The Artist At Work

Theatre Maker Workshop

The Artist at Work is a four-day immersion into performance-making, a space where new ideas can take their first breath. Guided by Dark Forest Theatre’s Artistic Director Nathan Martin, this workshop invites theatre-makers to step into a creative environment built on curiosity, support, and artistic courage.

Taking inspiration from the Ulster Museum participants will work in small groups to shape a brand-new theatre vignette.

Each day offers a different doorway into making: the grounding of stagecraft and movement, devising and play, the practical magic of theatre production and the rigour of the playwriting process. Time will be given to rehearsal, development, performance technique, and conversation.

This journey concludes in a public sharing, where all newly created pieces will come to life on the studio stage of The Grand Opera House Belfast, this is a chance for artists not only to learn, but to be seen.

The Artist at Work is currently open. To express your interest email info@darkforesttheatre.com

Facilitators

Gemma Mae Halligan

Gemma Mae is the Co-Founder and Creative Director of Amadan Ensemble. Her extensive acting credits include work with Rough Magic, Lyric Theatre Belfast, Tinderbox, the Abbey Theatre, and Kabosh. She has trained in Critical Response Process with Liz Lerman, Clown and Bouffon with Mick Barnfather, Philippe Gaulier and Eric Davis, and Devising Practice with David Glass.

Through her work with Amadan Ensemble, Gemma Mae brings together her passion for design, making, devising, and directing to create imaginative, engaging theatre for audiences of all ages, both indoors and outdoors. Her sessions combine playfulness, precision, creativity, and craft, offering students an inspiring deep dive into dynamic and contemporary approaches to performance-making.

Nathan Martin

Nathan David Martin is the Artistic Director of Dark Forest Theatre. Founded in 2023, the company was created by create theatre that was used to explore the complexities of the human psyche, often through a distinctly macabre lens. His writing and directing credits include A Filthy Dirty Rumour, MONSTER, I Heard a Dragon, and Marjorie’s Dead. His upcoming work, I, She, Medusa, will premiere at The MAC in February 2026, and he will also write and direct a new production of Alice in Wonderland for the Grand Opera House in the new year.

Nathan was selected by Theatre and Dance NI for their 24/25 fellowship, part of their emerging talent development programme, and has been shortlisted by the Ulster Tatler for Arts Personality of the Year 2025 in recognition of his ongoing commitment to supporting artists and charitable causes across Northern Ireland.

Heather Martin

Heather is a playwright, dramaturg and director from Australia, living in Belfast. As a playwright she has had seven plays produced across Australia, Ireland, England, and Switzerland. Her first play, The Book of David was produced in 2015 and went onto be shortlisted for Queensland Theatre's Young Playwright of the Year Award in 2016. In 2020, it was published by Australian Plays Transform.

Her professional theatre debut came in 2022 for her play The Initiation of Tommy Wilson which performed to a sold-out season at BackDock Arts in Brisbane. Her most recent work As We Drift, developed as part of Amadan Ensemble’s MANIFEST residency, was shortlisted for the Lyric/ Pleasance New Writing Award. She is 2025/2026 participant in Tinderbox Theatre’s ENGINE programme developing her new play Oscar & Henri. She is the founder of Belfast Playwrights and facilitates playwriting and dramaturgy courses at The Crescent Arts Centre.