Galway’s Blue Teapot Theatre Company will represent Ireland at the BAFTA qualifying Oska Bright Film Festival(UK), screening three self-produced films on St. Patrick’s Day, Sunday 17 March, as part of Reel Ireland documentary strand.
Oska Bright is the world’s leading festival for films made by or featuring people with intellectual disabilities or autism. Held in Brighton, the annual event screens over one hundred films with Blue Teapot’s documentary ‘Enquire Within‘ chosen to close the week-long festival and is nominated for an award in the Best Story of a Life category. Screening with Enquire Within are two other Blue Teapot produced documentaries – Prophecy (2021) and My Light will Blind You (2022).
Award winning independent filmmaker Fionn Rogers directed all three films. Speaking about the projects, Rogers explained, “The three documentaries are all very different and very special in their own way. Enquire Within was the most rewarding to work on, because of how organic it was and how the concept grew so naturally from the ground up”.
The documentary stemmed from Blue Teapot’s Outreach projects in collaboration with Galway County Council arts office, with a strategic aim of creating more impactful, experiential, inclusive arts practise across the County. Filmed in Clifden and shot over 8 days, Enquire Within involved people from the area, in front and behind the camera.
“To give people the opportunity to explore their ideas and get them hands on with film equipment they had never used before was amazing to experience first-hand”. The resulting documentary explores the subject of employment from the perspective of young people, seniors and those with disabilities living in Connemara.
Talking about his experience as a first time Assistant Director, Blue Teapot artist Paul Connolly expressed, “It’s such a great honour to represent Blue Teapot, Criost Linn and the Clifden people involved at Oska Bright this year”. Along with his colleagues, Connolly is looking forward to attending the festival having received support from Culture Ireland.
In other developments, recently appointed Executive Director Jane Parsons is delighted to announce the launch of a new Friends Scheme, inviting individuals and businesses to partner with Blue Teapot to help make a positive difference to the creative lives of the company’s artists. This investment will empower the company to continue making game-changing theatre and provide opportunities for artists with intellectual disabilities.
Further information or to discuss joining Blue Teapot Friends Scheme, email exec.director@blueteapot.ie or call 091 520 977.
