Derry's Playhouse to host International Women’s Day Playwriting Festival

In celebration of International Women’s Day, Front & Centre proudly announces their Playwriting Festival at the Playhouse, Derry. Over three dynamic days, they will shine a spotlight on the achievements and ongoing challenges of female and non-binary playwrights in Northern Ireland / North of Ireland, while inviting audiences and industry leaders to reimagine the future of theatre together, encouraging creativity, critical reflection, and community-building.

The festival will feature keynote speakers, panel discussions, productions, staged readings and scratch performances, with a focus on Derry artists. The panels, talks and workshops are free to attend, and there is a small charge for all of the performances. 

Amidst a climate of dwindling arts funding and the absence of a cohesive arts policy, Front & Centre addresses the unique obstacles faced by women and non-binary writers, especially those from working-class backgrounds. The festival acknowledges the remarkable talent emerging from the region, highlighting the contributions of acclaimed playwrights such as Stacey Gregg and Lisa McGee. Yet it is also a rallying cry: the lack of main stage productions for these vital voices cannot be ignored and must be addressed with urgency. 

In 2021, actor, writer and researcher, Maggie Cronin published The Headcount1report, highlighting gender inequality in Northern Ireland’s theatre sector. The research analysed gender representation across the top-funded theatres in Northern Ireland, over the five year period from 2014 - 2019 and much like Gender Counts2 published in 2016, uncovered an inverse relationship between public funding and gender equality in the production of work. 

That is to say, the theatres receiving most public funding produced the fewest plays by women. Notably, the research indicated that the overall percentage of plays written by women was just under 37%, but some theatre companies produced less than 15%. 

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The programme launches on Friday, March 6 at 1:00pm with a welcome address and a session dedicated to Mapping the Landscape. Karis Kelly, a Bangor based playwright will join Gemma Walker-Farren and Soso Ní Cheallaigh, two established Derry based theatre makers, to interrogate how female playwrights in the North East can better support those in the North West, through innovative network building and collaboration. 

A keynote speech given by Dr. Lisa Fitzpatrick will celebrate the fearless and rebellious women of Derry, noting, “women’s political activism in Northern Ireland has frequently required them to engage with a hostile state in a struggle for their civil rights. Historically in Derry, this has been a sectarian struggle focusing on access to housing and employment; and post-conflict, women’s civil rights in relation to reproduction, health, and security continue to be precarious. Despite this, Derry women are renowned for their strength and resilience.” 

Over the course of the weekend, attendees can look forward to workshops led by established writers and industry figures, opportunities for emerging playwrights to showcase their talent, and open forums encouraging candid dialogue and the sharing of practical strategies. One such workshop, delivered by Theatre and Dance Northern Ireland’s director, Niamh Flanagan, aims to equip playwrights and theatre makers with the tools to advocate for themselves politically, harnessing skills to influence policy and investment. 

The festival culminates on Sunday 8th March with a staged reading of an extract of Hello Charlie, Derry actress and playwright Caoimhe Farren’s courageous and fiercely original portrait of addiction, which was a finalist for The Victoria Wood Playwriting Prize for Comedy and shortlisted for the Women’s Prize. This will be followed by a post-show discussion with special guest, creator and writer of Derry Girls, Lisa McGee. 

Whether you are an emerging or established writer, a passionate artist, an academic, or a dedicated theatregoer, your voice will find a place at Front & Centre. The festival is committed to inclusivity and innovation, creating a supportive space for voices that have traditionally been underrepresented on the main stage. 

“I am so delighted that we are able to bring this festival to Derry. Shifting the dial on the gender imbalance in theatre in Northern Ireland requires all women in the industry across the North to work together” says organiser, Karis Kelly. “Northern Irish women deserve to see authentic representations of themselves on stage, written by women. My hope is that by staging these festivals, we can build a movement and a momentum towards parity”.