Update June 16

The Annual Theatre Forum Ireland Conference 2011 website [no longer available as of April 16, 2018] has provided video, podcasts, photos, and even cartoons from the event!

Gabriel Byrne’s remarks in this video begin at the 3:00 minute mark and run through to the end, but watch all of it (it is pretty short) and check out the one-word descriptions of the conference at the beginning. Revealing!


Gabriel Byrne joined Róise Goan in conversation about theatre, Ireland and the role of Irish artists and the arts community at home and abroad.

And here are pictures from the event, courtesy of the Theatre Forum Ireland Flickr stream:

Many thanks to Theatre Forum Ireland for sharing all of this wonderful media with us!

Update June 12

While we wait for the official media from the conference, here is a bit of the Twitter feed, with links to those all-important pictures, of course! Many thanks to Kris(USA) for sharing this with us.

Conference Twitter feed

heskinc Claire Heskin:
Last time I was in Nuig it was with Martin sheen & now Gabriel Byrne has just popped in

shirleythegirly:
#tfconf Gabriel Byrne onstage.

unajude:
conversation with Gabriel Byrne begins. #tfconf

Niamhnic:
#tfconf No Jedward impression yet but Gabriel Byrne does a mean Edna O’ Brien!

emilymfg:
#tfconf Gabriel Byrne ‘I got on the plane the other day and someone said ‘oh, the Jedward guy’. We are truly living on @planetjedward wink

heskinc:
Gabriel Byrne gave one of the most interesting & inspiring talks I have heard in a long time. Look forward2listen again #tfconf

And

Dylan Haskins
On Friday 10th June 2011, @diylan said:

The full quote about being an artist referenced by Gabriel Byrne at #tfconf is by Martha Graham:

‘There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all of time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and it will be lost. The world will not have it. It is not your business to determine how good it is nor how valuable nor how it compares with other expressions. It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel open. You do not even have to believe in yourself or your work. You have to keep yourself open and aware to the urges that motivate you. Keep the channel open. … No artist is pleased. [There is] no satisfaction whatever at any time. There is only a queer divine dissatisfaction, a blessed unrest that keeps us marching and makes us more alive than the others.’

Mr. Byrne quoted the very last line in his remarks at the conference, apparently. What a fabulous quote!

Original posting on June 6, 2011

Gabriel Byrne has just been announced as a participant in the Theatre Forum Ireland Annual Conference: On With The Show, which is taking place in Galway, Ireland, June 9-10.

Take a look at the conference program and you will see how much you can cram into a two-day conference while making it exciting and informative. Anyone involved in theatre is going to want to be there!

The conference will explore three themes:

  1. The Artist in the New Paradigm
  2. Ireland and the World
  3. Theatre and Sustainability

And now we can see why having Gabriel Byrne join up is such a good thing. These are all issues he has been dealing with for a long time, both as an actor and as Cultural Ambassador.

From the conference blog:

In a last minute addition to the conference, we are thrilled to announce that Gabriel Byrne will take time off from being Ireland’s Cultural Ambassador to talk to the Irish Theatre Community.

The extra session will be on Friday.

Gabriel Byrne in Conversation with Róise Goan

Gabriel Byrne, appointed last year to the new position of Cultural Ambassador for Ireland, is a legendary Irish actor known the world over as a star of stage and screen. For the Irish theatre community, his understanding of contemporary arts and theatre, the role of the artist in society, his support of innovation and new talent and his role as Cultural Ambassador offer inspiration and admiration.  Of equal fascination to professionals is his personal journey as an artist.

Gabriel will join Roise Goan in conversation about theatre, Ireland and the role of Irish artists and the arts community at home and abroad.

From the program

2 Comments

  1. Gabriel is really living with one leg in USA and the other one in Ireland now. It is good he is a great man with long legs. I really admire him for his energy and talent.

  2. Wished I was taking those pics with him

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