The Ark and DCU Institute of Education

The Ark were selected as Young People, Children, and Education (YPCE) Artists in Residence for the academic year 2024/’25, funded by The Arts Council.

Students from DCU’s Professional Master of Education (Primary Teaching) course joined artists from The Ark in St Patrick’s Campus this semester for a practical workshop showing how art, drama, and music can be integrated in lessons around climate change. Students got to know Jane Groves, Ríona Sally Hartman, and Joanna Parkes really well this autumn. These three artists have been inviting students to bring island worlds to life across visual arts, music, and drama – exploring some themes of sustainability and climate action as they go! They then brought all of their work together for a culminating plenary workshop, which asked them to think about integrating all three art forms.

As part of the YPCE Artist-In-Residence scheme, The Ark Children’s Cultural Centre has been selected to deliver specific opportunities and bespoke programmes for DCU students studying education throughout the current academic year.

Una McCabe, Head of the School of Arts, Education and Movement, spoke about the impact of the residency:

“This is an incredible opportunity to share resources, knowledge and experiences between artists, teacher educators and future teachers and progress our shared commitment to advancing a child’s right to access art and culture as part of their learning and development”.

Josh Bannon, a Professional Master of Education (Primary Teaching) student, described the workshop as “much more enjoyable and hands-on than writing something on your laptop. Between the drama, the music and the art, it all comes together. Seeing them all combined gives me great ideas for when I’m in the classroom – my art lesson, my drama lesson and my music lesson can be all combined together. I thought that was a great thing to see”.

Art practice as a means of understanding your landscape and sense of belonging

Through identifying and recognising elements that make up the landscape that surrounds us, we can begin to form a deeper understanding of the ground we are standing on, as well as the landscape we see in the distance. This recognition and ability to ‘read’ some of the environment that you are traveling, walking, driving through can deepen our connection and sense of belonging.

How to do this ourselves and with children and young people in an engaging way can be a challenge. An alternative to painting the landscape that we see in the distance is to go into the environment and examine some of the details that make up that view. Going outside to a woodland, a local park, the beach, a bog and to examine the various elements that form part of that landscape, using a range of art practices is a fun and different way to connect with ecology; it is an interface that offers many possibilities for creativity and learning.

Collecting, identifying, pressing, labelling, drawing, printing, casting are all creative practices that can bring us in close to nature. There are a few processes that I have used successfully with pupils as creative workshop ideas:

Show how plants were collected and labelled for herbariums – ask them to pick the plant they find most interesting – press it and label it for use back in the classroom / studio (see image one below) (click here for Botanical Society for Britain and Ireland – Code of Conduct for picking, collecting, photographing and enjoying wild plants)
Draw the plant in situ, include some of the surrounds and make notes on the location, date and weather.
Back in the studio/ classroom identify the plant using guides or apps taking note of the Latin and common name – think how you might be able to remember it.
Draw the plant in detail – collaborate with others to make a landscape of the plants (see image two below)
Use the pressed plant to print using inks or make a 3D print using clay – make sure to remember the name – label the work with your name and the plants’ names (see image three below)

To stand in one spot and to recognise and maybe name some of the plants and habitats that we see around us will (subconsciously or not) give us a confidence as to where we are in the world.

Bog plants pressed and ID'd - Jo Lewis blog series

Image 1: Bog plants pressed and ID’d

Calry NS using Plant ID references for their drawings - Jo Lewis Blog Series

Image 2: Calry National School using Plant ID references for their drawings

Printing and casting Rathlee NS seashore workshop - Jo Lewis Blog Series

Image 3: Printing and casting by Rathlee National School seashore workshop

Rathlee NS plaster-casts - Jo Lewis Blog Series

Image 4: Rathlee National School plaster-casts

Rathlee NS board notes - Jo Lewis Blog Series

Image 5: Final piece with a legend identifying the seashore ecology and the artist

Image of students identifying plants in Carrick-on-shannon

Image 6: Students identifying plants in Carrick-on-Shannon

All photographs courtesy of Jo Lewis – students from Rathlee National School and Calry National School, Co Sligo using plant references to identify, draw and make plaster castings from plant and seashore ecology.

Clare County Arts Office – Artists in Schools
Closing Date: 8 November, 5pm

Clare Arts Office are inviting Primary and Secondary schools to submit their applications for the Artist in Schools Residencies Scheme 2024-2025. This year Clare Arts Office are awarding residencies to the value of €1,340.

Schools can select the following artists from the Artist in Schools 2023-2026 panel (External for the purpose of making the application). Application must be co developed and written JOINTLY with the artist of choice.

Aims of the Scheme
The Clare Arts Office Artists in Schools Programme is designed to create opportunities for artists and schools to work together over a specific duration of time. We favour projects that are innovative, unique and that foster creativity, skills development and an introduction to the language used in art making. We also encourage projects that allow children to experience the cross disciplinary nature of the arts as well as projects which connect ideas and art making to other subjects e.g. history, science, the environment, local, national and global cultures and traditions.

Projects can be collaborative and involve other creative practitioners and organisations but must be developed with the input of both the artist and the school.

Assessment Criteria
Projects will be assessed according to the following criteria

Quality and innovation of the concept/idea for the proposal. (30)
Quality of the artists work and track record as demonstrated by the support documentation submitted with the application, including the Artists CV. (30)
Feasibility of the proposed project, budget, time frame, number of students etc. (30)
Potential for the project to leave a creative impact on the school. (10)

For further information, Terms and Conditions and Application Forms, please visit: yoursay.clarecoco.ie/artists-in-schools-residency-award-2024-2025

Oide Creativity
Dates: various November 2024

The Creative Ireland Programme and Oide are delighted to present their Autumn/Winter 2024 series of professional development workshops for teachers to support engagement with the arts and learning.

The courses include:

STE(A)M SEAI Workshop
Making Connections: Energy within and across junior cycle specifications
Dates: Saturday 9 November 2024 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Location: Mount Lucas, Daingean, Co Offaly, R35 XW10
Online via Zoom: Tuesday 19 November 2024 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Online via Zoom

Oide Creativity, in collaboration with Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI), presents a one-day or online STE(A)M elective workshop, open to teachers from all subject disciplines. For full details go here.

Crafting Connections
A creative writing workshop
Dates: Saturday 16 November 2024 10:30 a.m. – 3:30 p. m.
Location: Museum of Literature Ireland (MoLI), 86 St. Stephen’s Green, D02 XY43

Oide Creativity, in collaboration with poet and writer Colm Keegan, presents a one-day workshop, open to all teachers. This workshop will take place in the Museum of Literature Ireland (MoLI). For full details go here.

This workshop offers participants an opportunity to:

explore the Museum of Literature Ireland (MoLI) and use it as a stimulus and source of inspiration,
engage in an active listening process as a means to discussing the relationship between teachers and students in the classroom,
consider the written word and Joyce’s use of language,
discuss how words are mediated through multi-modal texts in the world today,
enjoy time and space to develop their own writing.

Introduction to Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS): Learning to look
Dates: Saturday 16 November and Saturday 30 November 2024
Location: Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA)

Oide Creativity in collaboration with artist Claire Halpin and the Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA), presents a two-day elective workshop, open to all teachers. For full details go here.

This workshop offers participants an opportunity to:

look at and respond to a range of images utilising the VTS method of looking,
practice the VTS method of looking in a collaborative and supportive environment,
discuss how thoughtful and responsible image selection supports aesthetic development and critical thinking skills,
reflect on how the VTS method can be utilised to engage students in analysing imagery.

Spaces are limited for each workshop. A waiting list will apply.

For more information on full list of Oide Creativity workshops, dates and to book your place, please visit: www.creativity.oide.ie/

Good Vibes Project
Deadline: 15 December 2024

The Good Vibes Arts Calendar Project, associated with the Open Science Scenario Project at University College Cork, invites anyone with an interest in the arts, to get involved in the pilot 2025 Art Calendar Project. The project is open to individuals but is also an ideal project for primary or secondary school class groups to participate in.

You are invited to develop creative ideas in response to the question:

Have you perhaps come across a piece of art (song, poem, play, novel, painting, drawing, photograph, film, sculpture etc.) that resonates strongly with you? A piece of art that in the currently overwhelmingly crisis-ridden world might reassure people, give them hope and strengthen their sense that humans can do better?

The 2025 Arts Calendar Project pilot aims to inspire with a weekly online calendar featuring a selection of 52 pieces of art from submissions.

Individuals or groups who are interested in getting involved, please share your selected piece as follows:

In English, briefly introduce the piece of art you have selected (max. 150 words), explain why it has touched you personally and might have an uplifting impact also on others,
add any additional information (image, link, source/copyright etc.) that helps to convey a vivid impression of the selected piece of art,
submit and send your proposal by 15 December 2024 to: goodvibesproject@protonmail.com

Please also note:

You are welcome to send up to three proposals if you wish.
As cultural and linguistic diversity is valued in this project, contributors with a first language other than English are encouraged to provide a first language version of their proposal(s).
You can download a PDF with a few examples of the (bilingual) format in which the contributions can be submitted: Contributions to Project – Some Examples

For further information please email Project Coordinator (Manfred Schewe) at: goodvibesproject@protonmail.com

See full information about The Good Vibes Calendar Project here: www.ucc.ie/en/scenario/scenarioforum/specificprojects/goodvibesartscalendarproject/

Featured image: Street Art in Müllerstraße, Berlin, by HERA. Photo: MS streetartmankind.org/artists/hera/

Cork International Film Festival
Dates: 7 – 17 November 2024

Cork International Film Festival are presenting a diverse and exciting programme of films for young people as part of their Festival Schools Programme in November.

Cork International Film Festivals 2024 Schools Programme includes seven feature films, suitable for Junior Cert, Transition Year and Leaving Cert students.

The Schools programme is available at:

Locations:
Arc Cinema (Cork City) and the Gate Cinema (Midleton and Mallow), Monday 11th to 15th November 2024
The Reel Picture (Ballincollig), Monday 11th and 13th – 15th November 2024 (no screenings on Tuesday 12th)

Schools Programme Feature Films:

Senior French : The Fantastic Three (Les Trois Fantastiques)

Director: Michaël Dichter | 2023 | France | Fiction | 95 mins | Language: French (subtitled).
Three friends, Max, Tom and Vivian, spend all their time together as the Fantastic Three, supporting each other in and out of school. When Max’s brother returns from prison seemingly reformed, he has one last scheme to tie up. Led by Max, the Fantastic Three try to intervene in the hope of saving his brother. A gripping tale of conflicting ties of friendship and family.

Junior French : Neneh Superstar

Director: Ramzi Ben Sliman | 2022 | France | Fiction | 95 mins | Language: French (subtitled).
Neneh loves to dance and perform, and fulfils her dreams of joining the prestigious Paris Opera Ballet School, despite her parents’ concerns that it’s not a welcoming place for a young black girl. She gets through the auditions but at the school, Neneh finds herself at odds with the traditionalist school director Marianne, who singles her out, making her feel on the outside. Despite the barriers, Neneh’s bubbling energy endures in this charming film which is a celebration of talent and perseverance in the face of prejudice.

Senior German : The Teachers’ Lounge (Das Lehrerzimmer)

Director: Ilker Çatak | 2023 | Germany | Fiction | 98 mins | Language: German (subtitled).
Shortlisted for an Academy Award® in 2024, Das Lehrerzimmer follows Carla, a new teacher at a German junior high school. When a series of thefts occur in the school, accusations bounce around the classroom and staff room, and Carla finds herself right in the middle of the drama. As student and teacher suspicions grow, a tense battle of wills occurs between young student Oskar and the young teacher. This thrilling drama set in everyday surroundings is unlike any other school-based film.

Junior German : Greetings From Mars (Grüsse vom Mars)

Director: Sarah Winkenstette | 2024 | Germany | Fiction | 85 mins | Language: German (subtitled).
When his mother moves to China for work, Tom and his siblings must go and stay with their grandparents. This is a daunting prospect for Tom, a 10-year-old who sticks to a strict routine – avoiding loud noises and the colour red. To persuade him to go, he is encouraged to view this stay as training for his ultimate goal – to be the first person to visit Mars. Equipped with his spacesuit and his mission logbook, Tom must navigate life in Lunau with the help of his family, in this engaging drama from the director of Zu Weit Weg.

Senior Spanish : Love & Revolution

Director: Alejandro Marin | 2023 | Spain | Fiction | 106 mins | Language: Spanish (subtitled).
Seville, 1977. Single mother Reme lives with her son Miguel, a wannabe torch singer and performer. Through his love of the stage, he befriends a group involved in the growing LGBT rights movement. Initially, Reme struggles to accept her son’s friends and lifestyle but eventually she does everything she can to support him. Set during a time of repressive laws including the criminality of homosexuality, this film is ultimately a heartwarming drama of a mother’s love for her son, and the struggle for personal freedom.

Junior Spanish : La Suprema

Directors: Felipe Holguín | 2023 | Colombia | Fiction | 83 mins | Language: Spanish (subtitled).
Welcome to the town of La Suprema, a tiny and remote Columbian village in the Caribbean region, where teenager Laureana finds out her estranged uncle will be boxing for the world championship. She is determined to watch the fight, but the town has no electricity and no television. Against the odds, and her grandmother’s expectations of her, Laureana enlists her friends and her uncle’s former trainer, Efraim, to bring the fight, and electricity, to her community. A wonderful insight into rural life in Columbia, with a terrific lead performance.

Green Screen (focusing on sustainability): Once Upon a Time in a Forest

Directors: Virpi Suutari | 2024 | Finland | Documentary | 93 mins | Language: Finnish (subtitled) | Recommended for TY.
In this modern fairy tale set in the enchanting embrace of the Finnish forest, we witness young people seamlessly woven into the fabric of nature, swimming in crystalline lakes and revelling in the calm presence of the ancient trees. This idyllic harmony is imperilled as the forest faces man-made extinction. Driven by her love for the forest, 22-year-old Ida becomes the leader of the new Forest Movement, coming face to face with Finnish forest industry giants and confronting generational bias. Breathtaking visuals take viewers into the heart of the forest and the centre of the conflict. Not only is it a hopeful ode to nature and its protectors, but the words “once upon a time” also conjure up the great westerns of a bygone century, with the welcome replacement of former ideals of manliness by a generation of actual superheroes, whose greatest weapon is sensitivity.

Tickets:
Each student ticket is €7.50 (€7 DEIS school discount), accompanying teachers can attend free of charge.

To inquire about the screenings’ schedule and for bookings, please contact schools@corkfilmfest.org

Note: Study Guides will be available from 1st November at ifi.ie/studyguides

The Ark, Dublin
Dates: 7 – 9 November 2024

Come along to The Ark, Dublin and enjoy a fun-filled creative imagination workshop with author and facilitator Jen Wallace inspired by her hilarious new book Dinosaur Pie.

In the book, there’s a boy called Rory. He and his mum have ADHD, but the book isn’t about that. It’s about way weirder stuff like being turned into a ridiculous little dinosaur and still having to go to school. It’s about not eating your friends and taking lots of selfies and having huge claws that make gaming difficult. It’s about friendship and family and coping when things get tough.

In the workshop, you’ll get to think about some of Rory’s adventures. Then we can explore together how to:

Start an imagination explosion.
Release awesome ideas.
Create our own characters.
Build amazing worlds.
Use curiosity to weave stories.

Tickets
Tickets are free thanks to the support of UNESCO Dublin City of Literature

Schools: To make a booking for schools workshops, please use The Ark schools booking form or call 01 6707788.

Dates & Times
Public: Sat 9 November @ 11am & 2pm
Schools: Thurs 7 Nov & Fri 8 Nov @ 10.15am and 12.15pm

Ages
For Ages 5-8 (Senior to 2nd Class)

For further information go to ark.ie/events/view/school-public-workshops-dinosaur-pie-creative-writing

Minister O’Gorman publishes Guidelines Supporting Inclusion for Autistic Children in Early Learning, School & Childcare Settings

Roderic O’Gorman, Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, has published (11 October 2024) Introductory Guidelines to Support the Inclusion of Autistic Children in Early Learning and Care, School-Age Childcare and Childminding Settings.

The Guidelines are for early years educators, school-age childcare practitioners and childminders who are currently working to support the meaningful inclusion of autistic children in early learning and care, school-age childcare and childminding settings.

They form part of a wider suite of universal and targeted supports under the Access and Inclusion Model (AIM) which have been designed to ensure children with a disability and additional needs can access and participate in the ECCE programme and early learning and care settings more broadly.

The Guidelines fulfil a commitment in the recently launched National Autism Innovation Strategy, which aims to address the bespoke challenges and barriers facing autistic people and to improve understanding and accommodation of autism within society and across the public system.

Each year 2,735 services benefit from AIM supports.

Speaking about the National Guidelines, Minister O’Gorman said:

“I am delighted to announce the publication of National Guidelines to Support the Inclusion of Autistic Children in Early Learning and Care and School-Age Childcare Settings.

Meaningful inclusion of neurodivergent children and their families in settings starts with the early years educators and school-age practitioners being fully informed of their role in active inclusion.

These Guidelines form part of the Access and Inclusion Model (AIM) suite of supports and resources supporting the inclusion of children in the ECCE programme and beyond.

I hope the Guidelines assist early years educators and school-age childcare practitioners with the important role they play to support the inclusion of all children in their settings.”

Welcoming the publication of these guidelines, Minister of State with responsibility for Disability, Anne Rabbitte added:

“I warmly welcome these National Guidelines for those working with our youngest children. They deliver on an action of our Department’s Autism Innovation Strategy.

This Strategy will work hard to respond and enhance the lived experience of autistic people, their families and carers, so we can ensure that challenges and barriers currently being faced are being adequately addressed and to improve understanding and accommodation of autism within society and across the public system.

These guidelines for early learning and care, school-age childcare and childminding settings are an example of a clear action that can make a tangible difference to children’s lives.”

Click here to go to Introductory Guidelines to Support the Meaningful Inclusion of Autistic Children in Early Learning and Care & School Age Childcare.

To read full press release click here: www.gov.ie/en/press-release/27df1-minister-ogorman-publishes-introductory-guidelines/

Roscommon Arts Centre
Dates: 4, 5 and 6 November 2024

Roscommon Arts Centre are bringing creative experiences to the youngest of audiences this November with Selma Daniel Dance.

Moving Words is a storytelling and dance experience especially designed for early years. Selma will bring you into an immersive storytelling experience along with a dancer, using picture books. They will be bringing And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell to preschools and toddler groups in Roscommon. This book invites us to enter the world of imagination and embody the animals of the zoo. Get ready to spread your wings, shake off snow, walk, and swim like penguins, and take a ‘pretend penguin egg’ to continue the fun at home. And Tango Makes Three is on the list of inclusive picture books to support the implementation of Aistear in various contexts.

Tickets: Booking through Box Office 0906 625824

Dates: 4, 5 and 6 November 2024

*These performances are offsite in Roscommon pre-schools*

Please register your interest by contacting the box office on 0906 625824 or boxoffice@roscommoncoco.ie

Mother Tongues Festival 2025 – Open Call for Artists
Closing Date: Sunday, 27 October 2024

The Mother Tongues Festival, Ireland’s largest celebration of linguistic diversity through the arts, is calling upon artists like you to be a part of an unforgettable event in 2025. Get ready to make a difference, connect with diverse communities, and showcase your artistic practice like never before.

The Mother Tongues Festival is an inclusive platform that invites artists from all backgrounds to participate in workshops, performances and exhibitions that embrace the power of multilingualism.

The festival encourage everyone, regardless of their linguistic background, to explore new horizons, learn something new and most importantly, have a blast doing it. The festival is all about celebrating your mother tongue and the multitude of languages spoken in Ireland.

Your Chance to Shine
For the 2025 edition of the Mother Tongues Festival, they are searching for passionate artists to lead workshops that captivate, educate, and entertain. Whether your field is music, visual arts, dance, storytelling, traditional arts and crafts, or any form of performance, they want to hear from you.

The workshops must be designed for families (parents/carers will attend with children) catering for children in the following age groups: 2 to 3 years, 3 to 6 years and 6 to 8 years.

While all proposals are welcome, they are particularly interested in those which encourage active participation and link clearly to one of the following themes:

Creativity and multilingualism
an activity that promotes creativity and language, that fosters an understanding of linguistic diversity or an appreciation of all languages
Languages from shared heritage
an activity that promotes a single language by showing the relevance of the links between language and heritage

Each selected artist will receive a budget of €250 per workshop.

The festival is particularly interested in proposals that celebrate languages beyond English, with a special emphasis on those from Latin America, Asia, and Africa. Your unique perspective can enrich the festival and create a vibrant cultural exchange.

For more information about this open call and details on how to submit your proposal click here: mothertonguesfestival.com

The deadline is Sunday, October 27th 2024. The workshop will be held on February 22nd 2025 in Tallaght.

Branar
Closing Date: 31st October 2024

Branar is accepting applications from schools for their Acorn Digital Arts Flag programme.

Branar’s Acorn Digital Arts Flag is a whole school initiative designed to promote and reward arts engagement in schools. Branar is proud to be partnering with Acorn Life Group to make this happen each year.

The Acorn Digital Arts Flag programme includes:

A series of 6 arts workshops in video format that teachers and pupils can do in the classroom (there is a version for junior classrooms and one for senior classrooms)
Suggestions for extending the workshop activities in the classroom
Documentation to support engagement with the workshops and to build on them afterward in the classroom

Completion of the Acorn Digital Arts Flag is intended to be a statement of achievement and intent with regard to the prominence and status of the arts in the school. It will be a visible beacon that indicates a commitment to the importance of participation in the arts for the students of the school, both within and outside their classrooms.

Further details about what’s involved, see Branar’s website branar.ie/en/schools or watch this introduction video:

This programme is free to apply for schools in Ireland so please share with any teachers/schools you think may be interested.

There is no cost to schools to participate.

To apply please complete and submit the form at this link: form.jotform.com/231153125616346

RTÉ’s ‘This is Art!’
Closing Date: 3rd November 2024, at Midnight

Exciting news! The “This is Art! 2024” competition is now open for entries, and they need your help to inspire the next generation of young artists.

RTÉ’s ‘This is Art!’ is a free-to-enter youth art competition celebrating the creative talents of young people of all abilities across the island of Ireland. Open to individuals and class groups aged 18 and under, the competition welcomes various art forms, including paintings, drawings, sculptures, and digital art.

The Judges this year, including artists Maser, Leah Hewson, and Aideen Barry, along with curators Tadhg Crowley from The Glucksman Cork and Sheena Barrett IMMA, will review submissions and award prizes worth €10,000 across five categories.

Student entries will be hosted on the RTÉ website www.rte.ie/thisisart as a digital gallery.

The theme for this years completion is “This is Imagination!”

Download the Teachers Pack here.

How to Enter:

CREATE!Encourage your students to craft artwork reflecting the theme “This is Imagination!”
SNAP!Have them take a high-quality digital image of their masterpiece.
UPLOAD!Submit their artwork at rte.ie/thisisart.

Categories:

7 & Under
8–11 years
12–15 years
16–18 years
Groups (schools and community groups)

Prizes:

Unique TIA! Grand Prix Winners trophy for first place in each category
Prize fund of €10,000 for art materials, art-related learning experiences, and vouchers

Closing Date: 3rd November 2024, at Midnight

For further information go to rte.ie/thisisart.

Bruiser Theatre Company, Northern Ireland

Deadline: 6pm on 4 October 2024

Bruiser Theatre Company is hiring an Education Officer on a fixed-term contract until 30 September 2026, based in Belfast.

The role involves coordinating the Vital Connect programme, focusing on arts education and community engagement. Key responsibilities include delivering educational workshops, developing digital resources, managing budgets, and fundraising for education projects. Applicants should have a third-level qualification in arts management or relevant experience, with a minimum of five years in arts education or community engagement. Excellent communication, organisational, and IT skills are essential. The position offers a salary between £28,000 and £30,000 per annum.

Applications must be submitted via email to info@bruisertheatrecompany.com by 6pm on 4 October 2024.

For further information go to – bruisertheatrecompany.com/news/job-opportunity-education-officer

Save the date! The 2024 National Arts in Education Portal Day will be hosted at TU Dublin, School of Art and Design on Saturday, November 9, 2024, in collaboration with the School of Art and Design.

The day will kick off with a welcome address from Dr. Orla McDonagh, Dean of the Faculty of Arts & Humanities at TU Dublin, and Kate Delaney, Arts in Education Portal Editorial Committee Member and Assistant Principal in the Creative Ireland Programme.

Following the welcome address, there will be a panel discussion featuring guest speakers including Leon Diop, Head of Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion at the Arts Council of Ireland, Francesca Hutchinson, a multidisciplinary artist and educator, Dr. Padráig Kirk, Managing Director of Oide, and Dr. Hannagh McGinley, Assistant Professor in Education at MCI Thurles. The panel, moderated by Jennifer Buggie, Arts in Education Portal Editorial Committee member Advisor for Arts & Creativity in Education with the Department of Education and The Education Centre, Tralee, will explore this year’s theme “Amplifying All Voices” and discuss how the Amplification of All Voices in creativity and education can empower, build confidence, passion, and support.

The event will conclude with a closing address from Adam Stoneman, Creative Communities Engagement Officer at Galway City Council, and a performance from the Marino College Guitar and Band Club with music teacher, Arjun Desai.

The full lineup for the national day will be announced on Tuesday, October 8, when ticket booking will open online. This free full-day event aims to bring together arts and education professionals to share, learn, talk, network, get inspired, and discuss best practices in the arts and creativity in education.

For further inquiries, please contact events@artsineducation.ie.

Using Art to explore and learn about Ecology

Interface Def: a surface forming a common boundary of two bodies, spaces, or phases.

Through time, the interface between art and science has been explored by many artists; it is that space where the two disciplines rub up against each other and inform each other’s thinking. Think of Leonardo da Vinci (engineering and art) 1500’s through to Grace Weir (physics and art) 2024.

It is an exciting dialogue that can offer numerous pathways into a science or a work of art. It connects the analytical brain to our emotions. Through visualisation the creative can be drawn into science and through imagery the scientist can be drawn into the emotional. In a time of increasing separation from nature it is important to find ways to link back in and gain a better understanding of our environment. By exploring facts about ecology through art, a deeper understanding and connection can be made. It is this that I hope to bring to my school workshops, I want the children to learn about the ecology that surrounds them through fun and creative art making processes.

Using this interface between art and science is a fantastic approach for teachers teaching at primary level under pressure to deliver so many subjects within their weekly class plans. By using one subject, art, to make sense of sciences means several subjects can be covered simultaneously.

Children love being creative – it is how most will connect with the world. Bringing science into an art class can help children to remember facts and, in terms of ecology, it can help them to explore elements of plant life such as plant structure and habitats that they may not have engaged with otherwise. The simple act of drawing a plant can give time to contemplate what its purpose in the landscape is, how it might reproduce, why it has certain properties. Well directed art projects can help children discover the answers to these questions through creative processes. This is the subject of my current research and I hope to disseminate this in future articles.

Photographs of Geevagh NS Co Leitrim. Bogland project. From IDing plants and fauna, through to drawing and plaster casting them.

International conference on creativity in education, organized in Stockholm by Berättarministeriet in association with Karolinska Institutet.

Dates: 20 – 21 November 2024

Welcome to this international conference on creativity in education, organized in Stockholm by Berättarministeriet in association with Karolinska Institutet.

The education system is currently undergoing a structural crisis both in Sweden and in many other countries. Globalization and new technology have driven a paradigm shift that has changed our view of the outside world and our way of life. But every challenge also brings an opportunity for innovation and necessary changes. You are warmly welcome to participate in the Norwegian Ministry of Storytelling’s conference, where we ask ourselves the question: How can we strengthen teaching that is characterized by creativity and innovation in order to promote students’ conditions to face the future?

The conference is addressed to academia, school leadership, teaching professionals and stakeholders in education. Participants in the programme have extensive expertise in the areas of creativity and critical thinking, encompassing both theory and practical application.

Speakers include Minister of Education Mats Persson , Ronald A. Beghetto , Arizona State University and Yulia Kova , professor at Goldsmiths, Jennifer Buggie, Teacher and Advisor for the Integration of Creativity and the Arts in Education, Ireland and Kenneth Nally, Curriculum and Assessment Policy Unit, Ministry of Education, Ireland.

Due to the limited availability of seats, early registration is strongly recommended to ensure your participation.

The conference is free of charge.

Time and date: 20 – 21 November 2024, 9.00 – 16.00 / 9 AM – 4 PM CET

Location: Aula Medica, Karolinska Institutet, Nobels väg 6, Stockholm, Sweden

For further information and to register go to – info.berattarministeriet.se/conference-rethinking-creativity-in-education-solution

Cork County Council Children’s Book Festival

Date: 7 October 2024

Cork County Council are delighted to announce a free online event for primary schools as part of the Cork Children’s Book Festival. Pupils ages 8 to 10 years are invited to join The Brothers McLeod, the award winning, sibling duo creators of the Knight Sir Louis series.

This online event is free and will take place at 11am on Monday 7^th October on Zoom. There will be multiple schools in attendance. There will be an opportunity for pupils to ask Greg and Myles McLeod questions.

BAFTA winning brothers, Greg and Myles McLeod are the illustrator and author of the Knight Sir Louis series.

Greg has worked on Shaun the Sheep for Aardman Animations. Myles has written for TV shows like Hey Duggee. Together they’ve produced animations for Disney, the Royal Shakespeare Company and the BBC.

The first Knight Sir Louis book was written for Greg’s son… Louis! The books can be read in any order and are perfect Reading for Pleasure stories.

Cork Children’s Book Festival are delighted to have secured a visit by Myles and Greg who will be talking to the children to provide inspiration for their own writing and also enthusing them about the joy of reading. This will support the literacy work that you do in schools and we hope it will prove a stimulating experience for your pupils.

For more information contact schools.library@corkcoco.ie

Creative Schools

The Arts Council announced this week that 184 new schools and Youthreach centres across Ireland will join its Creative Schools programme. This brings to 1,100 the number of Irish schools who have participated since the programme began in 2018. One in four Irish schools will have now been part of the Creative Schools programme.

This is a critical development for the arts and young people in Ireland and helps to fulfil the Arts Council’s aim for all children to have the opportunity to participate fully in a range of art forms within our education system. The Arts Council works to ensure that all children can fully enjoy their right to arts and culture.

There were 300 applications to the programmme this year, a significant increase on 2023 numbers. This year’s Creative Schools intake includes 53 DEIS schools and 23 Irish language schools as well as seven youthreach centres and eight special schools. The 184 schools chosen will each receive a €4,000 grant and will work with a professional Creative Associate for two years who will support them to develop and implement their own bespoke Creative School Plan.

Participating in the Creative School programme empowers children and young people to develop, implement and evaluate arts and creative activity throughout their schools and Youthreach centres. The initiative also enables schools to discover additional ways of working and uncover the impact of creativity on children and young people’s learning, development and well-being. Schools who take part explore creativity in all its forms and embrace how it can be celebrated in so many ways. From baking to creating and designing gardens, from photography to performance, from working with other community groups to transforming areas of their own schools, the impact of Creative Schools is already felt in every county.

Minister for Education Norma Foley TD said: “It is wonderful to welcome the 186 schools to the Creative Schools initiative 2024. I would like to personally welcome these new schools into this unique programme. I’m very excited to see how these creative and captivating projects will develop over the coming two years.”

Also speaking today, Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media Catherine Martin TD said: “I would like to congratulate the 186 schools and Youthreach centres that have successfully applied to become a Creative School. This new cohort of schools and school communities have the opportunity to embark on a unique two-year journey of creativity and discovery. With this additional set of schools, it now means that, since inception in 2018, 1 in 4 schools in Ireland will have experienced Creative Schools. Again, this year sees a continuous increase in the diversity of settings in receipt of support. This is a testament to its impact and the strength of the partnership between the Art Council, the Department of Education and the all-of-government Creative Ireland Programme.”

Speaking about today’s announcement Director of the Arts Council Maureen Kennelly said: “We warmly welcome our new cohort of 186 schools to Creative Schools. Following the wonderful success of Creative February for schools this year, we are heartened to see a clear increase in applications for this incredible resource. By this stage of the programme, we’re delighted to say that 25% of all schools in Ireland have connected with us. We know that arts experiences with, for and by children can be transformative. Working with our partners in the Department of Education, and in the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media and in Creative Ireland, we are looking forward to another school year full of exploration, creative thinking, discovery and most importantly fun”.

For further information on the Creative Schools initiative go to artscouncil.ie/creative-schools.

Education Support Centres Ireland (ESCI)

Dates: various

We have gathered together a selection of CPD courses for teachers offered through the Education Support Centres Ireland network. Highlights of courses available are as follows:

Collaborative Play with LEGO for Children with ASD & ADHD

Location & Dates:
Sligo EC, 2nd Sep, 7-8pm
Wexford ESC, 1 Oct, 7-8pm
Drumcondra EC, 2nd Oct, 7-8pm
Laois ESC, 7th Oct, 7-8pm

Collaborative Play, using Lego, is an effective form of therapy for children with a wide range of emotional and behavioural difficulties including depression, anxiety, aggression and social issues. The purpose of this course is to pique your interest in the process of setting up a Collaborative Play group in your classroom and/or a room in the school.

Establishing a School Library : Practical Tips to get Started

Location & Date: Wexford Education Centre, 5th September, 2024, 7-8pm

Raise literacy standards and promote reading for pleasure among the whole school community! This course will provide practical tips such as setting up a student leadership team, using a catalogue system, shelving, ordering and labelling. How to create a welcoming, diverse and safe space for students while giving them leadership roles and enhance their collaborative and organisational skills.

Local Voices

Location & Dates:
Dublin West EC, Laois ESC, Kildare ESC and Drumcondra EC, 9th September, 2024, 7-8pm

Local Voices is a bright new initiative in the teaching of history and geography with an emphasis on children’s voice/agency and citizenship-education. Through a process of interviewing interesting people from the locality, recording/transcribing the interviews, selecting excerpts from the interviews and taking photographs the children and teachers collect a rich and colourful snapshot-in-time of the recent-history and current-geography of their locality.

For futher information on these courses and to book, contact the relevant Education Support Centre or visit: https://www.esci.ie/cpd-courses.html

YPCE Bursary – Art and Ecology for Children and Young People

I have been drawn to using natural materials in my own art work for some time now so, when I was given a series of schools to work with on the BLAST initiative, I hoped I could start to use more natural materials in the work we would do in class.

I began by bringing willow whips into the classroom to make structures with. We would use the willow to bend into shapes that we could then cover in tissue paper and paint – these made colourful kite-like sculptures. I also brought in clay and collections of stones and bits of wood to make make their fantasy landscapes with.

The next year I wanted to go further and to engage the pupils more directly in their local landscapes. So, with the support of the schools, I was able to start each residency with a field trip. In 2022-2023 I was resident in three schools next to three very different landscapes: a bog, a beach and a woodland. So, I decided to carry out the same series of workshops with each school, this resulted in an amazing collection of art works depicting a whole range of Co Sligo’s ecology.

During these fieldtrips the children were firstly given the chance to explore and play in the landscape. Then they were asked to create a piece of land art (this had been previously explained in the classroom) so that the play began to become more focused. Then they were invited to concentrate on one aspect of the landscape, a plant, an insect, a bird, a rock and to document it either through drawing, collecting and pressing or photographing.

All of this experience was taken back to the classroom where, using references, we named and labelled the plants/insects/trees birds they had documented. This then went on to inform the follow up ecology-based workshops in the classroom.

At the end of the term, I wanted to take this further and examine the outcomes of these workshops in more detail and find a way of disseminating this knowledge. The Arts Council’s YPCE (Young people children and education) bursary made this possible for me and my following blogs will look a few of the themes that have come out of it.

Fighting Words

Deadline: Friday 30th August 2024

Fighting Words is looking for an Irish Language Project Coordinator who will be responsible for organising and providing workshops, projects, and more through Irish outside the Gaeltacht.

Fighting Words offers free creative writing workshops through Irish for children, young people and other groups throughout the country.

Workshops are held through Irish with Irish schools, other schools, youth groups and communities.

The vast majority of demand is in Dublin with the majority of workshops being delivered at the centre on Russell Street. Travel to another location is required from time to time.

This is a full-time position on a temporary contract – September 2024 to June 2025 – with the possibility of an extension depending on funding.

€3,141.17 will be paid per month, which is €37,694 pro rata as a gross salary per year.

If you are interested in this position, and the chance to work with a great team and an exciting organisation, send a CV to info@fightingwords.ie by Friday 30th August.

Further information can be found here: https://www.fightingwords.ie/news/taimid-ag-fostu/we-are-hiring-comhordaitheoir-tionscadail-gaeilge

Arts in Education Portal

The Portal team has had an exciting few months on the road visiting the recipients of the 2024 Portal Documentation Awards. It has been such a pleasure to meet and collaborate with the artists, teachers and students of Marino College and St Vincent’s GNS in Dublin and Streetwise, Co. Clare in documenting their projects.

‘Marino 100: Back to the Future’ Creative Cluster

In May we visited two Dublin based schools, Marino College Second Level and St. Vincent’s Girls NS which along with St. Kevin’s Boys NS and St. Joseph’s Boys NS have been collaborating as part of a Creative Cluster Project ‘Marino 100: Back to the Future‘ a festival highlighting 100 years since construction started on the Marino housing development – known as the Garden City. This is the third year of the student led festival which was conceived through the Creative Schools programme in 2021 and has evolved into an inclusive collaboration involving the 4 schools, Marino Residents Association, local artists and community groups to celebrate unity and diversity in their inner-city neighbourhood. The festival which took place on Friday 19th May included a packed programme of music, dance, a food fair and as the centre-piece, a parade.

The Portal team dropped in on the students and staff of Marino College on our first visit where they were crafting large papier-mâché floats working closely with lead artist Heather Gray. Also that day, 1st Year students and members of the local community participated in a joint pottery workshop with artist Stephan Doody and we listened in on another group of students on guitar and drums as they prepared to perform as part of the festival with musician Peter O’Toole.

Painting a giant ladybird – ‘Marino 100: Back to the Future’, Creative Clusters project, St. Vincent’s Girls National School, Dublin

On our second visit, we returned once again to Marino College. On this occasion we got to see students working with artist Sinéad Lynch to make Slavic inspired felt flower crowns which would be donned during the parade. We then made the short trip to St. Vincent’s NS where 1st Year students from Marino College joined 5th Class pupils in putting the final touches to super-sized arthropod floats and immersed themselves in mask-making activities.

‘Let’s Get Real’

In May also, we made two visits to Ennis, Co. Clare where we met five learners on the Streetwise programme together with their tutor Ruth O’Keeffe and support worker Patricia Dooley working in partnership with artist Ana Colomer. The Streetwise programme supports young adults with intellectual disabilities & autism to achieve their goals through training & education. Through the Local Creative Youth Partnership initiative the learners were being guided by Ana to develop and produce their own advocacy multimedia film entitled ‘Let’s Get Real’. Working through animation the focus of the project is to share their ideas of home life, work life, relationships, health, and education and explore how laws and society is changing to make these human rights more possible.

Editing green screen footage – Lets Get Real, LCYP project, Streetwise, Brothers of Charity, Ennis, Co. Clare

When we arrived for our first visit of two visits in mid-May, we entered into a welcoming and fun-filled environment with creativity at the centre. A session packed with activities awaited us from storyboarding, prop creation, stop-motion animation, green screen filming and editing. The collaborative nature of the project was evident throughout, the Streetwise animators, moved seamlessly through different processes, working at their own pace, shifting between different production roles supporting each other to draw out their own personal stories.

On our second visit, we joined the animators as they switched focus to the music and sound design for their film. For this element of the project the group were able to make use of the nearby Music Generation recording studio for a collaborative session with musician educator Oisín Ó Cualáin. This was the third session the group were undertaking with Oisín to develop the film’s soundtrack. The preliminary sessions were conversation and ideas based, providing a space for the learners to become accustomed to the new environment of the recording studio and to build a relationship with Oisin. There was great excitement though in embarking on the musical process and they set about creating and recording sound designs and creating musical loops to add another dimension to their visual vignettes.

Over the coming months the Portal team will be working on editing the documentation footage captured during the project visits. We look forward to sharing the Documentation video’s for both project’s in the Autumn. Stay tuned!

Music Generation

Music Generation recently released their Annual Report for 2023. In 2023, Music Generation reached 8% of children and young people in Ireland, a total of 115,936 programme participants. The year was full of collaborations across counties, vibrant youth-led festivals and young musicians creating new music with professional artists.

513 Musician Educators actively delivered programmes in 2023, a further 514 visits from 204 Professional Musicians/ Ensembles across twenty-five Local Music Education Programme (LMEP) Areas.

Many programmes offered a mix of sound and music forms including: Foundational or Pre-Instrumental Recording and Production, Singer-Songwriter, Creative Music Making, Composition, Music Technology, Spoken Word, Rap, Podcasting.

We have selected some programme highlights from Music Generation’s Annual Report:

Music Generation Leitrim ran pop-up bucket drumming and percussion workshops at primary and secondary schools throughout the county. During these workshops, children and young people learned the basics of bucket drumming and other percussion instruments, as well as singing songs.
Music Generation Louth curated a series of guest workshops with Berlin-based digital artist Æ Mak. The series was designed to build a progression route from the technology programme TY Trax. It aimed to inspire participants to continue as creative musicians beyond the school experience.
Music Generation Offaly participated in the official opening of the new Esker Arts Centre in Tullamore. A choir of children from two local primary schools performed with local musician Tolü Makay, with accompaniment from musicians Donal Lunny and Graham Henderson. President Michael D. Higgins and his wife Sabina attended the event along with local dignitaries and guests from the community
Music Generation Tipperary hosted the “Big Sing Along” performance workshop at the Source Arts Centre, Thurles. Three workshops were delivered over one day and attended by more than 600 children and young people from local primary school programmes including “Primary Beats” and “Tune Up Tipp”. These programmes focus on early years and instrumental performance music education.

The report also detailed national events where young musicians from Music Generation programmes were invited to bring their music to national and international audiences. Music Generation Laois performed at Child Summit 2023 hosted by The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. Young singers from Paddock National School, performed a segment of “Bicycles, Boomerangs and Blue Macaws”, a suite based on the United Nations Convention on the rights of the child. The Lundy Model of Participation (2007) was used to facilitate and empower the voice of the child throughout the songwriting process, the programme also encompassed pupils from Cloneyhurke and Rath National Schools.

To read the full report, please visit: https://www.musicgeneration.ie/news/music-generations-annual-report-2023

Performing Arts Forum

Members of the Portal team recently ventured out to meet with colleagues, artists, theatre-makers and arts professionals who had convened in Sligo for Performing Arts Forum’s Annual Gathering. This was the first event to occur under the new name having recently re-branded from Theatre Forum. Their fully booked annual conference touched down in Sligo on Tuesday 28th and Wednesday 29th May with several hundred in attendance.

This Portal is managed by Kids’ Own Publishing based in Sligo so it was only a stroll across town to join proceedings.

Over the two days, the gathering explored many themes under the concept Where Connection Creates Change including freedom of expression, career viability and sustainability, advocacy, audience research and lots more. For the Portal it was an opportunity to hear from associate groups Theatre For Young Audiences (TYAI) and the Young Curators / Lasta Festival.
We connected with many individual artists, theatre makers, venue managers who make and present work, run outreach programmes, participate in TAP+/BLAST/Creative Clusters with young people.

There was a fantastic buzz with lots of opportunities for discussion, entertainment and discovery. More information on https://performingartsforum.ie/

Arts in Education Portal

Teachers, artists and arts in eduction professionals gathered in Sligo Education Centre on Saturday last for a day of sharing experience, gathering new ideas and networking with colleagues. This, the eighth of our Portal Regional Days, focused on best arts and creativity in education practice in the Northwest. This year’s gathering also saw attendees travel from Galway and Dublin.

The morning session saw two highly engaging presentations which demonstrated excellent Teacher Creative Practitioner/Artist partnerships. The first was from artist Andy Parsons and teacher Triona O’Dowd Hill who brought to life their process-based, abstract art project undertaken by Triona’s class at St Cecilia’s School, Sligo; a school that caters for students with moderate to profound learning disabilities.⠀The project, facilitated by Kids’ Own Publishing, focused on the partnerships between teacher and artist, and between artist and students. Triona and Andy spoke of the many ways the students asserted their creative voice and the sense of equality brought to the project by inviting TY students from the Ursuline College to participate in a collaborative session. The second presentation was delivered by teacher Karen Brogan and arts professional Leslie Ryan on their Creative Cluster project involving a group of five rural schools in West Sligo. Karen started by describing their project as an adventure, in which they took creativity and the creative arts as a lens in which to explore their local heritage, ecology and environment. They highlighted the benefits and the opportunities that came from working as a Creative Cluster and the impact it had within their schools and wider local communities.

Image: Artist Andy Parsons and teacher Triona O’Dowd Hill (left) and teacher Karen Brogan and arts professsional Leslie Ryan (right) speaking at the 2024 Regional Day

Before breaking for lunch, practical advice was provided through two sector bulletins where attendees heard from Daragh McDaid, Director Sligo Education Centre and Rhona McGrath of Roscommon County Council Arts Office who provide an overview of the supports and initiatives available through ESCI and the Local Authority Arts Offices.

After a morning of sharing practice, the group enjoyed a fab lunch catered by Blend Cafe.

Two creative workshops were available in the afternoon session, these offered attendees fun, stimulating, hands-on activities. Kathleen Gallagher led an interactive art workshop with Scratch and Makey Makey. Participants were encouraged to think outside the box and transform everyday objects into touchpads that interact with computers, bringing the worlds of coding and art together. Meanwhile Maeve Pudney, co-owner of artisan design studio Pop Out Projects immersed participants into the traditional craft of weaving using a bespoke table-top loom and genuine Donegal tweed wool yarn. Participants tried their hand at creating colourful bookmarks and coasters, seeing enormous possibilities for application within the classroom.

Thank you to everyone who joined us on the day. For those who missed the mornings discussions, we recorded both of the main talks and these will be available below:

Episode 01: Collaborations in Abstract Sculpture with Triona O’Dowd Hill, Andy Parsons and Lorna Kavanagh | 2024 Regional Day

A transcript of this recording is available to download – click here

Episode 02: Dúlra agus Dúchas – The Ties that Bind Us; A Creative Cluster Journey from Beach Foraging to Beach Installation with Karen Brogan and Leslie Ryan | 2024 Regional Day

A transcript of this recording is available to download – click here

MTU Crawford College of Art and Design

Deadline: 10 June

The Eco Arts Practice course is a Level 9 certificate 10 credit programme. Through experiential learning, this course provides an opportunity to explore Eco Arts Practice theory and application within a group setting. The aim of the course is to provide participants with approaches to Eco Art Practice that could be applied in a range of different contexts, making it attractive to teachers, therapists, youth and community workers or artists looking to broaden the scope of their practice.

Explore nature and the environment within an art context, from ethical use of materials, to eco literacy through to the natural environment as a classroom, a therapeutic space and a material that can be worked with.

The course is delivered part-time over one academic year.

For further information and to apply, please visit: https://www.mtu.ie/courses/craeapr9/

Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA)

IMMA invites teachers and tutors from pre-primary, primary, secondary schools and colleges to bring their student groups to IMMA any time during opening hours. Teachers and tutors can book bespoke guided tours and talks focused on specific exhibitions, and can access related digital resources, such as study notes and videos.

Before the school breaks for the summer holidays, why not come and see some exciting sculpture? In IMMA’s Garden Galleries, Hilary Heron: A Retrospective celebrates the pioneering work of modernist sculptor Hilary Heron (1923 – 1977). Hilary Heron was a Dublin born sculptor who co-represented Ireland at the 1956 Venice Biennale alongside painter Louis le Brocquy (1916 – 2012).

She was a courageous sculptor who travelled extensively, absorbing cultures whilst pursing new modern ideals. She created works in wood, terracotta, steel, bronze and with welding, in this practice she was ground breaking, as there were few women welders in the 1950s.

Also on exhibition are a selection of artworks by contemporary Irish female sculptors, who like Heron, have represented Ireland in the Venice Biennale.

Book a Tour and Workshop

You can book a guided tour with a member of the Visitor Engagement Team, who will explore and tease out the artworks with your class. The tour is followed by a workshop in the Matheson Creativity Hub. A combination of both will take approximately 2 hours. To make a booking, please visit: https://immatours.ticketsolve.com/ticketbooth/shows/1173590867/events/428615079

ZOOM Presentation

If you cannot come to see this exhibition in person, IMMA can bring it directly onto your smartboard via Zoom presentation. A member of the Visitor Engagement Team can present and host a discussion with your class group.

If you would like some more information or to book a session then contact joan.walker@imma.ie

Baboró International Arts Festival for Children

Baboró is inviting applications to their 3-day paid mentorship programme during the Baboró festival in Galway, from 17 – 19 October. This initiative aims to encourage both emerging and established artists who are interested in making work for children to experience Baboró International Arts Festival for Children in an immersive and rewarding way. Over the 3 days, the small group of mentees will:

experience a curated programme of festival shows and industry events
be guided by seasoned mentors Phil Kingston (Community and Education Manager, Abbey Theatre) andMaria Fleming (CEO, First Fortnight);
be paid €600.

The objective is that artists and creatives from varied, diverse backgrounds and identities will be inspired to make work for babies, children and young people in Ireland, having been exposed to world-class Irish and international work.

A total of four applicants will be selected for this opportunity.

Closing date for applications is end of day Wednesday, 5 June at midnight.

For further information on eligibility, access supports and to apply please visit: https://www.baboro.ie/news-events/festival-mentoring-2024

FÍS Film Project

Deadline: 5pm, 28th June 2024

There is an open invitation to all Dept. of Education designated Irish primary schools to enter their films into the annual national FÍS Film Awards competition. To enter, primary schools across the country are asked to create an (up to) five-minute film on a subject of their choice, registration is not required.

Awards may be made in a wide variety of categories including Documentary, Comedy, Acting, Storytelling, Adaptation, Animation, Special Effects, Direction, Costume, Editing, Production Design, Cinematography, Sound Track, Best Newcomer, Best Junior Class Production, Curriculum Relevance, among others.

The FIS website is packed with resources and tools on incorporating film into the primary classroom, with lesson plans, videos, technical guides and templates to help get you started with your submission.

The deadline for entries is Friday 28 June at 5pm, for further details on the competition including the rules and guidelines and judging criteria, please visit https://fisfilmproject.ie/competition/

Shortlisted schools must be available to attend the FÍS Film Awards Ceremony, which takes place in the Helix Theatre, DCU Dublin. It is a large-scale national event with over 900 people in attendance, filmed and broadcast by students and staff from the National Film School, at the Institute of Art, Design & Technology (IADT).

The Portal Team are delighted to announce the second of the of the two recipients of the 2024 Arts in Education Portal Documentation Award. We are very excited to be working with each recipient in the coming months to document their projects. These projects will be showcased on the portal as the documentation progresses.

Project title
Marino 100: Back to the Future ~ Creative Minds Art + Culture Festival 2024 ~

Marino 100: Back to the Future is being organised and run by a diverse group of teenagers in North Inner City Dublin in collaboration with their teachers, local artists and the wider community. The festival includes a parade, music, dancing and food!

The project is a collaboration between Marino College, St. Joseph’s Fairview, St. Vincent’s GNS (brought together through Creative Clusters), with Marino Residents Association and various other local schools and organisations. The organisational team are teachers and artists; Joan Lyne, Heather Gray, Robin Stewart, Sarah Connor, and Cathy French. Other artists involved in the project include Steven Doody and Sinéad Lynch.

This initiative aims to change the narrative of the area, celebrating the art and culture of all residents and fostering an inclusive atmosphere all under the banner of Marino 100 – highlighting 100 years since construction started on the Marino housing development – known as the Garden City.

Artist: Heather Gray
Heather Gray is a socially engaged interdisciplinary artist based in Dublin 3. Heather’s areas of expertise are creating large scale public participatory art works as a socially engaged practice and facilitating student led approaches to co-creation.

Teacher: Joan Lyne
Joan Lyne is a Gaelgoir, musician, organiser and community builder. She teaches Irish and Chinese and has been working at Marino College since 2015. Prior to this she was working as a teacher in her native co. Kerry. Joan is passionate about collaboration, inclusion, creativity and bringing fun into the school setting.

Librarian: Robin Stewart
Robin Stewart is the Junior Cert. Schools Programme Librarian in Marino College, Dublin 3. His previous work with marginalised public library users was recognised at the Excellence in Local Government Awards. Robin has written for Inis, An Leabharlann and The School Librarian magazines and is the Treasurer of the Library Association of Ireland School Libraries Group. He was shortlisted for the national Library Staff Champion award 2023.

National Museum of Ireland

Dates: 27 May to 21 June 2024

The National Museum of Ireland has launched an exciting new workshop programme for primary school audiences to learn about global citizenship in partnership with humanitarian aid agency GOAL.

Museum Changemakers invites fourth to sixth class students to discover prominent changemakers in Ireland’s past and explore the power of Museums to inspire activism and change for the future.

The workshops will introduce pupils to the United Nations 17 Sustainable Global Goals. Children will be challenged to think creatively about their own actions and how they can promote the Global Goals and become changemakers themselves.

These engaging workshops will be held in the new contemporary exhibition space we make our own histories, located in the historic site of Collins Barracks in the heart of Dublin 7.

Children will have the opportunity to be inspired by the ‘Young Peoples Assembly’ which is featured in the we make our own histories exhibition space.

Bookings are now open for primary school teachers to empower the next generation and help shape future leaders of Ireland!

Workshop dates are available from 27 May to 21 June 2024. Places are offered free of charge to schools but booking is essential as places are limited.

For bookings and further details, please visit https://www.museum.ie/en-IE/News/Museum-partners-with-GOAL-to-promote-global-citize

European Parliament

Date: exhibition runs until 18 September

This pedagogical kit aims to provide educators with practical guidance for the exhibition Art in Democracy. Next to a temporary physical exhibition all the material is always accessible online. The information provided takes a more generic approach, so that it is adaptable to educational contexts at international level that vary in the different countries.

The kit is divided into several sections, including:

specific information about how the seven selected topics as well as the individual artworks of the exhibition relate to the overarching theme of democracy with a ‘teacher’s corner’ giving some hands-on ideas of students’ own creations;
ideas for using the interviews that some of the represented artists gave about their works in the exhibition;
a concrete lesson plan based on a methodology following democratic principles and giving a variety of activities that can easily be applied in the classroom.
an additional resources list for further information about the EU, the European Elections 2024 as well as links to related examples in art history.

With the next European Elections approaching in June 2024, it is interesting for students to reflect on democracy and what it means to them. Seeing Europe and its democratic values through the eyes of its artists offers the opportunity to address the topic of democracy and democratic values via aesthetic and experience-based learning. Artistic expression can more easily lead to student engagement, facilitate classroom discussions and trigger reflection on this topic.

To download the pedagogical kit and learn more about the European Parliaments art programme, please visit: https://art-collection.europarl.europa.eu/en/exhibitions/art-in-democracy/

Limerick School of Art & Design TUS

Date: Thursday, 9th May

Limerick School of Art & Design TUS Teacher Education presents their 2024 exhibition and conference ‘Beyond Bog Standards‘? The art room and its relationship with today’s world’ in conversation with Rosie O’Gorman & Adam Stoneman.

The official opening and conference will take place on Thursday 9th May 5.00 – 7.30pm. LSAD Teacher Education are delighted to welcome Rosie O’Gorman and Adam Stoneman to share their insights on alternative and expanded curriculum in relation to visual art in 2nd level schools.

The exhibition will be open to the public 8th-15th May, showcasing work from second level students who have engaged with student teachers on the B. Ed. and PME in Art Education in LSAD over this academic year. All schools, staff and students are welcome to attend.

Venue: LSAD Church Gallery, Limerick School of Art and Design-TUS, Clare St. Campus, Limerick, V94 KX22

Rosie O’Gorman is co-director of Cow House Studios in rural Wexford. She received her BA in Art and Design Education from NCAD in 2000, receiving the Larkin Memorial Award for her teaching and the Taylor Art Award for her painting. During her time there, she became committed to making contemporary art relatable and personally meaningful to her students. In 2004 she received her MFA from San Francisco Art Institute, supported by a Fulbright Scholarship. While in San Francisco, her drawing and painting practice grew to include installation, sculpture and performance, and her ideas of what art can be were challenged and cultivated. In 2007, with her husband Frank Abruzzese, she established Cow House Studios at her ancestral home, giving form to what Rosie and Frank value most; facilitating a genuine sense of connection with their home, heritage, and landscape; nurturing curiosity, community and meaningful exchange to serve artists at all stages, exploring a novel model for building a sustainable life in the arts.

Adam Stoneman is an educator and cultural worker based in County Galway. Studying at the University of Kent, Canterbury and subsequently at The Courtauld Institute of Art, London, he graduated with an MA in Art History in 2011. He has worked in both formal and informal education settings, initially as a classroom teacher in London, and later at The Science Museum, The Hunt Museum, and The Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA). Since 2020, his work has focused on the social and pedagogical implications of technology in the gallery and classroom, and how digitality is transforming the production and reception of culture. This included developing a series of virtual reality education workshops in Limerick, and working with Open University to develop a ‘Citizen Curation’ platform at IMMA. In 2021, with support from the Irish Museums Association and the Irish Museums Trust, he initiated the Muse-Tech Working Group, to investigate technology in a cultural context, with the research published as Museum Technology: A Critical Primer. His writing on arts, culture and technology has appeared in publications such as Jacobin, Tribune, Engage: Journal of Visual Art and Gallery Education, Museum Ireland, Visual Artists Newsletter, and Arts in Education Portal. He currently works as Creative Communities Engagement Officer, for Galway City Council’s Creative Ireland programme.

Arts in Education Portal

Date: Saturday, 25th May 2024

The Arts in Education Portal team are delighted to announce the full programme for our Spring Regional Day on Saturday 25 May in Sligo at Sligo Education Centre.

We invite teachers, artists, arts managers and anyone with an interest in arts in education in Donegal, Mayo, Leitrim, Roscommon and Sligo and beyond to join us for this free event.

The programme for the day includes a series of presentations in the morning; teacher Triona O’Dowd Hill, artist Andy Parson, together with Lorna Kavanagh of Kids’ Own Publishing, will discuss the collaborative journey embarked with Triona’s class in St. Cecilia’s School, a school that caters for students with moderate to profound learning disabilities. Following this discussion, Karen Brogan, a teacher from the West Sligo Creative Cluster will share their cluster journey where they explored themes within ecology and heritage through sculpture, sound and visual art and how they developed new and innovative ways of working co-operatively.

In the afternoon sample some creative spark with the choice between two creative workshops. STEAM facilitator Kathleen Gallagher, will provide educators with comprehensive training on utilising Scratch, a visual programming language, and Makey Makey, a circuit building invention kit, to create interactive art projects. Alternatively join Maeve Pudney to explore colour and pattern through Donegal yarn using a small weaving loom invented through her creative business Pop Out Projects.

How to Book
Tickets for the 2024 Portal Spring Regional Day are free. It is essential to book in advance as capacity is limited.

Book your place at:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/890236971747

– – – – – – – –

Schedule

10:15am — Registration & coffee

10.45am — Welcome & Introduction – The Portal: a brief introduction by Edel Doherty, Kids’ Own Publishing Partnership (Portal Content Manager)

11:00am — Presentation: “Collaborations in Abstract sculpture” with Triona O’Dowd Hill and Andy Parsons

11:30am — Presentation: “Dúlra agus Dúchas: The Ties that Bind Us”; A Creative Cluster Journey from Beach Foraging to Beach Installation with Karen Brogan and Leslie Ryan

12:00am — Bulletins from the Education and Arts sectors

12:15pm — Q & A: whole panel of presenters

12:30pm — Lunch & networking

1:30pm – 3:00pm — Parallel session: choice between two creative workshops:
“Engaging Minds: Interactive Art Workshop with Scratch and Makey Makey” with Kathleen Gallagher

“Learn to Weave Irish Tweed” with Maeve Pudney

– – – – Close – – – –

Kids’ Own Publishing Partnership
Deadline 3 April 2024

Kids’ Own, the current Arts in Education Portal Mangers, is seeking an experienced individual to assist with elements of the Arts in Education Portal programme in 2024. Reporting to the Arts in Education Portal Manager, and the CEO of Kids’ Own, the Portal Assistant will assist with key events and content development for the Portal. We invite applications from suitably qualified individuals for this fixed term contract for service.

Launched in 2015, the Arts in Education Portal is the key national digital resource of arts and education practice in Ireland. The ethos for the Portal is about building a community of practice within arts and creativity in education, and providing a space – both online and offline – where artists and teachers can be supported and inspired. It provides a platform through which good collaboration practice in arts-in-education and arts education will be supported, developed and enhanced.

The specifications of the contract are set out below.

Coordination of Portal events, particularly the Spring Regional Day, in Sligo in late Spring 2024 and the National Arts in Education Portal Day which will take place in Dublin in early November 2024. Event coordination will include pre-event planning, organising guest speakers, communications with ticket holders and management of all event logistics. Coordinating third-party suppliers, freelancers, videographers and designers to ensure on-time delivery of assets.
Developing social media content to promote the content of the Arts in Education Portal website and events, ensuring the delivery of effective, cohesive, and engaging brand messaging.
Assistance with the management of the Arts in Education Portal website, including updating content.
Assisting with the development of content for the AIE Portal, which could include travelling to different education settings to document arts in education projects.

The successful applicant will have:

A strong interest in arts in education and collaborative arts practice.
Experience in event coordination.
Experience with self-directed projects.
Strong digital skills, including experience using WordPress.
Proven track record in managing social media campaigns, across platforms including Facebook, Instagram, X, and LinkedIn.
Expertise in documenting creative projects.
Ability to travel when required for meetings, events etc. Full, clean driving license and access to own transport.
Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
Excellent organisational and time-management skills.
The ability to work well as part of a small team.

Desirable:

Experience in working with non-profit or charitable organisations.

How to apply:

Applicants should send a detailed CV, along with a cover letter outlining their interest in this piece of work, with reference to relevant experience, and any other relevant details.

Fee: there is a set fee of €12,000 for the delivery of these services. There will be additional funds available for travel and other expenses to be confirmed with the successful applicant(s).

Timeline: Timelines will be agreed with successful candidate, but candidates should note dates of Regional and National Day events are in May and November.

Deadline: Wednesday 3^rd April

How to apply: please send a cover letter detailing your experience, approach, and interest in the role, along with a CV to ciara@kidsown.ie

Solstice Arts Centre

Dates: various

As part of Solstice Arts Centre’s Learning and Participation programme a number of workshops are available to primary schools connecting with their current and upcoming visual art exhibitions. The following workshops are aimed at Junior Infants to First Class and are free, however booking is essential.

Fold

Thursday 7th & Friday 8th March 2024
9:30am & 11am (60 mins)

Mapping the gallery spaces together through movement and drawing, let’s explore the artworks on display by artist Mark Garry as part of his exhibition to hold or to be held. Delicately constructed by hand, Mark’s work awakens the senses, arranging objects that cross the space and form relationships to each other. Using the four interconnected themes of Aistear: well-being; identity and belonging; communicating; exploring and thinking, create with paper and pastel to make a large collaborative piece of art. This workshop will also draw on cross-curricular links to colour, shape, and construction while extending children’s learning with visual and verbal stimulation. Further information on the workshop can be found here: https://solsticeartscentre.ie/event/fold

disAPPEAR

Fri 26 Apr 2024
9:30am & 11am (60 mins)

Where do shadows go? Why do they disappear? In this playful workshop, primary level pupils will explore light and time, creating imaginary scenes that will only remain in our memory. Or will they? Can we capture shadows, hold them and revisit them again?
Inspired by the artworks in our gallery created by artist Willie Doherty as part of his exhibition Remnant, we will combine reality with the imagined. Connecting through light, drawing and story, we will embrace elements of belonging and collaboration, unfolding possibilities through creative fun and making the imagined visible. Further information on the workshop can be found here: https://solsticeartscentre.ie/event/disappear

For all queries and bookings email Deirdre: deirdre.rogers@solsticeartscentre.ie

Department of Education

Deadline: 10^th May 2024

The Department of Education is pleased to announce the opening of a new round of Creative Clusters for the two years commencing September 2024. The programme is open to primary and post-primary schools, including special schools, as well as YouthReach centres.

Up to €575,000 has been made available this year for Creative Clusters and this will enable up to 210 schools to come together across 42 clusters.

Each Creative Cluster will receive grant funding of €3,000 per school over a two-year period to implement their project 2024–2026.

3 schools would receive €9,000
5 schools would receive €15,000

In addition to financial support above each cluster will also receive:

A Creative Cluster Facilitator
Teacher Substitution to attend workshops and meetings
Room hire, travel & subsistence

Please see the following link for more details: Creative Clusters 2024 Department of Education Guidelines

Creative Clusters 2024-2026 Flyer

Eligible Schools – The following schools are welcome to apply to participate in Creative Clusters:

Schools that have not yet participated in Creative Clusters.
Schools that have not yet participated in Creative Schools and those who will complete Creative Schools Year 2 in the 2023/24 school year.
Schools that will complete Creative Clusters Year 2 in the 2023/24 school year. However, they must apply as part of a cluster who have not yet participated in the initiative. In this instance, it is required that this school applies to lead a cluster of schools that are new to the initiative.

The local Education Support Centre will have a key role in identifying and supporting a Creative Cluster for their local area. 42 Creative Clusters will be selected nationally – 2 per Education Support Centre.

In announcing this new round of Creative Clusters, Minister Foley said:

“This is a wonderful opportunity for schools to work together on a creative project of their choice. Schools are given complete freedom to design and develop their own project, with support from a local facilitator and their local education centre.”

Applications are to be completed online, and can be made in English or Irish, by 10th May 2024, please visit: https://www.edcentretralee.ie/creative-clusters.html

Any queries, please contact your local Education Support Centre or email National Arts in Education Administration artsineducation@traleeesc.ie

Creative Clusters is an initiative of the Department of Education, led by and in partnership with the 21 full-time Education Centres (Education Support Centres Ireland – ESCI) and funded through the Schools Excellence Fund.

Deadline extended: 6 March 2024

The Arts in Education Portal editorial team are pleased to invite applications for a documentation award. Through the award, successful applicants will receive services to the value of €5,000 that will support them in the documentation of a current or upcoming project and a €500 stipend.

The purpose of the award is to support the development of documented outcomes from Arts in Education initiatives in Ireland, which can be shared with the arts in education community and give insights into different processes of engagement. This is part of the Arts in Education Portal Editorial Committee’s commitment to supporting and recognising the value of documentation and reflection as key components within arts in education initiatives.

Two awards will be offered through this opportunity.

Outcomes of the documentation process will include: a project video, a project feature to be showcased on the Portal’s Projects/Partnerships, and the option of a critical essay, with a view to also presenting the work as part of the Arts in Education Portal National Day in 2024.

The portal team will edit and produce a project video and will liaise closely with the project partners to develop the content for the project feature. The critical essay would be cited in the Portal’s Reading Room and is optional. The author and focus of the essay can be decided by the project organisers in collaboration with the Portal Team.

Criteria

To be considered for this opportunity, projects must:

Have started in Autumn 2023 and continue into 2024, or take place in 2024. Please note if selected, filming of engagement sessions will take place after 19th March 2024.
Have a minimum duration of 8 weeks.
Involve a professional artist working collaboratively within an educational setting (early years, primary or post-primary).
Be underpinned by a strong ethos of collaboration and a commitment to excellence. Focus on the creative process, with children having an active and collaborative role.

Additional criteria

Successful applicants will be asked to ensure that relevant permissions/consent have been sought for the documentation of participants.
Please ensure your application has been approved by all project partners prior to submission.

How to make a submission:

Complete your application using this online form
Deadline for submission is 5pm, Wednesday 6 March 2024.

Note: this article was amended on 29/02/24 to revise the deadline for submission from Friday 1 to Wednesday 6 March

International Teacher-Artist Partnership (I-TAP-PD) PD

Research reports from the International Teacher-Artist Partnership (I-TAP-PD) PD project were published in June 2023. The project focus was on enabling teachers and artists to jointly develop their understanding, expertise and creativity in ‘arts in education’ work with children and young people in education, community and arts settings. It is funded under the Erasmus+ KA2 Strategic Partnership for School Education initiative.

Consisting of a 5-day pre-service training course to prepare participants for their partnered engagement and a 20 hour in-situ residency in a primary school, the programme was piloted in four countries: Ireland, Serbia, Greece and the Netherlands.

I-TAP-PD focuses specifically on the partnership between a teacher and an artist, aiming to facilitate a strong foundation of relationship and inspiration before working together in the classroom. In co-creating this methodology a research group was organised to collect data about the impact of the programme and the residencies, and to monitor the development and finetuning of the training programme. The research team consists of representatives of each country.

Four residencies took place in Ireland during 2022, data from these, confirmed findings published internationally on TAP initiatives. In this case, sufficient allocation of time for residencies, whole school buy-in and political will and support were confirmed as the main enablers of TAP practices, whereas two residencies were hindered by a lack of support by school management. Key findings for the Irish research indicated that learning fell broadly into three categories: personal development, professional development and effective collaboration. The greatest areas of learning for teachers were in the collaborative sphere while artists reported significant personal development.

The research from each partner country is available to read on the I-TAP-PD website, including a short introduction and download link to each research reports from Ireland along with Greece, Serbia and the Netherlands. Read them all and explore how the programme and residencies were experienced and analysed within the different contexts.

Mother Tongues Festival

Dates: 16th-17th Feb

Mother Tongues Festival is the largest festival celebrating linguistic diversity through the arts in Ireland. Its mission is to showcase the country’s rich artistic and cultural tapestry, and connect people through the power of language. Most of the events are designed for families with children, this year there are two exciting events which explore the intersection of multilingualism and the arts.

Creativity and Multilingualism – Panel Discussion and Workshop

Mother Tongues Festival invites the public to join an engaging exploration of Creativity and Multilingualism at the County Library, Tallaght. The event, funded by Languages Connect and organised in collaboration with Trinity College’s School of Education, will feature a panel discussion and a workshop, and will be followed by a film screening.

The afternoons activities will commence with a presentation by Dr Francesca La Morgia, continue with the participatory workshop “Living Languages: Exploring mother tongues through body and voice”, led by Miriam Stewart and finish with a discussion panel among academics Jean-Rémi Lapaire, Claire Dunne and Iseult Ní Chonchúir.

This event is free, booking required and will include an ISL interpreter.
16th February, 1-4pm
Further details: https://mothertonguesfestival.com/programme-2024/creativity-and-multilingualism/

“Go Beyond Language” Workshop on Multilingual Performance

Mother Tongues Festival continues its exploration of multilingualism with the “Go Beyond Language” workshop focused on multilingual performance. The workshop will take place at Rua Red, Tallaght, from 10 am to 6 pm.

This professional development programme aims to enhance participants’ skills in drama-based methodologies that foster language development, inclusion, and well-being. Facilitated by Teatro Multilingue coaches Flavio Marigliani and Marta Iacopini, the interdisciplinary workshop is open to all socially engaged arts practitioners interested in working in multilingual contexts.

17th February, 10am – 6pm
Booking details: https://mothertonguesfestival.com/programme-2024/go-beyond-language/

The Ark

Date: 9th March 2024

This visual art workshop for teachers is inspired by the timeless story of the wooden puppet Pinocchio celebrating the 140th anniversary of the first publication.

Carlo Collodi’s Pinocchio is one of the world’s best-loved children’s books, translated into over 280 languages and dialects, and the subject of countless films and television series.

Although Pinocchio’s story has been adapted into many media the focus of The Ark’s visual art programme is on the illustrated book, from vintage copies to modern interpretations and by various artists and illustrators.

You will be introduced to and experiment with different illustrative styles and creative solutions including pop-up book-making, collage and block printing. The aim is to create your own version of the story and produce your own Pinocchio booklet.

Attending this CPD will support you if you wish to bring your class to a workshop as part of The Ark’s Pinocchio programme later in the year, but will also stand alone and provide you with lots of ideas you can use in your own classroom.

Suitable for all levels of experience including beginners.

To book a place on the workshop and learn more about The Ark’s upcoming visual art programme ‘The Adventures of Pinnochio’ please visit https://ark.ie/events/view/teachers-cpd-pinnochio

Children’s Books Ireland

Children’s Books Ireland are delighted to announce the 2024 Junior Juries’ scheme – part of the KPMG Children’s Books Ireland Awards – is now open for registration! Junior Juries is a unique programme for schools, libraries and book clubs, designed to encourage reading for pleasure and appreciation for a wide variety of books for all ages.

Participating classes make their own selection of suitable titles from the KPMG Children’s Books Ireland Awards shortlist, which will be announced on 7th February online and at Crescent Arts Centre, Belfast. Each group will be provided with a specially designed digital resource pack so participants can engage with the chosen books by taking part in quizzes, debates, discussions, research projects, creative writing, and visual art activities which will enhance their reading experience. At the end of this process, each group is asked to collectively score the books they have read.

Registration is completely free, all groups will receive:

A digital resource pack
Bookmarks
Poster

As part of the Junior Juries scheme registered groups can apply for the following free opportunities*:

An online or in-person author or illustrator visit to your school March – April 2024
A visit from a KPMG volunteer on 21 March 2024
Copies of the shortlisted books
A chance to be part of a short online video about the Junior Juries
Attending the in-person awards ceremony on 22 May 2024

‌*These opportunities are limited and based on need. Applications for books or author/illustrator/volunteer visits will be given to those groups who show most need.

‌‌Register online here:
2024 Junior Juries’ Registration Form

Further information about the awards and the Junior Juries scheme can be found here:
https://childrensbooksireland.ie/what-we-do/kpmg-childrens-books-ireland-awards/junior-juries-programme

‌Registration for the Junior Juries is ongoing. However, if you’d like to apply for an author visit or visit from a KPMG volunteer please ensure to register your class no later than 1 March 2024.

The Arts Council of Ireland

Dates: 1st-29th Feb

The Arts Council is inviting all schools across Ireland to get involved in their first ever Creative February, a celebration of art and creativity in schools with a focus on fun, festivities, imagination and innovation. This initiative will run from the 1st to the 29th of February.

Creative February will recognise and affirm that our schools are truly creative places, filled with very creative people. From primary to secondary to alternative settings, all children and young people will be encouraged to MAKE, SEE, DO.

Make any style of art you choose – paint, draw, dance, knit, design, sculpt, code;
See art – visit a museum or gallery, attend a theatre or spoken word performances, dance shows, music gigs, or see architecture and local art in your town or city!
Do a creative project – as a team, as a class or as a school.

To help inspire, guide and motivate everyone taking part, the Arts Council will host a series of online workshops in collaboration with Monaghan Education Centre and Wexford Education Support Centre. These workshops will be divided: half will be catering for school staff and teachers, with the remainder dedicated to students.

The underlying theme for Creative February is Spring. Creation from new growth, the seeds of inspiration, this theme hopes to encourage students and school communities to reflect on where creativity begins in our lives, in every class, in every school and how it can grow and flourish.

Ongoing updates and details of webinars will appear across the Arts Council’s social media platforms and Creative February website.

Run by the Creative Schools team within the Arts Council, Creative February is open to every school in the country, and all are warmly invited to take part. A welcome pack, with posters and details has been distributed to each school across the country.

National Museum of Ireland

Dates: various

The National Museum of Ireland is delighted to launch its latest programme of guided tours, workshops and resources for primary schools for the spring term. Available from January 2024, all activities are offered free of charge and encompass all four Museum sites in Dublin and Co. Mayo.

Each site focuses on a different part of the National Collections with a school programme to reflect the collection on display at each location offering a diverse range of activities to complement the primary curriculum.

Highlights from each location:

GUIDED TOUR: A Taste of the Past – The History of Food and Drink – Collins Barracks, Dublin 7 – 3rd-6th Class

This interactive tour will give students a flavour of the wealth of artifacts on display in the Museum. They show the continuity and change of food preparation over time.

GUIDED TOUR: The Vikings in Ireland – Kildare Street – 3rd-6th Class

The Vikings in Ireland guided tour explores the three main activities of the Vikings – raiding, trading and settling – using the Museum’s unique collection of artifacts.</p

WORKSHOP: Engineers Week: Make a Town – Turlough Park, Castlebar, Co. Mayo – 5th & 6th Class

In this virtual session construct buildings, make roads and paths, cut, colour and create each building and put them into your town layout! Participants may like to decorate with Matchbox cars or figurines and can work from their classroom to expand, make further buildings and perhaps even a whole city with Makermeet!

GUIDED TOUR: Get Stuffed! – Merrion Street, Dublin 2 – Junior Infants-2^nd Class

This session is new and specifically designed for junior primary audiences. Make some new friends as we visit the furry deer, feathery puffins, and scaly turtles on a guided tour led by a Museum Educator.

View the full schools programme for the National Museum of Ireland at:

The Arts Council of Ireland

The Arts Council has warmly welcomed the publication of a landmark report which shows the impact, reach and influence of the Creative Schools Programme. Creative Schools is led by the Arts Council in partnership with the Department of Education, the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media and Creative Ireland.

The report by Dr Regina Murphy and Dr Eemer Eivers (Dublin City University) presents an evaluation of the first four years (2018-2022) of the initiative and provides information on the experiences of children and young people, teachers, educators, arts practitioners and artists. To date 971 schools, nearly a quarter of all schools in the country [~24%], have participated in the programme.

Participants in schools and centres, including children, students, teachers, principals, Creative Schools Coordinators and their supporting Creative Associates have been overwhelmingly positive in their overall attitudes towards the programme and in their reports of experience. 99% of participating schools said they would recommend the programme to other schools.

Schools from every county in Ireland have participated in the programme and all school types including 27 Youthreach Centres, have been well represented. The Creative Schools programme has successfully prioritised participation by DEIS Schools, small rural schools, Special Schools, Irish Language medium schools and Youthreach centres in response to interim findings from this report.

In many instances, changes to how students perceive their place in the school as well as improvements to the physical face of the school (e.g. an art installation or a student co-designed garden), can be directly attributed to the programme. The report also highlights that the Creative Schools initiative has been successful in promoting and infusing creativity in schools and drawing attention to the increasing importance of creativity in education.

Creative Schools has opened up a very broad range of experiences for students and pupils and each participating school has had a unique journey. The wide variety of activities undertaken by schools during their engagement in Creative Schools have included circus, architecture, heritage, music, comedy, literature, coding, traditional arts, science, horticulture, film, design, craft, drama, visual arts and dance.

The researchers Dr. Murphy and Dr. Eivers conclude:

“The overall Creative Schools initiative has transformed a very broad range of Irish schools in the Irish educational landscape more than any other initiative heretofore in placing learners in every county at the heart of the process, valuing and validating their perspectives and experiences, collaborating meaningfully with them while shifting the focus of arts education in particular from child-centred to child-led participatory practice.”

Maureen Kennelly, Arts Council Director said of the report:

“…By placing young people at the heart of decision making, we have been able to support schools to fully embrace the creative possibilities within their community and their locality…”

Catherine Martin TD, Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media said:

“Creative Schools, a key programme under the Creative Youth Plan, has gone from strength to strength since 2018, particularly in its reach to schools and those under the DEIS programme, in alternative settings and special schools. This report highlights positive impacts that Creative Schools has had on students and their school communities…”

Minister for Education, Norma Foley TD added:

“I welcome DCU’s Creative Schools report which highlights the success of the programme in putting the arts and creativity at the centre of education. It has given students the opportunity to develop creative projects on their own school grounds, to take part in workshops and performances and to visit galleries, theatres, heritage sites, cinemas, museums, libraries and local arts centres…”

Two Sixth Year students from Mungret Community College, Limerick who participated in the Creative Schools programme also gave their views about their experience.

Aaroh Jain: “I think Creative Schools had a profound impact on me, because it was a chance to exercise autonomy in our school, a platform to see if we could bring our own ideas to life.”

Eve Adedirann: “Creative Schools is a great way to explore interests you may have thought you never had.”

The full report is available to read online from the DCU DORAS website: https://doras.dcu.ie/29450/

Fresh International Film Festival

Deadline extended: Friday, 1st February 2024

Fresh International Film Festival is accepting entries for Ireland’s Young Filmmaker of the Year 2024. Open to all young budding filmmakers and school groups, between 7 – 18 years of age, encouraging young people from Ireland and overseas to create, exhibit, and share films. Submissions are welcome across comedy, horror, drama, documentary, experimental, music video, animation.

The 28th annual Fresh International Film Festival will take place in April, showcasing hundreds of short films from Ireland’s future screen talent. A highlight of the festival is Ireland’s Young Filmmaker of the Year, an awards programme which acknowledges and celebrates the highest standards of youth filmmaking across three categories: Junior (7-12 years), Senior (13-18 years) and International (7-18 years). The awards include a prize fund, filmmaking equipment, mentoring sessions with creative professionals, and the opportunity for young people to have their work screened theatrically.

Dublin student Max Hendrickson (17) was named Ireland’s Young Filmmaker of the Year 2023 at the Fresh International Film Festival. His short animated film, The Tell-Tale Heart is a re-telling of Edgar Allan Poe’s famous short story and it scooped the top prize for the amazing young Director.

“I have been submitting to the Fresh International Film Festival since I was 12, and it has consistently provided the inspiration and motivation for me to keep making movies. It has been absolutely amazing to attend every year and meet other young filmmakers, and I urge all aspiring filmmakers to submit their work to Fresh”. – Max Hendrickson, Dublin; Ireland’s Young Filmmaker of the Year 2023.

Are you a school group who produced an original film work since January 2023? Closing date for entries is Friday, 1 February, 2024 and are welcomed in English (or English subtitles) and Irish.

A full set of criteria and submission forms are available at https://freshfilm.ie/fresh-international-film-festival-submissions/.

This article was edited to amend the deadline date which was extended from 19 Jan to 1 Feb

The beginning of the year often signals the start of the funding cycle for artists and arts organisations, we have collated a number of upcoming webinars and sessions along with a selection grants of interest for artists working in the arts and creativity in education sector as well as school/education leaders.

Funding Opportunities from The Arts Council

The Arts Council is the national agency for funding, developing and promoting the arts in Ireland. They recently released the current schedule for funding opportunities for 2024. The full listing can be found here: https://www.artscouncil.ie/funding-opportunities-schedule/

For interest to school/education leaders and artists in the arts and creativity in education practice are a selection of relevant funding streams:

Young People, Children, and Education Bursary Award – currently open, deadline 15th Feb (open to individual artists)

Writers in Schools Scheme – Ongoing (open to individual artists, administered by Poetry Ireland)

Creative Schools Initiative – opens 27th Feb, deadline 2nd May (open to Department of Education-recognised primary and post-primary schools and Youthreach centres)

Young People, Children and Education Residencies – opens 5th Mar, deadline 4th Apr (open to higher-education institutions that provide initial teacher education in partnership with an artist / arts organisation)

Arts in Early Learning and Childcare Scheme – opens 5th Mar, deadline 4th April (open to individual artists and arts organisations)

Agility Award – opens 5th Mar, deadline 25th Apr (open to individual artists and arts workers)

Young People, Children and Education Project Award – opens 25th Jun, deadline 25th Jul (open to individual artists)

Events

Visual Arts Ireland (VAI)

Date: Thursday 25th January 2024
VAI are hosting a webinar ‘An Artist’s Guide to Accessing Funding’ on Thursday 25th January at 11am via zoom with curator and critic Marianne O’Kane Boal. This event is supported by Clare, Limerick and Tipperary County Council Arts Offices.

The online session will consist of one 45 minute presentation that will take a closer look at all things ‘Funding and applications’ covering grants, bursaries, residencies, per cent for art commissions and project proposals. It is free to artists based in Counties Clare, Limerick and Tipperary and general admission is €10.

To register, visit the VAI website: https://visualartists.ie/professional-development-_/#!event/register/2024/1/25/webinar-an-artist-apos-s-guide-to-accessing-funding

The Arts Council

The Arts Council is also hosting a series of ‘Meet the Arts Council’ sessions in arts venues around the country in January/February.

These sessions are an opportunity to speak with Arts Council staff about funding opportunities and hear about what the Arts Council does.

Update: bookings have now closed for all events, but you are welcome to join the waiting list using the links below and the Arts Council will contact you if further places arise.

Schedule:

VISUAL Carlow – Friday 19 January, 11am – 3pm. Join waiting list.
Online event – Monday 22 January, 10am – 1pm. Join waiting list.
Triskel Arts Centre, Cork – Thursday 25 January, 12pm – 4pm. Join waiting list.
The Model, Sligo – Tuesday 30 January, 12pm – 4pm. Join waiting list.
The Complex, Dublin – Friday 2 February, 11am – 3:30pm. Join waiting list.

It’s all in the planning.

We are all starting to wind down for Christmas so it’s a good time to start thinking about any future TAP+ or Blast projects that may be on the horizon in the New Year. Maybe reach out to any partners that you may be working with in January or February, have a coffee or arrange a Zoom meeting for an initial meet and greet. It’ll just be great to have touched base before signing off this term.

How do you do your actual planning? Do you record on an app? Do you take notes old school in a diary? I do a combo of both. I use the Goodnotes app on my iPad and a bullet journal. For the bullet journal, I like to use a Leuchtturm 1917 notebook. I divide every double spread into a week and keep a double spread spare for listing monthly activities. I love how it’s flexible, I can draw or use pages at the back for longer notes. For detailed notes, I use my Goodnotes app. I highly recommend it if you have an iPad. You can hand write notes or type, record audio from lectures and you can insert images. When I’m working in a school, I would take photos then insert them into the notes to remind me of what happened that day. I use the 2 systems to keep me on track.

Maybe ask Santy for some new notebooks? Or an iPad if he’s very generous!

I recently worked in a secondary school, Colaiste Mhuire in Ballymote on a BLAST Residency. Both Oona McGrath and I spent a lot of time planning to maximise my time with the students and it really paid off. We decided to do a two day intensive session with the students. We had a coffee in August and then had a studio visit. Oona discussed what she wanted to get out of the residency, she really thought about what her students needed so that was brilliant. Once we figured out what we were going to do, we were able to make a detailed materials list. I recorded this in my bullet journal and then screen shot it into my Goodnotes app to have a permanent record of it. Everything from what print paper to how we were going to protect the tables in the art room. It was very specific and it really worked. We checked in with each other coming closer to November and then it was smooth sailing when I turned up into the class as everything was perfect. I had visited the room beforehand and we had planned how the room needed to be rearranged before we started. It just made everything so much easier to work on the day, everything was in place and the focus was on the students as it should be.

Have a peaceful, restful time on your break and a Happy New Year.

An Cumann Scoildrámaíochta

Dates: February – March 2024

An Cumann Scoildrámaíochta, which is under the patronage of the Department of Gaeltacht and Rural Affairs, organises schools drama festivals on a countrywide basis to promote Irish medium drama in schools at both primary and post-primary level.

The festivals are organised on a local, provincial and national basis. These festivals give young people from every part of the country the opportunity to be directly involved in all aspects of drama production. As well as being a hugely enjoyable experience, participation also helps to build self-confidence, self-esteem and an overall fluency in the Irish language. Part of the fun is the competition element with the standard rising year after year.

The programme begins with the local festivals which are usually held in February and early March each year, provincial festivals follow in March and the national festival is held in April.

There are separate competitions and divisions based on school level, the size of school, age groups, operas/musicals and for primary schools that are not Irish-medium or Gaeltacht schools.

A repository of scripts translated into Irish are available in pdf format to download from An Cumann Scoildrámaíochta website.

If you are a drama producer involved with primary or post-primary students or if you are a teacher who would like to try producing a play for the first time ever, this is your chance to take part.

Further information is available on An Cumann Scoildrámaíochta website, please see the relevant sections:
Local festivals dates & venues: https://www.scoildramaiocht.ie/feilte-aitiula-2024/
Competition categories: https://www.scoildramaiocht.ie/na-comortais/

If you are interested in taking part, contact the representative listed for the festival nearest you or send an e-mail to eolas@scoildramaiocht.ie.

The Arts Council recently announced that offers have been made to 141 schools and centres across Ireland who applied to be part of the Creative Schools initiative.

The Creative Schools initiative gives opportunities for children and young people to build their artistic and creative skills. Each of the 141 schools taking part will receive a grant and work with a professional Creative Associate who will support them to develop and implement their own bespoke Creative School Plan over a two-year period.

The 141 new Creative Schools comprise 97 primary schools, 25 post-primary schools, 4 special schools and 10 Youthreach centres. Joining the programme this year are five schools in Alternative Settings who cater for young people with severe emotional and behavioural challenges. St Paul’s YEP, Dublin; St Laurence O’Toole’s Special School, Dublin; Henrietta Street School, Dublin; St Kevin’s School, Cork; and St Augustine’s Special School, Limerick will join the programme and receive enhanced supports.

Catherine Martin TD, Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media said:

“I am thrilled to see the continued success of the Creative Schools initiative and warmly welcome the 141 new schools and centres. Since 2018, Creative Schools has been a testament to the pivotal role creativity plays for children and young people across Ireland; in their education and for their school communities. I hope that the Creative School initiative continues to flourish and empower our young people as these new schools and centres embark on the programme.”

Norma Foley TD, Minister for Education said:

“I am pleased to see that 141 new schools and centres are now joining the Creative Schools Programme. Creative Schools puts the arts and creativity at the heart of children’s and young people’s lives. Over 970 schools and Youthreach centres have been invited to participate since it was set up in 2018. We are increasingly embedding the arts into the education system, which includes the development of a new subject – Drama, Film and Theatre Studies – which will commence in schools in 2025.”

Maureen Kennelly, Director of the Arts Council, said:

“We extend a warm welcome to the 141 new schools joining Creative Schools. The demand nationwide is a testament to the programme’s impact, and we’re excited even more schools in Ireland are now part of this creative journey. Collaborating with our partners in the Department of Education, the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport, and Media, as well as Creative Ireland, we anticipate another school year filled with creativity, consultation, and exploration.”

Participation empowers children and young people to develop, implement and evaluate arts and creative activity throughout their schools and centres. Creativity stimulates additional ways of working and has a positive impact on children and young people’s learning, development and well-being.

National Council for Special Education

Deadline: Friday 12th January 2024, 5pm

The European Federation of Associations of Teachers of the Deaf (FEAPDA), National Council for Special Education (NCSE) and British Association of Teachers of Deaf Children and Young People (BATOD), with support from BATOD Northern Ireland, invite all interested parties (teachers, professionals, lecturers, researchers, developers and manufacturers of technical devices, service providers, service users, policy makers, students etc) to present their work at the 27th FEAPDA Congress.

Deaf children and young people form a diverse group with varying experiences of hearing loss but who are also affected by other aspects of their lives. Additional medical and/or educational needs, cultural and social backgrounds and every individual’s own life experience will influence their experience of deafness.

This year’s congress will explore the diversity of deaf learners in their many lives: implications for our knowledge and practice.

Papers and presentations may consider issues such as:

Meeting the needs of children who are deaf with additional needs;
Meeting the needs of children whose deafness is not their primary need;
The experience of deaf children from minority communities;
How deaf individuals experience and define their own identities

Abstracts for paper presentations (30 min), workshops/interactive presentations (60 min) and poster presentations are welcomed.

The 27th Federation of Associations of Teachers of the Deaf (FEAPDA) Congress is in partnership with British Association of Teachers of Deaf Children and Young People (BATOD), with support from BATOD Northern Ireland, and National Council for Special Education (NCSE). It will take place from 26th to 27 April 2024 in The Grand Hotel, Malahide, Co. Dublin, Ireland

For further information on the submission process and criteria for selection please visit: https://ncse.ie/batod-feapda-ncse-joint-conference-2024

Emma O’Kane Bursary

Deadline: 8 January 2024, 12noon

To learn more about the opportunity and the application process, please visit: https://www.emmaokanebursary.ie/applynow.

Léargas

Date: 18th January

Do you have ideas for an Erasmus+ project, but not sure where to start? Wondering how to promote inclusion in your Erasmus+ project?

Don’t miss this information session on 18th January for those working in primary and post-primary schools in Ireland and who are interested in learning about funding opportunities under Erasmus+. The event will be led by Inclusion and Impact Officer, Vasiliki Psarra, and will be a good opportunity to connect with other schools, share experiences and challenges and learn about additional supports.

This session will focus on the range of opportunities for pupils and staff in school education and the inclusions supports available. This session will cover pupil mobility, staff mobility, and how to apply. There will be time to answer any questions you may have.

This free in person session will take place at Radisson Blu Hotel, Athlone. Registration can be made via Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/support-inclusion-for-erasmus-opportunities-for-schools-tickets-765578966297

Waltons New School of Music and RTÉ lyric fm

Deadline: Friday, 23 February 2024, 5pm

After four long years without it, Waltons New School of Music and RTÉ lyric fm have announced the launch of the 2024 Waltons RTÉ lyric fm Music for Schools Competition!

Founded in 2012, the Music for Schools Competition is a non-profit national event celebrating and supporting music in Irish schools.

The Competition is open to all primary and post-primary schools in the Republic of Ireland, and hundreds of schools from all 26 counties have participated in previous years. Music groups of up to 40 members formed by schools will work together to produce a piece or song in response to this year’s Competition theme, Music Moves.

Groups can be made up of any combination of instrumentalists and singers that schools choose, and all music genres are welcome. (Past entries have included classical, Irish traditional, jazz, pop, rock, rap and folk). Schools are also encouraged to promote diversity and inclusiveness in their groups.

Twelve Finalist groups (six primary and six post-primary) will be selected to perform before their peers and a distinguished panel of adjudicators in the National Concert Hall on 8 April 2024. And at the end of the concert, the adjudicators will announce this year’s six winning groups (three primary and three post-primary), which will win awards totalling €7,000 worth of vouchers for musical instruments and equipment from Waltons Music to expand and enhance their schools’ music programmes. The entire concert will be streamed live by RTÉ lyric fm and can be watched from anywhere in Ireland or around the world.

The Music for Schools Competition offers schools the opportunity to think and work creatively with any combination of students, developing a creative and original musical project that has learning potential at every stage of the process.

Important Dates

Friday, 23 February 2024, 5 pm • Entry Deadline
Friday, 1 March • Announcement of Finalists on RTÉ lyric fm
Monday, 8 April • Finalists Concert, National Concert Hall

For more information and entry forms. go to www.newschool.ie/musicforschools.

European Education and Culture Executive Agency

The diversity of the educational landscape is increasing; however, learners from disadvantaged backgrounds and those who experience discrimination or unequal treatment disproportionately underachieve in schools. Equality, equity and inclusion are fundamental principles of the European Union. They have also become key topics of the educational science discourse and a policy priority across Europe.

Promoting diversity and inclusion in schools in Europe report investigates existing national/top-level policies and measures that promote diversity and inclusion in school education in 39 European education systems including Ireland.

It focuses especially on learners who are most likely to experience disadvantage and/or discrimination in schools, including students from different migrant, ethnic and religious backgrounds, LGBTIQ+ students, girls/boys and students with special educational needs or disabilities. The report highlights existing targeted policy initiatives promoting the learners’ access to quality, inclusive, mainstream education.

It provides a comparative overview of policies and measures across 39 European education systems and presents many country examples, which showcase some of the most recent initiatives taken across Europe.

To view and download a copy of the full report, please visit the report page on the Eurydice website

Eurydice is a network whose task is to explain how education systems are organised in Europe and how they work. They publish descriptions of national education systems, comparative studies devoted to specific topics, indicators and statistics in the field of education.

The European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) manages funding for education, culture, audiovisual, sport, citizenship and volunteering.

In Ireland, Léargas manage international and national exchange programmes in education, youth and community work, and vocational education and training. To find out more about iniatives and programme offered through Léargas, visit their School Education page here for more information: https://www.leargas.ie/explore-school-education-opportunities/

The Arts in Education Portal

“Do you know what I like about art..?
Is – it’s messy
You can do some things and it doesn’t turn out the way you think
It turns out better than you thought it would be”

– a participant on the Follow Your Nose project, presented by artist Julie Forrester

On November 11th the eighth annual National Arts in Education Portal Day took place at at Mary Immaculate College, Limerick in partnership with the Department of Arts Education & Physical Education. The national portal day has grown in significance as one of the key events in the arts and education calendar in Ireland, and this year through a very a inspiring set of presentations and workshops addressed the special focus of ‘Seldom Heard Voices’ reflecting diversity and inclusion across school communities..

With over 70 artists, teachers and arts in education professionals in attendance, this year’s conference was jointly opened by Helen O’Donoghue from the Arts in Education Portal Editorial Committee and Dr Gwen Moore of Mary Immaculate College. The day unfolded from there featuring a mix of lectures and workshops throughout the day providing insights into the breadth of practice across the sector. The keynote address was delivered by Dr Jill Goodwin, in a highly engaging talk entitled “Can you hear me? Creating space for listening – an artistic enquiry” delegates gained inspirational insights from Dr Goodwin’s practice working with children labelled as having profound and multiple learning disabilities, demystified many aspects of working in this space.

A set of resources that were referred to her in her presentation can be found at the end of this article.

The beautiful surrounds of Mary Immaculate College provided the space for a day filled with conversation, networking and connections. Thanks to all involved in making the day a huge success!

To view Dr Jill Goodwin’s resource set from the Portal Day click below:
References – ‘Can you hear me? Creating Space to Listen: An artistic enquiry’

Department of Education

Minister for Education Norma Foley recently announced the latest updates to BLAST (Bringing Live Art to Students and Teachers) and Creative Clusters as part of the Creative Youth Plan 2023 – 2027. 425 schools have been selected to take part in the BLAST 2023 initiative and 40 new Creative Clusters were created.

The aim of the BLAST scheme is to give students in schools all over the country the opportunity to work with a professional artist on unique projects to be planned and developed between the artist, the teacher and the school under the co-ordination of the Education Support Centres Ireland ESCI network of 21 full-time education centres.

Announcing the creation of 425 new BLAST Arts in Education Residencies, Minister Foley said:

“The initiative will provide additional opportunities for schools to collaborate with established artists and creatives, supporting our children and young people to collaborate and engage in creative and critical thinking – all crucial skills for their futures… Each residency is worth €1,100 which is fully funded by the Department of Education and the local Education Centre will pay the Artist for a 20-hour residency which will be delivered throughout the academic year, commencing from September 2023. I look forward to seeing how these exciting artist in residency opportunities in schools develop over the coming year.”

With the creation of 40 new Creative Clusters, Minister Foley said:

“Now more than ever, it is important that our students are supported to develop their creativity and given flexibility to express themselves in a variety of exciting new ways. Today I am proud to announce the 140 schools that are coming together to form 40 new Creative Clusters. I look forward to seeing how these exciting projects develop over the coming two years. This year has once again seen a very significant level of interest from schools applying to participate in the 2023 Creative Clusters initiative across the country.

Each Creative Cluster will receive grant funding of €3,000 per school over a two-year period to implement their project in the 2023–2025 school years (e.g. a cluster of 3 schools would receive €9,000 over two years while a cluster of 5 schools would receive €15,000 over two years). Clusters will receive 50% of the total grant funding in Year 1, with the second 50% being provided in Year 2. In addition, but separate to the grant funding, all successful clusters are further supported with: A fully paid Creative Cluster Facilitator; paid Teacher Substitution to attend training and meetings; room hire, travel & subsistence.

To read the full statement from the Department of Education, visit: https://www.gov.ie/en/press-release/27bc3-minister-foley-announces-425-new-blast-arts-in-education-residencies-in-schools-and-40-new-creative-clusters-commenced

Teacher as Observer

Our artists, Mitch Conlon and James Moran, lead with a loose, conversational archiving style, asking students to explore their local hang-out spots, local stories or folklore. They listened for nuggets of information as students described where young people hang out locally: the Cliffs in Lahinch… the Sulphur baths in Lisdoonvarna, the Lake in Inagh, or some more virtual meeting spaces. The artists focused on places where students could hang out and be alone with their friends, to just be.

My favourite quote in the early weeks of the project was when I asked students for real feedback on the process so far: they answered with a slightly bewildered ‘I don’t think they even know what the project is about!’ It summed it up. The gap between the prescriptive, fact-based academic tradition, the ‘just tell me what to learn’, ‘answer-in-the-back-of-the-book’ learning model that is the points based Leaving Cert, and what Keystone proposed: a nebulous, prompting, listening, chatting, exchanging of stories, a watching for crossovers, for sparks of connection to form. A waiting with slight discomfort and frustration for the ideas to take shape. The creative process in action. This collaborative, democratic outcome is not a mode of working that sits easily within the exam system. Discomfort. Impatience. Underwhelm? It took a while… A low-level dread of maybe being made to ‘do drama and be on film’ pervaded until students realised that they needn’t be in front of the camera at all. That there were roles they could elect to play in the process. A gently guided ‘it’s ok to feel slight discomfort’ approach!

The artists showed footage of the 1980’s underground punk scene in Belfast. An anarchic idea for these digital natives: a place where you could go and be anonymous and express yourself with abandon.

It saddened me that the students haven’t known a world before the omnipresent smart phone, listening, snapping, recording their every move. Before Google Maps, eircodes, data analytical tracking, the rise of AI and Chat GPT. (I thank God regularly for the 90’s!!)

How do you hang out, away from surveillance. How do you disconnect and connect to each other, or to nature? The irony of making a documentary art piece about this was not lost on us.

For me, one student’s phone footage of their pristine white runners carefully negotiating a puddle summed up the duality poignantly.

Our art class has a wonderful diversity of cultures with Irish, Spanish, Italian, Polish and Ukrainian students. Google Translate was a welcome support for the visiting artists! When students began sharing and comparing their respective Christmas and New Year’s traditions and customs it sparked a particularly joyous exchange. Similarities were noted. Things began to click.

Momentum gathered via shared words, snippets of sound recordings, video, photos of clifftop sunsets, waves, the roar of a match crowd, the crunch of pebbles. Abandoned spaces..

Students had a blast with Mitch and James playing sound wars!

The next task: how to communicate isolation, togetherness, a mood, a feeling, an idea? ‘Film studies’ became real. Figuring out their individual role in all this. Listening. Making decisions. Voicing their opinions. Respectful communication. Shared outcomes. Compromise.

Life lessons. Soft skills. Play. Discomfort. Purpose. Trusting the process, and surprise at and -hopefully- pride in their finished product.

Collaborating in Sound Design

For my blog I have decided to discuss in detail one of my favourite days during the Keystone project. This was the sound designing session with Liam McCartan.

This was the explore and experiment stage of the project. Earlier in the week we were asked to record short clips of sounds that remind us of our themes of isolation, identity, privacy etc. These recordings were then sent to Liam, a sound producer. He arranged the audio clips in a wonderful piece of audio art.

We met with Liam digitally, through a zoom call. He introduced himself and let us listen to some of his previous pieces such as “Blue Morning”, and “Hold your Breath”. This gave us an insight into what the final piece could be like. We then listened to our piece, and Liam began combining it with other musical elements. He played around with different audio files, interchanging them, and adding audio effects. He also added different instruments such as guitar or keyboard to create harmonies out of the recorded clips. By doing all this he managed to enhance our recordings, making them sound more interesting. It brought out more emotion and so the themes became more obvious.

He explained the process very clearly. What I also really liked was at each stage he created a few options and allowed us to make decisions and vote on what we felt worked best. One of these decisions was to slow down a particular part. We felt this created a bigger and more dramatic atmosphere, or to layer a number of selected sounds to increase the intensity.

The piece was taking on a narrative. I could really hear the isolation feeling in some parts such as when the loud building of bird songs, the keyboard and other clips came to a climax, then everything stops and all we hear is the single beeping of the coffee machine. In other areas we agreed that the addition of the musical cords tied the sounds together, and gave it a familiar cinematic quality. A warm, joyful atmosphere was created which also reminded the group of times in our place – in our spot.

Overall the Keystone project was something I really enjoyed as I gained experiences in areas of art that I have never been involved in before. I gained a much broader insight into contemporary art and the different media that can be used. It took us away from the traditional idea of what art is and made us think a lot more about how to develop ideas.

A wide shot of the interior of an art classroom with students sitting in groups at their tables listening to guest artists addressing them.

The students of Coláiste Muire with teacher Aidan Power (left) during one of their engagement sessions with artist Mitch Conlon (centre-right) and James Moran (right), also pictured curator Fiona Gannon (centre-left). 2023 Arts in Education Portal Documentation Award, Keystone Project, Coláiste Muire, Ennis. Image Courtesy of Edel Doherty.

The Portal Team are delighted to announce we have been documenting a third project as part of the Portal Documentation Awards: ‘Up, Up, Up’. This award was originally made in 2020 for an early years project at the Central Remedial Clinic School, Clontarf. We are very excited to be working with each recipient in the coming months to document their projects. These projects will be showcased on the portal as the documentation progresses.

Project Title: Up, Up, Up

’Up, Up, Up’ is an immersive experience for early years children with a physical disability and complex needs and is supported by the Exploring & Thinking Award, an initiative of the four Local Dublin Authorities and the Arts Council of Ireland. The project aims to provide early years children living with limited mobility and additional needs the opportunity to grab, stretch and reach into the forbidden cookie jar! Reaching, moving, creating sounds, mischief making and making marks are the tools we shall use together as we explore the dexterity of the body and creative mind whilst expanding the child’s physical literacy.

Every child has something to say and every child has their own way of saying it. Communication is through movement, mark making, sound generation, verbalising and vocalisations, the children initiate and together we extend their curiosity. They choose, in their own time, their learning. We choose, as a team, to value their choice and bounce it back and forth with them. Our interactions are careful and balanced. Our project needed to be multisensory, to appeal to all the needs of the children in the class. The project evolved because we wanted the children to be more actively involved in their learning. We wanted time to allow for this concentrated involvement, building on their existing interests and giving them the freedom to just be.

Over several weeks artist Helen Barry and Early Years Educator Audrey Fagan along with the team at the CRCS will create a developmental interactive experience for these early years children to engage together with their friends. The floor will be the canvas, it is what will support us, to lie, sit, roll or push against. Each element will be designed to support and enable a more equal engagement.

Artist: Helen Barry
Helen Barry is a visual artist, inventor and classically trained dancer. She has over 35 years experience working creatively and playfully with the very young to the very old. This collaborative process is what drives her work, from the initial concept through to the design, making and sharing of the creative output with her co-creators and new audiences. Since 2010 Helen has specialised in co-creating with early years and children living with mild, moderate, profound and neurodiverse needs. The synergy created by using a cross-disciplinary approach provides a sensorium palette from which Helen draws from. Everything exists on the horizon; a perpetual visual and aural palatte of sensations, frequencies and movements through which we interpretate the world around us. Helen’s ambition is to design arts experiences that allow us to explore and discover our bodies’ receptors that will stimulate growth, wellbeing and an ability to focus and thrive. Helen has been awarded several bursaries and commissions for her work with early years children. The National Concert Hall continues to support her foray into music and sculpture.

A sample of Helen’s work ‘Sculptunes’ can be found here: https://vimeo.com/368841151/4f10695b16

Early Years Educator: Audrey Fagan
Audrey Fagan is a primary school teacher who has been working in special education for over 25 years. Audrey works in the Central Remedial Clinic School, Clontarf, a school for children with physical disabilities and additional complex needs. Fourteen years ago, Audrey moved into the Preschool of the CRC, delivering a two-year cycle of early education embracing the Aistear framework, and incorporating elements of the Froebel, Reggio Emilia and Te Wháriki approaches. A kaleidoscope curriculum is in place to respond to the diverse needs and interests of the children. Audrey believes in creating a learning environment that allows all the children to be involved and included – inquiring, discovering and experiencing holistically at their level of ability. Audrey completed a self-study action research M. Ed from Maynooth University in 2021 exploring a slow pedagogy in the preschool. As part of her role as Assistant Principal, she is currently responsible for the development of multisensory experiences and a wellbeing policy in the CRC School. Working in special education, Audrey has reached out and developed important collaborative relationships with therapists, parents and artists from many disciplines – music, art and drama to consolidate and inform her love of the arts and to bring this learning to the children in preschool.

Earlier this month, teachers, artists and arts in education professionals gathered together in the beautiful surrounds of the MTU Crawford College of Art and Design across two of their city-centre sites – Sharman Crawford Street and No. 46 Grand Parade. For delegates this was an opportunity to share experience, gather new ideas and network with colleagues. This event, the seventh of our annual Portal Regional Days, showcased arts in education and creative practice in the South-West. Delegates travelled from Counties Cork, Kerry, Limerick, Clare, Waterford and even Dublin to hear presentations from Jane Hayes and Fiona Linnane, participate in a workshop led by Julie O’Hea and visit the partnership Arts in Education exhibition at Sample Studios.

The morning of sharing practice began with socially-engaged visual artist Jane Hayes delving into key moments from her artistic practice which focuses on work for and with Early Years. In her presentation, ‘The Voice of the Child in Creative Decision Making – the Early Years Context’ Jane spoke of career shaping experiences including residencies with Baboro International Arts Festival for Children in Galway, a project with Scoil Chroí Íosa and becoming a Creative Associate which opened up opportunities for conversation and formalised the voice of the child into her practice. Jane elaborated that her projects evolve as choices and connections are made by the children, encouraging them to think and explore materials independently from carefully considered provocations introduced influenced by Jane in the Reggio Emilio style.

The key thing is … to give adequate time and space for those ideas to evolve to allow the project to evolve … to allow the child to become the chief investigator in everything and the classroom almost becomes an artist’s studio for them.” – Jane Hayes

The morning continued with an interactive session from composer Fiona Linnane. Her presentation, ‘Tutti – Exploring pathways to inclusivity for music composition in the classroom’ focused on her experiences in classrooms delivering projects through initiatives such as TAP, Creative Schools and Artist in Schools residencies. She spoke of the challenge and importance of engaging all children regardless of their musical ability through an approach of “experimentation not expectation”. Calling on audience participation, Fiona demonstrated a number of practical exercises and shared her approaches in how to equip children with the skills to experiment.

“For me, it’s about empowering the children just to have that avenue of self-expression in music where even if they’re not the piano prodigy, that they can still express themselves through music and through sound.” – Fiona Linnane

In the afternoon, attendees moved to Number 45 Grand Parade to take part in a practical creative workshop with visual artist Julie O’Hea. In a fun and messy workshop, Julie along with assistant Amaia Ibarbia led a very hands-on creative session on the processes behind ink-making from natural ingredients and hapazome printing, providing participants with many creative ideas to bring back to the classroom.

Creative Workshop: ‘Pigments from Nature’ with artist Julie O’Hea

The day came to a close with a reception in the Lord Mayor’s Pavilion with a viewing of the Partnership exhibition with Sample Studios. On display were works from Jane Hayes, Fiona Linnane and Julie O’Hea showcasing their arts in education practices. The exhibition continues until Saturday 27th May.

Partnership exhibition with Sample Studios at the Lord Mayor’s Pavilion

Thank you to everyone who joined us on the day. For those who missed the mornings discussions, video recordings will be available to watch back online. Registration for viewing is available through the link here.

Teacher-Artist Partnership+ (TAP+) CPD

Call Out for Artists and Creative Practitioners

Application Deadline: Friday 23rd June 5pm

Teacher Artist Partnership + (TAP+) together with the Association of Local Authority Arts Officers are pleased to launch a Call Out for Artists/ Creative Practitioners to participate in the 2023 Face-to-Face TAP+ Programme.

TAP+ CPD Summer Course & Residency programme is open to Artists / Creative Practitioners (in all art forms / creative practices) who are committed to sharing creativity with children and teachers in primary and special schools.

To apply for TAP+ Summer Course and Residency please send expressions of interest to the Director of your local Education Support Centre (ESC): https://www.esci.ie/

Call Out for Teachers

Application Deadline: 26th June 2023

The Teacher Artist Partnership+ (TAP+) Summer Course explores partnership through arts and creativity in education in primary and special schools.

TAP+ trained teachers can apply to host a fully funded TAP+ artist/creative practitioner Residency in their school in 2023/2024.

TAP+ is a unique summer course that offers teachers the opportunity to explore professional learning through a partnership between teachers, artists, creative practitioners, and children. TAP+ aims to support creativity throughout the curriculum and focusing on wellbeing, literacy, and creative arts for all schools including DEIS.

This is a Free Course. Book your course through your Local Education Centre or use the following link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2DYR7ZK

Download PDF for the courses here: 2023 Nationwide Call Out for Artists Creative Practitioners Flyer. and National Teacher TAP+ Call Out 2023 Flyer

View TAP+ Video here: https://vimeo.com/825074868

The Portal Team are delighted to announce the second of the two recipients of the 2023 Arts in Education Portal Documentation Award. We are very excited to be working with each recipient in the coming months to document their projects. These projects will be showcased on the portal as the documentation progresses.

SCEALTA

The BA in Early Childhood Education and Care programme at Atlantic Technological University ( ATU) Galway and Mayo campuses were delighted to be awarded an Artist in Residence funded by the Arts Council, to work with the students undertaking the BA in Early Childhood Education and Care programme.

The Arts project SCEALTA (Stories, Curiosity, Engagement, Active learning, Language, Theatre, Aistear) was devised as an extension of the Artist in Residence project. This project is based in Tuam Community Childcare Centre which is owned and managed by Western Traveller and Intercultural Development (WTID) group. The provocation for this project is the Community preschool School Bus. The preschool children in Tuam community preschool are collected each morning and return to their homes, families, and extended families after the preschool session on the school bus.

The second preschool which is part of this project Whiz Kids, is a private preschool. Going on a bus journey is a treat or an adventure for these children, usually associated with an outing. As part of the arts project, the children from Whiz Kids preschool travel on the bus to the Tuam Community Childcare Centre, where all of the children come together to actively participate in the project. The children’s social and cultural context is celebrated through this creative experience of stories, puppetry and theatre using the school bus to take children on real and imaginary journeys, sharing stories, songs, engaging in experiential learning through media, art, clay.

Early Years Educator: Louise O’Shaughnessy
Louise O’Shaughnessy is the Manager at Tuam Community Childcare Centre, For Western Traveller Intercultural Development Group. Louise is also in year three of the BA in Early Childhood Education and Care at Atlantic Technological University Galway. Louise believes in the importance and value of supporting young children’s identity and belonging in the early years setting in partnership with parents and families.

Early Years Educator: Sandra Mills
Sandra Mills is an Early Childhood Educator at Tuam Community Childcare Centre. Sandra is currently pursuing a Degree in Early Childhood Education and Care in Atlantic Technological University Galway. She has worked in the early years sector for over 12 years and is deeply committed in encouraging children to become self-directed learners and establishing a warm safe and welcoming early years environment.

Early Years Educator: Paula O’Reilly
Paula O’Reilly is an Early Years Educator at Wiz Kidz preschool and afterschool service Tuam. Paula is in year three of the BA Early Childhood Education and Care at Atlantic Technological University Galway. She is passionate about play and recognises children’s right to play and playful early learning experiences which supports their curiosity, imagination and creativity.

Artist: Cliodhna Noonan
Cliodhna Noonan is The Arts Council ATU Artist in Residence. Cliodhna is an early years arts creator, producer and programmer for creative arts events with children and families aged 0-6 years. Cliodhna writes, develops and performs her own work for young children age 0-6 years, she is a member of Smallsize EU network association and an active member of TYAI.

Arts in Education Portal

Date: Saturday, 6th May 2023

The Portal Team is delighted to announce the full programme for the Arts in Education Portal Spring Regional Day which takes place on Saturday 6th May in Cork City at MTU Crawford College of Art & Design in partnership with the Department of Arts in Health & Education and Department of Fine Art & Applied Art. We are also delighted to present, in collaboration with Sample-Studios in Cork, an exhibition of work from artists in the field of arts in education based in the South-West region. An exhibition viewing will be held at the Lord Mayor’s Pavilion to wrap up the day’s programme from 3:30pm; delegates are welcome to attend then or to visit the exhibition which will run until 27th May.

We invite teachers, artists, arts managers and anyone with an interest in arts in education in Cork, Kerry, Limerick and Tipperary to join us for these free events.

The programme for the day includes a series of presentations in the morning; artist Jane Hayes will discuss the challenges and opportunities that go with balancing a studio practice with collaborative arts projects, and her mission to make both child-centred. Following this discussion, composer Fiona Linnane will explore the activities which she has found to be the most effective in engaging students during her residencies through presentation, discussion and creative exercises.

In the afternoon join West Cork based visual artist artist Julie O’Hea for a creative workshop in ink making and hapa-zome pigment printing, this session promises to be messy, fun and informative.

How to Book

Tickets for the 2023 Portal Spring Regional Day are free but pre booking is essential as capacity is limited.

Book your place at https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/arts-in-education-portal-regional-day-south-west-tickets-600696769207

Online Viewing:

For those who can’t join us in person on the day, the morning talks and presentations will be available to watch back online following the conference. Registration for viewing is available through the link here: https://forms.gle/MF4NLWcRWq8t15nk8.

Please note: ISL Interpretation will be available at the venue and on the video recordings.

Schedule

10:00am — Registration & coffee at MTU CCAD, Sharman Crawford Street

10.15am — Welcome Address

10:30am — The Portal: a brief introduction by Edel Doherty, Kids’ Own Publishing Partnership (Portal Content Managers)

10:45am — Presentation ‘The Voice of the Child in Creative Decision-Making – The Early Years Context’ with Jane Hayes. Join early years artist Jane Hayes for an informal discussion about her socially engaged visual arts practice and her work with and for very young children.

11:30am — Presentation ‘Tutti – Exploring pathways to inclusivity for music composition in the classroom’ with Fiona Linnane. Composer Fiona Linnane will share her learnings, as an artist delivering schools residencies exploring music and sound, around what she has found to be the most inclusive approaches to music composition in the classroom.

12:15pm — Lunch & networking

1:15pm — Walk to MTU CCAD, Grand Parade

1:30pm – 3:00pm — Creative Workshop ‘Pigments from Nature’ with artist Julie O’Hea at MTU CCAD, Grand Parade. Visual artist Julie O’Hea will give a demonstration in ink making and hapa-zome pigment printing in a messy, fun and informative creative session.

– – – – – – – – –

3:30pm — Exhibition viewing and reception at Lord Mayor’s Pavilion

5:00pm — wrap up

Collaborative Arts in Education exhibition with Sample-Studios at the Lord Mayor’s Pavilion

27th April – 27th May

Exhibition opening hours:

Tuesday – Saturday, 11am – 4pm

For further information on the Regional Day email events@artsineducation.ie.

The Portal Team are delighted to announce the first of the two recipients of the 2023 Arts in Education Portal Documentation Award. We are very excited to be working with each recipient in the coming months to document their projects. These projects will be showcased on the portal as the documentation progresses.

Project Title: ‘Keystone’

Keystone has been commissioned by Clare County Council to celebrate and mark 20 years of artist in schools programming by Clare Arts Office. The curatorial framework Art School directed and curated by Jennie Guy has been invited to deliver the project by artists Mitch Conlon and James Moran, with co-curator Fiona Gannon. The project has been taking place over the course of 2022 and 2023 in Coláiste Mhuire (Ennis) and Scoil Mhuire (Ennistymon) in Co. Clare, providing an opportunity for fifth year students to work with the artists to explore the significance of myth within local youth cultures.

The artists will work with the students to explore questions including: What are sites of mythological importance for teenagers in these two towns? Are these the same as those deemed important by the wider communities? And how do teenagers relate to the collective unconscious of their wider local communities?

Teacher: Mary Fahy
Mary Fahy is a visual artist from Galway and art teacher in Scoil Mhuire, Ennistymon since 2003. Commenting on the project she said: “Our 5th year art class are thrilled to be participating in this collaborative, socially engaged Artists in Schools project. It is an incredible opportunity for students to co-create art with professional artists in a supportive environment that centres their opinions and artistic voice.”

Teacher: Aidan Power
Aidan Power is an Art Teacher with Colaiste Muire, Ennis. On being part of the project he added: “We have a strong artistic tradition in music, performance and visual art which helps our students to nuture a sense of self while striving for academic success. Our 5th year art class will be taking part in this collaborative project which will develop their artistic skills in a new and exciting direction. The learned knowledge will go on to support future projects throughout their senior cycle art course.”

Artist: Mitch Conlon
Mitch Conlon is an artist originally from the West of Ireland currently based as a studio member within PS2, Belfast. He is a member of the Turner Prize winning group, Array Collective, a former director of Catalyst Arts, Belfast; was a co-director of online journal COLLECTED and Chairperson of Engage Studios, Galway.

Artist: James Moran
James Moran is an experimental comedian and theatre maker born and based in Dublin. Since 2014 he has written comedy shows for traditional and alternative venues; and he has also hosted several podcasts, including the leftist political Celtic Ligers and historical comedy Primordial Views.

About Art School
Art School is a collaborative project founded by Jennie Guy in 2014. Art School enables exchanges between contemporary artists and sites of education, creating opportunities for younger audiences to encounter and participate in the making and potential of art in society.

Creative Ireland

A new Creative Youth Plan for the period 2023-2027 was approved and launched by Government on Tuesday 28th March to further embed creativity into the centre of the lives of Ireland’s young people.

Building on the success of the first Creative Youth Plan 2017-2022, this new plan aims to provide everyone from birth to 24 years with more opportunities for creative engagement in every aspect of their lives. Across seven strategic objectives, the Creative Youth Plan will ensure children and young people retain a key voice in decision-making on its implementation and will prioritise those that are seldom heard and most at risk of disadvantage. Parents and caregivers, educators, artists, and creative practitioners will be supported to recognise the centrality and value of creativity to their lives.

The Creative Youth Plan 2023-2027 aims to enable the creative potential of children and young people, from birth to 24 years, prioritising those seldom heard and at risk of disadvantage
Under the new Creative Youth Plan, opportunities for creative engagement will reach tens of thousands of children and young people.
Children and young people to retain a key voice in decision-making on its implementation.
Impactful programmes such as the Local Creative Youth Partnerships, Cruinniú na nÓg, Creative Schools, Creative Clusters and BLAST to continue.
New €500,000 Creative Youth Nurture Fund to support pilot youth-led projects that prioritise seldom heard children and young people.

Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media Catherine Martin TD, Minister for Education Norma Foley TD and Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth Roderic O’Gorman TD announced the launch of the new Creative Youth Plan 2023-2027 at a youth-led event that took place in the National Gallery of Ireland on 28th March 2023.

The launch was supported by a panel discussion between the Ministers and four young creatives with a music performance from Music Generation and a spoken word performance organised through Creative Schools.

Read more about the upcoming 5 years of Creative Youth here: https://artsineducation.ie/en/resource/creative-youth-plan-2023-2027/

Arts in Education Portal

Date: 27th April – 27 May

As part of this year’s Arts in Education Portal Spring Regional Day, we are delighted to be partnering with Sample-Studios in Cork city for a collaborative exhibition which will run for the month of May in their gallery at the Lord Mayor’s Pavillion. The exhibition will showcase work from artists in the field of arts and creativity in education based in the South-West region.

The exhibition will be launched as part of the 2023 Spring Regional Day which will take place on Saturday 6th May at MTU Crawford College of Art & Design in partnership with the Department of Arts in Health & Education, showcasing arts in education projects and creative practice in the South-West.

In November 2021, Sample-Studios Artistic Director, Aoibhie McCarthy and member and lead Education Programme tutor Kate McElroy presented to the National Arts in Education Portal Annual Conference about our Cork Creative Careers Programme and Cork Young Curators and Critics Programme. Through this connection as speakers, Sample-Studios and the Arts in Education Portal began a dialogue about the need to offer profile to arts educational practitioners in Munster, to stimulate knowledge sharing amongst peers and collaborations, as well as awareness amongst wider audiences about the important role of arts education and arts educators in the community.

Collaborating with Sample-Studios on an exhibition to complement the programme will present both this audience and a wider public audience with an opportunity to delve deeper into the creative practice shared on the day adding another layer of engagement. The exhibition is co-curated by the Arts in Education Portal team with Sample-Studios and invites keynote speakers and presenters at the Portal Regional Day to exhibit documentation and artwork from best practice examples of their own work. An opening reception for delegates will be held as part of the Regional Day programme.

Stay tuned for the full Spring Regional Day programme and booking details which will be announced in the coming weeks. Pre booking will be essential for attendance.

Department of Education

The Minister for Education Norma Foley recently launched the new Primary Curriculum Framework for all primary and special schools.

The Primary Curriculum Framework will shape the work of all primary and special schools for the coming years. This is the first curriculum framework for primary education in Ireland. Under the framework, schools will have a dedicated structure underpinning learning, teaching and assessment.

The Primary Curriculum Framework is designed to cater for all primary and special schools and sets out the vision and principles for a redeveloped, modern curriculum.

The framework also introduces key competencies for children’s learning, setting out the main features and components for the full redevelopment of the primary school curriculum, detailing curriculum areas and subjects; and suggested time allocations. It introduces and expands aspects of learning including STEM Education, Modern Foreign Languages and a broader Arts education.

The Primary Curriculum Framework was developed by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) over a six-year period and draws on an extensive body of national and international research, working with a network of 60 primary schools, post-primary schools and preschools nationally, engaging closely with education partners and wider stakeholders, and conducting extensive consultation, including with primary school-aged children.

The Primary Curriculum Framework emphasises the importance of curriculum integration, inclusive practice, inquiry-based learning and playful pedagogy. The framework will guide the development of the specifications for each of the curriculum areas that will be introduced in the coming years.

You can read more about new Primary School Curriculum here: https://www.gov.ie/en/press-release/9f981-minister-foley-launches-new-primary-curriculum-framework/

Arts in Education Portal Events

Date: 6 May 2023

The Portal Team is delighted to invite teachers, artists and anyone with an interest in arts and creativity in education to save the date and join us for the 2023 Portal Spring Regional Day. This year’s event will take place on Saturday, 6th May at MTU Crawford College of Art & Design in partnership with the Department of Arts in Health & Education, showcasing arts in education projects and creative practice in the South-West.

We invite regional audiences to connect with us during a series of events, where practitioners can learn more about the Portal and what it offers, tell us about their work, connect with the community at regional level, share practice and find out what opportunities or events are available in their local area. We welcome teachers, artists, arts managers and anyone with an interest in arts in education to join us for this free event.

For those who can’t join us in person on the day we will be recording the main talks and presentations which be available to watch back online following the event.

Stay tuned for the full schedule and booking details which will be announced in the coming weeks. Pre-booking will be essential.

Call for Applications: Writers in Schools Scheme

Deadline: ongoing

The Writers in Schools Scheme part-funds visits by writers and storytellers to primary and post-primary schools throughout the island of Ireland. This scheme is co-funded by the Arts Council in the Republic of Ireland and administered by Poetry Ireland.

Applications are open on an ongoing basis from poets, novelists, storytellers, teen fiction writers, children’s writers, playwrights and screenwriters to join the Writers in Schools directory.

Over the past 22 years, the scheme has given more than 500,000 children the chance to work closely with writers in the classroom. A comprehensive professional development and support programme for successful applicants is delivered by Poetry Ireland before they are enlisted to the directory of writers.

Prospective applicants can find out more information on the scheme, including eligibility criteria and the online application form from the following link:

https://www.poetryireland.ie/education/information-for-writers/

Catalyst International Film Festival

30th March to 1st April 2023

The Catalyst International Film Festival will host the 4th edition of the festival in Limerick from 30^th March to 1st April 2023, presenting a film programme that celebrates diverse stories and storytellers currently under-represented on screen and behind the camera.

After a hugely successful schools’ screening last year and taking on board feedback from teachers they have expanded their schools programme for 2023 and are very excited to share their plans and officially open bookings! This is a great opportunity for young people to experience filmmaking from the ground up and find out if a career in film is for them.

Read more about the festival and book your tickets here: https://catalystinternationalfilmfestival.com/school-programme-2023

IMMA : Irish Museum of Modern Art

In 2023, IMMA will present an exhibition spanning 20 years of Sarah Pierce’s practice, to the present. IMMA is seeking expressions of interest from Transition Year students to participate in a day-long project with the artist in April/May (date to be confirmed). Students will participate in the presentation of the artwork The Square. The Square uses Bertolt Brecht’s Lehrstück – or learning play – as a starting point for developing a new work with students. In this experimental “play without a script” the students are the authors, cast and audience. The performance takes place during the time of the exhibition in the gallery space, as the performers interact and migrate around and among the visitors. There are no characters, no plot or other narrative devices. This is a roaming set of memorised chants and gestures that speak quite abstractly to ideas of learning and gathering, and what it means to act, make and be together.

For more information please visit:

https://imma.ie/whats-on/sarah-pierce-exhibtion-open-call/

Leitrim Youthreach & The Dock

3rd February – 31st March

A new exhibition of digital and photographic works created by learners at Leitrim Youthreach opened in The Dock, Carrick-on-Shannon on Friday, February 3.

Visual arts, painting and photography are some of the creative modules taught at Leitrim Youthreach based in Mohill. The exhibition is on view in The Jury Room Café until 31st March.

The artworks, created for the project Envision, blend digital art and photography techniques. Each artist directed the theme and technique to suit their individual vision. Some of the techniques used include digital drawing, long exposure, blended exposure, and digital/physical assemblage. The students were supported in creating their artworks by their art teacher David Smith.

This project has been kindly supported by the Local Creative Youth Partnership and The Dock Arts Centre.

For further information on the exhibition, please visit: https://www.thedock.ie/learning-projects/envision

Branar Téatar do Pháistí

Deadline: ongoing

Branar are inviting applications for the Digital Arts Flag programme for schools. This is a whole school initiative to promote and reward arts engagement in schools. Schools are chosen each year to engage in the initiative through a series of workshops presented online.

Open to schools across Ireland, 10 bespoke workshops across 5 different artforms have been created by Branar Artists for junior and senior classes to do in the comfort of their classrooms.

Each class will receive:

A link to the video workshops (5 for junior classes, 5 for senior classes)
An Educational Resource Pack to accompany each workshop
A printable Arts Flag to hang in your classroom.

To read further information on the programme and to make an application, please visit: https://branar.ie/en/schools#the-arts-flag.

Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis.

Uillinn: West Cork Arts Centre

Deadline: 4 March 2023

Public Engagement Artist Kate McElroy invites primary school teachers to take part in a tour and workshop at Uillinn: West Cork Arts Centre.

This will include:
– An exhibition tour of The Most Recent Forever an exhibition by Brian Fay
– A visit to an artist’s studio to see the process of making
– An art workshop exploring creativity – No art experience necessary
– A small take home ‘goody bag’ of materials

The aim of this tour and workshop is to help facilitate effective strategies for teaching art in the classroom through looking, talking and making. Kate will guide teachers through a tour of the artworks and a workshop, modelling methods that can effectively be incorporated into Art lessons in the classroom.

The tour and workshop will take and hour and a half, break included, Tea and coffee provided.

Booking is via Eventbrite, which can made using the following link: https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/art-encounters-for-teachers-tickets-523702768077

As part of actions outlined in the Creative Youth Plan the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) committed to the development of key principles underpinning young children’s quality engagement with the arts in early learning and care settings.

Draft Principles for Engaging with the Arts in Early Learning and Care were published in October 2022.

This consultation invites artists, early years educators and all early learning and care stakeholders to use and explore these draft principles and test their validity in practice.

While the draft principles were conceived from an early learning and care perspective the Department also wish to explore their relevance and the ways in which they may be adapted to better support engagement with the arts in school-age childcare. All school age childcare stakeholders are invited also to use and test these draft principles.

Findings from this consultation will inform the finalised publication of the principles, the development of practice resource materials and accompanying CPD training.

Read the discussion paper ‘ Facilitating the Arts in Early Learning and Care: Towards Best Practice Principles’ and share your comments and suggestions here.

Solstice Arts Centre

11th February – 31st March 2023

Solstice Arts Centre have a number of events in their spring programme for schools, teachers and artists.

Primary School Gallery Tours using Visual Thinking Strategies

Look, listen and respond to artworks by Sinéad Ní Mhaonaigh in her current exhibition ‘Deep Mapping: Unseen Landscapes ‘. Encouraging peer-to-peer discussion, this is an opportunity for children and teachers to focus and reflect on multiple perspectives, enhancing engagement and enjoyment of learning through art. To conclude, learn about the artist and her work, inspiring you to create artworks back in the classroom!

Secondary School Gallery Tours using Visual Thinking Strategies

Broaden creative thinking through oral and visual literacy by exploring works in our current exhibition by Irish artist Sinéad Ní Mhaonaigh . Using Visual Thinking Strategies, this is an opportunity for students to investigate, analyse and reflect on multiple perspectives, and assist in the development of imaginative and innovative ideas. Using cross-curricular links and learning through art, these sessions support the Junior and Senior Cycle, placing students at the centre of the learning process. Upon visiting Solstice, Senior Cycle students will receive specific information that embraces the three strands – Research, Create and Respond (visual and written responses), with particular focus on Content Area 3: Today’s World of the New Appreciating Art Visual Studies for Leaving Certificate curriculum.

For all queries and bookings email Deirdre: deirdre.rogers@solsticeartscentre.ie

Arts Council of Ireland

Creative Schools Week 2023

The Creative Schools Team at The Arts Council is delighted to invite your school to join Creative Schools Week 2023 which will run from the 8 – 12 May. Creative Schools Week is a celebration of creativity in schools within curricular subjects or in separate projects and activities.

The theme for Creative Schools Week 2023 is ‘Creativity Lives Here! / Tá Beocht na Cruthaitheachta Anseo!’. The theme encourages school communities to pause and reflect on where creativity is evident in our lives, in every class, in every school and in the experience of every student.

Creative Schools Week is open to every school and we warmly invite all schools to join in. Visit
https://www.artscouncil.ie/creative-schools/creative-schools-week-2023/ to learn more.

There will be a Teacher Drop-In informational session on 8 March 4:30pm-5:30pm via Zoom. If you are a teacher interested in participating in Creative Schools Week 2023, please join us by registering for the session here: https://buytickets.at/creativeschools/858237.

Creative Schools 2023 online information clinics

The Creative Schools team is running a series of online information clinics in March for teachers and Principals in schools and Youthreach centres who are curious about joining the Creative Schools programme in autumn 2023. The team will explain the programme and how to apply, and there will be plenty of time for questions.

Clinics take place online on 20, 21 and 22 March at 16.00-17.00. Further information and the link to book your place is available here.

This article was updated March 2nd 2023 to add details of the Teacher Drop-in session for Creative Schools Week.

FÍS Film Project

The FÍS Film Project Teacher Resources support teachers to introduce live-action and stop motion animation filmmaking into the Primary Classroom with interactive lessons, teacher perspectives and technical guides.

The online FÍS Teacher Resources are well designed individual lesson plans which can be used in isolation or as a complete course. The course outlines all the skills and activities involved in making a film with the emphasis being on the children being the creators/doers, and the teacher as the facilitator of the learning.

FÍS helps develop active learning, creative thinking, language, imagination, collaborative learning and problem-solving skills, as well as giving children hands-on experience of using technology as part of the filmmaking process. For children this project provides them with an outlet to express themselves and showcase their talents in an educational but non-academic way which can do wonders for children’s confidence and attitude towards learning.

The FÍS Film Project is an initiative of the Department of Education in a collaborative partnership between the Institute of Art, Design & Technology’s FÍS Office and the Professional Development Service for Teachers (Technology in Education Dept.) The project started during the 1999/2000 school year. The FÍS methodology supports teachers to introduce film making in a cross-curricular way into their primary school classroom. After a successful 3-year pilot, the project was mainstreamed and the annual national FÍS Film Awards Competition was also launched and remains a highly successful outcome of the FÍS Film Project to this day.

To access the FÍS Teacher Resources, please visit https://fisfilmproject.ie/teacher-resources/
You will also details about the annual FÍS Film Awards Competition and videos of the shortlisted national finalists.

A selection of some national and local funding opportunities for professional artists working in arts and creativity in education with open deadlines in February and March 2023.

Arts Council of Ireland

Applications are currently open for funding from the Arts Council of Ireland, including Agility Awards and Bursary Awards in a number of art forms.

The Young People, Children and Education Bursary Award supports the professional development of artists by enabling them to spend time developing their practice. The award is specifically focussed on helping artists to improve their capacity to develop or present high-quality arts experiences with or for children and young people. It is open to individual artists and practitioners working in a creative capacity in any artform, including arts facilitators, curators or programmers.
Deadline: 5:30pm, 9 February 2023
More info: https://www.artscouncil.ie/Funds/Young-People,-Children,-and-Education-Bursary-Award/

The Agility Award aims to support individual professional freelance artists and arts workers at any stage in their careers to develop their practice, their work, or their skills.
Deadline: 5.30pm, 9th February 2023
More info: https://www.artscouncil.ie/Funds/Agility-Award-2023/

Fingal County Council

Fingal County Council is delighted to announce the 2023 Artists’ Support Scheme. This strand of funding allows professional artists to avail of up to €5,000 of an award towards travel and professional development opportunities, a residency, or towards the development of work.
Deadline: 4pm, February 24, 2023
More info: http://fingalarts.ie/news/fingal-artists-support-scheme-2023

Galway Arts Office

Galway County Arts Office invites applications from individual artists to develop their arts practice and artistic career under their Artist Support Scheme. The scheme is open to professional artists residing in County Galway at all stages of their career, working in any artform and context.
Deadline: 4pm, February 13, 2023
More info: https://www.galway.ie/en/services/arts/funding/bursary/

Laoise Arts Office

Laois County Council has announced details of grants and opportunities to support the development and presentation of creative and artistic projects in the county in 2023. Through the Artists in Schools Scheme 2023, grants are available for artists’ residencies in schools, to include all art forms. This scheme gives primary and post primary schools the opportunity to select and work with professional artists and explore new arts media.
Deadline: 5pm, 17th February 2023
More info: https://laois.ie/departments/arts/grants-schemes/artists-in-schools-scheme/

Limerick City and County Council

Limerick City and County Council offers grant funding to amateur, community or voluntary groups, or organisations, and individual arts practitioners, which in the opinion of the authority, will stimulate public interest in the arts, promote the knowledge, appreciation and practice of the arts or assist in improving the standards of the arts.
Deadline: 4pm, 22 February 2023
More info: https://www.limerick.ie/council/services/community-and-leisure/culture-and-arts/funding-schemes-and-bursaries/limerick-0

Mayo Arts Office

The Mayo Artist Bursary Award is now open for applications. The Artist Bursary Award aims to support the work of professional artists, working in any artform, at all stages of their career, currently resident in Mayo.
Deadline: 5pm, March 16th, 2023
More info: https://www.mayo.ie/arts/funding/mayoartistbursary

Wicklow Arts Office

This year Wicklow County Council Arts Office are currently accepting applications under their Artist Award Scheme 2023. The scheme assists professional artists in the development of artistic practice by enabling them to explore meaningful ways to make work, test out innovative thinking and grow new ideas. The award supports professional practising artists to develop or realise a particular body of work or to undertake professional development.
Deadline: 4pm, February 27, 2023
More info: https://www.wicklow.ie/Living/Services/Arts-Heritage-Archives/Arts/Funding-Support-Opportunities/Arts-Act-Funding

All information is correct at the time of publishing.

How is the “voice of the child“ embedded in young people’s experiences of the arts?

Young people’s voices should be centred in our work. But, like the creative process, practicing this is individual and contextual. Conversations about voice centre on agency and relevance- how can young people have the choice to impact, make and experience the art they want? This is a beautiful aim that can take years to do properly.

Empowered, informed decisions take regular, positive contact with the arts and those with power. Time = trust. But time costs money and support. We often don’t have enough of this. How do we offer a quality experience when we don’t have the luxury of time? By seeing each encounter as an opportunity to encourage dialogue; each experience a chance to learn more about art and themselves. By giving a bold offer – a deep, specific artistic experience. Less, slower, better.

How could you choose to create a contemporary ballet exploring de-extinction, or see a punk-meets-storytelling gig about Medusa, if you didn’t know they were a possibility? By offering restricted formal and thematic explorations, with a rigorous process of reflection, we can encourage young people to think and make like artists; opening up endless avenues of choice. Any great artist training is a development and exploration of voice.

Encouraging curious disagreement and dissent deepens this exploration of voice. Shifting from what we liked, to what we’d like to see more of. We have power when leading, so how we handle and react to disagreement determines the honesty and depth of reflection we’ll get in the future.

Striving for quality in artistic aims, engaging young people in reflective practice, and exploring conflict will ensure a connection with the voice of young people; whether that’s a 30 minute feedback session for a piece in development, or a five year-long collaborative project. In this series of blogs I’ll reflect on how the voices of young people influence my work.

National Gallery of Ireland

Thursday, 9 Feb 2023, 6pm

Find out more about the National Gallery’s Teachers & Schools programme and network with colleagues over a glass of wine.

Jennie Taylor, curator of the Zurich Young Portrait Prize, and artist Grainne Moloney Minehan will lead a tour of the exhibition and discussion on supporting students entering the prize.

Explore My Primary School is at the Museum, our special project with 4th class students from John Scottus National School, the latest school in residence.

This is a free event hover booking is advised: https://nationalgallery.ticketsolve.com/ticketbooth/shows/873631124

National Gallery of Ireland Teacher Network Facebook Group

This online group is an active place for collaboration, peer learning and idea exchange. Meet teachers from across Ireland and beyond, and help shape the National Gallery’s schools programme, connect here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/NationalGalleryIRLTeacherNetwork/.

Schools Programme

The National Gallery offer onsite and online experiences for schools including guided tours and online sessions. Schools can also arrange to visit the Gallery as a self-guided group. Full details on their current programme can be viewed from the following link:

https://www.nationalgallery.ie/explore-and-learn/schools/schools-programme

Minister Martin confirms funding of €300,000

Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media Catherine Martin, has today announced funding of €300,000 for Minding Creative Minds as part of the Safe to Create Programme. This brings the Department’s overall allocation for the Safe to Create Programme to €782,000. Minding Creative Minds is Ireland’s (32 county and Irish overseas) first 24/7 mental health and wellbeing support programme for the Irish Creative community delivered in association with Spectrum Life.

With the launch of the Safe to Create Programme last October, Minding Creative Minds announced an enhancement of its service to include specialist trauma and abuse counselling care. This service enables crucial support for anyone who has experienced trauma or sexual abuse and ensures that they can access immediate support and up to 12 free counselling sessions from a trauma counsellor immediately.

Minding Creative Minds offers a range of other in-house services to the Irish Creative Sector which includes a comprehensive Career and Mentoring service incorporating all creative art forms and a monthly peer support meeting which offers support, advice and resources to the Irish Creative Community.

The Minding Creative Minds programme includes access to a number of additional services to help users overcome various practical issues they may face including:

Advice on practical, day-to-day issues that cause anxiety and stress.
Legal Assistance
Financial Assistance & Consumer Assistance
Career Guidance & Life Coaching
Support for non-Irish nationals & their families
Mediation Services

Announcing the funding, Minister Martin commented:

“The Safe to Create Programme which I launched in October of last year, is built on the stark findings of The Speak Up: A Call for Change Report. The Speak Up report included key findings that the majority of those surveyed had experienced (70%) or witnessed (53%) harmful behavior. Minding Creative Minds is working closely with the Irish Theatre Institute, is an integral part of the Safe to Create Programme and is helping to lead the way to improving the damaging norms in the arts sector for the benefit of all arts workers.”

Further details on the Minding Creative Minds programme are available at www.mindingcreativeminds.ie.

Children’s Books Ireland

Tuesday 24th January, 10am.

Children’s Books Ireland will host their first virtual artists’ coffee morning of 2023 on Tuesday, 24th January. This is part of a recurring series of informal yet informative gatherings on Zoom where artists creating work for children and young adults can hang out, learn from experts about something pertinent to their work and meet others in their creative area.

At this free coffee morning, hear from Executive Librarian with Kildare Library & Arts Service Amye Quigley. In what promises to be a practical and informative session, Amye will give an overview of programming strands within Kildare Library & Arts Services, detail what she looks for in a facilitator or artist and outline their funding, invoicing and accounts procedure.

If you would like to attend please email aoife@childrensbooksireland.ie by 5pm on Monday 23rd January.

For more information visit https://childrensbooksireland.ie/news-events/childrens-books-ireland-artists-coffee-morning-16.

The Minister for Education Norma Foley recently announced the awarding of BLAST residencies to 629 schools in 2022-2023, the second year of the BLAST (Bringing Live Arts to Students and Teachers) programme. Minister Foley also welcomed the creation of an additional 21 Creative Clusters for 2022-2024, comprising a further 77 primary and post-primary schools. This doubles the number of participating schools and clusters this year, up from 21 clusters announced already in September 2022, in response to the demand from schools.

The BLAST programme has seen a significant increase in residencies from the 489 primary and post-primary schools that took part in the programme in its first year and demonstrates the strong interest and engagement from schools in working with creative professionals through this programme.

Minister Foley said:

“Creative thinking and creative expression benefit our students both by providing opportunities for learning and through enhancing wellbeing. Engaging in creative projects enables children and young people to express themselves, provides them with opportunities for connection and collaboration, and gives them the space to explore new ideas and learn new skills.”

School Clusters in this year include, for example, one cluster of schools that cater for students with autism, which aims to create tactile and interactive outdoor play areas, and another cluster of primary schools working together to create a shared interest and knowledge of coding. Such varied themes reflect the local experience and unique perspectives of each cluster, and demonstrate how students can benefit from creative engagement in multiple ways.

The Minister has also welcomed the publication of the research and evaluation report, Creative Clusters: A Collaborative Approach to Cultivating Creativity in Schools. This report, commissioned by the department, provides a valuable assessment of the strengths of the programme and contains recommendations to further strengthen the design, delivery and reach of Creative Clusters.

To read the full statement from the Department of Education, visit: https://www.gov.ie/en/press-release/8a543-minister-foley-welcomes-hundreds-of-additional-schools-to-creative-clusters-and-blast-arts-programme/

Cork ETB

Cork ETB recently launched their Arts in Education Strategy 2022-2026. The Strategy outlines the importance of the arts and provides a framework for arts education and the promotion of the arts and supporting their implementation throughout Cork ETB.

Minister for Education, Norma Foley attended Nano Nagle Place in Cork City on Friday 2nd December where she launched Cork ETB’s Arts in Education Strategy 2022-2026.

The Arts in Education Strategy outlines the importance of the arts and provides a framework for arts education and the promotion of the arts and supporting their implementation throughout all of Cork ETB’s primary, post primary and further education and training facilities.

The implementation plan includes the following five key points and their respective objectives:

Awareness: develop and create a space for the Arts in all its forms
Inclusivity: to promote and deploy Arts Education as a valuable tool for promoting social inclusion, community engagement, well-being and fostering lifelong learning
Partnership: develop existing relationships while nurturing the development of new partnerships and joint ventures
Value: to foster and promote creativity by encouraging schools and centre’s to give parity of esteem to creative subjects
Quality: provision of appropriate supports and resources to provide for quality teaching and learning in the Arts

Speaking at the launch, Minister Foley praised Cork ETB for their efforts to enable better integration and promotion of the arts in their education entities.

She said: “It was a joy for me to be invited to launch the Cork Education and Training Board’s Arts in Education Strategy 2022 – 2026. I strongly believe that inclusive access to the arts can nurture, inspire and innovate all our students and young learners. The Arts in Education Strategy today clearly identifies Cork ETB’s commitment to the arts and provides a framework for the way forward for all stakeholders. It was a pleasure to officially launch this milestone strategy in the presence of such vibrant performers and talented musicians.”

A copy of Cork ETB’s Arts in Education Strategy 2022-2026 can be viewed online here: https://www.corketb.ie/cork-etb-arts-provision/

Deadline: 3 February 2023, 5pm

Artists, teachers, academics and arts education professionals… Would you like to be part of the Portal Spring Regional Day? The Arts in Education Portal Team are seeking submissions for presentations for the Portal Spring Regional Day 2023 with a focus on the South-West Region. This regional event will take place in Cork City on 6th May 2023.

The event aims to connect teachers, artists, arts managers and anyone with an interest in art and creativity in education based in Cork, Kerry, Limerick and Tipperary. Practitioners can learn more about the Portal and what it offers, tell us about their work, connect with the community at regional level, share practice and find out what opportunities or events are available in their local area.

We are inviting proposals from organisations or individuals who are involved in arts and creative projects in education in the South-West, and who want to give inspiring presentations or workshops that can offer sharing of skills, practical approaches, new insights and critical thinking across the field, from a range of perspectives.

The 2023 event will also include an accompanying exhibition in partnership with Sample Studios at their gallery in the Lord Mayor’s Pavilion, Fitzgerald Park. The exhibition will be an opportunity for artists from successful proposals to exhibit their own work. The exhibition will run from 27th April to 27th May.

Do you have a presentation that you would like to be included in the programme for the Portal Spring Regional Day? If so, please download our Proposal form from the link below. If you have any questions please get in touch by email to editor@artsineducation.ie.

Further Information

The programme includes two project presentations with up to two presenters.
Deadline: 5pm, 3 February 2023

Download the submission form Portal Spring Regional Day Proposal Form 2023.

Deadline: 24 February 2023

The purpose of the award is to support the development of documented outcomes from Arts in Education initiatives in Ireland, which can be shared with the arts in the education community and give insights into different processes of engagement. This is part of the Arts in Education Portal Editorial Committee’s commitment to supporting and recognising the value of documentation and reflection as key components within arts in education initiatives.

Two awards will be offered through this opportunity.

The process will involve meetings with the Portal Team and a schedule of up to 2 visits over the course of the project to capture video and photographic documentation and support reflective processes among participants. These visits and meetings can be conducted virtually if required. The portal team will work closely with the recipients to ensure all restrictions and protocols in terms of COVID-19 are adhered to during the process to ensure safety for all involved.

Criteria

To be considered for this opportunity, projects must:

Have started in Autumn 2022 and continue into 2023, or take place in 2023. Please note if selected, filming of engagement sessions will take place after 20th March 2023.
Have a minimum duration of 8 weeks.
Involve a professional artist working collaboratively within an educational setting (early years, primary or post-primary).
Be underpinned by a strong ethos of collaboration and a commitment to excellence. Focus on the creative process, with children having an active and collaborative role

Additional criteria

How to make a submission:

Complete your application using this online form
Deadline for submission is 5pm, Friday 24 February 2023.

The Big Idea

The multi-award winning free creative programme The Big Idea has been designed to empower students with the 21st century skills they need. Developed by educational and industry experts, students will have the opportunity to gain transferable skills to support them in tackling the problems they might face.

The Big Idea consists of a full 12-week creative programme of learning resources for Transition Year students, LCA students or Youthreach students. Joining The Big Idea programme provides teachers with a teaching pack to support in-class activities regardless of their school context.

As the facilitators of the programme, teachers are supported every step of the way. All resources are digitally formatted with two lessons per week. The adaptable format can be used for either a 40-minute class or a 1-hour class with teacher prompts and lesson plans included. With built-in assessment structures and additional class materials.

A nationwide network of professional experts share knowledge directly with your students, supporting them in their project development. The team at The Big Idea match student teams with their industry Mentors giving them the opportunity to gain advice on next steps, ask questions to get students thinking, ask them things to consider or offer resources to explore.

For participating students, they are provided with the materials needed to engage in the programme from – a LEGO pack for systems thinking exercises, a sketch book to capture brainstorming and reflection, all the stationary needed to engage in lessons and activities, and some other surprises.

The programme is open to teachers from all subject areas and runs between January to May.

Registration is now open for new schools to join the programme, for further information on the initiative and apply, please visit: https://thebigidea.ie/teachers/

Butler Gallery

19 November 2022 – 29 January 2023

Butler Gallery continues its successful partnership with the Kilkenny-based and five time Oscar© nominated Irish animation studio Cartoon Saloon, in an exhibition response to their new animated film My Father’s Dragon, directed by Nora Twomey.

The film is based on a beloved 1948 fantastical children’s novel by Ruth Stilies Gannett about Elmer Elevator, a boy who runs away from home to rescue Boris, a captive baby dragon trapped on a wild island.

The exhibition combines the expertise of Butler Gallery’s exhibition team with Cartoon Saloons worldwide reach and distinctive style to develop an immersive, sensory and child-centred exhibition experience that will captivate audiences of all ages.

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Learning and Public Engagement Programme:

As with previous collaborations with Cartoon Saloon, Butler Gallery will deliver an extensive programme of public engagement for children and adults that will include themes such as children’s resilience and problem solving, addressing mental health issues while coping with a crisis, and celebrating the films art and artists. Learning and Public Engagement events will include: tailored inclusive activities for children and young people; interactive visits for schools and groups that encourage creativity through hands-on making; a talk series and masterclasses with Cartoon Saloon animators, editors and directors; and an animator-in-residence programme.

To book an interactive visit for your school* contact Butler Gallery at:
learning@butlergallery.ie or +353 (0)56 7761106

*Bookings for groups of over 5 is essential.

The exhibition is also complemented by the screening of The Making of My Father’s Dragon which is on view in the Digital Gallery (duration 5 mins 24 secs)

For further information visit: https://www.butlergallery.ie/whats-on/my-fathers-dragon-cartoon-saloon

Fighting Words

Fighting Words in partnership with DCU Institute of Education, has launched Creativity and Creative Writing in Education, an online course to equip educators with the methodologies, evidence and resources to build your understanding of the importance and benefits of creativity for learners, and to strengthen your confidence and interest in creative engagement and creative writing.

Presented in six 40-minute sessions, the course focuses on the Fighting Words creative writing model as an approach, looking at the associated development of communication skills, critical thinking, self-efficacy and resilience in the young people.

The online course is hosted on The Loop, DCU’s online teaching environment, full details on how to access and enrol for this free course can be found here:
https://www.fightingwords.ie/news/creativity-and-creative-writing-education-exciting-new-online-module-fighting-words-dcu.

Enrolment is open on an ongoing basis; participants can complete the course in their own time and a certificate of completion is provided from Fighting Words.

Collaboration between Fighting Words and the DCU Institute of Education started in the early days of Fighting Words and has only grown and expanded over the years. In 2018, the relationship evolved to a formal partnership between Fighting Words and Institute of Education, funded by the Department of Education. The purpose of the collaboration is to progress creative writing and creative engagement in education through teacher education and research.

Carlow Arts Festival & VISUAL Carlow

Deadline: 6th January, 2023, 5pm

Carlow Arts Festival, in partnership with VISUAL Carlow, are seeking a Creative Director to lead on the co-creation of the Carlow Carnival of Collective Joy in 2023. The Creative Director will work in collaboration with a choreographer and children aged between 8-12 years from across Carlow County to design and deliver this project. The role will be supported by the creative teams at both Carlow Arts Festival and VISUAL Carlow.

In 2022 we delivered our first Carnival of Collective Joy and are delighted to bring this tradition into our 2023 festival programme. The Creative Director will lead on the design, planning and facilitation of the creative aspects of this project, delivering workshops that inspire creativity and curiosity across four schools over 12 weeks from March to June 2023. The Carnival will be presented as part of Carlow Arts Festival programme on Saturday the 10th June.

Experience
The candidate will be required to have a wide level of experience and a track-record in workshop facilitation, design and making for spectacle and installation events with children and young people.

Application
For further information and to download the application pack, please visit: https://carlowartsfestival.com/job-opportunity-creative-director-for-carlow-carnival-of-collective-joy/

Solstice Arts Centre

Resource Supporting Content Area 3: Today’s World – Senior Cycle New Appreciating Art Visual Studies

Using cross-curricular links, and learning through art, this resource supports students completing their Junior and Senior Cycle studies. Designed to assist teachers and students in how to assess and evaluate an exhibition in the Solstice Arts Centre gallery, it includes:

Background information on Solstice Arts Centre and its functions;
The technical and curatorial requirements of the exhibition including display, layout, lighting, and the gallery’s role in interpreting an exhibition for visitors.
An in-depth look at the current exhibition SURVEYOR 2022 and three of the artworks

Assisting Senior Cycle students to investigate, analyse and reflect on multiple perspectives, this information embraces the three strands – Research, Create and Respond, with particular focus on Unit 14 in Content Area 3: Today’s World of the New Appreciating Art Visual Studies for Leaving Certificate curriculum.

The resource can be found here: https://solsticeartscentre.ie/event/surveyor-2022

To help students understand and analyse the work of other artists and assist in their development of imaginative and innovative ideas, students and teachers are encouraged to combine this resource with –

A Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS) tour of the exhibition Surveyor 2022 in the gallery. Booking required https://solsticeartscentre.ie/event/school-gallery-tours-primary-and-secondary
Viewing the individual artworks on our website

Solstice Gallery is open Tuesday-Saturday 11am-4pm.

This exhibition runs until 21 Dec 2022.

For more information or to make a booking please contact Deirdre Rogers, Solstice Visual Arts Facilitation & Public Engagement Coordinator deirdre.rogers@solsticeartsccentre.ie

Arts in Education Portal

On Saturday 5th November, our community of artists, teachers and arts in education professionals came together for the seventh annual National Arts in Education Portal Day, our first in-person national conference since 2019. This years event took place at East Quad, TU Dublin, in partnership with TU Dublin School of Art and Design and Conservatoire of Music and Drama and the Erasmus+ International Teacher-Artist Partnership (I-TAP-PD) PD Programme.

The conference was officially opened by John Walsh, Head of School, TU Dublin School of Art and Design, and later in the day John facilitated a tour of part of the East Quad campus giving delegates a look at the state-of-the-art facilities available to students.

With a special focus placed on ‘Seldom Heard Voices’, the day then unfolded out to the usual mix of presentations, smaller discussion-led presentations and creative workshops addressing this theme. The National Day also served as an opportunity for colleagues from the International Teacher-Artist Partnership (I-TAP-PD) PD Project to explore and share emerging learnings through two multiplier sessions within the Erasmus+ KA2 Initiative 2020-2023.

Dame Evelyn Glennie in conversation with Mark O'Brien at TU Dublin Conservatoire of Music and Dance Concert Hall

Image Credit: keynote speaker Dame Evelyn Glennie in conversation with Mark O’Brien, Executive Director The Abbey. Photograph by Cían Flynn, lookalive.ie

This years keynote took the form of an in conversation between guest speaker, the percussionist and solo performer Dame Evelyn Glennie who sat down with Mark O’Brien, Executive Director of The Abbey Theatre. In a highly engaging exchange lasting just under an hour, the pair delved into Dame Evelyn’s introduction to music in primary school, her hearing loss, the idea of success and how residual hearing and improvisation were important components in her career development.

In the plenery session that followed Dame Evelyn spoke about the importance of listening.

“I think listening is the glue to being human, to be honest”
“If we can cultivate this feeling of being listened to, and really what does this mean, listening doesn’t mean that we’re interacting with sound. It’s interacting with a presence that we’re in.”

The 2022 National Portal Day was also an opportunity for the Portal Editorial Committee to share it’s new strategic plan ‘A Community of Practice: A five-year strategy for the Arts in Education Portal,
Ireland’s national resource for arts and creativity in education. Officially launched by Dr. Katie Sweeney, Portal Chair and National Director for the Integration of the Arts in Education (DE), copies of which were available to delegates on the day and will be embedded into the Portal website as a living and accessible document in the coming months.

St Agnes Teenage Chamber Orchestra performing at TU Dublin for the 2022 National Arts in Education Portal Day

Image Credit: St. Agnes Teenage Chamber Orchestra with conductor Jimmy Kavanagh. Photograph by Cían Flynn, lookalive.ie

A day which saw the arts in education community convene to share, learn, talk, be inspired and interrogate best practice in the field came to a close with a heartwarming performance from St. Agnes Teenage Chamber Orchestra led by conductor Jimmy Kavanagh.

We would like to thank all our guest speakers, artists and all who joined us to engage in the conversation.

Stay tuned for our round up video which will follow soon!

A selection of the main talks and presentations are available to watch back online. Registration for viewing this series is available through the link here.

Delegates in discussion at 2022 National Arts in Education Portal Day

Image credit: 2022 National Arts in Education Portal Day. Photographer Cían Flynn (lookalive.ie)

The International Teacher-Artist Partnership (I-TAP-PD)

The International Teacher-Artist Partnership (I-TAP-PD) podcast series ‘Tapping into Creativity’ shares stories about the magic that happens when creativity, art, and education meet. Stories about creative learning from diverse European projects in schools and beyond. Stories about what happens when artists work with young people. Hosted by Linda Rosink and Manja Eland of Stichting Kopa, they talk to teachers, artists, scientists, policy makers and children about the importance of creative education. Listen to the show if you’re looking for inspiration for your own practice.

Season 2 launched on 5th November featuring guest speaker Tania Banotti, Director of Creative Ireland. It will run for eight episodes with the final episode airing on 20th December. The programme focuses on enabling teachers and artists to jointly develop their understanding, expertise and creativity in ‘arts in education’ work with children and young people in education, community and arts settings.

The guest speakers this season include:
Tania Banotti – 5th November
Georgina Kakoudaki – 8th November
Sanja Krsmanović Tasić – 11th November
Jolanda Schouten⁠ – 22nd November
Klaas Dijkstra⁠ – 29th November
Jane O’Hanlon – 6th December
Miranda Siemelink – 13th December
Paul Collard – 20th December

You can listen and subscribe to the full series via Captivate: https://tappingintocreativity.captivate.fm/ or your favourite podcasts platform including Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music.

International Teacher-Artist Partnership (I-TAP-PD) PD is funded under the Erasmus+ KA2 Initiative 2020 – 2023 and is a partnership between Tralee Education Centre (Ireland), Centre for drama in education and art (CEDEUM) (Serbia), Hellenic Theatre/Drama & Education Network (TENet-GR) (Greece) and Stichting Kopa (Netherlands)

Arts Council announces 186 new schools will join its Creative Schools initiative

The Arts Council recently announced that offers have been made to 186 schools and centres across Ireland who applied to be part of the Creative Schools initiative. The very high level of applications to be part of this 2-year process reflects the importance that schools and Youthreach centres put on creativity and their ambition to celebrate and put creative thinking at the very heart of what they do.

Speaking at the announcement Director of the Arts Council Maureen Kennelly said: “We warmly welcome our new cohort of 186 schools to Creative Schools. We are delighted that demand for the programme is so strong across the country and we are thrilled to say that by this stage of the programme, 20% of schools in Ireland have connected with us. Working with our partners in the Department of Education, the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media and Creative Ireland, we are looking forward to another school year full of creativity, consultation and exploration”.

Minister for Education Norma Foley TD said “I am delighted to welcome the 186 schools that are coming together to join the Creative Schools initiative 2022. I would like to welcome these new schools into this exciting initiative, and I look forward to seeing how these creative, colourful and captivating projects develop over the coming two years. Through Creative Schools the Department of Education supports critical thinking, cognitive and emotional wellbeing, encouraging a creative environment, without boundaries within the educational space.”

Also speaking, Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media Catherine Martin TD said “I would like to congratulate the 186 schools and Youthreach centres that have successfully applied to become a Creative School and now have the opportunity to embark on a two-year journey to place creativity at the heart of their school communities. With the addition of this new cohort, 1 in 5 schools in Ireland will have experienced Creative Schools since the programme commenced in 2018 and this year sees an increase in the diversity of settings in receipt of support. This is a testament to its impact and the strength of the partnership between the Art Council, the Department of Education and the all-of-government Creative Ireland Programme.”

The Creative Schools Initiative is designed to provide opportunities for children and young people to build their artistic and creative skills, each school taking part receives a grant and works with a professional Creative Associate who supports them to develop and implement their own bespoke Creative School Plan. Participation empowers children and young people to develop, implement and evaluate arts and creative activity throughout their schools/centres and stimulate additional ways of working which reinforce the impact of creativity on children and young people’s learning, development and well-being.

Creative Schools received applications from counties throughout the country to be part of the initiative and they were assessed on how Creative Schools would benefit learning and development in the school and how children and young people would play a central role in leading the process.

The programme was established in 2018 and more than 650 schools have been invited to participate to date. With this latest round of offers it means that 1 in 5 schools in Ireland will have / will be taking part in the Creative Schools initiative. Recipients range from large schools in major cities to smaller schools on islands including Inisboffin, Achill, Inis Oírr and Inis Meain. Creativity truly lives everywhere.

This year 131 more primary schools, 35 more post primary schools, 11 Special Schools and 5 Youthreach centres have been sent offers to join. Also joining the programme this year are four schools in Alternative Settings who cater for young people with severe emotional and behavioral challenges. Oberstown Children Detention Campus School, Co. Dublin, Ballydowd High Support Special School, Dublin 20, Crannóg Nua Special School, Portrane, Co. Dublin and St Canice’s Special School, Limerick will join the programme and receive enhanced supports.

The full list of the 186 Schools selected to participate in the Creative Schools programme in 2022-23 can be viewed on The Arts Council website at https://www.artscouncil.ie/schools-2022-23/.

Schools who have been taking part to date have explored creativity in all its forms and embraced how it can be celebrated in so many ways. From baking to creating and designing gardens, from photography to performance, from working with other community groups to transforming areas of their own schools, the impact of Creative Schools can be seen around the country.

Riverbank Arts Centre

Riverbank Arts Centre are delighted to offer events for Primary and Secondary Schools over the coming months. These include live theatre, comedy, IFI School Screenings and more.

Riverbank Arts Centre is a multi-disciplinary venue in Newbridge, County Kildare, with a dedicated children’s gallery and programming of high quality theatre and workshops for younger audiences, Riverbank is also committed to promoting early engagement with and access to the arts.

Primary Schools

This season Riverbank Arts Centre are delighted to offer shows that travel to your school, highlights include:

UP CLOSE
On 17 & 18 November
UP CLOSE is an energetic dance piece where two strangers meet, connect and celebrate their new friendship. A 25 min performance, followed by a 15-minute Q&A and 15-minute movement workshop. Recommended capacity is up to two classes. For 1st to 4th Class.

Exhibition: FIBRE Felted by Artist Tamzen Lundy
12 November – 23 December.
Workshop in your classroom: 13th December (Suitable for 1st Class – 6th Class.)
FIBRE Felted introduces young people to the wonders and possibilities of felt making, the oldest textile making process in the world. The woollen textiles in FIBRE Felted are playful and experimental, the only tools required to create them are the artist’s hands. Riverbank Arts Centre offer guided tours and activity sheets for all those who attend.
Tours/Workshop can be booked with Theresa at boxoffice@riverbank.ie

Secondary Schools

Highlights from the programme for post-primary schools include:

Exhibition: Dētrīmentum by artist Katie Whyte
12 November – 22 December
A Latin word meaning harm, loss, or damage,
Dētrīmentum is an exploration of the journey of an object from an intact historical/archival
piece, to an object that has fallen into disrepair and out of the collective memory. This installation focuses on presenting hidden and lost historical narratives in photographic form.
Guided tours and an education pack aimed at senior cycle students are available.

WhistleBlast Quartet Pictures at an Exhibition by Modest Mussorgsky
Tuesday 22 November, 12pm.
This unique performance of Mussorgsky’s wonderful symphony Pictures at an Exhibition, musically arranged by the quartet’s own Dr. Kenneth Edge, is accompanied by a multimedia video of paintings relating to each movement. An
accessible performance especially created to inspire young main stream and special-needs secondary school students and anyone to enjoy a gripping, dramatic masterpiece through live music performance and visual art.

To view the full schools programme of events, visit https://www.riverbank.ie/education-and-outreach/

Please contact Theresa on boxoffice@riverbank.ie or call 045 448327 to book an event or exhibition tour.

The Hunt Museum, Limerick Museum, Limerick City Gallery of Art

The Three Muses: Clay Through The Ages
Level: Primary schools, 3rd & 4th Class

This is the newest offering from ‘The Three Muses‘ Joint Education Programme comprising of the Hunt Museum, Limerick Museum and Limerick City Gallery of Art. There are three strands to this programme including a Digital Teachers Pack, an online game and an onsite primary school workshop programme. The 27^th Oct will see the launch of this suite of resources.

Digital Teachers Pack: This resource is available from https://www.huntmuseum.com/schools/the-three-muses/ and focuses on four ceramic objects from the above cultural institutions. It was developed in conjunction with Ann McBride, an award winning local ceramic artist. It provides clay based lesson plans and a wealth of related video based resources to support classroom based teaching and learning on these objects.

Online Game: This free online game is available at the link below. Truffes, the treasure hunting Piggy, navigates the streets of Old Limerick collecting treasures and artifacts. Each level reveals a ceramic object from the above cultural institutions. Look and listen closely for evidence of a city rich in cultural heritage. Play game here: https://www.huntmuseum.com/schools-resources/play-the-three-muses-online-games/

Onsite Primary School Workshop: This workshop, for 3rd and 4th classes, facilitates engagement and exploration of ceramic objects from the above cultural institutions. This interactive Three Muses workshop offers pupils the chance to travel through space and time focusing on ceramic objects from the Hunt Museum, Limerick Museum and Limerick City Gallery of Art. Their exploration begins in the Bronze Age and concludes with examples of contemporary ceramics. Pupils will learn about techniques and processes used to make clay objects and how these have changed over time.

For further information and booking for onsite workshops, email / call: una@huntmuseum.com / 061490089

Ireland’s National School Photography Awards (INSPA)

National Winners Announced
Theme: Me, Myself, and I

INSPA has extended their congratulations to every school who participated in the 2021/22 National School Photography Awards. The national winner is Matthew Asiedu-Appiah from Lucan CNS, who submitted the photo entitled ‘Instruments’ into the Senior Category of the awards. The winner of the Junior Category is Sophie Mai Woulfe from Kilcummin N.S. with her entry ‘The Pizzeria’.

INSPA is the national children’s photography competition and Positive Primaries Programme which is open to all primary schools in the Republic of Ireland. Throughout the 2021/22 school year, young creatives from around the country were encouraged to embed Creative Wellbeing into their school community while exploring the theme: Me, Myself, and I.

The awards are having a massive impact in classrooms and homes across Ireland as they provide an inclusive model for children of all backgrounds and abilities to get involved. Through photography, INSPA introduces creative well-being into the lives of primary school communities while building a future generation of people who are confident, resilient, connected, kind and ready.

The awards are free and offer a range of fantastic prizes alongside the schools Positive Primaries Flag. These include getaways to the Amber Springs Resort for principals, teachers, pupils and families, Instax cameras for winners and schools, framed photographs, certificates, and school photo fundraising days at your school. All entries are judged by a national panel of experts and over 500 primary schools have already registered their accounts and taken their first Step of their Positive Primaries Journey.

The awards will open again for entries in September 2023.

For further information on INSPA and their Positive Primaries programme, visit www.inspa.ie.

The Arts Council’s Creative Schools Initiative

Deadline: 12 noon 10 November 2022

Creative Schools is delighted to announce an exciting opportunity for artists, creative practitioners and individuals working in organisations in the arts and cultural sector.

Creative Associate Services for 10 Locations 

The Arts Council wishes to engage 14 CAs to work in up to 32 schools across 10 counties (Cavan, Donegal, Kerry, Limerick, Louth, Mayo, Meath, Monaghan, Tipperary and Waterford) for up to one year.  Individuals or organisations that wish to nominate an individual may apply.

Completed applications should be emailed to creativeassociates@artscouncil.ie by 12.00 hours (local time) on Thursday 10 November, 2022 with ‘Application: CA Services for 10 Locations’ in the subject line of the email.

For further information and links to download the information booklet and application form, please see: https://www.artscouncil.ie/creative-associate-opportunities/

Unveiling the 2022 National Arts in Education Portal Day Programme.

Ticket Booking Now Open!

We’re excited to be back with a live in-person conference taking place on Saturday, 5 November 2022 at East Quad, TU Dublin, in partnership with TU Dublin School of Art and Design and and Conservatoire of Music and Drama, and the Erasmus+ International Teacher-Artist Partnership (I-TAP-PD) PD Project.

For this year’s programme we are delighted to be joined by colleagues from the I-TAP-PD project for two multiplier sessions who will explore and share emerging learning within the Erasmus+ KA2 Initiative 2020-2023. The Programme will also see the launch of the Arts in Education Portal Strategic Plan: 2023 – 2027 along with the usual mix of presentations, smaller discussion-led sessions and creative workshops each addressing the theme of ‘Seldom Heard Voices’.

As previously announced The Portal Team are excited to welcome guest speaker Dame Evelyn Glennie, solo percussionist and composer who will join the conference for a special in conversation with Mark O’Brien, Executive Director of the Abbey Theatre.

Download and view the 2022 Programme here (English).

Download and view the 2022 Programme here (Irish).

How to Book Tickets

Tickets for the 2022 National Arts in Education Portal Day are free but pre booking is essential as capacity is limited. Booking this year is slightly different with a two step process.

Step 1: Book your ticket for the day – Open Now here
Step 2: Ticket holders will then be invited to pre-select parallel sessions for the day – via email invitation on Wednesday, 19 October. Please note some sessions have limited capacity in particular creative workshops. Please note some sessions have limited capacity in particular creative workshops.

Book your ticket now at 2022_nationalportalday.eventbrite.ie.

Online Viewing

For those who can’t join us in person on the day we will have a selection of the main talks and presentations available to watch back online following the conference. Registration for viewing is available through the link here.

For further enquiries please contact events@artsineducation.ie.

Ticket Bookings Open 5 October 2022

The 2022 National Arts in Education Portal Day will take place on Saturday, 5 November at East Quad, TU Dublin, in partnership with TU Dublin School of Art and Design and the Conservatoire of Music and Drama, and the Erasmus+ International Teacher-Artist Partnership (I-TAP-PD) PD Project.

The full line-up of this year’s programme will be announced at 12 noon, Wednesday, 5 October when ticket booking will open online. Before that we wanted to give you a sneak peek of what you can expect at this year’s in-person conference. The day will have a special focus on ‘Seldom Heard Voices’, with the programme profiling projects that represent children from diverse communities and children who are seldom heard.

As previously announced solo percussionist and composer, Dame Evelyn Glennie will be joining us for a special in conversation talk with Mark O’Brien, Executive Director of The Abbey Theatre. We are delighted to also partner this year with the Erasmus+ International Teacher-Artist Partnership (I-TAP-PD) PD Project who on the day will explore and share emerging learning within the Erasmus+ KA2 Initiative 2020-2023.

First Look at the 2022 National Arts in Education Portal Day Programme

Discussion-led Presentation: Cuinne an Ghiorria / The Hare’s Nook

Join artist Zoë Uí Fhaoláin Green, writer Emer Fallon and educator Darach Ó Murchú with artist Manuela Dei Grandi as they discuss learnings from ‘Cúinne an Ghiorria (The Hare’s Nook)’, a bilingual primary school programme designed to nurture a sense of stewardship and joyful connection between pupils and their environment.

Creative Workshop: Exploring Creative Solutions to Climate Change through the Arts Using a STEAM Approach

In this experiential workshop, Environmental Artist and Educator Evelyn Sorohan will invite participants to investigate how the arts can be harnessed to explore environmental issues such as Climate Change. Participants will be inspired to collaboratively problem solve, create and invent in response to three climate themes leaving with skills and ideas that they can use in their practice.

Online Viewing: For those who can’t join us in person on the day we will have a selection of the main talks and presentations available to watch back online following the conference. Registration for viewing will be required.

Ticket bookings open at 12 noon, Wednesday 5 October 2022. Tickets are free but pre booking is essential as capacity is limited. Once ticket booking is confirmed attendees will be asked to preselect their parallel sessions choices for the day.

Update: Ticket Booking Now Open – artsineducation.ie/en/2022/10/05/2022-national-portal-day-programme-announced/

The Minister for Education Norma Foley today announced the creation of 21 new 2022 Creative Clusters comprising 78 schools. Creative Clusters is an initiative taking place as part of Creative Ireland and under the Schools Excellence Fund. The Department of Education’s budget for Creative Clusters in 2022 is €595,000.

Under this scheme to support schools to build capacity in creativity, schools in each cluster will enjoy access to a specialist facilitator, artist or creative expertise in whatever their chosen area of interest or theme might be. These resources will help the schools to build a project of learning and activities tailor-made for their students. As part of this funding allocation, a cluster may receive up to €15,000 funding to help bring their plans and ideas to fruition in 2022-2024.

Minister Foley said:

“Creative Clusters is an excellent initiative that supports students to develop their creativity, learn to adapt and collaborate and provides them with real opportunities to express themselves in a variety of exciting new ways.

“Today I am delighted to announce the 78 schools that are coming together to form 21 new Creative Clusters. I would like to welcome these new schools into this Schools Excellence Fund initiative, and I look forward to seeing how these exciting projects develop over the coming two years. This is a wonderful opportunity for schools to work together on a project of their choice. Schools are given complete freedom to design and develop their own project, with support from a local facilitator and their local education centre.

“This year has once again seen a very significant level of interest from schools applying to participate in the 2022 Creative Clusters initiative across the country. In the five rounds from 2018 to 2022, a total number of 1,276 schools have applied to participate in Creative Clusters, with 375 schools shortlisted and invited to participate. I hope that this exciting initiative will help schools to further enhance creativity in their classrooms.

For further information on the Creative Clusters initiative and to details of the news schools participating from 2022 go to: https://www.gov.ie/en/press-release/72b73-minister-foley-announces-78-additional-schools-joining-the-schools-excellence-fund-creative-clusters-initiative/

Arts in Junior Cycle (JCT)

Dates: Vary

Arts in Junior Cycle provide teachers at second-level with the opportunity to engage in elective learner-centred teacher professional learning (TPL) experiences. The vision of Arts in Junior Cycle is for all Junior Cycle teachers to value, enjoy and be enriched by the arts and to see the arts as integral to learning. The Arts in Junior Cycle team co-design and develop learner-centred TPLs in collaboration with a range of artists, creative practitioners and arts organisations.

This month we are delighted to offer the following:

Style and Purpose in partnership with Poetry Ireland
Writing our Place in partnership with Fighting Words and Graffiti Theatre Company, Cork
In the News in partnership with Newsbrands Ireland
Introduction to Screenprinting with Elena Santos ‘Just Art It’, Galway
A call out for expressions of interest for an Artistic Performance community of practice
A call out for expressions of interest for a DesignCIRCLE community of practice

These TPLs aim to inspire, support and empower teachers and to embody the principles and key skills which underpin the Framework for Junior Cycle 2015.  All TPLs are open to teachers from all subject disciplines.

For more information and to register for upcoming workshops and communities of practice, visit www.artsinjuniorcycle.ie. New workshops are added weekly!

Kids’ Own Publishing Partnership are delighted to announce the publication of ‘A-Z: Alphabet of Actions’ which outlines the findings from a pilot project that explored literacy with young children. This project investigated how children of different ages and stages of literacy interacted with the materials.

This project was developed as a pilot early-years intervention, putting arts and creativity at the centre of early childhood learning and development. Funded by ESB Energy for Generations, the project evolved in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. In 2020 and 2021, the early stages of the project took place during strict lockdowns and were designed to facilitate parent-child interactions. The project modelled a way of working that supported young children to manipulate and play openly with materials and connected them with their parents and other children through verbal and non-verbal communication.

Artist, Naomi Draper, designed a material environment that allowed for different ‘layers’ of entry to accommodate children at a very early stage of literacy, as well as those in primary education with more developed literacy. This project investigated how children of different ages and stages of literacy interacted with the materials.

The Sligo Country Childcare Committee and Children & Young People’s Service Committee (CYPSC) were delighted to be involved with the A-Z programme. The results highlighted by the parent and child’s voices have demonstrated the importance of that parent/carer interaction.

If you would like to receive a copy of “A-Z Alphabet of Actions: Findings from a pilot early years initiative”, please send your name and address to info@kidsown.ie

This year the 2022 National Arts in Education Portal Day is back in-person and taking place at TU Dublin, School of Art and Design on Saturday, 5 November 2022 in partnership with the School of Art and Design and the Erasmus+ International Teacher-Artist Partnership (I-TAP-PD) PD Project.

The Portal Team are delighted to welcome guest speakers, solo percussionist and composer Dame Evelyn Glennie for a special in conversation talk with Mark O’Brien, Executive Director of The Abbey Theatre.

Dame Evelyn Glennie

Dame Evelyn Glennie is the first person in history to create and sustain a full-time career as a solo percussionist, performing worldwide with the greatest orchestras and artists. Evelyn has commissioned over 200 new works for solo percussion and has recorded over 40 CDs. She regularly provides masterclasses and consultations to inspire the next generation of musicians.

Evelyn was awarded an OBE in 1993 and has over 100 international awards to date, including 2 GRAMMY’s, the Polar Music Prize and the Companion of Honour. She was appointed as the first female President of Help Musicians, and since 2021 she has been Chancellor of Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen, Scotland.

Evelyn is the curator for The Evelyn Glennie Collection which includes in excess of 3,500 percussion instruments. The film ‘Touch the Sound’, TED Talk and her book ‘Listen World!’ are key testimonies to her unique and innovative approach to sound-creation. Through her mission to Teach the World to Listen she aims to improve communication and social cohesion by encouraging everyone to discover new ways of listening in order to inspire, to create, to engage and to empower.

Watch Dame Evelyn Glennie’s TED Talk, How to truly listen, below

Mark O’Brien

Mark O’Brien, Executive Director of The Abbey Theatre has had over 25 years’ experience in the theatre and wider culture sectors, as a leader, facilitator, actor, sound designer, administrator, and theatre director. He has also led, directed, and developed work in the youth theatre sector, and with Team Educational Theatre Company.

Mark was previously Director of axis arts centre Ballymun. Over ten years, he developed axis into an organisation and space of local, national and international renown, that created, facilitated and produced new and significant work, across theatre, arts development and engagement contexts. Under his leadership, axis became an artistic and cultural hub for both artists and the public. His driving force was to achieve a shared vision of excellence through inclusion.

The full line-up of the national day will be announced on Wednesday 5th October when ticket booking will open online. This year’s event will have a special focus on ‘Seldom Heard Voices’ and will see a return to the usual mix of presentations, smaller discussion-led presentations and creative workshops addressing this theme.

These events bring 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.

For further enquiries please contact events@artsineducation.ie.

National Museum of Ireland (NMI)

The National Museum of Ireland (NMI) is delighted to invite teachers and students across the country to reconnect with culture over the coming school term with an in-person visit to one of its sites.

The Museum has launched its autumn/winter 2022 programme of tours, events and activities, which educators can use to get up close to history, spark curiosity, encourage learning, and promote enjoyment of culture.

Much of the NMI’s school programme was offered virtually over the past two years due to pandemic restrictions. Many schools enjoyed engaging with the Museum online so there will also still be elements of the programme available to access directly from the classroom.

Primary level: Browse the full autumn/winter 2022 programme
Post Primary level: Browse the full autumn/winter 2022 programme

There are four public sites of the National Museum of Ireland now open to the public and available for school visits.

School visits are free but booking is essential for all school groups. Continue reading for some selected highlights from the programme:

Onsite guided tour: Recovered Voices: Stories and Experiences of the Irish at War: 1914-1915

This tour at the Museum of Decorative Arts & History, Collins Barracks is available at primary and post primary level, focuses on the people involved in World War One and how the war impacted their lives.

View more details here.

What’s the Sceál: Objects and Stories

A mix of traditional and contemporary stories linked to artefacts in the National Folklife Collection at the Museum of Country Life, Turlough Park with some of Ireland’s premier traditional storytellers, in collaboration with Poetry Ireland. Available online and onsite for primary and post-primary levels.

View more details here.

New Onsite Workshop: Go Extinct

Discover amazing extinct Irish animals in the Museum of Natural History, Kildare Street in this primary level workshop led by a Museum Educator.

View more details here.

Leaving Certificate Art Tours

An onsite tour at the Museum of Archaeology, Merrion Street specifically designed to cover key objects that appear on the History of Art Leaving Certificate specification and traces the development of art in Ireland from the Neolithic to the 12th century.

View more details here.

For full programme details go to www.museum.ie/en-ie/museums/archaeology/engage-and-learn

The Ark

Dates: See below

The Ark are delighted to announced their full Autumn programme for early years, schools and teachers, a jam packed programme including theatre, music shows, exhibitions and workshops. Below is a selection of some of the highlights taking place:

Museum of Languages Exhibition and Workshops

Exhibition Dates: 29 – 30 October, 1 November – Sun 6 November & 12 November
Workshop Dates: 8 & 9 November
Age Range: 4th to 6th Class

Discover the origins of languages and symbolism in this unique, interactive experience at The Ark, brought to you by Mother Tongues.

Seedlings Early Years Workshop: Incredible Ice

Dates: 4 & 10 December
Age Range: Early Years 2 – 4 years

Artist Jane Groves explores the textures of a frozen landscape through storytelling, creative play and imagination in this Early Years visual arts workshop.

FREE On Demand – Tracks in the Snow

Dates: 1 – 31 December
Age Range: All Classes

Discover the magic of winter in the much-loved winter music show, Tracks in the Snow by The Henry Girls. Schools can enjoy free access this Winter, the show links in with the Listening and Responding strand units of the Music curriculum. A free downloadable classroom pack is also available online at ark.ie/events/view/ondemand-tracks-in-the-snow-the-henry-girls-2

The full season can be viewed at ark.ie, booking is now open for all events via the simple schools booking form on each event page.

Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA)

Dates: 24 September, 1 October, 12 & 19 November 2022, 21 & 28 January 2023

Enjoy a Saturday morning on IMMA’s historic site, the Royal Hospital Kilmainham; experience exhibitions and creative processes in the museum studios.

The Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA) are delighted to welcome Primary School teachers to a new series of in-person CPD workshops exploring links to the visual art curriculum. Led by IMMA’s Assistant Curator, Mark Maguire and teacher, Eibhlin Campbell in this series of art workshops participants will explore links to the visual art curriculum, including “slow looking” practices in the galleries, displaying artwork (curation) and developing language talking about art.

Two practical workshops will be led by artists and educator Fiona Harrington in the IMMA studios in November, exploring fabric and fibre materials and processes. Fiona is interested in combining traditional processes with imagination and encouraging both children and adults to reconnect with creativity by exploring new materials, ideas, and techniques.

The purpose of these workshops is to restart in-person workshops in IMMA’s galleries and studios, emphasizing first-hand experience of artworks as well as studio-based, artist-led engagement with creative processes and art materials, and partnership between teachers and artists.

Duration: One/two day(s) per month, September to January.
Dates: 24 September, 1 October, 12 and 19 November 2022, 21 and 28 January 2023
Times: 10:00am – 12:30pm
No. of participants: 15

This workshop series is Free but booking essential. For more information or to book, email mark.maguire@imma.ie

!!!! The Ark announced as DCU Artists in Residence 24/25

The Ark and DCU Institute of Education

The Ark were selected as Young People, Children, and Education (YPCE) Artists in Residence for the academic year 2024/’25, funded by The Arts Council.

Una McCabe, Head of the School of Arts, Education and Movement, spoke about the impact of the residency:

!!!! Blog 1 – Students and Staff of Marino College, Dublin 3

Introducing Marino College and an insight into the evolution of our Creative Minds Festival of Arts and Culture.

We’re excited to share the story of Marino College’s ‘Creative Minds Festival of Art and Culture’ through this series of blog posts!

A map showing where Marino College is located.

Marino College 2022 Creative Schools Logo

Marino College Student Ambassadors lead a parade with a banner which reads Creative Minds Arts & Culture Festival

Marino College Student Ambassadors leading the 2023 Parade.

Marino College retired Principal Mary McAteer as Mother Nature, leading the 2023 Parade.

2024 Marino 100 Festival Poster

!!!! Opportunity for Schools: Ireland’s Young Filmmaker Awards 2025

The Fresh International Film Festival
Deadline for entries: 10 January 2025

Calling All Young Filmmakers: Submissions Now Open! The Fresh International Film Festival Returns for 2025, opening doors for aspiring filmmakers.

Could you be the next Fresh Film alumnus to reach global acclaim?

The countdown is on for submissions to the Fresh International Film Festival 2025 and the coveted Ireland’s Young Filmmaker of the Year Awards!

For submission details, visit: Fresh International Film Festival Submission 2025 freshfilm.ie

Mark Your Calendar

Submission Deadline: Tuesday, January 10, 2025

Regional Screenings: March 10–21, 2025, in Omniplex Cinemas Nationwide

Festival Week: April 7–13, 2025

Watch the trailer here:

!!!! Opportunity for Artists: Emma O’Kane Award

Emma O’Kane Bursary
Deadline: 10 January 2025, 12noon

To learn more about the opportunity and the application process, please visit: https://www.emmaokanebursary.ie/applynow.

!!!! Opportunity for Schools: Funding for Artists in Schools and Youth Theatre Announced for County Kerry

Kerry County Council
Closing date for applications: 15 January 2025 at 1pm

Kerry County Council has announced funding opportunities for 2025 including Artists in Schools Scheme and Youth Theatre Grant Scheme.

Artists in Schools Scheme 2025

Kerry County Council intends to provide funding for a number of projects in Primary and Post-Primary Schools in County Kerry under its Artists in Schools Scheme in 2025.

The purpose of the scheme is to enable students and teaching staff to work collaboratively with a professional artist on a creative project over an extended period.

A school awarded a bursary in previous years, must allow a lapse of 1 year before being eligible to apply again (e.g. successful in 2023, apply again for 2025).

Youth Theatre Grant Scheme 2025

For more information on both funding opportunities, guidelines and application forms, see consult.kerrycoco.ie/en/applications

!!!! Opportunity for Schools: VISUAL Collective Transition Year Programme

VISUAL Carlow
Application deadline: 24 January 2025

VISUAL Collective is a work experience program for transition year students who are interested in exploring and learning more about the creative industries.

Led by VISUAL’s team of experienced facilitators, students will develop an understanding of how to pursue further education and a career in the arts by learning from people who work in the arts.

Interested students must apply directly to the program themselves, by following these instructions:

Write to VISUAL, or send a video telling them three sentences about yourself and three sentences about why you would like to join the programme.
Show your creative side: Send a video, photo of your art, music, poetry, creative writing, anything that you feel shows your best creative self! You can send more than one example of your creative work if you are skilled in more than one area.
Include your full name, school name, email address and phone number in your application.
Send your application to Arlene Caffrey learning@visualcarlow.ie before midnight on 24th January 2025

Other details:

The programme will begin on Friday 7th February and continue each Friday for 10 consecutive weeks, finishing on Friday 2nd May (no sessions take place during midterm and Easter).
Weekly sessions will last from 9.00 – 13:00 with 30 minutes for break.
Students should bring their own lunch every week and wear something they feel comfortable in (school uniform is not required).
There are up to 15 places available on this programme for TY students. Applications are competitive so students are encouraged to be as creative as possible in their application to show us their creativity and enthusiasm for the arts.

Need help? No problem, just ask! Email Arlene Caffrey at learning@visualcarlow.ie
For more information see link to VISUAL website: visualcarlow.ie/whats-on/visual-collective

!!!! The 2024 National Arts in Education Portal Day – Roundup

The Arts in Education Portal National Day 2024

“An emancipated society however would not be a unitary state, but the realisation of generality (universality) in the reconciliation of differences”

Minima Moralia, Theodor Adorno 1951

StreetArt Ink Creative Workshop

Delegates at the 2024 National Arts in Education Portal Day at TU Dublin, School of Art & Design

Young performer, Marino College band and guitar club performance

!!!! Creative Schools publishes Youth Voice Journal

Creative Schools publishes ‘Youth Voice in Creative Schools – Reflections on Practice’
October 2024

The intention of this publication is to:

Collect, preserve and celebrate innovative practice in creative youth consultation in the Creative Schools Programme.
Share this practice to a wider audience.
Surface and document trends, patterns, challenges encountered to inform future training and research needs.

Youth Voice in Creative Schools – Reflections on Practice is available to download here

!!!! Blog 4 – Dr Jo Lewis, Artist & Arts Council YPCE bursary recipient

How to engage children in the climate crisis through understanding ecology through an art practice.

Here are a few ways to integrate art and ecology in the lesson:

Drawing: Encourage students to sketch plants, trees, or other elements in the landscape. Whether detailed or quick sketches, this practice helps them notice the finer details of their environment.
Photography: Use photography to capture the beauty of nature. This method encourages attention to detail and allows children to document plants and insects they might otherwise overlook.
Collecting and Pressing: For non-protected plants, collecting and pressing specimens offers a tangible way to engage with nature. Pressed plants can also be used for art projects, enhancing their connection to the environment.

Some useful resources:

An Taisce run summer courses to give teachers resources: greenschoolsireland.org/an-taisce-summer-courses-2024/
Take positive Action: NASA Citizen Science program
Jess Farraday Teach Your Kids About Climate Change Art

Strands of seaweed hang from a rock for Mermaid's part project with Rathlee National School, Co Sligo and Jo Lewis artist

Image 1: Mermaid’s path project with Rathlee National School, Co Sligo

Students from Geevagh National School in the distance on a field trip to Clooneen bog on a winters day

Image 2: Field trip to Clooneen bog, Geevagh National School with Jo Lewis artist.

Colourful artwork of trees, leaves and seeds on tiles at the Dock studio, Co Leitrim

Image 3: Art and ecology at Saturday studio at The Dock, Co Leitrim. Artwork on tiles of trees, leaves and seeds.

A group of three images showing beach art and a bog field trip with primary school students with Jo Lewis artist

Images left to right: Beach art at Mullaghmore, Ballinatrillick NS, Sphagnum moss at Clooneen Bog, Geevagh NS and Mermaid’s path project, Rathlee NS

All photographs courtesy of Jo Lewis

!!!! Opportunity for Schools: The UCD Composition Prize

UCD School of Music: The UCD Composition Prize 2025
Deadline: 10 January 2025 at 3pm

Calling young composers! The UCD School of Music has officially launched the second year of the UCD Composition Prize.

The competition offers secondary school students across Ireland the opportunity to have their music performed in the National Concert Hall, with cash prizes awarded to the top three winning pieces.

The competition is open to Transition Year and Leaving Cert / A-Level students studying anywhere on the island of Ireland.

Entry is free to all. Email your submissions to composition@ucd.ie.

Deadline: 3pm Friday January 10th 2025.

!!!! Cultural Diversity in Music Education (CDIME) Conference 2025: Call for Proposals

Mary Immaculate College and the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance, University of Limerick.
Deadline: 16 December 2024

Proposals should be submitted via the conference Call for Proposals online form before 16 December, 2024.

For more information, submission guidelines and online application form see www.mic.ul.ie/CDIME2025

!!!! Opportunity for Writers: Poetry Ireland Writers in Schools Scheme

Poetry Ireland
Deadline: Ongoing

Call for Applications: Writers in Schools Scheme

Applications are open on an ongoing basis from poets, novelists, storytellers, teen fiction writers, children’s writers, playwrights and screenwriters to join the Writers in Schools directory.

!!!! Opportunity for Artists: Funding Opportunities for Artists in Schools Announced for Cork County

Cork County Council Arts Service
Deadline: 9 January 2025

Arts Grant Scheme

Artist in Schools Scheme

The purpose of the Artist in Schools scheme is to enable primary and post-primary students and teaching staff to work collaboratively with an artist on a creative project over an extended period.

Information Sessions

Applications can be made online from the 11th of November 2024 until the 9th of January 2025.

Guidelines are available on the Arts section of Cork County Council’s website www.corkcoco.ie
For queries on the schemes, email arts@corkcoco.ie or call 021- 4346210.

!!!! Opportunity for Schools: 2025 Waltons RTÉ lyric fm Music for Schools Competition

2025 Waltons RTÉ lyric fm Music for Schools Competition
Closing date: 12 February 2025 at 5pm

Waltons New School of Music and RTÉ lyric fm are delighted to announce the 2025 Waltons RTÉ lyric fm Music for Schools Competition!

About the Competition

Founded in 2012, the Waltons RTÉ lyric fm Music for Schools Competition is a non-profit national event celebrating and supporting music in Irish schools.

All primary and post-primary schools in the Republic of Ireland are eligible to enter the Competition, and schools from all 26 counties have participated in previous years.

How It Works

Primary and post-primary schools put together instrumental, vocal or mixed student music groups (between 10 and 40 performers), which create ensemble pieces or songs that respond in some way to the year’s Competition theme. A group can be made up of any combination of singers or instrumentalists you choose. And this year’s theme is The Key of Life.
Schools submit an online entry form and send a video of the group’s performance as well as a jpeg photograph of the group.
The initial entries are judged by a team of first-round adjudicators, and twelve Finalist groups (six primary and six post-primary) are selected.
The Finalists are announced on RTÉ lyric fm. Groups not selected as Finalists but displaying real merit are designated as either Commended or Highly Commended. Certificates are produced for the schools and all student performers, and the groups are listed on the Waltons New School of Music website. Finalists’ entry videos are added to the Music for Schools Competition YouTube channel.
The twelve Finalist groups perform in a gala Finalists Concert at the National Concert Hall. Their performances are assessed by a panel of distinguished adjudicators, who announce the six winning groups at the end of the concert. Finalists Concert videos are later added to the Music for Schools Competition YouTube channel, and both videos and photos are added to the Waltons New School of Music website.

2025 Competition Calendar:

Wednesday, 12 February 2025, 5 pm
Deadline for schools to submit their entries.

Friday, 28 February 2025
The twelve Finalist schools are announced on RTÉ lyric fm.

Monday, 24 March 2025
Finalists Concert

For more information and entry forms, go to newschool.ie/musicforschools.

!!!! Blog 3 – Dr Jo Lewis, Artist & Arts Council YPCE bursary recipient

Art practice as a means of understanding your landscape and sense of belonging

Show how plants were collected and labelled for herbariums – ask them to pick the plant they find most interesting – press it and label it for use back in the classroom / studio (see image one below) (click here for Botanical Society for Britain and Ireland – Code of Conduct for picking, collecting, photographing and enjoying wild plants)
Draw the plant in situ, include some of the surrounds and make notes on the location, date and weather.
Back in the studio/ classroom identify the plant using guides or apps taking note of the Latin and common name – think how you might be able to remember it.
Draw the plant in detail – collaborate with others to make a landscape of the plants (see image two below)
Use the pressed plant to print using inks or make a 3D print using clay – make sure to remember the name – label the work with your name and the plants’ names (see image three below)

To stand in one spot and to recognise and maybe name some of the plants and habitats that we see around us will (subconsciously or not) give us a confidence as to where we are in the world.

Image 1: Bog plants pressed and ID’d

Image 2: Calry National School using Plant ID references for their drawings

Image 3: Printing and casting by Rathlee National School seashore workshop

Image 4: Rathlee National School plaster-casts

Image 5: Final piece with a legend identifying the seashore ecology and the artist

Image 6: Students identifying plants in Carrick-on-Shannon

!!!! Opportunity for Schools: Clare County Council announce Artists in Schools Residency Award 2024-2025

Clare County Arts Office – Artists in Schools
Closing Date: 8 November, 5pm

Projects can be collaborative and involve other creative practitioners and organisations but must be developed with the input of both the artist and the school.

Assessment Criteria
Projects will be assessed according to the following criteria

Quality and innovation of the concept/idea for the proposal. (30)
Quality of the artists work and track record as demonstrated by the support documentation submitted with the application, including the Artists CV. (30)
Feasibility of the proposed project, budget, time frame, number of students etc. (30)
Potential for the project to leave a creative impact on the school. (10)

For further information, Terms and Conditions and Application Forms, please visit: yoursay.clarecoco.ie/artists-in-schools-residency-award-2024-2025

!!!! Opportunity for Teachers: Oide Creativity Autumn/Winter 2024 Workshops

Oide Creativity
Dates: various November 2024

The Creative Ireland Programme and Oide are delighted to present their Autumn/Winter 2024 series of professional development workshops for teachers to support engagement with the arts and learning.

The courses include:

This workshop offers participants an opportunity to:

explore the Museum of Literature Ireland (MoLI) and use it as a stimulus and source of inspiration,
engage in an active listening process as a means to discussing the relationship between teachers and students in the classroom,
consider the written word and Joyce’s use of language,
discuss how words are mediated through multi-modal texts in the world today,
enjoy time and space to develop their own writing.

Introduction to Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS): Learning to look
Dates: Saturday 16 November and Saturday 30 November 2024
Location: Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA)

Oide Creativity in collaboration with artist Claire Halpin and the Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA), presents a two-day elective workshop, open to all teachers. For full details go here.

This workshop offers participants an opportunity to:

look at and respond to a range of images utilising the VTS method of looking,
practice the VTS method of looking in a collaborative and supportive environment,
discuss how thoughtful and responsible image selection supports aesthetic development and critical thinking skills,
reflect on how the VTS method can be utilised to engage students in analysing imagery.

Spaces are limited for each workshop. A waiting list will apply.

For more information on full list of Oide Creativity workshops, dates and to book your place, please visit: www.creativity.oide.ie/

!!!! Opportunity for Schools: Good Vibes Arts Calendar Project 2025

Good Vibes Project
Deadline: 15 December 2024

You are invited to develop creative ideas in response to the question:

The 2025 Arts Calendar Project pilot aims to inspire with a weekly online calendar featuring a selection of 52 pieces of art from submissions.

Individuals or groups who are interested in getting involved, please share your selected piece as follows:

In English, briefly introduce the piece of art you have selected (max. 150 words), explain why it has touched you personally and might have an uplifting impact also on others,
add any additional information (image, link, source/copyright etc.) that helps to convey a vivid impression of the selected piece of art,
submit and send your proposal by 15 December 2024 to: goodvibesproject@protonmail.com

Please also note:

You are welcome to send up to three proposals if you wish.
As cultural and linguistic diversity is valued in this project, contributors with a first language other than English are encouraged to provide a first language version of their proposal(s).
You can download a PDF with a few examples of the (bilingual) format in which the contributions can be submitted: Contributions to Project – Some Examples

For further information please email Project Coordinator (Manfred Schewe) at: goodvibesproject@protonmail.com

See full information about The Good Vibes Calendar Project here: www.ucc.ie/en/scenario/scenarioforum/specificprojects/goodvibesartscalendarproject/

Featured image: Street Art in Müllerstraße, Berlin, by HERA. Photo: MS streetartmankind.org/artists/hera/

!!!! Cork International Film Festival 2024 Schools Programme

Cork International Film Festival
Dates: 7 – 17 November 2024

Cork International Film Festival are presenting a diverse and exciting programme of films for young people as part of their Festival Schools Programme in November.

Cork International Film Festivals 2024 Schools Programme includes seven feature films, suitable for Junior Cert, Transition Year and Leaving Cert students.

The Schools programme is available at:

Schools Programme Feature Films:

Senior French : The Fantastic Three (Les Trois Fantastiques)

Junior French : Neneh Superstar

Senior German : The Teachers’ Lounge (Das Lehrerzimmer)

Junior German : Greetings From Mars (Grüsse vom Mars)

Senior Spanish : Love & Revolution

Junior Spanish : La Suprema

Green Screen (focusing on sustainability): Once Upon a Time in a Forest

Tickets:
Each student ticket is €7.50 (€7 DEIS school discount), accompanying teachers can attend free of charge.

To inquire about the screenings’ schedule and for bookings, please contact schools@corkfilmfest.org

Note: Study Guides will be available from 1st November at ifi.ie/studyguides

!!!! School Workshops at The Ark: ‘Dinosaur Pie’ Creative Writing

The Ark, Dublin
Dates: 7 – 9 November 2024

Come along to The Ark, Dublin and enjoy a fun-filled creative imagination workshop with author and facilitator Jen Wallace inspired by her hilarious new book Dinosaur Pie.

In the workshop, you’ll get to think about some of Rory’s adventures. Then we can explore together how to:

Start an imagination explosion.
Release awesome ideas.
Create our own characters.
Build amazing worlds.
Use curiosity to weave stories.

Tickets
Tickets are free thanks to the support of UNESCO Dublin City of Literature

Schools: To make a booking for schools workshops, please use The Ark schools booking form or call 01 6707788.

Dates & Times
Public: Sat 9 November @ 11am & 2pm
Schools: Thurs 7 Nov & Fri 8 Nov @ 10.15am and 12.15pm

Ages
For Ages 5-8 (Senior to 2nd Class)

For further information go to ark.ie/events/view/school-public-workshops-dinosaur-pie-creative-writing

!!!! Guidelines Supporting Inclusion for Autistic Children in Early Learning, School & Childcare Settings Published

Minister O’Gorman publishes Guidelines Supporting Inclusion for Autistic Children in Early Learning, School & Childcare Settings

Each year 2,735 services benefit from AIM supports.

Speaking about the National Guidelines, Minister O’Gorman said:

“I am delighted to announce the publication of National Guidelines to Support the Inclusion of Autistic Children in Early Learning and Care and School-Age Childcare Settings.

These Guidelines form part of the Access and Inclusion Model (AIM) suite of supports and resources supporting the inclusion of children in the ECCE programme and beyond.

I hope the Guidelines assist early years educators and school-age childcare practitioners with the important role they play to support the inclusion of all children in their settings.”

Welcoming the publication of these guidelines, Minister of State with responsibility for Disability, Anne Rabbitte added:

“I warmly welcome these National Guidelines for those working with our youngest children. They deliver on an action of our Department’s Autism Innovation Strategy.

These guidelines for early learning and care, school-age childcare and childminding settings are an example of a clear action that can make a tangible difference to children’s lives.”

Click here to go to Introductory Guidelines to Support the Meaningful Inclusion of Autistic Children in Early Learning and Care & School Age Childcare.

To read full press release click here: www.gov.ie/en/press-release/27df1-minister-ogorman-publishes-introductory-guidelines/

!!!! Opportunity for Pre-Schools: Moving Words with Selma Daniel with Roscommon Arts Centre

Roscommon Arts Centre
Dates: 4, 5 and 6 November 2024

Roscommon Arts Centre are bringing creative experiences to the youngest of audiences this November with Selma Daniel Dance.

Tickets: Booking through Box Office 0906 625824

Dates: 4, 5 and 6 November 2024

*These performances are offsite in Roscommon pre-schools*

Please register your interest by contacting the box office on 0906 625824 or boxoffice@roscommoncoco.ie

!!!! Artist Opportunity: Open Call for Mother Tongues Festival 2025

Mother Tongues Festival 2025 – Open Call for Artists
Closing Date: Sunday, 27 October 2024

The Mother Tongues Festival is an inclusive platform that invites artists from all backgrounds to participate in workshops, performances and exhibitions that embrace the power of multilingualism.

The workshops must be designed for families (parents/carers will attend with children) catering for children in the following age groups: 2 to 3 years, 3 to 6 years and 6 to 8 years.

While all proposals are welcome, they are particularly interested in those which encourage active participation and link clearly to one of the following themes:

Creativity and multilingualism
an activity that promotes creativity and language, that fosters an understanding of linguistic diversity or an appreciation of all languages
Languages from shared heritage
an activity that promotes a single language by showing the relevance of the links between language and heritage

Each selected artist will receive a budget of €250 per workshop.

For more information about this open call and details on how to submit your proposal click here: mothertonguesfestival.com

The deadline is Sunday, October 27th 2024. The workshop will be held on February 22nd 2025 in Tallaght.

!!!! Opportunity For Schools: Branar’s Acorn Digital Arts Flag

Branar
Closing Date: 31st October 2024

Branar is accepting applications from schools for their Acorn Digital Arts Flag programme.

The Acorn Digital Arts Flag programme includes:

A series of 6 arts workshops in video format that teachers and pupils can do in the classroom (there is a version for junior classrooms and one for senior classrooms)
Suggestions for extending the workshop activities in the classroom
Documentation to support engagement with the workshops and to build on them afterward in the classroom

Further details about what’s involved, see Branar’s website branar.ie/en/schools or watch this introduction video:

This programme is free to apply for schools in Ireland so please share with any teachers/schools you think may be interested.

There is no cost to schools to participate.

To apply please complete and submit the form at this link: form.jotform.com/231153125616346

!!!! Opportunity For Schools: This is Art! 2024 Competition Now Open

RTÉ’s ‘This is Art!’
Closing Date: 3rd November 2024, at Midnight

Exciting news! The “This is Art! 2024” competition is now open for entries, and they need your help to inspire the next generation of young artists.

Student entries will be hosted on the RTÉ website www.rte.ie/thisisart as a digital gallery.

The theme for this years completion is “This is Imagination!”

Download the Teachers Pack here.

How to Enter:

CREATE!Encourage your students to craft artwork reflecting the theme “This is Imagination!”
SNAP!Have them take a high-quality digital image of their masterpiece.
UPLOAD!Submit their artwork at rte.ie/thisisart.

Categories:

7 & Under
8–11 years
12–15 years
16–18 years
Groups (schools and community groups)

Prizes:

Unique TIA! Grand Prix Winners trophy for first place in each category
Prize fund of €10,000 for art materials, art-related learning experiences, and vouchers

Closing Date: 3rd November 2024, at Midnight

For further information go to rte.ie/thisisart.

!!!! Bruiser Theatre Company Seeks Education Officer

Bruiser Theatre Company, Northern Ireland

Deadline: 6pm on 4 October 2024

Bruiser Theatre Company is hiring an Education Officer on a fixed-term contract until 30 September 2026, based in Belfast.

Applications must be submitted via email to info@bruisertheatrecompany.com by 6pm on 4 October 2024.

For further information go to – bruisertheatrecompany.com/news/job-opportunity-education-officer

!!!! Guest Speakers – 2024 National Arts in Education Portal Day

For further inquiries, please contact events@artsineducation.ie.

!!!! Blog 2 – Dr Jo Lewis, Artist & Arts Council YPCE bursary recipient

Using Art to explore and learn about Ecology

Interface Def: a surface forming a common boundary of two bodies, spaces, or phases.

Photographs of Geevagh NS Co Leitrim. Bogland project. From IDing plants and fauna, through to drawing and plaster casting them.

!!!! International Conference: Rethinking Creativity in Education – A Solution for 21st Century Challenges?

International conference on creativity in education, organized in Stockholm by Berättarministeriet in association with Karolinska Institutet.

Dates: 20 – 21 November 2024

Welcome to this international conference on creativity in education, organized in Stockholm by Berättarministeriet in association with Karolinska Institutet.

Due to the limited availability of seats, early registration is strongly recommended to ensure your participation.

The conference is free of charge.

Time and date: 20 – 21 November 2024, 9.00 – 16.00 / 9 AM – 4 PM CET

Location: Aula Medica, Karolinska Institutet, Nobels väg 6, Stockholm, Sweden

For further information and to register go to – info.berattarministeriet.se/conference-rethinking-creativity-in-education-solution

!!!! Opportunity for Schools: Cork Children’s Book Festival invites primary schools to meet The Brothers McLeod

Cork County Council Children’s Book Festival

Date: 7 October 2024

BAFTA winning brothers, Greg and Myles McLeod are the illustrator and author of the Knight Sir Louis series.

The first Knight Sir Louis book was written for Greg’s son… Louis! The books can be read in any order and are perfect Reading for Pleasure stories.

For more information contact schools.library@corkcoco.ie

!!!! Arts Council announces 184 new schools will join its Creative Schools programme

Creative Schools

For further information on the Creative Schools initiative go to artscouncil.ie/creative-schools.

!!!! CPD Opportunities for teachers across the ESCI network

Education Support Centres Ireland (ESCI)

Dates: various

We have gathered together a selection of CPD courses for teachers offered through the Education Support Centres Ireland network. Highlights of courses available are as follows:

Collaborative Play with LEGO for Children with ASD & ADHD

Location & Dates:
Sligo EC, 2nd Sep, 7-8pm
Wexford ESC, 1 Oct, 7-8pm
Drumcondra EC, 2nd Oct, 7-8pm
Laois ESC, 7th Oct, 7-8pm

Establishing a School Library : Practical Tips to get Started

Location & Date: Wexford Education Centre, 5th September, 2024, 7-8pm

Local Voices

Location & Dates:
Dublin West EC, Laois ESC, Kildare ESC and Drumcondra EC, 9th September, 2024, 7-8pm

For futher information on these courses and to book, contact the relevant Education Support Centre or visit: https://www.esci.ie/cpd-courses.html

!!!! Blog 1 – Dr Jo Lewis, Artist & Arts Council YPCE bursary recipient

YPCE Bursary – Art and Ecology for Children and Young People

!!!! Fighting Words is Hiring!