25/03/2022 Pebul blog, General News
The Betty Ann Norton Collection is a unique sale to auction the belongings of the widely loved and fondly remembered Speech and Drama teacher Betty Ann Norton
This sale will be hosted as a 48hr online auction and consists of approximately 200 lots.
With great energy and passion, Betty Ann committed much of her life to teaching generations of Irish actors, authors, producers, filmmakers and creatives alike, many of whom went on to be very successful.
The contents of this auction include Betty Ann’s clothes, jewellery, furniture, artworks, and a variety of other collectables. The items remain in their original condition and her collection truly is great reflection of the varying styles of the 20th and 21st centuries.
A printed limited-edition catalogue is being produced for this auction offering an exclusive insight to the eclectic life of Betty Ann Norton.
If you wish to purchase a hardcopy for €10 including p&p, please contact us on 01-453-0311 or send an email to info@oreillysfineart.com
The digital auction catalogue will be available to browse and download on March 29th 2022. All proceeds from the auction will benefit a trust established to support the Betty Ann Norton Theatre School following the passing of their beloved founder Betty Ann Norton who established the school in 1959. https://bettyann-nortontheatreschool.com/
Today, we often forget about the importance of confidence and the power it has to transform our lives, but Betty Ann never misunderstood this, she had confidence in abundance, and she knew how to tap into it. Almost all who attended her school will speak of how her lessons changed them, how still today when they are going for an interview, or speaking in public, they will hear Betty Ann’s voice in their head, reminding them to keep their posture straight and compose themselves, to speak with good diction and be well mannered. She had a natural flare for teaching, and she embraced it to the fullest. Aware of her talents and sure of her path in life as an educator she is a woman to be highly admired for her life achievements.
The school hopes to use the funds to acquire a property that will have rehearsal rooms, a performance studio and a co-working space to be used by the school, its graduates and professional theatre makers as a creative hub. They aim to create a small, specialised library to house the wonderful teaching and performance archival material that Betty Ann and her late husband Michael J. Cunneen collected over the last 60 years. This space will host school activities and support professional artists in a city where arts spaces are becoming increasingly rare. In addition, the school hopes to expand its scholarship programme and become involved in more community-based activities. With the easing of restrictions, they are looking forward to producing innovative and exciting live performances such as previous promenade plays held in OPW venues like Dublin Castle, Farmleigh House, Rathfarnham Castle and the Pearse Museum.
The school, which is the longest running theatre school in Ireland, is now being run by past pupil Ciara Feely (LLCM TD) who was appointed as the new director of the school in early 2020. Teaching staff include past pupils who completed their ALCM teaching diplomas with the school: Grace Halton, Dan O’Farrell, Evie O’Brien, Vanessa Schaefer, Charlotte O’Reilly and who have qualifications and training from places such as The Lir, Conservatoire of Drama TUD, LeCoq, IADT. Tutors also include Lir Acting graduate Martha Breen, CIT Drama graduate Sinead McGee and DCU Film graduate Kevin O’Murchu. Current and past pupils Ellen Walters, Genevieve Holmes, Arianna Gorman, Gavin Jennings, Amelia O’Doherty are also working as teaching assistants in preparation for their teaching diploma examinations.
The school is currently offering classes for children ages 3.5-18 on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays in Rathmines, as well as Monday-Wednesday in Dun Laoghaire. There are online classes for adults as well as children. Summer Courses will take place in Rathmines and Dun Laoghaire with more locations to be announced soon. Dates are being finalised so if you are interested, please get in touch by emailing
theatreschool.bettyannnorton@gmail.com or Whatsapp/Text/Calling +353 87 681 0132
Current Tutors at The Betty Ann Norton Theatre School and Agency
There is an Alumni page for past pupils on Facebook that can easily be found by searching for ‘Betty Ann Norton Theatre School Alumni’. You can also find the school on instagram @bettyannnorton_juniors, twitter @bettyann_norton and Facebook @BettyAnnNortonTheatreSchool
https://bettyann-nortontheatreschool.com/