Problems & Possibilities | The Challenges of an acting career
Are you embarking on a career as an actor? Have you managed to sustain a career despite challenges? Do you struggle with such a precarious working life? Of so, the Actors’ Friday Forums should be of value.
The difficulties of life as a working actor are examined and explored in a series of discussions held by Fight2Flight Theatre Company. These forums were created to allow actors discuss the problems they face throughout their careers, with the hope that any issues can be recognised and resolved.
The forums were hosted by a team of moderators including Peter Gowen, David Herlihy, Pauline McLynn and Marion O’Dwyer over the course of 2021 and 2022.
The Arts Council of Ireland generously funded the series through the Capacity Building Award Scheme.
Actor’s Friday Forums have two main objectives; Developing Collaborations & Connections and Developing Capacity for Inclusion.
Friday Forums are presented by Fight2Flight in collaboration with Smock Alley and with Irish Theatre Institute’s ACCELERATE Programme funded by Rethink Ireland’ and The Arts Council of Ireland.
Minding Your Money!
18 Feb 2022
Financial and career advice from a panel of professionals.
Panel: Gerry O’Brien (Irish Equity), Peter Daly (Producer, Actor and Accountant)
Moderated by Pauline McLynn
How Do We Portray Mental Ill-Health on Stage and Screen
14 Jan 2022
A panel discussion with Patricia Burke, Barbara Brennan and Peter Gowen
Moderated by Medb Lambert
Rejection and Resilience in the Acting Profession
7 Jan 2022
A panel discussion with David Herlihy, Pauline McLynn, Niamh Daly and Maureen Hughes
Moderated by Marion O’Dwyer
In The Room | Part 2: Auditions
10 Dec 2021
How actors might optimise their chances of getting a job and will outline some common behaviours and habits that create negative impacts.
Panel: John O’Hare, Lynne Parker, Maureen Hughes
Moderator: Pauline McLynn
In The Room | Part 1 “Habit is a great deadener” – Samuel Beckett
26 Nov 2021
A panel of three directors will discuss how certain habits of actors create difficulties for them in the rehearsal room.
Panel: Conor Hanratty, Mark Lambert and John O’Hare
Moderator: David Herlihy
Retirement: What’s That?
5 Nov 2021
A panel of actors beyond retirement age talk about their careers. At a time when most professionals have given up work, most actors prefer to keep working. What are the challenges for an older person working full time?
Panel: Brendan Conroy, Clive Geraghty & Stella McCusker
Moderator: Peter Gowen
When Am I An Actor? 2
13 Aug 2021
A panel of young and emerging actors discuss the challenges of managing their careers and making a living (in the current high rental environment) between their theatre employment.
Panel: Fionnuala Gygax, Clare Monnelly and Jarlath Tivnan.
An open discussion led by David Herlihy.
When Am I An Actor? 1
6 Aug 2021
A panel of established actors talk about how they coped in the past with unemployment and what strategies they used.
Panel: David Herlihy, Pauline McLynn, and Marion O’Dwyer
An open discussion led by Peter Gowen.
