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What does Arts in Education practice look like? Read about the processes and partnerships behind current projects happening around Ireland.


Songs For Our Times – An Intergenerational Intercultural Music Project


Performance Day - Songs for Our Times

Tell us the story of your project – What was the impetus? What was it about? Who was involved? How did you begin?

Ruti Lachs, Artist

I had run similar intergenerational projects in Kerry in the past, using music, songwriting, singing, and visual art to express ideas and feelings about our own stories. These projects always received great support from local partners and the press, and culminated in a public exhibition and/or a performance. The interaction between the generations was a most important part of this project.

I moved from Kerry to Cork in 2016, and I was touring two one-woman shows. One of the characters in the shows is my Jewish grandma, and there was a lot of audience interest in this character. I started researching the Cork Jewish community as it was in the early 1900s, and writing a musical play on the subject. I’ve always played Jewish music, and I saw great interest in Cork in its Jewish historical past, which I wanted to know more about, and to share my knowledge of. This had not been evident in my 28 years in Kerry, as there was no Jewish community in Kerry previously.

I had built up a relationship with the Arts Officer in Cork County Council, Sinead Donnelly who suggested running the project in two areas, Youghal and Bandon.

We worked with Bandonbridge Primary School sixth class pupils and their teacher, Freda O’Neill and the Bandon Daycare Centre, with support from Bandon Library.

The project took place over four Tuesdays in September and October 2019. Two workshops would take place in each centre (the schoolchildren had their workshops in Bandon Library), one visit by the children to the Daycare Centre, and a visit by the daycare participants to the school for the concert day. In the end, I visited Bandon a total of 7 times – two introductions, the four planned dates, and one evaluation day.

Freda O’Neill, Teacher

The children completed a number of workshops with Ruti, in the local library, in school and at the day-care centre. The goal was for both groups, the children and the day-care patients to compose and perform a song for each other and to enjoy a singsong and each other’s company at the final performance.

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Spotlight

Artist(s)

Ruti Lachs

Teacher(s)

Freda O’Neill

Fiona Giles

Noreen Walsh


Artforms

Music & Sound

School Level

Primary

School/
Participant Group

Bandonbridge National School, Co. Cork


No. Participants

45


Region

Cork

Age/Class

6th Class


Dates

September/October 2019


Weblinks


Leading Agency

Cork County Council Arts Service


Other Partners and/or Funders

Cork County Council Library Services

Key themes/ lines of enquiry

This project explored the issues around moving to a different county and how that might feel, and creating music to express this.


Curriculum Strands

Music, culture, intergenerational and intercultural activities



Composing in groups means working together to create something interesting, meaningful, and hopefully, beautiful.

Ruti Lachs, Artist

Singing to the older group - Songs for Our TimeSinging to the older group - Songs for Our Time

Working on the Song - Songs for Our TimeWorking on the Song - Songs for Our Time

Performance day - Songs for Our TimePerformance day - Songs for Our Time

Meeting of the two groups - Songs for Our TimesMeeting of the two groups - Songs for Our Times

Working on the song - Songs for Our TimesWorking on the song - Songs for Our Times

Rehearsing in the library - Songs for Our TimeRehearsing in the library - Songs for Our Time




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