2025 Documentation Award: The Circus with St Mary’s Special School Announced as First Recipient

The Portal Team is delighted to announce The Circus, with St Mary’s Special School in Co. Meath, as the first of three recipients of 2025 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: The Circus

The project being undertaken by St. Mary’s Special School is entitled ‘The Circus’. It is a collaboration between the classroom and art teacher, the creative practitioner and SNAs working to bring to the classroom the fun, colour and sounds of the circus. The Circus theme has provided an ‘irresistible invitation’ to the children to participate actively in the creative process.

They have been able to bring the multi-sensory experience of the Circus to the children, making it accessible in ways they understand and enjoy. This includes sounds, lighting, colour, art, smells, food, animals and of course circus performers. They constructed a ‘Big Tent’, provided opportunities to dress-up as clowns, be jugglers and tightrope walkers, use musical instruments to recreate the circus experience. Further auditory enrichment is provided by the creative practitioner, musician and singer, while the cookery teacher creates the tastes and smells of candy floss and popcorn.

The program responds to the needs and wishes of the children and, in turn, considers their responses in the on-going planning process. The children decide on activities and their own levels of participation and we are guided by that voice in consideration of their individuality, wellbeing, social and emotional development.

Ina Olohan – Art Teacher

Ina is a professional visual artist and the art teacher at St. Mary’s. A multidisciplinary artist, Ina works in various media including print, painting, collage and eco-dyeing. Ina wishes to provide broad based creative opportunities to the students drawing from the visual arts, music and movement. This broad approach evokes a high level of active engagement, focus and enjoyment from the students, as demonstrated through the implementing of the I Am Creative programme and BLAST. This approach also provides valuable learning opportunities across many areas of the curriculum which can be introduced and consolidated through fun art activities. Ina works collaboratively with BLAST participating artist Deirdre Shannon and classroom teacher Siobhan Doughty.

Siobhan Doughty – Classroom teacher

Siobhan is currently teaching eight amazing and energetic learners, aged 13-14 in St Marys Special School. They are following the JCP L1LP. In order to promote success in learning the students require a high level of support to assist them to understand their environment and what is expected of them. Siobhan aims to offer a total communication approach within the classroom with clear instruction, modelling and extrinsic teaching. When it comes to arts and creativity, Siobhan provides a supportive environment that allows the children to lead and explore the material presented in their own unique ways. In this creative space she sees herself as a facilitator of learning through sensory play, music and fun interactive social exchanges.

Deirdre Shannon – Vocalist

Deirdre studied Performance and Classical Singing under the tuition of Professor Mary Brennan ARNCM, GRNCM in the College of Music, Dublin, Ireland. Musical diversification has naturally developed for Deirdre through her experience on the world stage in an array of shows over the years. She featured as a solo vocalist in Anúna 1996-1998, Celtic Woman 2005-2006, Lord of the Dance 1997-2012, Celtic Thunder 2010, Celtic Tenors 2002-2016). Honing her craft further, Deirdre has recorded several TV shows, music specials and two successful solo albums, Deirdre Shannon 2006 and Anamceol 2011.

Deirdre has a deep desire to share her knowledge of music and the industry, but it is her love of music, that makes her such a passionate participant in pedagogy. She has become a successful vocal teacher in her own right, and her school grows, year on year. Deirdre works as a mentor for Minding Creative Minds also, offering help in problem-solving in what can be a complicated industry.

Getting chosen to train through the “I Am Creative” programme has meant that Deirdre can bring her love of music and deliver it in an exciting way into the special school setting. She is very excited to work with the wonderful students in St. Mary’s Special School again through BLAST. Bringing songs like Got A Hat Hat, Jungle Animal Sounds and Circus Clown to life with percussive sounds, dance, facial expression, dress-up. Each child can participate at their own level in their own way. They have the agency to choose. The excitement is infectious and the circus atmosphere rubs off each time, leaving the children feeling accomplished and valued.