Thanks all for your patience as we continue to navigate and adapt to the guidance in delivering our programme. Our top priority is the wellbeing and safety of members and facilitators.
As of November 15, DYT is operating limited services within the DCEDIY guidelines as outlined below (up to date as of Nov 15).
MOAF mentoring and rehearsals are happening in DYT Studio. Filming of MOAFs will take place at The Axis Ballymun on December 12. MOAF viewing will happen after that date.
Writers’ Group and Saturday Workshops are happening online.
Members are working with Graham to deliver a virtual Pash / Christmas Party in mid December.
Keep an eye on instagram and the Members’ News area for all announcements.
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The Department for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) updated its guidance for youth work organisations recently and Youth Theatre Ireland has followed by updating its ‘Back in the Circle’ Guidance for affiliated youth theatres.
Key points of note in the updated guidance are that youth services / groups:
- May operate groups of up to 15 outdoors at LEVEL 5 (including staff / volunteers).
- May operate groups of up to 6 indoors at LEVEL 5 (including staff / volunteers) for the purposes of informal education and support for disadvantaged and vulnerable young people.
- At Level 5, youth workers – both staff and volunteers – may, with the permission of the management of the service, exceed the current domestic travel restrictions of 5km in order to facilitate the provision of youth services. Similarly a young person may also exceed the 5km restriction in order to attend their nearest funded youth service.
- Continue to encourage young people to keep themselves safe by practicing good hand hygiene and sneezing and coughing etiquette and by maintaining physical distance.
- Continue to encourage young people to ‘keep your distance’, no matter how awkward it feels, as it is protecting yourself and those around you from the spread of COVID-19.
‘Back in the Circle’ guidance is developed specifically for youth theatres affiliated to Youth Theatre Ireland. Youth Theatre Ireland is a national youth work organisation, funded through the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY). Youth Theatre Ireland and its affiliated youth theatres deliver a specialist youth arts practice and adhere to the DCEDIY’s guidance for youth work organisations during the COVID-19 pandemic.
It should be noted that the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media’s COVID-19 Guidance for Arts and Culture has recently clarified that private / commercial classes in drama, dance, singing etc. are not provided for under Level 5 of the government’s Plan for Living with COVID-19. They do not fall under the definition of “Youth Work” as provided for under Section 3 of the Youth Work Act and should not follow DCEDIY’s guidance for youth work organisations.
