A leading immigrant figure in Irish theatre has been named this year’s recipient of the Samuel Beckett Studentship Award for his explorations on humour on stage.
Kunle Animashaun, founder of Camino Productions and current artistic director in residence of Tallaght Community Arts, received the €10,000 award jointly funded by the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht and the Trinity College Dublin Visual and Performing Arts Fund on Tuesday 8 October.
The studentship was established after the Samuel Beckett centenary celebrations in 2006, with each year’s winner chosen via a combination of written submission and interview.
Minister Jimmy Deenihan TD said he was delighted that the candidate who best met the criteria for the award was Nigerian-born Animashaun, whose work, according to the department, “examines the relationship between the presentation of humour in a text or performance and how applicable, effective or ineffectual the humour within the text or performances.”
Presenting the award to Animashaun, Minister Deenihan, said: “This year’s recipient has chosen a very interesting topic, that of ‘humour in text and performance’.
“I am impressed that as well as being a scholar, you are also a practitioner and are working with Tallaght Community Arts as artistic director. I’m sure your research will be, not just interesting and informative, but entertaining as well.”
Animashaun later told Metro Éireann: “Being the recipient of the Beckett Studentship award is a remarkable feeling. I feel intensely proud and privileged to be so highly honoured.
“Having been living in Ireland for over a decade, and having worked tireless over the years to improve myself academically and in many other positive ways, I feel so humble about my achievements to date. I am proud to be counted among the many numbers of immigrants who are doing their best in different fields of endeavour to contribute positively into Irish society.”
He added that the award is “a point of pride for me” and went on to thank “all the wonderful people that took part in making the decision to make me the recipient, from Chris Flynn at the Government Buildings, Minister Jimmy Deenihan; Patrick Prendergast, the provost of Trinity College, and in particular my supervisor Dr Eric Weitz, who has supported me in many invaluable ways from my very first day in Trinity College.
“Without any doubt, my philosophy about hard work and integrity has been reinforced by this award.”
