Extract from WTF Happened: #WakingTheFeminists and the Movement That Changed Irish Theatre ~ Sarah Durcan with Lian Bell | @ucdpress.bsky.social

WTF Happened: #WakingTheFeminists and the Movement That Changed Irish Theatre by Sarah Durcan with Lian Bell publishes September 30th with UCD Press. It is described as a book that ‘captures the passion, power and legacy of the grassroots movement that reshaped Irish theatre and reverberated far beyond’.

My thanks to UCD Press and Yvonne Reddin for giving me the opportunity to share an extract with you all today with further details about both the editors and the book.

‘Drawing on photographs, speeches, social media interactions and memorabilia – now archived in the National Library of Ireland and the National Museum of Ireland – this book is both a historical document and an activist manual. It captures the urgency, exhilaration and tensions of #WakingTheFeminists while reflecting on its lasting impact and lessons for future campaigns.

Relevant to readers interested in gender studies, women’s history, arts and theatre, cultural policy, social justice and contemporary Irish history, WTF Happened situates the campaign within a wider tradition of Irish activism – connecting it to the movements that came before and those still unfolding today.’.‘

[ About WTF Happened ]

Great theatre changes the atmosphere in the room and reshapes how we see our lives. Great campaigning changes our vision of society and reshapes our future.

When the Abbey Theatre’s 2016 centenary programme featured a meagre number of women artists, it sparked a nationwide movement. Outrage on social media rapidly evolved into an award-winning year-long campaign that transformed the Irish theatre landscape – and reverberated far beyond.

WTF Happened goes behind-the-scenes of the groundbreaking #WakingTheFeminists grassroots movement for gender equality in Irish theatre, 2015–16. The untold story is revealed by Sarah Durcan, one of the core organisers of the campaign, with the input of Campaign Director Lian Bell and insightful contributions by leading activists, academics, historians, and arts professionals.

This book brings together photographs, speeches, social media interactions, and memorabilia meticulously kept by the movement’s organisers and now housed in the National Library of Ireland and the National Museum of Ireland. As a comprehensive archive of the campaign, it will be relevant to anyone interested in gender studies, women’s history, arts and theatre, cultural policy and governance, social justice, and contemporary Irish history.

Part historical document, part activist manual, WTF Happened not only captures the urgency, exhilaration, and tensions of the #WakingTheFeminists campaign, but also reflects on its impact and lessons for future activists. It offers invaluable insights into the processes of collective action and the ongoing fight for gender equality in both the arts and society, while contextualising the movement within Irish activist movements that came before and after.

WTF Happened ~ Pre-Order/Purchase Link

[ Extract ]

<sup>In late 2017 the #MeToo movement reignited in the United States. Within a few weeks Dublin-based theatre director Grace Dyas published a blogpost of her experience of alleged bullying behaviour from Michael Colgan while he was Director of the Gate Theatre. Grace’s actions essentially kickstarted #MeToo in Ireland, and she has said that her experience of #WakingTheFeminists was a contributing factor to her being able to speak out.

On 4 November 2017 an article was published in the Irish Times where seven young women, all former Gate employees, alleged abuse and harassment by Michael Colgan,9 who had retired after 33 years as the Director of the Gate by this stage. Michael published an apology in the Sunday Independent on 12 November 2017 where he said he was sorry for causing distress to some of those with whom he worked, insisted his behaviour should not be equated with sexual crimes, and that it was wrong that he had been the subject of insinuations that he was guilty of more than misjudged behaviour.10 An Arts Council statement said they did not doubt its bona fides and sincerity and noted that the issue was no longer about him but about the women who had come forward.

The board of the Gate instigated an independent review into his behaviour conducted by workplace relations expert Gaye Cunningham, the report of which was eventually made public in March 2018. Testimonies from some of the 65 interviewees included in the report stated that he ‘managed by fury and threats and fear’, ‘regularly told people “you won’t work in this industry again”’, and ‘held absolute power and control’ while ‘the Board comprised many of his closest friends’. It also included testimonies of inappropriate behaviour and sexual harassment. The investigation found that there was ‘a case to answer’: that ‘behaviours of Michael Colgan described by individuals could reasonably be regarded as undermining the individual’s right to dignity at work’, and that there was a case to answer ‘in relation to abuse of power’ and ‘in accordance with the definition of sexual harassment’. Michael Colgan was given a right of reply in the independent report, and said,</sup>

_{There being no degree in Artistic Direction, you need to have a big personality. He stated that he is a tactile person, he would be often seen throwing his arms around actors and writers. This was not confined to women. He denied shouting at staff or using profane language. He stated that he was a demanding boss, but thought that everyone liked him … He stated that he now realizes that he should have had a code of ethics, proper hierarchies and rules of conduct in place. He stated that he had high standards and that he was exacting. He stated that there was an element of all powerfulness which was a result of one Artistic Director rather than having a separate General Manager. He stated that he was not politically correct. He stated that the type of work in theatre is personality driven. Actors are full of ego and when you don’t give them a job, they take it personally … The Board should have played a stronger role in having processes and procedures of dealing with complaints and putting investigations in place. He denies being a bully but regrets not putting a process in place for dealing with any complaints. He rejected outright allegations of sexual harassment.}

<sup>A case to answer; however, by this point it wasn’t clear who he could be answerable to, as he had already retired. Soon after the report was released, the Board of the Gate apologised unreservedly ‘to those who experienced the behaviours reported to Ms. Cunningham’.

After Grace spoke out, many other women felt empowered to share their experiences publicly of bullying and harassment, including sexual harassment, while working in Irish theatre. In November 2017, Amplify Women quickly published a Harassment Toolkit to advise people in theatre, especially freelancers, of their rights and resources in cases of harassment. This prepared the ground for a significant piece of work carried out by Irish Theatre Institute (ITI) at the behest of the Minister for the Arts. Originally titled Speak Up & Call It Out, it initially comprised a public meeting on bullying and harassment at Liberty Hall on 21 March 2018, survey, and research study. Within a few years ITI developed a comprehensive policy, code of behaviour, and action plan with training sessions rolled out across the island, north and south, now under the umbrella of Safe to Create, funded by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media.

While #MeToo was happening in Ireland, journalist Una Mullally hosted Waking The Media, a meeting at Project Arts Centre in November 2017, to discuss women’s experiences working in media. This was an unprecedented gathering of women working across multiple media organisations, coming together in solidarity despite working in a notoriously competitive industry. Both Lian Bell and Grace Dyas were asked to speak, along with Simone George (human rights lawyer and activist), and Sarah Kieran (media lawyer) on behalf of Amplify Women.</sup>

[ About the Editors ]