Six in the Attic is Irish Theatre Institute (ITI)’s key artist development programme providing artists with the space and resources to create and develop work.
Six in the Attic was established in 2011, focusing on supporting a community of playwrights and theatre makers to engage, explore, develop, debate, and collaborate on their projects. Since the foundation of the programme, Six in the Attic alumni have gone on to great individual successes – creating new work, winning awards, founding theatre companies, amongst many more accolades.
Six in the Attic & Virtual Attic artists engage in a thoughtfully created programme of:
- Artist gatherings online and in person meet ups arranged for the group building a community of peers.
- Professional development workshops focused on areas that upskill freelance artists.
- Introductions and networking with other independent artists and arts organisations nationally and internationally.
- One-to-one mentoring from ITI’s Director and Programme Manager.
- Access to a shared workspace, rehearsal/meeting room spaces for development and collaboration sessions in ITI’s offices located on 17 Eustace Street, Temple Bar Dublin 2.
- Access to short term dedicated desk in selected national venues or cultural spaces for non-Dublin based artists.
- An artist practice bursary of €1,300
Through Six in the Attic, ITI aims to support and resource a community of professional theatre makers and artists to engage, explore, develop, debate and collaborate on their projects. Six in the Attic encourages participants to realise their artistic ambition, enhance their professional skills and facilitates them in fulfilling their artistic goals.
Read our News Story announcing the playwrights and theatre makers for Six in the Attic and Virtual Attic 2025.
2025 Six in the Attic artists
Choy-Ping Ní Chléirigh-Ng 吳彩萍
Choy-Ping Ní Chléirigh-Ng 吳彩萍 (they / she) is a Hong Kong-Irish theatre maker and Linbury Prize-winning designer. Born and raised in Enniskerry, Ping creates work primarily inspired by their heritage. They explore language, queerness and colonialism with innovative design. Their projects include people with and without theatre experience, reflecting their belief that the medium should be open to everyone. Previous pieces include WINDOW A WORLD (Dublin Theatre Festival / BUDA Belgium, 2022) and WHERE ARE YOU FROM? (Abbey Theatre, 2019).
Tishé Fatunbi
Tishé Fatunbi is an Irish/Nigerian writer, actor and theatre maker. Her artistry includes poetry, prose and theatre. She co-founded ArinolaTheatre, a black-run theatre company that focuses on telling stories that centre people from marginalised communities in new and dynamic ways. Her last project OLOLUFE, co-written by herself and Praise Titus was nominated for two awards at 2024’s Dublin Fringe Festival. (Six in the Attic, Fingal)
John King
John King is a theatre-maker based in Dublin, working between the UK, US and Ireland. He is director of Murmuration, with whom he has made the shows Summertime (Dublin, Drogheda, Washington DC), Will I See You There (Dublin), You’re Still Here (Dublin) and One Moment Now (Dublin, Toronto, Washington DC, Philadelphia). He is an associate artist of Solas Nua and thisispopbaby.
Liam McCarthy
Liam McCarthy is a playwright. He has participated in Druid Theatre’s Fuel programme, Corcadorca’s SHOW festival, Axis Assemble, and Words Words Words at the Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh. He is a Meitheal Artist with Branar and was the recipient of the Arts Council Next Generation Award. Liam also curates the Bualadh Bos Children’s Festival. Recent plays include ‘Jilly Morgan’s Birthday Party’ and ‘Fergal,’ a play for children.
Lianne O’Hara
Lianne O’Hara is a poet and playwright. Her writing is published in Poetry Ireland Review, Winter Papers, The Rialto, The London Magazine, Abridged, and elsewhere. Her play FLUFF explores sex work in Ireland and had a sell out run at Dublin Fringe Festival 2022. BABY won the 2024 Bewleys Cafe Theatre Little Gem Award after a successful run at The New Theatre.
Roseanna Purcell
Roseanna Purcell is a Dublin-based actor and writer from Tipperary. Her work aims to reveal the richness and complexity of life in modern Ireland, with a focus on the outsider persona, landscape and the taboos that enclose femininity. Roseanna’s writing has received support from The Arts Council, The Abbey Theatre, Axis Theatre, Engine Shorts Film Scheme, as well as a commission from The Source Arts Centre, across completed and current projects.
CN Smith
CN Smith is a playwright and theatre maker from County Louth. His play Spear was a Dublin Fringe Festival Commission in 2022 and received its North American premiere in February 2024. His play Corktown was commissioned as part of the Trans-Atlantic Commissions by Fishamble: The New Play Company and The Irish Repertory Theatre. He holds an MFA in Playwriting from the Lir Academy, where he was a recipient of the Patricia Leggett Scholarship.
2025 Virtual Attic artists
Al Dalton
Al Dalton is a freelance theatre maker, director & writer. He is Co-artistic director of ALSA Productions, a Cork based theatre company who create work for both young and adult audiences. ALSA were Artists in Residence in Corcadorca’s Theatre Development Centre 2019/20 and were Artists in Residence in MTU Cork School of Music 2017-2020. They also participated in the MAKE residency in 2018 in the Tyrone Guthrie Centre and Gare St. Lazare Ireland’s artist mentorship programme 2017-2018 in association with The Everyman. (Virtual Attic, Cork County)
Katie Honan
Katie Honan is a writer, maker and performer from Waterford. Her award-winning debut play ‘How To Fall Flat On Your Face’ premiered in Garter Lane Arts Centre (2022), and returned to Project Arts Centre (2023). Her radio play ‘HURL’ was a winner in the RTÉ Radio 1, PJ O’Connor Radio Drama Awards. In 2024, she developed her movement practice through the lens of neuroscience — supported by an Arts Council Bursary. For more info: www.kthonan.com (Virtual Attic, Waterford)
Roseanne Lynch
Roseanne Lynch is an actor, playwright and Co-Artistic Director of Darn Skippy Productions, a multidisciplinary company telling stories through theatre, film and music. Her new play, Waterbirth – a surreal exploration of pregnancy and climate grief – is currently in development, supported by Kildare Arts Office and Riverbank Arts Centre. She is interested in the connections between environmental, creative and human sustainability in theatre-making – for example, environmentally-friendly practices, family-friendly practices, ongoing Ensemble building/experimentation and the creation of safe space in the rehearsal room.(Virtual Attic, Kildare)
Alice Malseed
Caitlin Magnall-Kearns
Caitlin Magnall-Kearns, an East Belfast writer who champions underrepresented voices with humour, wit and and heart. Her play Trifled premiered at The New Theatre during Dublin Theatre Festival 2024, and her radio play Safe Space airs on BBC Radio 4 in January 2025. A member of the 2024 BBC Comedy Collective, she was also recently a part of BBC Belfast Voices 2024 and earlier this year she was selected to be a part of the 2024-2026 Bewley’s Percolate Playwrighting group (Virtual Attic, Belfast)
Tzarini Meyler
Tzarini Meyler is a writer and director whose work explores identity, memory, grief, childhood, and climate change. An MA graduate of the Institute of the Arts Barcelona, she is the artistic director of LipZinc Theatre. Inspired by history, art, and found objects, Tzarini’s practice blends sensory elements with text to create thought-provoking stories. Recent credits include: KITES (VAULT Festival) and Pheromone (Edinburgh Fringe),‘They Call Me Bridget’ (Best Overall Film – Bloomsday Film Festival, 2023). Upcoming work includes: Mermaid of the Sands starring Cedrick Mugisha (Almodovar’s Pain and Glory) and The Three Chairs, supported by Tipperary Arts Office. (Virtual Attic, Tipperary)
Carmel Stephens
Carmel Stephens is a performer, theatre maker and facilitator based in Wicklow. She is particularly passionate about giving voice to women’s experience and is currently developing two projects with the support of Wicklow County Council- a storytelling circle for marginalised rural women and a play about the nineteenth century lace industry. She was a founding member of Inis Theatre, co- creating most of their work and has worked extensively in TV and works in both Irish and English. (Virtual Attic, Wicklow)
