National Arts in Education Portal Day 2019 – Guest Speaker Announced

We are delighted to announce the guest speakers for the fourth annual National Arts in Education Portal Day on November 9th at The Institute for Lifecourse and Society (ILAS), National University of Ireland Galway (NUIG) in partnership with ILAS and Baboró. Our day begins with a welcome from Professor Pat Dolan, UNESCO Chair for Children Youth and Civic Engagement, and Director of the UNESCO Child and Family Research Centre and Dr. Katie Sweeney – National Director for the Integration of the Arts, Department of Education and Skills (DES).

We welcome guest speaker Professor Bill Lucus, Director of the Centre for Real-World Learning and Professor of Learning at the University of Winchester. The full line-up which will be announced shortly includes a broad range of practical workshops and skills sharing as well as theoretical and critical thinking in the area from artists, teachers and practitioners from across the sector.

This event brings together members of the arts in education community from all across Ireland, to share, learn, talk, network, get inspired, and continue interrogating best practice in the field.

Full programme details for the day will be announced shortly. For enquiries please contact events@artsineducation.ie

Professor Patrick Dolan, UNESCO Chair for Children Youth and Civic Engagement, and Director of the UNESCO Child and Family Research Centre at The Institute for Lifecourse and Society (ILAS), NUI Galway

Professor Pat Dolan holds the prestigious UNESCO Chair in Children, Youth and Civic Engagement, the first to be awarded in the Republic of Ireland. The UNESCO Chair delivers a comprehensive programme of work towards the objective of promoting civic engagement and leadership skills among children and youth. The programme is built around core strands of research, teaching, policy and good practice and is underpinned by a range of national and international collaborations. Prof. Dolan is also joint founder and Director of the UNESCO Child and Family Research Centre at the National University of Ireland, Galway. He has worked as a practitioner and  academic for over 30 years. Prof Dolan has completed an extensive body of research on children youth and family issues including longitudinal research on adolescents, their perceived mental health, resilience and social support networks and has published in a wide range of international academic publications. His major research interests are Civic Engagement in Children and Youth, Family Support, Youth Mentoring Models, Empathy, Resilience and Social Networks. Prof. Dolan has also extensive practice and policy experience, both nationally and internationally.

Dr, Katie Sweeney, National Director for the Integration of the Arts, Department of Education and Skills (DES)

National Director for the Integration of the Arts in Education (DES) – appointed by Minister for Education and Skills Ruaraí Quinn T.D. in 2013. Previously Katie has worked as a Research Scientist, Senior Lecturer in Dublin City University, Dublin Institute of Technology, Karolinska Institute of Health Sciences Stockholm in Sweden. She was a former Head of GMIT @Castlebar, CEO of Mayo VEC and CEO of Mayo Sligo and Leitrim Education and Training Board.

Professor Bill Lucas, Director of the Centre for Real-World Learning and Professor of Learning at the University of Winchester

Bill is a member of the academic team on the Durham Commission on Creativity in Education, adviser to the OECD’s Centre for Educational Research and Innovation, chair of Eton’s research and innovation centre, a patron of Pegasus Theatre in Oxford and a member of the LEGO Foundation’s advisory board.

In 2017 Bill was appointed co-chair of the strategic advisory group for the new PISA 2021 Test of Creative Thinking. Bill is currently advising the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority on the implementation of critical and creative thinking and has worked extensively across Australia.

A prolific writer, Bill has authored more than 100 books and research reports. With Ellen Spencer he has recently explored how key dispositions for learning can best be cultivated in  Teaching Creative Thinking: developing learners who have fresh ideas and think critically.

His acclaimed critique in 2015 of education systems, Educating Ruby: what our children really need to learn, written with Guy Claxton, asks challenging questions about the future of schools. Zest for Learning: Developing curious learners who relish real-world challenges, to be published in Autumn 2019, continues this theme.