Professional Development
space and facilities for individual artists to research and create;
studios for personal and shared practice;
regular contemporary dance and ballet classes;
specialist masterclasses and workshops;
administrative and technical facilities;
information and archive resources;
rehearsal and performance spaces;
access to an expanding audience.
Partnerships have been established to support professional, emerging and community based dance companies across spectrum of dance styles to include contemporary, ballet, aerial and integrated dance activities.
The resident ballet and contemporary dance companies offer open company classes and workshops for all interested dancers.
The Firkin Crane, in association with Dance Ireland, provides a weekly contemporary dance class for professional dancers and, with Cork City Ballet, a weekly professional ballet class.
To encourage professional exchange, visiting artists are invited to teach and participate in the regular class programme and to host individual masterclasses for national and local professional/ emerging and student dance artists. Artists in residence frequently present a 'sharing' of work as part of the creative progress.
In a development of the latter idea, last year the Firkin Crane, In association with Dance Ireland, hosted the Choreographic Platform, supporting four professional choreographers and their collaborative artists to create a work in progress or explore new ideas. This took place over a two week period, under the mentorship of Wendy Houstein, with a final presentation performance for an invited audience.
This year, through the residency programme Blank Canvas, the Firkin Crane will provide opportunities for local, national and international dance artists to access professional engagement through research project development and performance/presentation opportunities.
