Skyzdalimit is council chair’s chosen charity for term of office

A flourishing theatre group, which gives disabled and autistic actors and actresses a chance to fulfil their dreams of being stars on the stage, has been selected as the council chair’s ‘chosen charity’ for his term of office.

Each year, the council chair is given the opportunity to choose a charity to promote during their Civic year which is close to their hearts to help showcase their work and raise their profile.

Formed in 2010 by Pearse McCloskey, Skyzdalimit’s aim is to make theatre more diverse, while attracting main stream audiences.

It currently has a membership of 38, with a waiting list of avid actors and actresses wishing to join.

The group has staged ten productions locally, and in 2022, they took their performance of ‘Circus the Musical’ on the road to The Helix Theatre, Dublin, and the Waterfront, Belfast.

Chair of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council, Clr Thomas O’Reilly, says that he hopes to help Skyzdalimit reach their goal of ‘making the arts more inclusive’.

“I was invited to attend Skyzdalimit’s performance of ‘Danny and Sandy: The Wedding’ in June of this year, and I was very impressed by the exceptional talent and enthusiasm of the cast, and Pearse,” he said. “The arts is one form of creativity and self-expression that everyone can participate in and inclusivity: Diversity and equality in the arts are key to showcasing the real level of talent we have in our local communities.

“The group has a long-term vision of achieving a 32-county model for the arts based on that of the Special Olympics,” he added. “I look forward to working with Skyzdalimit to help them strive towards their goal of showcasing the talents of the group beyond Omagh and making disability and the arts more inclusive.”

Chair of Skyzdalimit, Sheena McCooey, said that Skyzdalimit feel ‘very honoured’ to be selected by the Cllr O’Reilly to be his chosen charity for his term in office. “With his assistance, we can create a culture where positive attitudes are promoted towards people with a disability, while raising the profile of our club,” she added.

Skyzdalimit will be staging their performance of ‘Danny and Sandy: The Wedding’ in the Mac Theatre, Belfast, on Saturday, October 7, and they are already putting plans in place for their next production.