After six years, the festival announced that it will not return in 2023.

Dublin theatre festival for new work Scene + Heard announced that it will not be returning as it has has not been chosen for Arts Council Funding.

Festival directors Caoimhe Conolly and Cliona Dukes made the announcement on the Smock Alley Theatre website, where the festival has been hosted for nearly six years.

Their statement addressed the many “Friends + Artists + Movers + Makers” they had worked with before expressing their frustration and sadness the project would be continuing.

“As many of you know, we are two girls with BIG dreams to inspire, encourage and assist in the birthing of new work across all artforms without elitism or prejudice.”

For aspiring newcomers to Irish theatre, Scene + Heard offered a space to submit and receive feedback and development for new work. Since its first outing in 2016, the festival has offered opportunities to nearly 3000 creatives from mentoring, workshopping, funding and networking opportunities. 

“This decision is simply down to Arts Council funding. Like you, we also needed support to continue and we have been denied.”

Many online tweeted their disappointment in the news and thanked Scene + Heard for its dedication over the years.

Today artists and creatives in Ireland received news on whether or not they had received the much-needed Arts Council funding which keeps the doors open for many projects and businesses. Scene + Heard are just one of many projects that today have received devastating news.

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