‘A Sense of Place' is the overarching theme in Kate Heffernan's  – Writer in the Community residency with a range of events and outreach projects over the coming months.

Kate will bring a strong positive mental health dynamic and community participation in her writing workshops, offering members of the community an outlet to express themselves and their experiments of recent turbulent and anxiety ridden lockdown months. It will also provide an opportunity to challenge the status quo and reimagine futures that are more equitable and positive for all in the Laois community.  

Laois Writer-in-Residence 2020 is jointly funded by Laois County Council and Creative Ireland Laois and is hosted by Dunamaise Arts Centre.

Kate is a native of Portlaoise and her first play, In Dog Years I'm Dead was a winner of the 2013 Stewart Parker Trust's 'Emerging Playwright Award' and an Irish Times Cultural Highlight in the same year. Peat, her first play for children, was commissioned and produced by The Ark in 2019, and directed by Tim Crouch.

In 2014, she and director Maisie Lee were Dunamaise Arts Centres' Theatre Artists-in-Residence. Whilst there, Kate wrote and produced Hometroots, a series of short radio plays by, for and about the people of Laois. As an Arts Council 'Next Generation Artist' in 2017, she worked on a number of texts for performance with the support of Mermaid Arts Centre. 

Please note that the details of events listed above are provided by the relevant Local Authorities.