New Community & Education Programme Partnership

Druid has announced an exciting new Community and Education programme aimed at deepening engagement with professional theatre within education and local community settings.

Originally instigated in 2020 as part of DruidGregory, this award-winning programme is focussed on inclusion and access to the arts, community togetherness, and artistic and cultural expression. The success of the partnership and the impact of the programme was recognised in both the business and arts communities winning Best Small Sponsorship at the 29th Business to Arts Awards earlier this year.

This new programme is made possible by the renewed, multi-annual support and partnership of Galway company Aerogen and The Adrian Brinkerhoff Poetry Foundation.

During 2022 and 2023 the Community and Education Programme will span all of Druid’s planned programming activities, renewing the engagement with communities and schools throughout Galway and the Western region, as well as on touring locations. The programme will focus on encouraging creativity in schools through direct engagement and free educational resources, and increasing public engagement with the arts through making theatre more accessible.

Druid’s Co-Founder and Artistic Director Garry Hynes said, ‘Culture and creativity are vital to the betterment of our society and our environment. We are delighted that Aerogen and The Adrian Brinkerhoff Poetry Foundation are continuing to partner with us as we extend the reach of the programme, ensuring that art and culture, fosters and inspires more creativity among communities and young people.

Aerogen Founder and CEO John Power said, ‘We are proud to continue our partnership with Druid and in doing so help make theatre more accessible to the local community. We look forward to hearing more about the wonderful programme of events for the 2022/ 2023 Community and Education Programme’.

Peter Halstead of The Adrian Brinkerhoff Poetry Foundation said, ‘Cathy and I started our poetry foundation to help people deal with poverty, helplessness, injustice, through flashes of brilliance. In theater and in poetry, we can escape into the worlds we want. Druid is embedded in the identity of Ireland, invigorating Irish history with its energy. We hope to be able to further that interweaving by helping Druid make great theatre available to small communities around Ireland, offering performances for schools and community organizations, and engaging local residents.

Aerogen

Aerogen is the world leader in acute care aerosol drug delivery. The Aerogen Solo is a closed-system, single-patient-use aerosol drug delivery technology³ that mitigates the transmission of patient-generated infectious aerosol during ventilation. As the only globally available closed-circuit system, Aerogen technology has been used to treat over 14 million patients in 75 countries worldwide, playing a critical role in emergency departments and intensive care units.

The Adrian Brinkerhoff Poetry Foundation

Established in 2016 by Peter and Cathy Halstead, the Adrian Brinkerhoff Poetry Foundation is a literary nonprofit bringing great poetry from across places, eras, and traditions together. The Foundation’s aim is to expand access to poetry for audiences worldwide to enjoy. Brinkerhoff’s focus is on filming actors, poets, and regular people reading and performing poems. Thus far, films have been made in Ireland, England, and New York. In 2020, the foundation launched its website and film series, and continues to develop programs in partnership with organizations including Poetry Ireland, 92nd Street Y, Poet in the City, Druid, and the Academy of American Poets. The Adrian Brinkerhoff Poetry Foundation has a robust social media presence, sharing content on Instagram (@BrinkerhoffPoetry), Twitter (@BrinkerhoffPoem), and YouTube.

Pictured On Druid Lane - L to R - John Power Aerogen Founder & CEO; Garry Hynes Druid Co-Founder & Artistic Director; Claire Mullane Druid Community & Education Program Co-Ordination. Photo: Boyd Challenger