A dance company has called on families in the mid-west region to offer their sitting-rooms for a Japanese director to perform with her dance troupe.
Families in north Tipperary, Clare and Limerick could have their sitting-rooms converted into small theatre spaces as part of the Daghdha Dance Company's "Living Room Project".
Limerick's Daghdha Dance Company is bringing the project to homes throughout the region.
In the past, the company, with its director, Yoshiko Chuma, has performed in living-rooms and homes in Japan, Manhattan and Dublin.
The company is calling for families to volunteer their homes in the Lough Derg or Killaloe areas for the project in July. Host families are also being sought for a similar project in Limerick in October. The project involves musicians and dancers assembling in a family's living-room to perform for a night.
"The 'Living Room Project' is not about hiring in entertainment for the night. It is aimed at demystifying art," said Maighread Neligan, spokeswoman for the Daghdha company.
"It brings contemporary dance closer to people who may not otherwise experience it and it brings performance away from a more formal context," she said.
"The host family invites friends and neighbours. We go into the home as strangers and everyone interacts.
"This project brings dance and music to people who might not otherwise see it in a normal setting," she said. There is a social side to the performance, before which guests, the family and artists have a meal and chat.
"Ireland is changing very quickly. We are no longer so available to our neighbours for random visits and social calls. The 'Living Room Project' brings family, friends and neighbours together in a home environment," Ms Neligan added.
The project operates on a barter system: the dance troupe exchanges its performance for food and refreshments. There is no exchange of money between the hosts and the company.
"In a materialistic world, we find this ethos is quite important. The 'Living Room Project' takes the focus off paying for and buying every single thing," said Ms Neligan.
"The quality and experience of a 'Living Room Project' is something which cannot be bought or bargained for."
Further information about bringing the "Living Room Project" to your home can be obtained from the Daghdha Dance Company on (061) 234 112.