FUEL moves forward with the Credit Union

A five-year sponsorship deal with the city’s St Anthony’s & Claddagh Credit Union has guaranteed that Druid’s annual FUEL mentorship programme for emerging artists can continue until 2020.

FUEL is open to emerging artists in the West of Ireland, offering mentoring and professional development alongside rehearsal and office space.

Its sponsorship is being funded by a Community Engagement Fund, established by St Anthony’s & Claddagh Credit Union last December. This is designed to support long-term strategic development across the community in arts, sport and education.

“FUEL was selected as the lead project for the arts strand of our Community Engagement Fund,” explained the President of St Anthony’s & Claddagh Credit Union,  Peadar Ó hIcí. “It is our first community partnership and we believe it reflects the vision behind the Community Engagement Fund, which is to make a real difference to the community we serve.”

Druid’s Artistic Director Garry Hynes pointed out that one of the reasons for establishing Druid was a desire “to stay and make theatre in Galway”. FUEL allowed the company to “assist today’s generation of theatre-makers to do the same” and the partnership with the Credit Union guaranteed its continuation until 2020.

FUEL was established in 2014 and helped Galway theatre company Thereisbear! produce a new play by Peter Hubert Shine, No Show, over a four-week residency at the Mick Lally Theatre. Last year, Druid diversified the scheme, offering shorter residencies to more artists, with four week-long residencies.

They were awarded to The Theatre Room for The Theatre Room Awards 2015, Fionnuala Gygax for Hostel 16, Róisín Stack for My Poet, Dark and Slender and Martin Maguire for The Inside Turn. Projects developed during the residency have gone on to be produced at Festivals including Tiger Dublin Fringe Festival and the Galway Theatre Festival.