With Mermaid Arts Centre, I developed the hugely successful Gap Day artist support programme which piloted in 2016 and continues to run annually.

A Gap Day allows freelance theatre artists to dedicate a day or two to the creative research and thinking they have put on the long finger. It’s up to them what they spend the day doing: reading, writing, thinking, drawing, walking, dreaming. Whatever they don’t normally have time to do; whatever they think is needed.

Gap Days are designed for freelance theatre makers, directors, writers, designers, producers, and production managers and are delivered to them wherever they are in the country. To date over 200 artists have taken Gap Days across the island of Ireland.

Freelancers who get a Gap Day are given a fee for their time, a room to work in at an arts centre or cultural venue local to them, and a light lunch. We facilitate an informal introduction to the director, or a senior staff member, of the venue. I facilitate online and in-person creative gatherings, including thinking time walks, and I offer one-to-one coaching and planning sessions for participating artists.

For more information, see www.gapday.ie