The Rest Rooms - Full Programme
Saturday 10th September
Quiet Space
10 September, 11:00 – 14:00, National Concert Hall, reservation not required
Our Quiet space offers a calm, comfy space to relax and spend some time away from the overwhelm. This is a space for anyone who’s exhausted or anyone who needs a rest. Get together in an atmosphere of communal care, consideration and survival.
Panel: Let’s Talk Access
10 September, 15:00 – 16:30, National Concert Hall / Your Place, reserve your place here
Who are our art spaces for? How accessible are our art spaces and who are they excluding? 3 disabled artists and theatre makers present a panel discussion on access needs for audiences and artists and how to make those happen.
Let’s Talk: Speed Networking For Artists
10 September, 17:00 – 19:00, National Concert Hall / Your Place, reserve your place here
Disabled and chronically ill artists often cannot network in the same way as other artists, this event tries to bridge the gap and invites curators and programmers to have a conversation with disabled and chronically ill artists about their work. We invite artists to a free speed dating style event for disabled and chronically ill artists and makers to network and connect.
Sunday 11th September
Quiet Space
11 September, 11:00 – 12:00, National Concert Hall, reservation not required
Our Quiet space offers a calm, comfy space to relax and spend some time away from the overwhelm. This is a space for anyone who’s exhausted or anyone who needs a rest. Get together in an atmosphere of communal care, consideration and survival.
Workshop: Collage Making with Gender.rip
11 September, 12:00 – 14:00, National Concert Hall, reserve your place here
Join gender.rip in Collages Against Capitalism as part of Áine O'Hara's REST ROOMS. Let us introduce you to the wonders of tearing apart printed materials and sticking together our own worlds.
We will provide materials to collage with, but feel free to bring your own. No previous experience dismantling capitalism nor making collages necessary. gender.RIP is a trans-led, anti-capitalist fine art collective. Known for their exhibitions, community events, and workshops which centre joy and creativity; they aim to carve out trans-centred leisure spaces which are an oasis from the wider world. Made up of Alber Saborío, Dámhín McKeown, and Ríon Duffy Murphy. www.gender.rip
Quiet Space
11 September, 14:00 – 16:00, Your Place, reservation not required
Our Quiet space offers a calm, comfy space to relax and spend some time away from the overwhelm. This is a space for anyone who’s exhausted or anyone who needs a rest. Get together in an atmosphere of communal care, consideration and survival.
Crip Rave with Louise Bruton
11 September, 17:00 – 19:00, National Concert Hall / Your Place, reserve your place here
Join us in a celebration of disabled joy for a dance party in a space that has been created with access in mind. We will have snacks and water available as well as lots of seating and open space. There will also be a green room next to the space where people can go to reset/rest during the party!
Louise Bruton is a freelance journalist, pop culture enthusiast, disability rights activist, DJ and playwright. She regularly writes about music, travel, access and life as a wheelchair user for the Irish Times, Lonely Planet, Rogue and Image Magazine. She made her theatre debut in 2017’s Dublin Fringe Festival as a playwright and a performer with a sold out run of Why Won’t You Have Sex With Me?, a show that looks into disability, relationships and sex.
Monday 12th September
Quiet Space
12 September, 11:00 – 13:00, National Concert Hall, reservation not required
Our Quiet space offers a calm, comfy space to relax and spend some time away from the overwhelm. This is a space for anyone who’s exhausted or anyone who needs a rest. Get together in an atmosphere of communal care, consideration and survival.
Workshop: Crip Trans Art with Aisling Reina
12 September, 13:00 – 15:00, National Concert Hall, reserve your place here
Come make art in a trans disabled space! We’ll be drawing each other and being our disabled selves. But also, you're welcome to draw whatever you like!
Any person who’s disabled, sick or neurodivergent is welcome, even if you’re not sure if you’re disabled enough. Carers and friends are welcome too. And no prior art experience or skill is required. Some materials will be provided, but feel free to bring your own! In order to make everyone feel welcome, mask-wearing is encouraged!
Sickness and the Body Performance Art Event Curated by Tara Carroll
12 September, 16:00 – 19:00, National Concert Hall / Your Place, reserve your place here
An evening of performance art curated by Tara Carroll which is open for all to attend.
Tara Carroll is an artist, curator and facilitator based in Ireland. As a curator she seeks to create opportunities to platform disabled and/or chronically ill artists' work in a supportive and care focused environment catering to individual needs with a view to alleviating some of the barriers faced when creating and exhibiting work. Structuring events and workshops to a more sustainable and flexible pace, with quiet low light rest areas, comfortable spaces, snacks and plenty of breaks which benefits both artists and audience.
Workshop: Autistic Art Club Workshop *Please note this event has moved from Saturday
12 September, 19:00 – 21:00, Your Place, reserve your place here
The autistic art club is a space for autistic adults to meet other autistic adults through art and creativity. Join us online for a night of creativity!
Tuesday 13th September
Workshop: Access Riders with Áine O’Hara
13 September, 11:00 – 13:00, National Concert Hall / Your Place, reserve your place here
An access doc, or 'Access Rider,' is a document that outlines your disability access needs. You might make one so that you can give it to galleries/institutions/organisations when you start working with them on a project, such as a gallery you're doing a show at, to let them know what you need them to facilitate to make sure you have equal access to work.
This event will teach and facilitate artists to write these documents for use when working with cultural institutions. It is beneficial for artists and organisations that these documents are widely used to create more supportive, safe and accessible creative environments for disabled artists. This is an open space for disabled artists to discuss and establish their individual needs to inform their access documents, creating an opportunity to connect with peers and build solidarity.
Quiet Space
13 September, 13:00 – 16:00, National Concert Hall, reservation not required
Our Quiet space offers a calm, comfy space to relax and spend some time away from the overwhelm. This is a space for anyone who’s exhausted or anyone who needs a rest. Get together in an atmosphere of communal care, consideration and survival.
A Sick Reading Group
13 September, 17:00 – 19:00, National Concert Hall / Your Place, reserve your place here
A cosy book club for spoonies! Join us for reading and discussion from Disability Visibility by Alice Wong. Stories will be made available in different formats one week prior to the event!
Wednesday 14th September
Quiet Space
14 September, 11:00 – 13:00, National Concert Hall, reservation not required
Our Quiet space offers a calm, comfy space to relax and spend some time away from the overwhelm. This is a space for anyone who’s exhausted or anyone who needs a rest. Get together in an atmosphere of communal care, consideration and survival.
Open Forum: What is Rest?
14 September, 14:00 – 16:00, National Concert Hall / Your Place, reserve your place here
What is rest? How do we take care of each other in an increasingly hostile world?
Join us for an open discussion on what rest is and how we can centre rest and disabled community in a world that prioritises productivity above all else.
When the Body Speaks: An Evening of Poetry, Stories and Music Curated by Trudie Gorman
14 September, 17:00 – 19:00, National Concert Hall, reserve your place here
Join us for our closing event When the Body Speaks: An Evening of Poetry, Stories and Music Curated by Trudie Gorman.
Trudie is a working class poet from Dublin's northside. She is co-founder and director of Flying South, Dublin’s open forum mental health arts collective. She believes in the transformative power of poetry and the arts in community work. Trudie has performed her poetry across Ireland and the UK. She has published pieces in Poetry NI and I Believe Her. Her poetry explores the personal and political interplay of gender, class, sexuality, love and fear in a fragmented capitalist society.
Please note: All events and workshops seek to care for participants and speakers by asking that folks wear masks and by providing ventilation, comfortable seating, snacks, water and quiet space to recharge. These are relaxed spaces and you can come and go as you please, make noise and move around! All events are free and you can apply for a travel stipend here. Events will be in person and online, online events will be streamed on zoom with captioning and recording will focus mainly on speakers (if you do not want to be on camera we can show you to a section of the room where you will not be.)
Should you wish to discuss your access requirements ahead of time please contact boxoffice@fringefest.com or 1800 374 643.