The Abbey’s symposium Theatre of Change is on this week and I’m really looking forward to it. The full timetable is on their website and there are lots of things I’m really interested in. I’m delighted to see #WakingTheFeminists on the bill and author Emer O’Toole, who will be talking about The Man Problem.

Stacey Gregg‘s talks at the previous symposiums have been fantastic and and I’m sure this year will be no exception. The title of her talk is Genethics, Genomics and Geena Davis and it’s part of a panel called History is Only Tidy in Retrospect, which includes writer and actor Mark O’Halloran and poet, playwright and essayist Gabriel Gbadamosi.

In terms of world events and current affairs, there’s a talk from Lara Marlowe called Fatal Attraction: France and the Middle East and Israeli journalist Gideon Levy will talk about The Israeli Society and the Endless Occupation. On a hopefully more optimistic note, there’s a talk titled Gaza in 2020: A Liveable Place with Ray Dolphin.

I’m also looking forward to the an except of Penny Arcade‘s piece on Thursday evening. Longing Lasts Longer is described as a meditation on what it means to be human that addresses the nature of change, revolution and altruism.

Of course, the events 1916 are also included. The final event of the symposium is Twinsome Minds, a multimedia-performed lecture by Prof. Richard Kearney and Prof. Sheila Gallagher, featuring stories and images from 1916. There is also a staged reading of Jimmy Murphy’s play Of This Brave Time, Jan 20-23 nightly at 8pm. This play is based on eye witness testimonies from those who experienced the events of the rising first-hand. Also in the Peacock, there’s a rehearsed reading of Nancy Harris’ new play Journey to X on Saturday afternoon at 2pm.

There are lots of ticket options for all the Theatre of Change events. You can buy three day tickets for €70/60. Though the Early Bird offer is still available, at time of writing and that’s €50. There are one day tickets available for €30/25 on Thursday or Friday and €25/20 for Saturday. Or you can get tickets for Twinsome Minds on Saturday morning for €10. The Peacock performances have to be booked separately, even if you have a 3-day ticket. They are €6/4 each. All tickets are available from the Abbey website.