THE FUEL

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THE FUEL ▸ ▸ ▸ ▸ ▸ ▸ ▸ ▸ ▸ ▸ ▸ ▸

ARTIST
DEVELOPMENT

We offer artist training programmes that celebrate authenticity and fresh ideas. We also prioritise holistic practice and wellbeing, using imagination as a tool for healing, growth, and personal development.

▸ ENGINE

Engine is a new professional artist development programme from Tinderbox Theatre Company, supporting ten emerging theatre makers based in Northern Ireland. Delivered in partnership with The MAC Belfast, it offers a practical, training led year long programme combining theatre making, producing skills and creative well being.

Participants will engage in weekly contemporary theatre workshops alongside learning essential industry skills including funding, administration and self producing. Recognising the pressures of working in the arts, the programme also includes creative therapy sessions that support artists’ mental health and resilience. The programme will culminate in a showcase of work developed through Engine.

  • Grace Cunningham
    Gerard Headley
    Isaac Quinn
    Kirkpatrick, Clinton
    Denise McCready
    Wilson McDowell
    Heather Martin
    Katie Murphy
    Niamh Murphy
    Rosie Mullin

▸ HAP SCHOOL

The Holistic Arts Practice (HAP) School, offered by Tinderbox Theatre Company, provides specialised artist training that combines play with creative therapy techniques. This programme aims to help participants establish a healthier foundation for balance, restoration, and personal resilience.

Led by Patrick J. O’Reilly, who holds an MA in Creative Therapy and is accredited by the International Meditation Teacher and Therapists Association, the HAP School explores various topics such as the science of play, creative flow techniques, stress responses, relaxation and meditation techniques, authentic body movement, the creative manifesto, and Carl Jung’s philosophy, alongside the importance of personal space and boundaries.

These elements are designed to foster personal growth and artistic development within a supportive community.

▸ INCUBATE

Incubate is a bold celebration of new theatre in the making. Over six months, Northern Irish artists have been supported through the Incubate Makers Network, a programme rooted in experimentation and collaboration.

The Incubate Festival showcases theatre in motion: playful, curious works in progress that invite audiences into the creative process and open space for conversation as each piece continues to grow.

  • Charlotte McCurry
    Michael McEvoy
    Catherine Rees
    Seon Simpson
    Steven Millar
    Soso Ní Cheallaigh
    Simon Sweeney

  • Ashton
    Aoibh Johnson
    Fergus Wachala-Kelly
    Carley Magee
    Jane McKeever
    Mary O’Loan
    Louise Parker
    Matthew Sharp
    Colm McCready
    Richard McFerran

▸ PLAY MACHINE

Through dynamic physical workshops, participants explore the craft of storytelling using movement, play methodology, and improvisation. The training focuses on developing the skills and instincts needed to create bold, physical, and imaginative theatre.

Designed for actors, dancers, directors, writers, and designers of all experience levels, Play Machine offers a liberating space to take creative risks, discover new ways of working, and connect with a wider artistic community.

Since 2017, Tinderbox has delivered Play Machine training to over 300 artists across Northern Ireland and beyond.