School Mentoring Scheme
kindly sponsored by
NOTE:
Applications open for for 26/27 Season
About the Scheme
After a successful two-year introduction AIMS will continue its School Musical Mentoring Programme for Secondary Schools on a nation-wide basis.
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For the 2026-27 school year we are seeking 30 schools to take part in the mentoring programme.
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A mentor will work with each school’s production team via a video call, along with attending a performance of the show.
Standard of Excellence Nominations and Awards Presentation will take place online at the start of May of 2027.
Mentor 26/27
David Hennessy
As a writer/composer, Peter was responsible for the creation of the award-winning Musicals, Ham, God Bless Archie Dean, Clown, The Joy of Living, The Widow or Bust, Falling Apart, How The West Wasn’t Won, The Orphan and the Tramp and Come The Dawn. Through AIMS and various Musical Theatre Festivals, he has accumulated numerous awards for Acting, Comedy, Direction and Choreography, and many awards and nominations for Best Overall Show. But the Northern Ireland Festival of Light Opera and the Waterford International Festival of Light Opera, honoured him with awards for “Outstanding Contribution to Musical Theatre in Ireland”. He has also been a prolific writer of Pantomime Scripts, and performed as the Pantomime Dame for 12 years with the Ulster Operatic Company, and 17 years with the Renmore Pantomime Society in Galway.
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From 1985 until the present day, he has directed and choreographed in every corner of Ireland, as well as running his own dance and drama schools, originally in Belfast, and then around the Galway area. He has been Director of the AIMS Youth Summer School since its inception in 1996.
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He has been the author of a series of Children’s Picture Books, written a handful of Youth Musicals, and several One Act Comedies that had been award-winners at local drama festivals.
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He has been Adjudicator for both the AIMS Gilbert and Sullivan Sections on several occasions, most recently as Gilbert Adjudicator in the 2023/24 season, and was the Mentor for our Schools Pilot Scheme last season.
