National Portal Day 2023. Image Credit Cian Flynn

Parallel Session 2: 1.30pm – 2.20pm

Presentation and Discussion: Open Road: Children Reimagine their city: Room EQ002

Senior Curator, Tadhg Crowley from The Glucksman, University College Cork, will share insights from the project Open Road. The Glucksman project Open Road was designed to amplify the voices of children from marginalised communities and celebrate their creativity in the public realm. In Spring 2021, the Glucksman invited artist Fatti Burke to design Cork’s first ever asphalt artwork with a group of children from communities who have less frequent opportunities to engage in cultural, artistic and creative programmes. The children aged 6-12 years came to the museum from Mayfield Youth Café and Good Shepherd Cork to work collaboratively with the artist, to learn creative skills and shape the design of a unique public artwork.

Tadhg Crowley is the Senior Curator at The Glucksman art museum in University College Cork, Ireland. The Glucksman presents a wide-ranging programme of temporary exhibitions accompanied by an extensive education programme to engage visitors of diverse interests and backgrounds. A graduate of Limerick School of Art and Design, Tadhg’s role at the Glucksman is to help foster an appreciation of the visual arts among the wider public. Tadhg has curated numerous projects and exhibitions at The Glucksman and is responsible for the museum’s schools programme and oversees the delivery of all education activities. 

Presentation and Discussion: Portal Documentation Award Recipient Series: Let’s Get Real: Room EQ211

Streetwise Programme learners Comfort, Elva, Hannah, Noah and Tara with artist Ana Colomer and tutor and key-worker Ruth O’Keeffe, will share the insights of their collaboration to explore and produce the short film ‘Who Do You Think We Are?’ Through a visual presentation and panel discussion with the animators, they will describe the rationale behind the project, the creative process, the connections that were made during the journey and, most importantly, the central role of the participants from inception. 

Ana Colomer is a visual artist and educator based in Ennis Co. Clare. Ana works as a community artist and arts educator. She is a tutor for LCYP, LCETB, a Creative Associate for Creative Schools, Arts Council, and an Associate Artist for Helium Arts. She holds a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from Seville University and a H Dip.

Ana’s creative practice includes puppetry, animation, film, and multimedia installations that combine three or four elements; her passion has always been painting, her work is symbolic and thought provoking. www.anacolomer.com

Ruth O’ Keeffe, Streetwise tutor, has been working with adults with additional and neuro divergent needs for 10 years.  Ruth has a particular interest in creative projects that bring people together from different pathways in the community to work with the learners. Ruth’s focus in the educational and training field is in person centred learning and achievements.  Key to understanding this is supporting each learner to self-advocate their will and preference in their lives.  Ruth holds a diploma in training & education from University Of Galway and is continuing with her education journey. 

Creative Workshop: People | Portraits | Places: Room EQ212 

Join artists Yvonne Condon and Rosaleen Moore for this creative workshop exploring people, portraits, and places. Working alongside Yvonne participants will be invited to create quick-fire portraits using playful methods, capturing the essence of an image. Rosaleen will share her memory-palace approach to rendering place, inviting participants to work alongside her. Studio facilitators Sue Dolan and Katie Forsyth will also be on hand to introduce Crawford Supported Studios, which are led by Crawford Art Gallery and MTU Crawford College of Art & Design. A supported studio centres the needs of disabled artists, providing safe studio space, practical assistance with communications/transport and access to professional training, development and peers. 

Yvonne Condon makes bold, uncompromising images. Working from observation and found imagery, her style is determinedly graphic. Yvonne has exhibited widely: Project Arts Centre Dublin, Crawford Art Gallery Cork, Atypical Gallery Belfast, Royal Hibernian Academy Dublin. https://crawfordsupportedstudios.com/artists/yvonne-condon/

Rosaleen Moore paints places that she passes every day. Streets may float and buildings may be turned inside out, but we are always safely grounded by familiar details. Rosaleen has exhibited widely: Flat Iron Gallery New York, Cork Public Museum, Crawford Art Gallery, Copper House Gallery Dublin. https://crawfordsupportedstudios.com/artists/rosaleen-moore/