Birds, and the second was the International Theatre Sound Score and Music Composition Exhibition. Two students from IADT (Nina McNamee and David Mulreany) were selected for the Birds exhibition and Kevin McCullagh of the Belfast Institute of Technology had his sound design work selected for the sound score exhibition. In addition to the exhibition components, Irish students participated in lectures and workshops at Scenofest.
Ireland PQ 07 Voluntary Planning Board: Enrica Cerquoni, Phelim Donlon, Cathy Leeney (Chair), Denis Looby, Colm Ó Briain, Lynne Parker
Executive Producer: Jane Daly
National Exhibition Curator: John Comiskey
Exhibition Coordinator: Lian Bell
Production Manager: Marie Breen
Contact details:
Ireland PQ 07
Irish Theatre Institute
7 South Great George's Street
Dublin 2
Ireland
Tel: +353 1 6704906
Fax: +353 1 6704908
Weblinks for PQ & Scenofest
www.pq.cz
www.scenofest.org
  
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