Pure Theatre

Creating Environmental Awareness Through Theatre

Pure Theatre Environmental Training Programme is an initiative of the Pure (Protecting Uplands and Rural Environments) Project and is funded by Pure.

The training programme was designed for teenagers; (13 to 18 years of age) and introduces students/participants to important environmental issues that are related to the Pure Project, e.g., illegal dumping, litter, fly-tipping, recycling, pollution, environment and community, all through the medium of theatre.  This training programme is for a maximum of 10/20 students, ideally suited to a secondary school drama class or secondary school TY group.  All the school needs to provide is the venue for the training programme, all other aspects are supplied by Pure.

At the beginning of the training programme participants are provided with a multimedia presentation incorporating a wide range of completed Pure projects, e.g., short environmental animations (Pure Animation), environmental music videos (Pure Music), a short film on the community/environment initiative, The Pure Mile, a short documentary entitled Pure Wisdom, short films on illegal dumping, the various Pure media projects and photography projects.

Then with the assistance of a professional theatre facilitator students will then explore and discuss the issues related to PURE culminating in the creation of an original theatre production which will premiere at an agreed venue.

The first Pure Theatre Programme was held between October 2015 and May 2016 with 12 students from Colaiste Bhride Carnew.  With the guidance of a professional theatre facilitator, the participants were given an opportunity to learn how to write, produce, direct, act, and create their own original theatre production, which premiered at The Courthouse Arts Centre, Tinahely, Co Wicklow, in May 2016.

The production, ‘Hourglass’, was a collaboration between Pure, The Courthouse Arts Centre, and Colaiste Bhride Carnew.  This Pure theatre programme was facilitated by Andrea Kelly, a professionally actress based in Wicklow; Kevin McRedmond, a sound engineer who also works in music production; and Maeve Hunter, who is a professional textile artist and crafter with experience in set design and costuming.  This team of facilitators worked with the students from Colaiste Bhride and devised all aspects of the production.

Their production, ‘Hourglass’, is set one hundred years from now in the year 2116.  The earth is running out of time and close to total destruction.  Continued illegal dumping became a huge problem and slowly the land became positioned and useable. The planet is now ruled by a ruthless governing elite, led by a dictator known as ‘The President’, who is hell bent on controlling the Earth’s remaining precious resources.  Even Knowledge and Time are considered commodities, all of which are controlled by large corporations, and only those connected to ‘The President’ have access to both.  A small group of rebels, ‘The Freedom Fighters’, are determined to make contact with the people of 2016 to warn them of the impending doom, hoping that they get can make them (US) change their wasteful ways.  But oxygen is running out, time is running out, and the ‘Hourglass’ is emptying.

Any school interested in work shopping this theatre production should contact Pure directly.  We have the script, the sound production, concept for stage, props, and costumes, and we are willing to assist schools in any way.