The Academy for Children was created by University of Limerick's Access Office to enhance community engagement, to inspire future graduates and to widen the participation of underrepresented groups at third level.
Cork City Ballet is one of only two professional ballet companies in Ireland. It was formed in 1991 by Alan Foley to address the void left by the closure of the Cork-based Irish National Ballet in 1989 due to a lack of funding. Cork City Ballet presented its first public performance at the Everyman Palace Theatre on 27 March 1992 and continues to operate under the artistic directorship of Alan Foley, who also acted as the ballet’s principal male dancer until his retirement in that capacity in 2007.
Dance Theatre of Ireland was founded in June 1989 by Robert Connor and Loretta Yurick, former members of Dublin Contemporary Dance Theatre. Since its inception, the company has created and produced some forty dance works for theatre, festivals, and television, and presented and commissioned work of international choreographers to introduce dance in its wider context to the Irish audience. The company has toured most major venues in Ireland and participated in some of the most prestigious festivals and theatres in Europe, Korea, and the USA. In 2000, with the support of the Arts Council, Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council, and Dunloe Ewart Properties, Dance Theatre of Ireland opened a purpose-built Centre for Dance to provide a permanent home for the company, rehearsal space for new work, and a venue for dance classes and workshops to dance enthusiasts of all ages.
Dance United Northern Ireland emerged from Dance United, a non-profit organization established in 2000 by choreographers Mags Byrne and Royston Maldoom and independent television producer Andrew Coggins. In April 2007, Byrne as Artistic Director and Maldoom as Consultant Director established Dance United Northern Ireland as an entirely separate and independent entity. This professional dance development company works across the island of Ireland and internationally, advocating dance as a tool to facilitate personal and social development, advance dance as an art form, build community connections, and foster tolerance and respect. Its approach has been formulated into four separate but interconnected programmes of work. Building Bridges aims to connect young people who are at risk of being socially segregated due to their special needs, cultural difference, behavioural difficulties, or disability. Crossing the Divide focuses on cross-community work, bringing communities together using dance as a tool to provide people with a safe environment to let go of fears and prejudices. Closing the Gap focuses on inter-generational work and addresses the breakdown in contact between people of different ages. Opening the Spectrum comprises workshops and performances that have a social or developmental aim but do not naturally fit into the company’s other generic programmes. In April 2012, Dance United Northern Ireland changed its name to DU Dance (NI).