Page number 46
the performances has an affinity to urban spaces. The city’s casual anonymity gives people a shield, making them more willing to get up in front of a crowd of people and be quite vulnerable. What has been an interesting trend in the countryside is you have way fewer people signed up to speak to start – but then, on the night, once the people who attend experience the safety of the space that Seanchoíche fosters, many people come up at the interval and they’re like, “Hey, I want to tell a story.”’ That had happened in Westport the night before our conversation, with spontaneous sharing from audience members and a positive uplift afterwards. A sort of vision of the potential seems to be taking shape in Ciaran’s mind, as he speaks of bringing the format to out-of-the-way cities, places where people’s stories are relatively unknown and untold. There’s an obvious delight in ‘seeing it grow legs and be hosted by other people and gain its own personalities in different cities, depending on who’s hosting it, and where it’s taking place.’ The Irish Times wrote of the night that those in attendance swear a kind of ‘oath of vulnerability’, sharing in a collective openness that implies respect for narrators. Gaffney agrees that ‘when you come to Seanchoíche, you know that everyone in the audience, as much as the speakers, is going to be vulnerable. People are getting up there and they’re bearing their inner selves… people are respectful. Everyone has their phone on silent.’ It is easy to see that Seanchoíche has the momentum to become a phenomenon that continues to spread, even reaching out of late-night venues and into other environments. Like the workspace, for instance: ‘Seanchoíche at Work’ is an innovation that seeks to transform the team-building exercises of the corporate world into something more intimate. Gaffney has struck a nerve of some kind that all the apps and other distractions are obviously missing. One imagines that the storytelling impulse could reach into and influence many areas of life; an interesting proposition, indeed. When you come to Seanchoíche, you know that everyone in the audience, as much as the speakers, is going to be vulnerable Photo Credit: Kyle Sven
Page number 47
Unlocking lifelong learning Your educational journey doesn’t conclude with your degree; it’s a lifelong pursuit. Our latest short courses are empowering alumni to refresh their knowledge, cultivate new skills, and stay at the forefront of their professions. Dive into a world where education never stops! The flexible online format makes it easy to engage with these diverse fields of study. Trinity’s short courses offer an accessible and stimulating path to personal and professional growth. Take a look at the exciting possibilities Trinity offers for lifelong learning. LANGUAGES Arabic Slavonic Languages - Ukrainian Irish Sign Language (ISL) for Beginners Japanese, Introduction to Language and Culture Portuguese Chinese, Introduction to Language and Culture Ancient Greek Language and Culture Chinese, Post-Beginners Modern Greek Language Click here for the full list of short courses at Trinity ARTS & HUMANITIES Literature Modern Architecture Gender: History, Culture and Representation Themes in Irish Art I Practical Course in Botanical Art The Age of Rembrandt and Vermeer Antiquity and Innovation in Early Medieval Art Cultural Intersections in the History of Art I Cultural Intersections in the History of Art II English Literature Click here for the full list of short courses at Trinity SCIENCES Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule for the Clinical Setting Climate and Environment in the Pre- Modern World Health Economics Managing People in Healthcare Organisations Nature Connection Workshops Psychology: The Science of Behaviour and Mind Click here for the full list of short courses at Trinity
