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The archive of the award-winning Pan Pan Theatre Company has been donated to the University of Galway Library Archives. Established in 1993 by Gavin Quinn and Aedín Cosgrove, Pan Pan Theatre Company have established international recognition as one of Ireland’s premiere theatre companies, touring throughout Ireland, Europe, the United States and from China to New Zealand. The archive is fully catalogued and available to researchers at University of Galway Library. A new digital online exhibition will share the Pan Pan archive with a global audience at https://exhibitions.library.nuigalway.ie/s/panpan/page/introduction  The Pan Pan archive consists of annotated scripts, production notebooks, photographs, designs, programmes, posters, and a vast collection of digital show recordings, spanning more than 50 boxes of materials from the last 30 years. The papers document the early years and development of the company led by Quinn and Cosgrove, who have directed and designed the majority of Pan Pan productions.  Dr Barry Houlihan, Archivist, University of Galway, said: “Working on the Pan Pan archive and cataloguing its vast array of materials is a reminder of the immense contribution that Pan Pan have made to contemporary Irish drama in Ireland and internationally. The archive will be in an immersive and fascinating resource for anyone interesting in the company and modern Irish theatre and culture.” Gavin Quinn and Aedín Cosgrove, co-founders of Pan Pan Theatre Company said: “It's an amazing opportunity that University of Galway has given Pan Pan to make our work available in this archive, we are blown away by the dedication and curatorial excellence of the Archive team. We are delighted that our little contribution to the theatre scene in Ireland will be preserved." Pan Pan were established as “Ireland’s first deaf ensemble”, producing work for and with deaf practitioners and audiences, creating a new space of accessibility for Irish theatre in the 1990s. New original works by Pan Pan at this time included Tailors Requiem (1996), Cartoon (1998), and Standoffish (2000).  Dr Charlotte McIvor, Head of Drama, Theatre and Performance at University of Galway said: “The acquisition of the Pan Pan archive gives us another opportunity to bring together history and practice in our Drama and Theatre Studies classrooms and across the School of English and Creative Arts.  Pan Pan have always been at the vanguard of moving Irish theatre forward as a landscape since their founding, and we are now delighted to be partnering with them to bring the transformative story of their history and their future directly to our students.” John Cox, University Librarian, University of Galway said: “We are delighted to have secured the archive of such an innovative company as Pan Pan. This archive is a tremendous collection in its own right and complements our archival coverage of other Irish theatre companies, including the digitised archives of the Abbey and Gate Theatres and others in paper format such as those of the Druid, Lyric and Taibhdhearc.” In later years Pan Pan adapted Irish and European classics in new and innovate productions.  Oedipus Loves You by Simon Doyle and Gavin Quinn (2006), which starred Ruth Negga, toured to international acclaim. The Crumb Trail by Gina Moxley (20009) revisited the form of the fairy tale for a modern technology-driven society.  Pan Pan engaged with the works of Samuel Beckett and William Shakespeare across a number of productions. Pan Pan produced Beckett’s radio plays, All That Fall in 2011, and Embers in 2013, and also Beckett’s Quad (2013) and Endgame (2019). Shakespeare’s works were explored in Mac-beth 7 (2004) and The Rehearsal: Playing the Dane (2010), a reworking of Hamlet. In 2006, Pan Pan staged an all-Chinese cast production of J.M. Synge’s The Playboy of the Western World in Shanghai, translated into Mandarin, setting the production in a contemporary hairdresser’s salon. Pan Pan are today producing new works and regularly touring nationally and internationally. The recipients of many international awards as well as Irish Times Irish Theatre Awards, the Pan Pan archive documents a company that has always sought to innovate, reinterpret, and connect Irish theatre and culture to the worldwide audience.  The Pan Pan archive digital exhibition, curated by Aafke Van Pelt with Eimhin Joyce and Dr Barry Houlihan, includes more than 400 digital objects from across the Pan Pan archive, all freely accessible online via the University of Galway Library Digital Repository. The Pan Pan archive and digital exhibition will be launched at an event in University of Galway by Willie White, Director of the Dublin Theatre Festival on 29th November. All are welcome to attend.  Ends

Maoinithe  ag an Chomhairle um Oideachas Gaeltachta agus Gaelscolaíochta, is do mhic léinn ar an Máistir Gairmiúil san Oideachas na sparánachtaí seo   Leathnú ar an scéim sparánachta don Máistir Gairmiúil san Oideachas (MGO) fógartha ag an Chomhairle um Oideachas Gaeltachta agus Gaelscolaíochta i gcomhpháirtíocht le Ollscoil na Gaillimhe.  Bronnfar €2,000 sa bhliain ar gach mac léinn MGO, maoinithe ag an Chomhairle um Oideachas Gaeltachta agus Gaelscolaíochta. Is clár máistreachta, dhá bhliain lánaimseartha in oideachas tosaigh múinteoirí,  trí mheán na Gaeilge atá san MGO, a ullmhaíonn múinteoirí ábhar don earnáil iarbhunscoile lán-Ghaeilge.  Tá na sparánachtaí seo maoinithe ag an Chomhairle um Oideachas Gaeltachta agus Gaelscolaíochta (COGG). Dúirt an tAire Spóirt agus Gaeltachta Jack Chambers: "Fáiltím roimh an dul chun cinn suntasach seo i leith múinteoirí faoi oiliúint a thugann faoin MGO in Ollscoil na Gaillimhe. Tugann na sparánachtaí seo tuilleadh tacaíochtaí do mhúinteoirí faoi oiliúint, a chinnteoidh múinteoirí ardcháilithe don earnáil Gaeloideachais. Tagann sé seo le hobair mo Roinne féin, tacaíocht a thabhairt don teagasc trí Ghaeilge i scoileanna Gaeltachta. Traoslaím le hOllscoil na Gaillimhe as leathnú a dhéanamh ar an scéim agus táimid ag súil leis na torthaí a fheiceáil amach anseo i scoileanna a dhéanann teagasc trí mheán na Gaeilge."  Ag labhairt ag an seoladh dúirt Jacqueline Ní Fhearghusa (Príomhfheidhmeannach COGG) “Tá an-áthas ar an Chomhairle um Oideachas Gaeltachta agus Gaelscolaíochta (COGG) cur le líon na sparánachtaí don chúrsa Máistir Gairmiúil san Oideachas (MGO) in Ollscoil na Gaillimhe i mbliana.  Tuigeann COGG an ghéarchéim a bhaineann le hearcaíocht múinteoirí sna hiar-bhunscoileanna lán-Ghaeilge agus Gaeltachta, agus an brú a chuireann sin ar phríomhoidí agus ar phobail scoileanna.  “Aithnítear go bhfuil an cúrsa MGO in Ollscoil na Gaillimhe fíorthábhachtach maidir le ceist an tsoláthair agus tá ríméad ar COGG a gcuid tacaíochta a leathnú go suntasach i ndáil leis an oiliúint ríthábhachtach atá ar bun go leanúnach ag foireann an MGO i Scoil an Oideachais, Ollscoil na Gaillimhe.” Dúirt Pól Ó Dochartaigh, Uachtarán Ionaid agus Meabhránaí Ollscoil na Gaillimhe: “Táimid go mór faoi choimín ag COGG agus cinnteoidh na sparánachtaí seo go mbeidh ar ár gcumas líon na mac léinn ar an gclár máistreachta eiseamlárach agus ceannródaíoch seo, a mhéadú, rud a chuirfidh go mór le soláthar agus caighdeán na múinteoirí don earnáil.” Is féidir iarratas a dhéanamh ar an MGO tríd an Postgraduate Applications Centre (www.pac.ie) Críoch

Funded by An Chomhairle um Oideachas Gaeltachta agus Gaelscolaíochta, the scheme is open to Máistir Gairmiúil san Oideachas students  University of Galway, in partnership with An Chomhairle um Oideachas Gaeltachta agus Gaelscolaíochta, have announced the extension of the Máistir Gairmiúil san Oideachas bursary scheme. All student teachers who undertake the Máistir Gairmiúil san Oideachas (MGO) programme at the University will receive an award of €2,000 per year, funded by An Chomhairle um Oideachas Gaeltachta agus Gaelscolaíochta.  The MGO is two-year Irish immersion Professional Master in Education programme, an initial teacher education programme that prepares teachers for the second level Irish-medium school sector.  Minister of State for Sport and the Gaeltacht Jack Chambers said: “I welcome this important development for student teachers who undertake the Máistir Gairmiúil san Oideachas (MGO) in University of Galway. This initiative provides greater supports for student teachers and will ensure more highly skilled and exceptionally qualified teachers for Irish language medium schools. This development complements work by my department across a range of areas to support teaching through our language in Gaeltacht schools. I congratulate University of Galway on the extension of this scheme and look forward to the benefits it will bring for the teaching through Irish.” Speaking at the launch of the bursaries, Jacqueline Ní Fhearghusa, Chief Executive of An Chomhairle um Oideachas Gaeltachta agus Gaelscolaíochta, said: “We are delighted to extend the number of bursaries available for student teachers on the MGO programme in University of Galway. We understand only too well that there is a recruitment crisis across gaelcholáistí and scoileanna sa Ghaeltacht, which is a huge strain on principals and wider school communities.  “An Chomhairle um Oideachas Gaeltachta agus Gaelscolaíochta recognises the importance of the MGO programme and the vital role it plays in providing suitably qualified teachers for the Irish medium schools. We are very pleased to be able to provide continued and extended support to the MGO in recognition of their work in this sector."  Professor Pól Ó Dochartaigh, Deputy President and Registrar at University of Galway, said: "Not only will these bursaries allow us to raise our student numbers on the Masters programme but it will also ensure that we attract high quality graduates to the sector. We are indebted to An Chomhairle um Oideachas Gaeltachta agus Gaelscolaíochta for their continued support.”  Applications are now being accepted for the Máistir Gairmiúil san Oideachas through Postgraduate Applications Centre at www.pac.ie.  Ends