Aeridheacht – Taking the Air

By Echo Reporter 

In 2014 Tallaght Community Arts proposed to use the 2016 Centenary of the 1916 Easter Rising as an opportunity to explore the story of the radical and dynamic education experiment at St Enda’s School, Rathfarnham undertaken by Patrick Pearse.

The vision was to re-imagine St Enda’s Open Day of 1914 including the mythical pageant, Fionn – A Dramatic Spectacle and to share with audiences the dynamic contribution that the school made to the nationalist movement over 100 years ago.

Aeridheacht – Taking the Air was Patrick Pearse’s title for St Enda’s school Annual Open Day and Tallaght Community Arts adopted the title for their site-specific theatrical event in the grounds and house of the Pearse Museum, St Enda’s Park for July 2016.

In early 2015, a core cast of young performers were recruited locally and county wide. In June 2015 they set out to re-imagine the St Enda’s School open day of 1914.

Tallaght Community Arts ran a five-day summer camp at the Pearse Museum with forty young people exploring how the school worked and what role the ‘open days’ and ‘pageants’ played in the life of the pupils.

Working over the last year with an artist team and with support from the curator and staff at the Pearse Museum, the groups performers have devised a site specific performance that will give its audience a glimpse of what St Enda’s School might have been and its place in the story of Ireland’s journey to independence.

The artist team consists of artists with national and international profiles; choreographer Rionach Ní Néill, composer Rudi Genbrugge, designer Tadashi Kato, site specific designer Andrew Siddall, documenter Jonathan Stokes, videography by Square in Square, producer Jennifer Webster and creative director Tony Fegan.

Tallaght Community Arts has worked with a number of community groups and their young participants will also take part in our performance. They include Watson Twin Academy, Ballyboden St Enda’s GAA under 15 Hurlers, Music Generations Blessington and Dominic’s Community Centre. Tallaght Men’s Shed Group has also assisted in the production of carts for the performance.

The show runs from July 5-10 at the Pearse Museum from 7.30pm.