SPACE
Find your voice . Take up space
Making room for you
WHAT is it?
SPACE is an in-person creative experience for secondary school teenagers*.
We use drama-based tools alongside other creative endeavours, conversation and discussion, storytelling, improv and group connection exercises — but without the pressure of performance.
Everything is built around tiny steps that gradually help teenagers become more confident expressing themselves, speaking up, connecting with others and trusting their own instincts and ideas. Our group work is based on respect and trust. Along the way, students actually lean in to the experiences, often getting excited about breaking the boundaries of their own comfort zones. They will have a clearer sense of what excites them, and discover the difference between simply being interested in something, and truly feeling alive doing it.
Groups are intentionally small (maximum 12–15 students): big enough for energy and connection, small enough for trust.
There are two separate age-appropriate groups - age 12-15 and 15-18. Students must be attending secondary school.
WHY is this not just another drama group?
I ran the Emer Halpenny School of Drama in Stillorgan and Dundrum for years. In fact, I've been building confidence in people since 1990. Sure, the performances were fun, but that wasn't my main focus. What fascinated me was the transformation I got to witness over and over - what young people found in themselves, given encouragement, connection and room to explore without judgement. Drama simply became one of the tools to get there.
Proper training in improvisation, storytelling, public speaking and presentation all helped students develop confidence, communication skills, emotional intelligence and trust in themselves — often without even realising that was what was happening. Over the years, the word "drama" began to frustrate me; it gave the wrong impression - one of auditions, competition, pressure, having to perform or be funny all the time.
SPACE is different. It's my answer to that wrong impression. There's no line learning, no stage fright, no pressure to perform.
This is about confidence, creativity, communication, connection and self discovery.
It’s about making room for teenagers to walk into a room and take up their own SPACE.
WHO is Emer Halpenny?
For thirty years, I stood in a room with teenagers, watching them grow in confidence and self expression, socially and creatively. Some of them would arrive full of ideas, if a little unsure how to express them; sometimes they had it all figured out on the hockey pitch, but not so much in the classroom; others excelled at school work but needed a nudge making friends - or vice versa. There's no one-size-fits-all in any walk of life, and in fact, the more diverse the group, the richer the experiences for everyone.
I know this space; I can spot the spark inside them before they do - I've seen teenagers come alive, follow that spark and bring it out into the world. Whether it's simply finding a place to relax, connect, create and grow without pressure, or whether it's finding the thing that truly lights you up, this is the space where that magic can happen.
My work over the years has been helping young people uncover strengths they didn’t yet realise they had. I’ve watched quiet students become powerful communicators and funny students discover depth, each one tapping into a combined creative pool and begin to trust their own internal power, together.
There's no competition in this space; no performances, talent shows or stages. You don't need to be good at acting, or clever at improv - you just need to take the first step - into the room, and learn how to take up space. You just need to be an ordinary teenager.
Sometimes all a teenager needs is the right SPACE to find out who they really are.
WHERE, WHEN AND HOW
Dates, location and cost
The first SPACE session begins September 2026, running on Saturday mornings in Glenalbyn House (GAA Grounds) Stillorgan. You can see the complete calendar for the year below.
A second term will run from January to April 2027.
Join the interest list (Places open July)
If you’d like to be contacted when booking opens, click below and add your name to the interest list.
* We are also planning to open a class specifically for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. More on this as it develops, and please let Emer know if you are interested.
SPACE is an in-person creative experience for secondary school teenagers*.
We use drama-based tools alongside other creative endeavours, conversation and discussion, storytelling, improv and group connection exercises — but without the pressure of performance.
Everything is built around tiny steps that gradually help teenagers become more confident expressing themselves, speaking up, connecting with others and trusting their own instincts and ideas. Our group work is based on respect and trust. Along the way, students actually lean in to the experiences, often getting excited about breaking the boundaries of their own comfort zones. They will have a clearer sense of what excites them, and discover the difference between simply being interested in something, and truly feeling alive doing it.
Groups are intentionally small (maximum 12–15 students): big enough for energy and connection, small enough for trust.
There are two separate age-appropriate groups - age 12-15 and 15-18. Students must be attending secondary school.
WHY is this not just another drama group?
I ran the Emer Halpenny School of Drama in Stillorgan and Dundrum for years. In fact, I've been building confidence in people since 1990. Sure, the performances were fun, but that wasn't my main focus. What fascinated me was the transformation I got to witness over and over - what young people found in themselves, given encouragement, connection and room to explore without judgement. Drama simply became one of the tools to get there.
Proper training in improvisation, storytelling, public speaking and presentation all helped students develop confidence, communication skills, emotional intelligence and trust in themselves — often without even realising that was what was happening. Over the years, the word "drama" began to frustrate me; it gave the wrong impression - one of auditions, competition, pressure, having to perform or be funny all the time.
SPACE is different. It's my answer to that wrong impression. There's no line learning, no stage fright, no pressure to perform.
This is about confidence, creativity, communication, connection and self discovery.
It’s about making room for teenagers to walk into a room and take up their own SPACE.
WHO is Emer Halpenny?
For thirty years, I stood in a room with teenagers, watching them grow in confidence and self expression, socially and creatively. Some of them would arrive full of ideas, if a little unsure how to express them; sometimes they had it all figured out on the hockey pitch, but not so much in the classroom; others excelled at school work but needed a nudge making friends - or vice versa. There's no one-size-fits-all in any walk of life, and in fact, the more diverse the group, the richer the experiences for everyone.
I know this space; I can spot the spark inside them before they do - I've seen teenagers come alive, follow that spark and bring it out into the world. Whether it's simply finding a place to relax, connect, create and grow without pressure, or whether it's finding the thing that truly lights you up, this is the space where that magic can happen.
My work over the years has been helping young people uncover strengths they didn’t yet realise they had. I’ve watched quiet students become powerful communicators and funny students discover depth, each one tapping into a combined creative pool and begin to trust their own internal power, together.
There's no competition in this space; no performances, talent shows or stages. You don't need to be good at acting, or clever at improv - you just need to take the first step - into the room, and learn how to take up space. You just need to be an ordinary teenager.
Sometimes all a teenager needs is the right SPACE to find out who they really are.
WHERE, WHEN AND HOW
Dates, location and cost
The first SPACE session begins September 2026, running on Saturday mornings in Glenalbyn House (GAA Grounds) Stillorgan. You can see the complete calendar for the year below.
- 2 terms of an 8-week programme
- 90 minutes per session
- Small group (maximum 15 participants)
A second term will run from January to April 2027.
Join the interest list (Places open July)
If you’d like to be contacted when booking opens, click below and add your name to the interest list.
* We are also planning to open a class specifically for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. More on this as it develops, and please let Emer know if you are interested.
"Emer has a unique gift for seeing the whole person and providing an environment
where they can flourish as themselves without pressure or pretence."
Maggie Burns, Parent
where they can flourish as themselves without pressure or pretence."
Maggie Burns, Parent
SPACE
Dates for your Diary
These dates may change but will be confirmed by booking in July 2026.
Every effort has been made to align with the school calendar, exams, holidays, breaks and bank holidays
AUTUMN / WINTER 2026
Session 1: 19 September 2026
Session 2: 26 September 2026
Session 3: 10 October 2026
Session 4: 17 October 2026
Session 5: 7 November 2026
Session 6: 14 November 2026
Session 7: 21 November 2026
Session 8: 28 November 2026
WINTER / SPRING 2027
Session 1: 16 January 2027
Session 2: 23 January 2027
Session 3: 6 February 2027
Session 4: 27 February 2027
Session 5: 6 March 2027
Session 6: 13 March 2027
Session 7: 10 April 2027
Session 8: 17 April 2027
Every effort has been made to align with the school calendar, exams, holidays, breaks and bank holidays
AUTUMN / WINTER 2026
Session 1: 19 September 2026
Session 2: 26 September 2026
Session 3: 10 October 2026
Session 4: 17 October 2026
Session 5: 7 November 2026
Session 6: 14 November 2026
Session 7: 21 November 2026
Session 8: 28 November 2026
WINTER / SPRING 2027
Session 1: 16 January 2027
Session 2: 23 January 2027
Session 3: 6 February 2027
Session 4: 27 February 2027
Session 5: 6 March 2027
Session 6: 13 March 2027
Session 7: 10 April 2027
Session 8: 17 April 2027
