Highlight events from the Rogue Encounters 2024/25 Artistic Programme

The Rhythm of Two Hearts

Devised and performed by The Unusual Suspects

A Rogue Encounters/Brain Injury Matters Production

Rogue Encounters celebrated International Day for Persons with Disability in December 2024 at the Lyric Theatre with a performance by the extraordinary physical theatre ensemble, The Unusual Suspects.

The Rhythm of Two Hearts was the second full-scale production by the ensemble directed by David Calvert and supported by the Rogue Encounters Creative team.  The production told stories of love in the lives of ensemble members who have each suffered a catastrophic brain injury at some point in their lives, but have survived with courage, endurance and a good measure of good humour.  The show was a totally captivating and heart-rending experience for everyone who witnessed it, and the ensemble just goes from strength to strength in the delivery of ground-breaking physical theatre storytelling.

Annual Lyric Showcase

The annual 4-day Lyric Theatre residency featured 4 Rogue Encounters Projects: Physical Graffiti, All Doors Open, Urban Species and Lyric All Ability Project.

Yet again, an incredibly diverse range of participants, with 47 participants in total taking the stage, and, as always, a wonderful sense of creative exuberance, joy and celebration to a packed auditorium.

A standout item in this year’s display was the Urban Species Project, featuring nationalities from Iran, Nigeria, Pakistan and Syria, alongside a strong contingent from two West Belfast schools, All Saints College and Colaiste Feirste.  Plans are in place to expand the involvement of youth from refugee/asylum seeking families in the 2025/26 Urban Species membership.

A special mention for the professional Creative Team that is really hitting its stride, comprising Jade Quinn, Billí Mills, Holly Hanaway and SoSo Ni Cheallaigh, not forgetting the contribution of film maker, Michael McNulty, who delivered, yet again, wonderful screen images for the event.

Excellent support from the Lyric Theatre staff, with a special call out to Lighting Technician, Cory, who was a delight to work with.  Lyric Technical Manager, Patrick Glackin, was on hand throughout the 4 days to ensure that we were well looked after in the building.

Rogue Encounters Events Spring 2025

Rogue Encounters Physical Theatre Showcase at the Lyric Theatre

9th and 10th April 2025

Rogue Encounters returns to the Lyric Theatre with a display of physical theatre performances across a range of projects.

A special feature of this year’s showcase is the involvement of a Rogue Encounters professional Creative Team that has been building in accomplishment and support for Artistic Director, David Calvert, over the past 18 months.  

The team: Jade Quinn, Billie Mills, SoSo Ni Cheallaigh and Holly Hanaway.  Beyond the Lyric Showcase, 2025/26 will see increasing artistic leadership from this dynamic unit.

Participating projects:

Behind the Mask is a new work by Rogues/The Lyric All Ability Project featuring young adults from the Autonomie disability empowerment organisation.  This new work has been devised by Michael Falloon and Keelan Robinson, mentored by Rogue’s Artistic Director, David Calvert.

All Doors Open is an ensemble of members between 18-30 years with additional support needs.

The All Doors Open Project will feature Choreography by Billie Mills, assisted by SoSo Ni Cheallaigh.

The 2025 Urban Species Project has a wonderfully diverse ensemble of students from All Saints College, West Belfast.  The college is a designated ‘school of sanctuary’ and Rogue Encounters is grateful to the college for introducing the company to students from the ‘new arrivals’ cohort.

Physical Graffiti will open the showcase with devised work by a vibrant group of young people from the Rogue Encounters Core Project for 12-18 youth of all abilities and backgrounds.

For further information on any for the showcased groups contact Rogue Encounters via this website.

Rogue Encounters Lift Off

MARCH 2024

KIC TO ROGUE ENCOUNTERS LAUNCH

An image of clear balloons and purple fairy lights

From early 2024, everyone involved in KIC strapped themselves in for the launch of the company rebrand, beginning with a family-friendly event at The Black Box, Belfast. Highlights included performances by All Doors Open, the Divis Divas and an impromptu Morecombe and Wise tribute performance by the Chairperson and Artistic Director.

An image of two male figures wearing black t-shirts with a pink Rogue Encounters logo. One is also wearing black trousers and his hands are raised in an open, expressive way. The other is wearing beige trousers and is looking on with hands clasped.
An image of a young person wearing a black t-shirt with the pink Rogue Encounters logo. They are wearing glasses and have an expressive smile on their face and hand raised in an animated, excited way.

ST PATRICK’S DAY PARADE

With barely time to take a breath, the rebranded company took part in the St Patrick’s Day Parade in Newry, as part of the BEAT Carnival procession. Rain didn’t dampen the exuberance of a raucous group of young adults in the guise of ancient Irish tribespeople.

A group of young people wearing green costumes and floral crowns, holding sticks. Some of them are also wearing clear rain ponchos.

APRIL 2024

BROKEN BODIES AT THE LYRIC THEATRE, BELFAST

A group of people on stage. Some are holding their hands up in an animated gesture.

The wonderful Unusual Suspects returned with the gripping Broken Bodies production; a physical theatre ensemble made up of Brain Injury Matters members, all of whom have survived a catastrophic brain injury. First performed at the Bounce Festival 2023 run by University of Atypical for Arts and Disability. Honest, courageous and beautiful theatre.

A group photo of the 'Unusual Suspects' looking at the camera. They are wearing black t-shirts with the Rogue Encounters logo and black trousers
Two people on stage wearing black. They have one hand raised up to shoulder height and the other lifted to stomach and chest height.

ROGUE ENCOUNTERS SHOWCASE

Within a few weeks, the Lyric Theatre hosted the public launch of Rogue Encounters with a 4-day residency in the Naughton Studio, displaying the extraordinary diversity of theatrical output with a total of 61 participants onstage. Every item on the bill was a highlight:

A group of young people on stage with hands raised in the air in celebration. The Rogue Encounters logo is on a screen on a pink background with white lettering.

Rogue Encounters perform annually at the Lyric Theatre. Get in touch if you’d like to find out more

Our All Doors Open group during their performance at the Rogue Encounters annual Showcase. All Doors Open is a group of 18-25 year olds with additional support needs who participate in events throughout the year.

A group photo of the All Doors Open group on stage. Eight of the young people are wearing green costumes. Two are wearing black costumes.

Physical Graffiti showcasing work from the core of the company. Physical Graffiti is an introductory physical theatre programme for young people aged 12-18 of all ablilities and backgrounds.

Urban Species, an advanced physical theatre creative learning programme open to teens aged 14-18 from mainstream schools. The 2024 showcase premiered work devised by teenagers from Ashfield Girls’ School and All Saints College;

All Doors Open, Physical Graffiti and Urban Species are core programmes that run throughout the year.

The Divis Divas, is one of our community outreach projects delivered with Divis Youth Project. Here they are wowing the audience with a dynamic children’s dance/theatre exhibition;

Three young people on stage with blue lighting. One of the young people is in the centre of the stage seated cross-legged looking at a phone. One of the young people is sitting beside them while another is seated on a podium in the distance.
Five young people on a stage wearing Rogue Encounters t-shirts. Two of the young people are in close up in animated poses while three of them are seated on a podium looking on.

We deliver in a variety of community locations for diverse groups from children to senior citizens of all abilities and backgrounds. Contact us if you want to discuss a project with us.


The 2024 Rogues/Lyric All-Ability annual project featured young adults from the disability empowerment organisation, Autonomie;

Rogues/Lyric All-Ability is open to new participants every Autumn. Contact us for further information.


JULY 2024

A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM AT THE LYRIC

Then came the wonderful ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ at the Lyric theatre, as part of Belfast City Council’s Culture 24 programme. A Rogue Encounters ensemble of 10 young people, supported by a fabulous Creative Team, performed the fairies, in a professional outdoor production that will live long in the memory of everyone who took part or attended as audience.

We loved collaborating with the Lyric theatre actors and the fabulous musicians from Beyond Skin.

A group photo of people on stage wearing colourful costumes and twinkling fairy lights hung above them.
Seven people on stage wearing colourful costumes. Five are in close up, one is pointing while two look at the audience. One person is kneeling on the stage.
A group of people on stage in the open air. They are wearing colourful costumes and are in different animated poses.
 

Creative opportunities for Young
People of All Backgrounds and Abilities