Mayo campaigners encouraged to apply for prestigious academy

Campaigners in Mayo are being encouraged to apply for the Alice Academy for Activists ─ a free residential bootcamp taking place in January 2026 in Dublin that equips emerging activists with strategic campaigning skills.

Former RTÉ newscaster Eileen Dunne and pioneering feminist-activist Ailbhe Smyth are among the contributing experts.

Hosted by Alice ─ the award-winning, all-island public relations agency ─ over the course of four days, participants will be immersed in topics such as strategy and planning, community organising and coalition-building, fundraising, political engagement, and media relations.

Workshops will be delivered by campaign and communications experts along with lifelong activists, with the 2026 presenters to include the following: Ailbhe Smyth (feminist, LGBTQ+ activist and leader of Ireland’s successful campaign to Repeal the Eighth Amendment); Margaret Curran (a Scottish Labour Party politician who has worked extensively in Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Eastern Europe to promote democracy and women’s leadership); Eileen Dunne (who spent 40 years working as a newscaster and journalist in RTÉ, Ireland’s state broadcaster); David Stanton (who was a member of Dáil Éireann for almost 30 years); and Stephen Donnelly (a community organising expert who ─ from his base in Melbourne, Australia ─ works with movements across the globe to build winning campaigns).

Latisha McCrudden, an activist based in Belmullet, was among 21 participants chosen for the inaugural Alice Academy for Activists in 2024. Latisha is a member of the Irish Traveller community and is currently studying law at the University of Galway. As a survivor of domestic abuse in her childhood, Latisha campaigns for better domestic violence services and supports, as well as for Traveller rights. She hopes to run for election in the coming years.

Announcing details of the 2026 Alice Academy for Activists today, Martina Quinn, the founder and CEO of Alice Public Relations, stated: “We know there are thousands of committed, hard-working campaigners across Ireland, including in Mayo, addressing issues such as racism, the climate crisis, housing and homelessness, gender equality, community safety, and rural development. From our work in the non-profit sector, we also know that ─ very often ─ those involved in grassroots campaigns don’t have funding to invest in capacity-building and training to ensure they can be as strategic as possible in their work.

“The Alice Academy for Activists addresses this. Our aim is to ensure Ireland’s ─ and Mayo’s ─ best and most committed campaigners can access the expertise and training they need, free of charge, to create long-lasting positive change.”

The Alice Academy for Activists is supported by Community Foundation Ireland.

Denise Charlton, chief executive of Community Foundation Ireland, commented: “At a time when communities are facing deep challenges, we must invest in the people who are standing up and speaking out for positive change. We know that real change doesn’t happen by accident; it is intentionally built by people who are equipped, strategic, and relentless.

“The Alice Academy for Activists is our philanthropic response to that need – a four-day residential bootcamp designed to sharpen campaigning skills and strengthen movements.

“At Community Foundation Ireland, our mission is ‘Equality for All in Thriving Communities’. We listen to the voices of grassroots organisers and frontline advocates, and help to amplify those voices and actions, not just for today but for the future we all deserve.”

The 2026 Alice Academy for Activists will run from January 15 to 18 in Dublin, with successful applicants provided with accommodation free of charge. Anyone over the age of 18 in Mayo is welcome to apply to the Alice Academy for Activists. Priority will be given to applicants who have a well-developed idea for their campaign/cause and who would not ordinarily have the resources to participate in training or capacity-building workshops of this nature. Applications are now open until 5 p.m. on Wednesday, November 12, at www.alicepr.com/alice-academy-for-activists, where the application guidelines are also available.