Protests are to take place in Cork and Dublin next Monday, the 16th August, at 11am.
The group will gather outside the Opera House in Cork and Dublin's Leinster House on Monday morning as they appeal to the government to immediately address the resumption of indoor classes such as dance, drama and music for the performing arts sector at all studios, stage schools and academies.
The group say they have tried to engage with Governement but have received no response and now say they have been forced to take a public stand, highlighting their forgotten sector.
Speaking to RedFM News, Trevor Ryan of the Montfort College of Performing Arts, who is coordinating the Cork event says they have been fighting for survival since March 2020:
"It's impacted us hugely because again we were one of the first to close and again there's no sign of us reopening. I mean, in the last 17 months, we've been open for three weeks. We've tried to adapt and move our businesses online but it suits some people and it doesn't suit others. The performing arts is all about interacting with your peers, all that is compromised. There was engagement initially because it was a novelty, but as last summer wore on, and the days got longer and the evenings brighter, kids had no interest in standing in front of a screen for an hour."
