An IMPACT-supported production was honoured at the Irish Times theatre awards last month. Anu Productions received the prestigious Judges Special Award for commemorating the 1913 Dublin Lockout by “using the city of Dublin as their set, and their reconfiguration of the audience as citizens.”

The award marks the conclusion of an enormous 1913 centenary workload by the company, who staged the wildly successful IMPACT-sponsored “Dublin Tenement Experience: Living The Lockout” at No.14 Henrietta Street last year.

Anu created a journey back in time in a house which had lain virtually unchanged since 1913, giving an authentic glimpse into a tenement home. The event was a collaborative partnership between Dublin City Council, the Irish Congress of Trade Unions and the Irish Heritage Trust. Running over six weeks, with seven performances every day, the show quickly sold out, leading to early morning queues for any available cancellations.

The company also staged “Thirteen”, a series of performances staged over thirteen days of the 2013 Dublin Theatre festival. The series of interconnected works combined performance, installation and digital technology. Audiences were invited to immerse themselves in the tumultuous events of 1913 as they unfolded in present day Dublin.