The Lived Experience takes centre stage for Crann’s Breaking Barriers Theatre Group

The Crann Centre’s Breaking Barriers Theatre Group for adults living with neuro-physical disabilities took to the stage to perform their self-penned, immersive play called “It’s great that you’re out! Well done!”. The play was written to share group member’s real life lived experiences as wheelchair users on a night-out in a bar, recreating the trials, tribulations and surreal scenarios that they experience due to poor accessibility in venues and the general public’s awkwardness, and often inappropriateness, when faced with a person who lives with a disability.

Performed in front of a live audience in the lounge at Lakewood Sports and Social Club, the group hope that writing and performing the play can raise awareness and challenge the societal bias towards people living with a disability, while showcasing their talent and passion for writing and performing.

After the performance Sarah Harrington, Breaking Barriers performer said “It’s Important that the audience got a taste of what life really is like in the chair because these were all things that happened to us, and that happen on a regular basis. So I'm hoping they took away from it - Oh geez, these things actually happen and it's 2025. We need to kind of wake up and smell the coffee and realise that we are normal people with the same dreams and desires any able-bodied person has and we just move around in different ways” 

Breaking Barriers is an accessible theatre group that supports children and adults with neuro-physical disabilities to develop social connections, confidence and explore their passion for performance. The Crann Centre runs 3 weekly drama classes between September and June for children, teenagers and adults as part of the Social Capital service offering. 

Aisling O’Kane, Social Capital Assistant at Crann also commented “It has been so rewarding for the group to take their play from an idea to a performance over the last 12 months. The support and bond the group has for each other has given them the confidence to see it to completion. Our Social Capital service creates these opportunities for people living with disability and their families to participate and build personal connections through experiences, we hope today will encourage more families to contact us.”

Breaking Barriers Children and Youth Groups are also affiliated to Youth Theatre Ireland and they will be performing Aladdin later this year in Millenium Hall at Cork City Hall.

To learn more visit www.Cranncentre.ie