"RADE's innovative programme of combatting substance abuse through art introduces addicts to their own genius, their own best selves, it focuses on the buzz that living a positive life can bring,a buzz that is genuine and life enhancing"
President Mary McAleese
Author Archive
RADE 2014 documentary
2014 marked the first decade of RADE. We celebrated our 10th birthday with a live performance and a stained-glass-art project. This documentary gives a great insight into how hard our participants worked during the year – and how rewarding that hard work was for them.
Check out our documentary showcasing participant’s two big projects for the year – a stained-glass-art project and the ‘Source’ dance-theatre production at the Tiger Dublin Fringe Festival.
This documentary was aired on Dublin Community Television (UPC channel 802) from 15th to 25th January 2015.
‘Get Stoned’, Dublin Simon Social Club
After a long rest Get Stoned was recast for a new audience
To mark the official handover of funds raised from our performance of A Hundred Years Ago we performed Get Stoned in May 2014, at the Dublin Simon Social Club in Capel Street. For some participants this was their first live performance. The performance was warmly received by the Dublin Simon group.
The cheque of €1,487.30 was accepted by Sam McGuinness for Dublin Simon Community.
Get Stoned was written and directed by Mick Egan.
Féile na Bealtaine, Dingle
1913 Lockout inspired wood sculptures…..
Participants exhibited their sculptures A Hundred Years Ago: A Reflection on the 1913 Lockout in Sculptures at Féile na Bealtaine in Dingle, Co. Kerry in May 2014. RADE artists worked with Eoghan O’Neill to produce these original pieces. All sculptures contain a hand, marking the Red Hand Badge of the Union which each member of the union wore proudly during the 1913 Lockout. Underneath the hands, participants have carved their own personalised pieces representing themes of the Lockout.
RADERS to star in Love/Hate
RTE auditions
RADErs auditioned for the next series of ‘Love/Hate’ on Friday 11th April. Casting director Maureen Hughes visited the project and worked through a small section of the script with participants. Eight participants in total were selected for Series 5, with two participants receiving speaking parts. Series 5 of ‘Love/Hate’ is due to be aired on RTÉ in the Autumn. Our lips are sealed on storylines!
Tommy and Sam
Kevin and Derek
John and Sean
Benefit for Dublin Simon Community
Service users of RADE took a direct role in supporting Dublin Simon Community
Services users marked the end of the centenary celebrations of the 1913 Lockout with a final farewell performance of their acclaimed play A Hundred Years Ago in Liberty Hall Theatre, March 2014 with all proceeds donated to Dublin Simon Community.
A Hundred Years Ago explores the dramatic events that evolved through the autumn of 1913 when ordinary workers took a stand with Jim Larkin against the employers of Dublin city and the subsistent wages that held them in slavery. The play is delivered with bawdy humour and includes both jaunty and haunting ballad songs.
The performance was watched by a full house that included Tánaiste Joan Burton, who praised the production in the Dáil the following day: ‘I attended a fantastic production of A Hundred Years Ago in Liberty Hall by RADE. It was up to Abbey Theatre standards.’
Joey
NEAR FM Interviews
The ‘Reinterpreting 1913’ series
The series began broadcasting on Friday 24th January for three weeks. RADE artists and tutor Eoghan O’Neill featured in episode 1. The broadcast coincided with RADE’s painting and sculpture exhibition A Hundred Years Ago in the Atrium, Dublin City Council Civic Offices, Wood Quay, Dublin 8.
You can listen to it on NearFM, which broadcasts across the North East of Dublin on 90.3FM. You can also stream it internationally live from near.ie/webcam.
A Look Back at Our 2013 Programme
Check out this 10-minute documentary which will give you a taste of the behind-the-scenes work for the year.
RADE were a part of the 1913 Lockout centenary celebrations. This became our theme for the year, with all workshops focusing on the Lockout.
View full production of ‘A Hundred Years Ago’ in Liberty Hall Theatre
A Hundred Years Ago: The Songs
Music recording in Dublin studio
Working with writer Malcolm MacClancy, the group wrote new lyrics to well-known Irish ballads which were used in the production of A Hundred Years Ago. These songs were later recorded in a professional studio. These songs are available on CD.
A Hundred Years Ago: The Art Exhibition
To coincide with the Lockout centenary celebrations participants create their own art pieces
The group’s exhibition of painting and wood carvings A Hundred Years Ago, based on the themes of the 1913 Lockout, were displayed in the Atrium, Dublin City Council, Wood Quay, in August; The Axis Theatre in Ballymun; and St. Patrick’s Cathedral. The work is a rumination of the 1913 Lockout, told through the medium of painting and sculpture.
Participants exhibited their sculptures A Hundred Years Ago: A Reflection on the 1913 Lockout in Sculptures at Féile na Bealtaine in Dingle, Co. Kerry in May 2014. RADE artists worked with Eoghan O’Neill to produce these original pieces. All sculptures contain a hand, marking the Red Hand Badge of the Union which each member of the union wore proudly during the 1913 Lockout. Underneath the hands, participants have carved their own personalised pieces representing themes of the Lockout.
Check out the Irish Independent article on the exhibition:
http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/ballagh-lends-a-helping-hand-to-exciting-exhibition-29488196.html
Exhibition in Dingle
Exhibition in Dingle
A Hundred Years Ago: The Play
Highlights from the rehearsals and performances of A Hundred Years Ago
A Hundred Years Ago explores the dramatic events that evolved through the autumn of 1913 when ordinary workers took a stand with Jim Larkin against the employers of Dublin city and the subsistent wages that held them in slavery.
The play, that includes both jaunty and haunting ballad songs, is delivered with bawdy and raucous humour. The food kitchens, proselytizers and Monto girls all come to life, as do families and workers struggling to survive in the slum tenements. Here you will find the Dubliners’ irreverent wit, chiseled from their ancestors and presented, warts and all, by the RADE Company in their distinctive style.
Much of the dialogue for this year’s show has been compiled from our creative writing class, which gives the drama a tangible and authentic voice when addressing this exciting and conflicting period in Dublin’s history. Mick Egan is responsible for the script collaboration.
This production was staged in Smock Alley Theatre in September 2013, the OLV Building during the month of December, Farmleigh House in April 2014, and for a benefit night for Dublin Simon Community in March 2014. The play also featured at the Addiction Festival run by THEATREclub and Depaul Ireland in March 2014.
The original production, staged in Smock Alley Theatre, included all RADE participants. The cast was later reduced to 8 to allow the play to tour.
The poster
Rehearsals in RADE
Rehearsals in RADE
Rehearsals in RADE
Rehearsals in RADE
Rehearsals in RADE
Smock Alley performance
Smock Alley performance
Smock Alley performance
Smock Alley performance
Smock Alley performance
Smock Alley performance
A Hundred Years Ago: The Book
Stories and images from A Hundred Years Ago
In 2013, inspired by the centenary of the 1913 Lockout, we produced a book with a difference. Participants took time outside their creative writing classes to read the literature, poetry and history of the period. This book is a compilation of what they learned, telling stories through their eyes. Participants worked with writer Dominique Cleary and RADE director Mick Egan to produce our most ambitious book to date. The stories from this book were used to develop the script of the acclaimed stage play A Hundred Years Ago.
Read A Hundred Years Ago
‘A Hundred Years Ago’: Liberty Hall
To mark the end of the Lockout centenary celebrations we performed ‘A Hundred Years Ago’ in Liberty Hall Theatre
Above is the full live performance on film. All proceeds raised from ticket and book sales were donated to Dublin Simon Community.
At this performance Dublin rapper Tommy KD sang a beautiful version of ‘The Kiddies Scheme Song’
Poster for the Liberty Hall permormance
Joey
Jimmy, Joey and Karen
Thomas
John, Daniel, Mary, Karen
2012 Round-up
The staging of The Last Ten Years at the Dublin Fringe Festival was the highlight of 2012.
The production ran over four nights in St. Patrick’s Cathedral,with full houses each night. The production received rave reviews, with the Irish Times Theatre Festival Review giving the production **** stars!
See the full production:
Cutting D8 was the theme for 2012’s art exhibition, with the group focusing on wood sculpturing. Check out this short documentary to see how we put it all together.
Rough Cuts – book
Images and writing from 2012
Niamh pictured reading from Rough Cuts
Writer Dominique Cleary worked with RADErs to produced this insightful collection of short stories and tales. The group read ‘extracts of great personal essays, fiction and poetry: the work of Joan Didion, Annie Dillard, G.K. Chesterton, Jorge Luis Borges, Scott Russell Sanders, Raymond Carver, Sylvia Platt, Ted Hughes, Wendell Berry and W.B. Yeats, to name a few’.
On speaking about her experiences teaching the class, Dominique says, ‘RADErs don’t shy away from telling things as they are. Often simplicity brought the deepest truths, and there was realism, resilience and insight that comes from a life of self-challenge.”
Read stories from Rough Cuts
Cutting D8 Exhibition
Our first year wood carving
The group began hand carving in December 2011. Their beautiful mastery, entitled Cutting D8, was displayed for all to see in The Atrium, Dublin City Council Civic Offices, in September, moving then to Smock Alley Theatre and St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Eoghan O’Neill, sculpture artist, trained the group in wood-carving. The inspiration for these pieces was the local area, Dublin 8.
Cllr Jim O’Callaghan officially opened the exhibition on Monday 17th September in Dublin City Council Civic Offices.
Cutting D8 Sculpture
Cutting D8 Sculpture
Cutting D8 Sculpture
Cutting D8 Sculpture
Cutting D8 Sculpture
Cutting D8 Sculpture
Cutting D8 Sculpture
The Last Ten Years – song cycle for theatre
Choral tunes rang out during rehearsals in RADE
Musician and composer Séan Millar collaborated with RADE on a songcycle for theatre, entitled The Last Ten Years, which combines choral music and ritual performance to consider various aspects of our attitudes towards pain relief, medication and the legal and illegal drug trade. The atmospheric St. Patrick’s Cathedral was the setting for the performance which sonically creates something magical crossing the line between theatre and actual living experience.
This production was also performed in Liberty Hall Theatre with Minister Róisín Shorthall TD in attendance.
The first staging of The Last Ten Years in May was a great success. The feedback was very positive and supportive. This prompted us to enter the Dublin Fringe Festival.
Liberty Hall Performance
Cast outside Liberty Hall Theatre
Make up!
Liberty Hall Performance
rehearsals in RADE
rehearsals in RADE
St. Patrick’s Cathedral Performance
St. Patrick’s Cathedral Performance
St. Patrick’s Cathedral Performance
2011 Round-up
2011 was a very busy year for RADE
The last of ‘The Day’ trilogy of short films, Birthday, was made and screened in the IFI cinema. ‘The Day’ trilogy was written and directed by Pom Boyd over three years, working with different RADE participants each year. All films were shot in Dublin.
‘The Day’ trilogy was screened at the Cork Film Festival in the Triscal Centre and as part of Dublin Culture Night.
View the behind-the-scenes documentary above.
Watch the short film in full here:
President Higgins Visits
President Michael D. Higgins and Mrs. Sabina Higgins visit RADE
Particpants, President and Mrs. Higgins
RADE were delighted to host the President and his wife on Friday 25th November in RADE’s premises. It was a great honour, particularly given his long history as a powerful voice supporting the two significant areas that affect our programme: the Arts and the underclass.
RADE participants performed a short 10-minute theatre piece, Get Stoned, for the President and exhibited their artwork. Artists and community leaders were in attendance on the day.
Niamh presenting flowers to Mrs. Higgins
Particpants, President and Mrs. Higgins
Jenna showing her artwork
President Higgins and Mrs. Higgins enjoying the performance
Pushing out the Boat Exhibition
Beautifully painted individual pieces of art
Pushing out the Boat, an exhibition of artwork by the participants under the guidance of artist Eoghan O’ Neill and John Devoy was officially opened by Cllr Críona Ní Dhálaigh in June 2011 at The Atrium, Dublin City Council, Civic Offices, Woodquay, D8. The work remained on exhibition for 2 weeks.
The group worked tirelessly over the winter months to produce unique pieces of art that have allowed them to work collectively as a group and on their own.
Birthday – short film
Birthday ends the ‘Day Trilogy’ of films
Somewhere in the Wild West – or is it a Dublin suburb? – a family gather, dressed in their best cowboy/girl gear, for a surprise party. Eldest sister Margo is up to ninety, husband John-Wayne is no help and seems distracted, other sister Eliza is upset, and why won’t little sister Sadie say who the father of her unborn baby is? Seen from the point of view of the yet-to-be-born baby, Birthday is a funny, gritty and spiritually uplifting story.
This was Pom Boyd’s final short film with RADE. The film was shot over five days in The Lodge, Coolmine Therapeutic Community, with tents and benches borrowed from the Merchants Quay Scouts. Coolmine residences, staff and especially the kitchen took wonderful care of us all week.
Birthday was launched by President Michael D. Higgins on Tuesday 11th October in the Irish Film Institute Cinema, Temple Bar.
Get Stoned – stage play
Social Inclusion Week in Dublin City Council
Get Stoned, written and directed by Mick Egan, was performed at the Woodquay Venue. The production was later performed at the International Drug Conference in Dublin and at RADE’s Open Theatre Week in the OLV Building. This production enabled a number of participants to perform both acting and singing. Jenna learnt how to play the ukulele for these performances.
Frontier Folk – book
A collection of stories, artwork and images
Frontier Folk is a collection of stories and artwork from the RADE programme 2011. Malcolm MacClancy and Dominique Cleary facilitated the creative writing programme, while artists Eoghan O’Neill and John Devoy were responsible for the visual arts. This publication coincided with our short film Birthday.
RTÉ Radio 1 Arena show interviewed Darren and Jenna, who both shared some of their stories over the airwaves.
Read stories from Frontier Folk
2010 Round-up
A second film and self portraits marked 2010
The Making of Hard Day is a documentary showcasing RADE’s work for 2010 including the film shoot Hard Day, art exhibition Portraits Me I and book publication Portraits.
A Proper Da – radio play
Radio Play for RTE Radio 1
A Proper Da, by Maeve Ingoldsby
RTÉ Radio 1 approached RADE some months back with a radio play proposal. Well-known playwright Maeve Ingoldsby facilitated workshops with the group, which resulted in the development of the script.
The radio play was recorded in the RADE premises over a full day. RADE actors worked alongside professional actors Phelim Drew, Gerry Byrne, Pat Nolan and Natalie Radmall-Quirke. It was a wonderful experience for all involved and hats off to RADE participants who performed fantastically.
The play was aired:
Date: Sunday 26th September 2010
Time: 8pm
Here is the link to web-stream: http://www.rte.ie/radio1/drama/aproperdareport.html
And RTÉ’s main page: http://www.rte.ie/radio1/drama/
Portraits Me I Exhibition
A 5 year Retrospective Art Exhibition
On 9th Sept Portraits Me I, our first ever Retrospective Art Exhibition showcasing artwork from the past 5 years was launched in the NCAD (National College of Art and Design).
This was our first time to display the artistic talents of the different groups that have been in RADE since the organisations first exhibition in 2005. The exhibition coincided with the launch of Portraits a collection of the groups creative writing stories, facilitated by poet, Paula Meehan along
Louise
Minister Pat Rabbitte
Exhibition display
Emma
Pat
Glenn
Martin
Geraldine
Hard Day – short film
Hard Day is the second film of the ‘Day’ Trilogy and was created by the RADE participants in 2010
The world premiere screening of Hard Day took place on Thursday 1st July 2010 in the Irish Film Institute, Temple Bar, and was written and directed by Pom Boyd. The film was shot over five days in and around Temple Bar and Killiney beach.
Hard Day tells the story of Billy, who tries desperately to make some money busking. His girlfriend is running out of patience with him. When intimidating street criminal Lazer stops to watch him busking, Billy is reminded of an old injustice and decides for once to stand up for himself and put an old wrong to right…
Minister Pat Carey, TD, officially launched the film, and on the same evening he launched RADE’s A Creative Response to Drugs: Strategic Plan 2011–2014 too.
Portraits – book
Poet of Ireland Paula Meehan faciliated creative writing workshops
On 9th Sept RADErs launched Portraits, a collection of the group’s creative writing stories, facilitated by poet Paula Meehan, in the NCAD (National College of Art & Design) to mark RADE’s 5th anniversary.
Paula Meehan wrote about her experience in RADE: ‘Some mornings the energy is pure electric and huge leaps of trust and faith are made.”
Read Portraits 2010
Darren reading
Jimmy reading
Minister Pat Rabbitte
Geraldine reading
Minister Pat Rabbitte
2009 Roundup
Dublin 8 was the theme for the year for art and creative writing. This coincided with the shooting of the film Today in the locality.
Dublin 8 Art Exhibition
2008 art exhibition gave our local area a whole new look
The theme for 2008 was Dublin 8. Participants took to the streets to investigate the local area and find inspiration for their art and creative writing. The results were outstanding. Eoghan O’Neill and John Devoy worked with the group on their art, while Joe O’Donnell was the writer in residence.
Martin at work
St. Patrick’s Cathedral
Jimmy’s piece
Darren at work
Dougie at work
Peter’s Dublin cityscape
Today – short film
The first of the ‘Day’ Trilogy of films
This was RADE’s first year in the movies with the making of the short fiction film Today. Written and directed by Pom Boyd, the film was shot over five days throughout Dublin 8. RADErs worked with a professional crew while they all performed in the film.
Today tells the story of Patrick who is sent by his eccentric doctor to find an arts project in Dublin’s inner city. Patrick perceivers with his journey through the streets overcoming the various impediments that happen on his way. An engaging, funny and moving short film that introduces both Patrick and the audience to the colourful characters that have found a home in the ‘Art Row Workshop”:….But Patrick arrives on the day the programmes funders are visiting…. The funders are not impressed
2008 Roundup
The Táin was our main theme for 2008.
Raders of the Lost Art – stage play
No pun intended!
Raders of the Lost Art was written and directed by Mick Egan. Mick worked with the group through the stories of The Táin. The show was performed in the Project Arts Centre, Axis in Ballymun, Ballyfermot Community Centre, the Pavilion in Dún Laoghaire, and Draíocht in Blanchardstown. This was the first time RADE brought one of their plays on tour.
Wendy at work
Jimmy at work
Rory at work
exhibition in DCC
exhibition in DCC
Raders of the Táin – Book
Merging mythical Ireland with modern day
Under the guidance of Steven Bourke, participants explored Thomas Kinsella’s Tain Bó Cuailgne. This legendary tale from early Irish history set the scenes for RADErs’ stories, art and theatre production in 2007/2008.
Read Raders of the Táin
2007 Round-up
President Mary McAleese was guest speaker.
Cast with President
Our annual showcase in Project Arts Centre included an art exhibition, creative writing readings, a Tai Chi demonstration and a performance of These People.
These People – stage play
Performing for the President of Ireland, Mary McAleese
Art exhibition & Tai Chi demo 2007
Annual Showcase 2007 in Project Art Centre
The group exhibited their artwork and performed a Tai Chi demonstration for President Mary McAleese. The art workshops were facilitated by Eoghan O’ Neill. The group explored themes of the home which delivered a variety of colourful paintings.
Lavina
Landscape
Greg
Robbie at work
Robbie
Somewhere to Flap Your Wings – book
Poetry, writings, art and images
Joanne reading from Somewhere to Flap Your Wings.
Working with Poetry Chair of Ireland Paula Meehan, the group focused on poetry, looking at Coleridge’s ‘Kubla Khan’, elegies, dreams and lullabies. The publication was launched in the Project Arts Centre by President McAleese.
2006 Round-up
Buckets, Buckets, Buckets… dominated 2006 events.
The group worked with Tony Curtis and Mick Egan to script Jack and Jill, performed in Project Arts Centre. This was the first year RADE made a documentary, entitledJack, Jill and the Green Devil. This year the group made masks, artist mosaics and individual art pieces. Actor and writer Peter Sheridan was guest speaker at Project.
Masks Exhibition 2006
Who is behind the Mask?
Working with poet Paula Meehan the group designed and made their own masks. Ideas were developed in creative writing classes with the group incorporating the themes from poems such as ‘kubla khan’ by Samuel T Coleridge.
Christine
John
Group
Jack and Jill – Play
Buckets, buckets, buckets….
Jack and Jill was a devised script developed through collaboration between Tony Curtis, Mick Egan and RADE participants. The group performed Jack and Jill at their annual showcase in the Project Arts Centre. This play included the well-received verse ‘Buckets’.
2005 Round-up
It all began here in 2005!
Tai Chi was first learned and then passed on from group to group. It was the first year we showcased art, drama and writing in the Project Art Centre.
RADE Stories
Tony Curtis facilitated creative writing
The book where it all began. Poet Tony Curtis worked with RADErs to produce this funny and entertaining collection. It even included an afterword from our own Mick Egan.
Read RADE 2005
Art Exhibition 2005
Annual Art Exhibition in Project
This was our first ever exhibition. The theme was the self.
Eoin Ryan and Mick
The group
The self
Angel of Mercy – stage play
Where it all began
The group
Working with actress and writer Judith Ryan, Angel of Mercy was developed and staged at the Project Arts Centre. This was a first ever stage appearance for many participants and for RADE