Dublin Youth Theatre: Since our foundation in 1977 by educational psychologist Paddy O’Dwyer, Dublin Youth Theatre (DYT) has forged a unique contribution to the worlds of theatre and youth work, consistently breaking new ground in youth theatre. Always progressive, a little radical, and always forward thinking, we provide a space for young people to have a voice. At DYT, our focus and drive is the personal, social and artistic development of young people in Dublin, through the medium of theatre.
Aoife Spillane-Hinks is an opera and theatre director and dramaturg based in Dublin. Directing credits include Julius Caesar (TU Dublin Conservatoire); King Arthur by Henry Purcell (Royal Irish Academy of Music); A Thing I Cannot Name and 20 Shots of Opera (Irish National Opera); Holy Mary by Eoin Colfer (National Tour/Breda Cashe Productions); Spotless, Collected Stories and The Yellow Wallpaper (Then This Theatre); The 24 Hour Plays: Dublin (Abbey Theatre); Hamlet (Second Age); Boston Marriage (Gate Theatre/Dublin Theatre Festival); Sharon’s Grave, Waiting for Godot, and Our Class (PICT Classic Theatre, Pittsburgh, USA). She is the founder and lead artist of the Pop-Up Literary Department at axis:Ballymun. She trained as a director on the Rough Magic SEEDS programme. She holds a BA in Folklore and Mythology from Harvard University and an MA in Drama and Theatre Studies from NUI Galway. She has taught directing in NUI Galway’s MA programme and acting at the Lir Academy, the Gaiety School of Acting, and the Conservatoire at TU Dublin. She is the co-founder of Then This Theatre.
Luka Costello is a performer and theatremaker from Dublin. She is an alumni of Dublin Youth Theatre, having been a part of multiple productions including The Sleepwalkers (2019) and The Comedy of Errors (2018). In 2019, she graduated from Theatre Performance Studies at Inchicore College of Further Education, and was awarded distinctions in ATCL Speech and Drama from Trinity College London. Luka is one of the Axis Assemble Artists of 2022.
Dr Tanya Dean has worked extensively as a freelance dramaturg in Ireland, UK, USA, and Iceland. She received her Doctor of Fine Arts and Master of Fine Arts in Dramaturgy and Dramatic Criticism from Yale School of Drama. Tanya is Script Associate for the Abbey Theatre, and Programme Chair for the B.A. (Hons) in Drama (Performance) in the Conservatoire of the Technological University Dublin.
Libby Seward is a dance artist, choreographer, movement director, collaborator and mentor. She holds a Masters in Dance and is a Laban graduate. She is the movement tutor on the Gaiety School of Acting’s professional actor-training course. Libby is a qualified Feldenkrais practitioner. Movement directing credits for Opera and Theatre include Madama Butterfly for Irish National Opera; Vagabones for Opera Theatre Company; King Arthur, King Arthur, La finta giardiniera and Ormindo for RIAM; La bohème and Monteverdi’s Orfeo for Opera Theatre Company; Eric Sweeney’s The Invader for Theatre Royal Productions, Waterford; Re-imagining Beckett with Ben Barnes for Imagine Arts Festival; Noël with Eoin Colfer; Dreamland for Jim Nolan.
Fiona Sheil is a Sound designer and Composer. Collaborations with Catherine Young Dance include State of Exception, Ultima Thule , The Choreography Project, The river will still run to the sea for Mind your step, Welcoming the stranger as part of The Casement Project 2016 & Floating on a Dead Sea- Dublin Dance Festival 2022. Other design includes All the angels- Rough Magic, Luck Just Kissed You Hello- by Amy Conroy, Directed by Wayne Jordan- The Abbey Theatre/Peacock -2022. WHALE by John McCarthy- Cork Opera House/Cork Midsummer Festival 2022. Holy Mary by Eoin Coilfer, Madhouse by Una McKevitt & PJ Gallagher DFF/Abbey theatre, Anatomy of a suicide Director Tom Creed. Sound design for Aideen Barry- as part of her large scale exhibition By Slight Ligaments- Limerick city Gallery 2022. She was chosen for The Centre Stage project 2020/21, run by Theatre Forum, with La Escuela Pública de Formación Cultural (Spain), & Kultur i Väst (Sweden). She graduated with a Masters in Experimental Sound from UCC in 2020. Fiona was nominated for The Hearsay audio prize 2021.
