The Dreamers Mini Festival is a youth-led creative initiative presented by Curious State Theatre Company and Theatre Royal Waterford that will see 21 young participants collaborate with professional artists and mentors through a process-led series of workshops to design, programme and present their own multidisciplinary mini festival at the Theatre Royal. The project positions young people as creators, curators and decision-makers, giving them first-hand experience of how a creative event is conceived, produced and performed. Participants will explore a range of disciplines including live music, theatre, spoken word, visual arts and performance, culminating in a series of public performances / showings at Theatre Royal on 6th June 2026, designed by young people for young audiences.
Participants will work with professional mentors through a structured workshop process
- Saturday 9th May – the ‘Big Idea’: participants explore what makes a great festival and generate creative ideas for the event.
- Saturday 16th May – meet the mentors: creative professionals introduce key skills involved in producing an arts event.
- Saturday 23rd May – making the festival: participants collaborate to shape the festival programme and develop creative contributions.
- Saturday 30th May rehearsals: performances and presentations are refined through rehearsal and technical preparation.
- Saturday 6th June – staging the event: participants present The Dreamers Mini Festival as a public Cruinniú na nÓg 2026 event
Over the years, Theatre Royal has brought acclaimed artists and creative teams from Ireland and overseas to work closely with the abundance of local talent we are so lucky to have on our doorstep.
