Gate Theatre 2020 Artists-in-Residence and Bursary Recipient

Dublin, Thursday October 15, 2020

The Gate Theatre bursary recipient for 2021 is theatre director Marc Atkinson Borrull. The Gate Theatre artists-in- residence for 2020 are aerial and acrobatic circus troupe Loosysmokes, creatively produced and directed by Elaine McCague and Jonah McGreevy. Being artists-in-residence and bursary recipient at the Gate, both in person and virtually, means that these Irish artists will be supported to continue creating work and given a platform to show their work when the time is right.

“I’m so grateful that, in these times, the Gate has committed itself to supporting artists,” said Marc Atkinson Borrull. “Although the doors are closed for now, the work that they are supporting will mean there is something to come back to.” “Our close-knit group of hardworking artists, craftspeople and performers create visceral experiences that end deep in the gut of the viewer,” said Elaine McCague and Jonah McGreevy of Loosysmokes. “Being artists-in-residence at the Gate is a really exciting opportunity. The theatre has always been a pioneer in live performance and theatre, and this kind of support is so important for artists.”

In March 2020, alongside theatres in Ireland and around the world, the Gate closed the doors, and later announced that the theatre would not reopen until 2021. Although nobody knows what lies ahead, the Gate team have worked together creatively over the last 6 months to map out a future that builds on its rich theatrical history on Cavendish Row over the past 92 years. The Gate’s business model was deeply dependent on ticket sales, and the financial position as the pandemic progressed became precarious.

Now the Gate is able to navigate a future with strong support from the Arts Council and the very welcome news of the €130 million investment in the Arts Council in the new Budget, and is energetically looking at plans for 2021 that are both realistic and inspiring for artists and audiences. The Gate came into 2020 in a strong artistic position after a powerful 3 years under the Artistic Directorship of Selina Cartmell. Productions such as The Great Gatsby, The Snapper, Hamlet and A Christmas Carol were bringing new audiences through the doors and putting new talent on the stage.

“Announcing our new bursary and artistic residencies for 2020, feels like a vital step towards the Gate’s future. Supporting artists and telling stories is at the heart of what we do,” said Selina Cartmell. “ We have missed our loyal audiences in the building, and the buzz of our creative teams, conjuring up daily miracles, and creating magic on our stage. While we work towards sharing those experiences in new ways, we look forward to having these artists as a part of the Gate family.”