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Mary Immaculate College and the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance, University of Limerick.
Deadline: 16 December 2024

Call for Proposals
The 17th Cultural Diversity in Music Education (CDIME) conference will take place in Limerick, 30th September – 2nd October, 2025. The CDIME conference has provided a platform for the exchange of practices and research related to cultural diversity in music education since 1992. The conference is co-hosted by Mary Immaculate College and the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance, University of Limerick.

The CDIME 2025 Conference invites presenters to reflect on ‘Living Diversity, Imagining Inclusivity: Practicing (Non-)belongings in Music Education’. The conference will explore the multifaceted, everyday experiences and expressions of diversity, and the factors that determine its plurality in terms of cultures/cultural repertories, i.e. race, class, religion, (dis)ability, gender, among others.

They invite proposals, panels, or arts practice presentations that consider the conference themes and questions posed. The conference welcomes from a wide range of academic disciplines and community collaborators, with intersections between music education and other disciplines such as ethnomusicology, community music, musicology, music therapy and performance studies, as well as broader transdisciplinary perspectives drawing on disciplines such as philosophy, sociology, psychology, anthropology, history, politics, or geography.

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

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!

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.

Threading needles with Youthreach

This year, I was hired to do a project with Youthreach and MSLETB in Sewing and Sustainability in Sligo, Carrick on Shannon and Mohill. It was also designed as a few hours in the week to help ease anxiety in students post Covid. The students were studying catering, hairdressing, computers or LCA in the various centres.

We started off the six week project with the basics of the sewing machine, learning how to thread a machine and how to fix it if it stops working. We went on to cut out a basic pattern for a gender neutral top in curtain lining or fabric the students had at home. The students worked in groups of two and threes at a machine so everyone got a go. Some struggled with going from a 2 dimensional flat piece to a 3 dimensional garment but eventually got it when they saw the finished article. I love sharing my passion for me made clothes and by making your own clothes, you can make garments to fit every body shape.

I found a few challenges as the artist working in this context. There are new students starting not every week, but frequently and absenteeism is common so it became normal to have students at different levels at the project, which is tricky when you are trying to build on skills every week and to keep having to start again at the beginning.

I sometimes forget that a lot of young people are not used to working with their hands and it can take a while for students to get that hand eye coordination going. Basic instruction like threading a needle can be very frustrating for students in the beginning but when they persevere with it, they find it really rewarding and I know from the tutors when they walked into the room they couldn’t believe how quiet the class was, the students were completely engrossed in the task, it’s an extremely mindful pastime.

Minister Martin announces government decision to extend Creative Ireland, the culture and wellbeing programme that transforms people, places and communities through creativity. Committed to the vision that everyone should have the chance to realise their creative potential to the full, the innovative all-of-government culture and wellbeing programme will be extended, in principle, for five more years until 2027.

In 2017, Creative Ireland was launched as an all-of-government culture and wellbeing programme committed to the vision that every person should have the opportunity to realise their full creative potential. Established as a legacy initiative of the Ireland 2016 Centenary Programme, it is the only programme of its kind in the world.

The founding vision of the programme is that creativity must be at the heart of public policy and that participation in cultural and creative activity promotes the wellbeing of the individual, the community and the nation at large. Creative Ireland collaborates across government and with arts, community and voluntary organisations to deploy creativity as a strategy for wellbeing, social cohesion and economic success.

Alongside its very successful Creative Youth initiative, the programme’s Creative Communities partnership with the 31 local authorities, and their delivery of over 5,700 creative projects to date, has been key to enabling community-led nationwide engagement.

Minister Martin said:

“I warmly welcome the Government’s decision to implement the all-of-government Creative Ireland Programme for another five years, and to work with me in the coming months to develop its framework. This programme has been innovative and effective in delivering the opportunity for people to explore their creative potential. Key initiatives such as Cruinniú na nÓg and Creative Schools have become embedded in the country’s cultural infrastructure. New projects that respond to contemporary social issues such as climate action and loneliness have emerged. With the support of my Cabinet colleagues, I look forward to developing a Creative Ireland Programme that will continue to enhance people’s lives in the coming years.”

The Government’s decision in principle will be for the Creative Ireland Programme to continue for a further five years, encompassing the period 2023-2027, and to focus on the following areas:
I. Creative Youth;
II. Creative Communities;
III. Creative Industries;
IV. Creative Health and Wellbeing; and
V. Creative Climate Action and Sustainability.

It is anticipated that a final framework of Clár Éire Ildánach/Creative Ireland Programme 2023-2027 will be brought to Government for its final agreement in Autumn 2022 prior to its publication, launch and implementation on an all-of-government basis.

For more see www.creativeireland.gov.ie/en/news/creative-ireland-programme-extended-to-2027/

The Playhouse 
Deadline: 5pm, Thursday 3 February 2022

The Playhouse is seeking an Education Officer. The Education Officer will work with the Head of Engagement and the wider Engagement Team to support learning and participation work in formal and informal settings and in the organisation’s role as an Open College Network Centre.

This is a part time role (2.5 days per week) in which you will help to ensure that The Playhouse develop pathways for people of all ages and abilities to engage in creative learning and participation.

The ideal candidate will be someone passionate about the value of education and motivated by engaging people in the learning that matters to them. You will understand and believe in a cultural democracy, in the value of the arts as part of our everyday lives and as a force for good in the world.

Deadline: 5pm, Thursday 3 February 2022

For more information on how to apply for the role of Education Officer, please see www.derryplayhouse.co.uk/vacancies

Irish Architecture Foundation
Dates: 15 – 30 June 2021

Registration is open for IAF’s International Summer School, a series of live, virtual seminars and workshops exploring the relationship between architecture and media. The Summer School will explore how architecture as culture is mediated, communicated, disseminated, represented, experienced and consumed through the diverse media of filmmaking, podcasting and critical writing.

Events are suitable for post-primary school pupils.

Attendees can look forward to an exciting lineup of speakers and workshop facilitators including:
Emmett Scanlon (IRL), Matthew Blunderfield (UK), Grace La (USA), Inga Saffron (USA), Mimi Zeiger (USA), Tom Ravenscroft (UK) & Shane O’Toole (IRL).

For more information, see: architecturefoundation.ie/event/international-summer-school-architecture-and-media/

 

Offaly County Council Arts Office
Deadline: 4pm, 2 June, 2021

Offaly County Council Arts Office invites professional artists, individual or collaboratively, to submit proposals for the delivery of a new Youth Arts Project for the cohort of 13 to 25 year olds within Offaly. The commission is open to submissions from all art disciplines including visual arts, film, animation, digital arts, performing arts, literature or sound art. The commission can concentrate on one art form or a range of art forms but must demonstrate a youth led ethos. It is vital that consideration is given to the times we are in and how engagement with young people can take place within a socially distanced world.

A fully inclusive fee of €15,000.00 to include all travel, materials, VAT will be made payable in three instalments:
1. €5000.00 on signing of contract with agreement on a submitted project outlining clear timelines, delivery and process.
2. €5000.00 mid way into the project
3. €5000.00 on completion of the project

There need not be a specific outcome, (i.e. piece of art, performance), rather the process and engagement with the Young People in Offaly should be central to the project and be inspired by their wants and needs. If there is an outcome, consideration should be given on how same could be showcased.

We would envisage the project as being easily accessible, have a wide reach and attract young people that are not necessarily involved in Arts.

Deadline: 4pm, Wednesday 2 June, 2021

For more information and to apply, see https://offalycoco.submit.com//show/92

 

First Cut! Youth Film Festival
Dates: 17 April – 9 May 2021

First Cut! Youth Film Festival returns for its 12th year showcasing new films by young filmmakers. Running from 17 April – 9 May 2021, offers an imaginative, thought-provoking and entertaining programme for young people aged 12-24yrs. Audiences from all over Ireland, and from abroad, are invited to join them virtually for a completely free programme of events including: Open call short film and feature film screenings, workshops, panel discussions with some of the leading filmmakers in Ireland, a host of special guest appearances and more.

Workshops include: Puppetry for Film and Television Workshop, Stormtroopers SFX Workshop and more.

Dates: 17 April – 9 May 2021

To see the full programme, see: https://firstcutfilmfestival.com/

Music Generation 
Deadline: 23 April 2021

Dublin and Dun Laoghaire Education and Training Board (DDLETB) invites applications for the position of Music Generation Development Officer (Fingal). They will be responsible for managing a programme of performance music education on behalf of Fingal Local Music Education Partnership. This is a five-year fixed term contract.

The successful candidate will have a broad understanding of the diversity of effective, contemporary approaches across the diversity of performance music education – and will have the skills and experience to develop a programme that responds to the specific needs of young people in disadvantaged communities.

Music Generation is Ireland’s National Music Education Programme that gives children and young people access to high-quality, subsidised performance music education. Initiated by Music Network, Music Generation is co-funded by U2, The Ireland Funds, the Department of Education and Local Music Education Partnerships.

Deadline: 4pm Friday 23rd April 2021

For more information on how to apply, see: www.musicgeneration.ie/news/job-opportunity-music-generation-development-officer-fingal

 

Baboró International Arts Festival, Graffiti Theatre and TYA Ireland

Deadline: Monday 8 February 2021

Callout for a 6-month playwriting programme led by Finegan Kruckemeyer for established and emerging playwrights based in Ireland who are interested in writing for young audiences.

Baboró International Arts Festival for Children, Graffiti Theatre and TYA Ireland are excited to collaborate with International TYA Playwright Finegan Kruckemeyer to host a new playwriting programme for writers and theatre makers in Ireland who are interested in writing plays for young audiences.

At a time when the world and its distances are both larger and smaller than ever before, a collaboration will occur, spanning half a globe, and half a year, and driven by that most exciting of provocations – to forge something from nothing.

Beginning with a blank page, eight Irish authors will respond to writing aids and impositions both as they explore theatre for young audiences – what makes a TYA play, and what TYA play they wish to make.

But more important than the audience, shall be the idea. And in writing work solemn and silly, foreign and known, as vast as an ocean and as small as a boat which may rock upon it, eight individual voices shall be celebrated, and their plays play out to their ends.

Who is this for?
This opportunity is open to both established and emerging playwrights, residing in Ireland, interested in writing plays for young audiences. Applications are encouraged from artists with a disability, those from minority ethnic communities and those who feel their voices are not commonly represented. There are eight places available on the programme.

Irish language writers are welcome to participate in this project through the medium of Irish.  Support and translation will be provided to facilitate a bilingual writing journey with Fin. Samples of writing in Irish can be included in the application.

Cuirimid fáilte roimh scríbhneoirí le Gaeilge páirt a ghlacadh sa togra seo as Gaeilge. Cuirfear tacaíocht agus aistriúcháin ar fáil chun an turas scríbhneoireachta dátheangach le Fin a éascú. Is féidir samplaí Gaeilge a bheith mar chuid den iarratas.

Deadline for Applications is Monday 8 February 2021

For further information and application details go to https://www.baboro.ie/news-events/you-fin-and-the-play-between

Creative Schools: The Journey Continues – Blog 2

Creative Schools Coordinators:

In every Creative School there is a Creative Schools Coordinator. The coordinator is my first point of contact with each school and I liaise with them in regular meetings. I have now met all coordinators in my corresponding schools. In some schools the coordinator is a member of the teaching staff and in others it is the school principal. There has been a great response and enthusiasm from all coordinators and schools as a whole to the project and a strong belief in the positive impact it can make on putting the arts and creativity at the heart of young people’s lives.

Completion of Step One: ‘Understand’:

I am continuing to work with schools on the process of gaining an understanding of the school’sengagement with the arts and creativity. Having completed workshops and meetings with relevant parties and staff, I am liaising with Creative Schools Coordinators to complete the documentation for this section. All schools are provided with a document called ‘Understand’ complete with four sections: 1) Children & Young People 2) Teaching & Learning 3) Leadership & Management & 4) School Environment, Opportunities & Networks. In each section there are a series of statements which are rated on a scale of: 0-5 (0 means: the statement is ‘Not at all true’, 5 means: the statement is ‘Very true’). For example: “Pupils/students are involved in decision-making on existing arts opportunities and are able to shape their learning experiences in school” (Section 1: Children & Young People). Using age specific surveys designed for appropriate parties and information gathered from staff discussions I work with coordinators to rate all statements (using an average from the individual ratings). The following individuals are consulted with in this process: the school principal, deputy principal, coordinator, teachers (including resource staff & S.N.A.s), staff with a responsibility for the arts, parent’s association and board of management. These findings will support the development of the Creative Schools Plan which will be carried out in step two: ‘Develop’.

What is Creativity?

As I mentioned in my previous post the voice, opinions and views of young people is of key importance to this pilot project. Through ‘The Voice of Young People’ workshop I collected lots of useful information which I use as data for the ‘Children & Young People’ section and to influence my work with schools going forward. I go through this information, document and analyse it. I found it inspiring to read young people’s understanding of the word ‘Creativity’. From my experience, all young people have their own individual understanding of creativity. It is very interesting and uplifting read their definitions:

“I think it is about showing who you are and what you like to do”. “I think if you’re creative, you have a big imagination”.

“It’s about expressing yourself”.

“Imagination”.

“Like your dreams are what you feel & draw & do”.

“Do what your mind tells you”.

“Creativity is free! When you break rules, you are being creative”.

I believe it is important to let young people come up with their own understanding of creativity rather than provide them with a set definition. This is similar to the constructivist approach I often use in my own teaching. Using constructivism, students are actively involved in constructing their own meaning and knowledge as opposed to passively receiving information.

Through the workshop, I also gathered information on student’s individual artistic and creative interests. Students listed: the creative activities they are currently engaged with inside and outside school. They also listed the creative things they would like to do if they had the opportunity. It is very interesting to hear their responses. The answers vary greatly from school to school. The school’slocation and the cultural and artistic opportunities in close proximity of the school also have an influence on the responses given.

Meeting Teachers:

I have commenced meeting all teaching staff in my corresponding schools. It is very important that staff are fully aware of what is involved in Creative Schools and are able to contribute their ideas in order for the project to be of benefit. The staff are of key importance to ensure the sustainability and longevity of the project. In these meetings I initially provide staff with a thorough understanding of Creative Schools. I then explain the different components of the programme including the first step: ‘Understand’. I design posters listing the following questions as headings:

What are the creative strengths of the school?
What creative areas can the school develop?
What creative activities can the school implement to develop these areas?

I then facilitate a discussion with staff where they are given the opportunity to provide answers/ideas to questions listed. We pass around the posters and everyone makes a written note of their contributions. I also ask staff about their own individual areas of expertise for example: Is there a staff member that is a particularly skilled/trained musician/dancer? etc. This is very beneficial for all staff to be aware of going forward. I have found that a lot of schools are interested in working collaboratively together to share their creative skills and knowledge.

New Beginnings in 2019:

I am looking forward to a new year of opportunities for Creative Schools and excited to move on to the next stage of the project.

University College Cork

Date: 25th May, 2018

Performative Pathways between Schools, Universities and the Wider Community

The invited speakers will offer their perspectives on why theatre should be introduced and established as a subject in primary and secondary schools, why universities should embrace performativity within and across academic disciplines, and why leading theatres should continue to embrace and increase their outreach activities and aspire to employ theatre education specialists. The symposium should be of special interest to those who aim to form stronger links between theatre and education, including teachers, lecturers, theatre students, directors of theatres and theatre companies, applied theatre practitioners and policy makers.

Symposium organisation: Manfred Schewe and Fionn Woodhouse, Department of Theatre, School of Music & Theatre, UCC

Venue: Creative Zone, Boole Library, Main Campus, University College Cork

Date & Time: 25th May 2018 (12 a.m. to 4.30 pm.) – attendance free of charge, please confirm by May 24th

For more information go to www.ucc.ie/en/music-theatre/drama/news/theatre-connects-symposium.html

 


!!!! 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

Call for Proposals
The 17th Cultural Diversity in Music Education (CDIME) conference will take place in Limerick, 30th September – 2nd October, 2025. The CDIME conference has provided a platform for the exchange of practices and research related to cultural diversity in music education since 1992. The conference is co-hosted by Mary Immaculate College and the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance, University of Limerick.

The CDIME 2025 Conference invites presenters to reflect on ‘Living Diversity, Imagining Inclusivity: Practicing (Non-)belongings in Music Education’. The conference will explore the multifaceted, everyday experiences and expressions of diversity, and the factors that determine its plurality in terms of cultures/cultural repertories, i.e. race, class, religion, (dis)ability, gender, among others.

They invite proposals, panels, or arts practice presentations that consider the conference themes and questions posed. The conference welcomes from a wide range of academic disciplines and community collaborators, with intersections between music education and other disciplines such as ethnomusicology, community music, musicology, music therapy and performance studies, as well as broader transdisciplinary perspectives drawing on disciplines such as philosophy, sociology, psychology, anthropology, history, politics, or geography.

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

!!!! Portal Documentation Award Update

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!

!!!! Limerick School of Art & Design TUS Teacher Education 2024 exhibition and conference

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.

!!!! Blog 2 – Lorna Watkins, Visual Artist and TAP+ Tutor

Threading needles with Youthreach

This year, I was hired to do a project with Youthreach and MSLETB in Sewing and Sustainability in Sligo, Carrick on Shannon and Mohill. It was also designed as a few hours in the week to help ease anxiety in students post Covid. The students were studying catering, hairdressing, computers or LCA in the various centres.

We started off the six week project with the basics of the sewing machine, learning how to thread a machine and how to fix it if it stops working. We went on to cut out a basic pattern for a gender neutral top in curtain lining or fabric the students had at home. The students worked in groups of two and threes at a machine so everyone got a go. Some struggled with going from a 2 dimensional flat piece to a 3 dimensional garment but eventually got it when they saw the finished article. I love sharing my passion for me made clothes and by making your own clothes, you can make garments to fit every body shape.

I found a few challenges as the artist working in this context. There are new students starting not every week, but frequently and absenteeism is common so it became normal to have students at different levels at the project, which is tricky when you are trying to build on skills every week and to keep having to start again at the beginning.

I sometimes forget that a lot of young people are not used to working with their hands and it can take a while for students to get that hand eye coordination going. Basic instruction like threading a needle can be very frustrating for students in the beginning but when they persevere with it, they find it really rewarding and I know from the tutors when they walked into the room they couldn’t believe how quiet the class was, the students were completely engrossed in the task, it’s an extremely mindful pastime.

!!!! Creative Ireland Programme extended to 2027

Minister Martin announces government decision to extend Creative Ireland, the culture and wellbeing programme that transforms people, places and communities through creativity. Committed to the vision that everyone should have the chance to realise their creative potential to the full, the innovative all-of-government culture and wellbeing programme will be extended, in principle, for five more years until 2027.

In 2017, Creative Ireland was launched as an all-of-government culture and wellbeing programme committed to the vision that every person should have the opportunity to realise their full creative potential. Established as a legacy initiative of the Ireland 2016 Centenary Programme, it is the only programme of its kind in the world.

The founding vision of the programme is that creativity must be at the heart of public policy and that participation in cultural and creative activity promotes the wellbeing of the individual, the community and the nation at large. Creative Ireland collaborates across government and with arts, community and voluntary organisations to deploy creativity as a strategy for wellbeing, social cohesion and economic success.

Alongside its very successful Creative Youth initiative, the programme’s Creative Communities partnership with the 31 local authorities, and their delivery of over 5,700 creative projects to date, has been key to enabling community-led nationwide engagement.

Minister Martin said:

“I warmly welcome the Government’s decision to implement the all-of-government Creative Ireland Programme for another five years, and to work with me in the coming months to develop its framework. This programme has been innovative and effective in delivering the opportunity for people to explore their creative potential. Key initiatives such as Cruinniú na nÓg and Creative Schools have become embedded in the country’s cultural infrastructure. New projects that respond to contemporary social issues such as climate action and loneliness have emerged. With the support of my Cabinet colleagues, I look forward to developing a Creative Ireland Programme that will continue to enhance people’s lives in the coming years.”

The Government’s decision in principle will be for the Creative Ireland Programme to continue for a further five years, encompassing the period 2023-2027, and to focus on the following areas:
I. Creative Youth;
II. Creative Communities;
III. Creative Industries;
IV. Creative Health and Wellbeing; and
V. Creative Climate Action and Sustainability.

It is anticipated that a final framework of Clár Éire Ildánach/Creative Ireland Programme 2023-2027 will be brought to Government for its final agreement in Autumn 2022 prior to its publication, launch and implementation on an all-of-government basis.

For more see www.creativeireland.gov.ie/en/news/creative-ireland-programme-extended-to-2027/

!!!! Job: Education Officer for The Playhouse Derry-Londonderry

The Playhouse 
Deadline: 5pm, Thursday 3 February 2022

The Playhouse is seeking an Education Officer. The Education Officer will work with the Head of Engagement and the wider Engagement Team to support learning and participation work in formal and informal settings and in the organisation’s role as an Open College Network Centre.

This is a part time role (2.5 days per week) in which you will help to ensure that The Playhouse develop pathways for people of all ages and abilities to engage in creative learning and participation.

The ideal candidate will be someone passionate about the value of education and motivated by engaging people in the learning that matters to them. You will understand and believe in a cultural democracy, in the value of the arts as part of our everyday lives and as a force for good in the world.

Deadline: 5pm, Thursday 3 February 2022

For more information on how to apply for the role of Education Officer, please see www.derryplayhouse.co.uk/vacancies

!!!! Irish Architecture Foundation International Summer School

Irish Architecture Foundation
Dates: 15 – 30 June 2021

Registration is open for IAF’s International Summer School, a series of live, virtual seminars and workshops exploring the relationship between architecture and media. The Summer School will explore how architecture as culture is mediated, communicated, disseminated, represented, experienced and consumed through the diverse media of filmmaking, podcasting and critical writing.

Events are suitable for post-primary school pupils.

Attendees can look forward to an exciting lineup of speakers and workshop facilitators including:
Emmett Scanlon (IRL), Matthew Blunderfield (UK), Grace La (USA), Inga Saffron (USA), Mimi Zeiger (USA), Tom Ravenscroft (UK) & Shane O’Toole (IRL).

For more information, see: architecturefoundation.ie/event/international-summer-school-architecture-and-media/

 

!!!! Opportunity For Artists: Offaly Youth Arts Commission 2021

Offaly County Council Arts Office
Deadline: 4pm, 2 June, 2021

Offaly County Council Arts Office invites professional artists, individual or collaboratively, to submit proposals for the delivery of a new Youth Arts Project for the cohort of 13 to 25 year olds within Offaly. The commission is open to submissions from all art disciplines including visual arts, film, animation, digital arts, performing arts, literature or sound art. The commission can concentrate on one art form or a range of art forms but must demonstrate a youth led ethos. It is vital that consideration is given to the times we are in and how engagement with young people can take place within a socially distanced world.

A fully inclusive fee of €15,000.00 to include all travel, materials, VAT will be made payable in three instalments:
1. €5000.00 on signing of contract with agreement on a submitted project outlining clear timelines, delivery and process.
2. €5000.00 mid way into the project
3. €5000.00 on completion of the project

There need not be a specific outcome, (i.e. piece of art, performance), rather the process and engagement with the Young People in Offaly should be central to the project and be inspired by their wants and needs. If there is an outcome, consideration should be given on how same could be showcased.

We would envisage the project as being easily accessible, have a wide reach and attract young people that are not necessarily involved in Arts.

Deadline: 4pm, Wednesday 2 June, 2021

For more information and to apply, see https://offalycoco.submit.com//show/92

 

!!!! First Cut Youth Film Festival 2021

First Cut! Youth Film Festival
Dates: 17 April – 9 May 2021

First Cut! Youth Film Festival returns for its 12th year showcasing new films by young filmmakers. Running from 17 April – 9 May 2021, offers an imaginative, thought-provoking and entertaining programme for young people aged 12-24yrs. Audiences from all over Ireland, and from abroad, are invited to join them virtually for a completely free programme of events including: Open call short film and feature film screenings, workshops, panel discussions with some of the leading filmmakers in Ireland, a host of special guest appearances and more.

Workshops include: Puppetry for Film and Television Workshop, Stormtroopers SFX Workshop and more.

Dates: 17 April – 9 May 2021

To see the full programme, see: https://firstcutfilmfestival.com/

!!!! Opportunity: Music Generation Development Officer (Fingal)

Music Generation 
Deadline: 23 April 2021

Dublin and Dun Laoghaire Education and Training Board (DDLETB) invites applications for the position of Music Generation Development Officer (Fingal). They will be responsible for managing a programme of performance music education on behalf of Fingal Local Music Education Partnership. This is a five-year fixed term contract.

The successful candidate will have a broad understanding of the diversity of effective, contemporary approaches across the diversity of performance music education – and will have the skills and experience to develop a programme that responds to the specific needs of young people in disadvantaged communities.

Music Generation is Ireland’s National Music Education Programme that gives children and young people access to high-quality, subsidised performance music education. Initiated by Music Network, Music Generation is co-funded by U2, The Ireland Funds, the Department of Education and Local Music Education Partnerships.

Deadline: 4pm Friday 23rd April 2021

For more information on how to apply, see: www.musicgeneration.ie/news/job-opportunity-music-generation-development-officer-fingal

 

!!!! Opportunity for Artists: ‘You, Fin and the Play Between’ Playwriting Programme for Young Audiences

Baboró International Arts Festival, Graffiti Theatre and TYA Ireland

Deadline: Monday 8 February 2021

Callout for a 6-month playwriting programme led by Finegan Kruckemeyer for established and emerging playwrights based in Ireland who are interested in writing for young audiences.

Baboró International Arts Festival for Children, Graffiti Theatre and TYA Ireland are excited to collaborate with International TYA Playwright Finegan Kruckemeyer to host a new playwriting programme for writers and theatre makers in Ireland who are interested in writing plays for young audiences.

At a time when the world and its distances are both larger and smaller than ever before, a collaboration will occur, spanning half a globe, and half a year, and driven by that most exciting of provocations – to forge something from nothing.

Beginning with a blank page, eight Irish authors will respond to writing aids and impositions both as they explore theatre for young audiences – what makes a TYA play, and what TYA play they wish to make.

But more important than the audience, shall be the idea. And in writing work solemn and silly, foreign and known, as vast as an ocean and as small as a boat which may rock upon it, eight individual voices shall be celebrated, and their plays play out to their ends.

Who is this for?
This opportunity is open to both established and emerging playwrights, residing in Ireland, interested in writing plays for young audiences. Applications are encouraged from artists with a disability, those from minority ethnic communities and those who feel their voices are not commonly represented. There are eight places available on the programme.

Irish language writers are welcome to participate in this project through the medium of Irish.  Support and translation will be provided to facilitate a bilingual writing journey with Fin. Samples of writing in Irish can be included in the application.

Cuirimid fáilte roimh scríbhneoirí le Gaeilge páirt a ghlacadh sa togra seo as Gaeilge. Cuirfear tacaíocht agus aistriúcháin ar fáil chun an turas scríbhneoireachta dátheangach le Fin a éascú. Is féidir samplaí Gaeilge a bheith mar chuid den iarratas.

Deadline for Applications is Monday 8 February 2021

For further information and application details go to https://www.baboro.ie/news-events/you-fin-and-the-play-between

!!!! Blog 2 – Naomi Cahill Creative Associate for Creative Schools & Director of Bespoke Productions

Creative Schools: The Journey Continues – Blog 2

Creative Schools Coordinators:

In every Creative School there is a Creative Schools Coordinator. The coordinator is my first point of contact with each school and I liaise with them in regular meetings. I have now met all coordinators in my corresponding schools. In some schools the coordinator is a member of the teaching staff and in others it is the school principal. There has been a great response and enthusiasm from all coordinators and schools as a whole to the project and a strong belief in the positive impact it can make on putting the arts and creativity at the heart of young people’s lives.

Completion of Step One: ‘Understand’:

I am continuing to work with schools on the process of gaining an understanding of the school’sengagement with the arts and creativity. Having completed workshops and meetings with relevant parties and staff, I am liaising with Creative Schools Coordinators to complete the documentation for this section. All schools are provided with a document called ‘Understand’ complete with four sections: 1) Children & Young People 2) Teaching & Learning 3) Leadership & Management & 4) School Environment, Opportunities & Networks. In each section there are a series of statements which are rated on a scale of: 0-5 (0 means: the statement is ‘Not at all true’, 5 means: the statement is ‘Very true’). For example: “Pupils/students are involved in decision-making on existing arts opportunities and are able to shape their learning experiences in school” (Section 1: Children & Young People). Using age specific surveys designed for appropriate parties and information gathered from staff discussions I work with coordinators to rate all statements (using an average from the individual ratings). The following individuals are consulted with in this process: the school principal, deputy principal, coordinator, teachers (including resource staff & S.N.A.s), staff with a responsibility for the arts, parent’s association and board of management. These findings will support the development of the Creative Schools Plan which will be carried out in step two: ‘Develop’.

What is Creativity?

As I mentioned in my previous post the voice, opinions and views of young people is of key importance to this pilot project. Through ‘The Voice of Young People’ workshop I collected lots of useful information which I use as data for the ‘Children & Young People’ section and to influence my work with schools going forward. I go through this information, document and analyse it. I found it inspiring to read young people’s understanding of the word ‘Creativity’. From my experience, all young people have their own individual understanding of creativity. It is very interesting and uplifting read their definitions:

“I think it is about showing who you are and what you like to do”. “I think if you’re creative, you have a big imagination”.

“It’s about expressing yourself”.

“Imagination”.

“Like your dreams are what you feel & draw & do”.

“Do what your mind tells you”.

“Creativity is free! When you break rules, you are being creative”.

I believe it is important to let young people come up with their own understanding of creativity rather than provide them with a set definition. This is similar to the constructivist approach I often use in my own teaching. Using constructivism, students are actively involved in constructing their own meaning and knowledge as opposed to passively receiving information.

Through the workshop, I also gathered information on student’s individual artistic and creative interests. Students listed: the creative activities they are currently engaged with inside and outside school. They also listed the creative things they would like to do if they had the opportunity. It is very interesting to hear their responses. The answers vary greatly from school to school. The school’slocation and the cultural and artistic opportunities in close proximity of the school also have an influence on the responses given.

Meeting Teachers:

I have commenced meeting all teaching staff in my corresponding schools. It is very important that staff are fully aware of what is involved in Creative Schools and are able to contribute their ideas in order for the project to be of benefit. The staff are of key importance to ensure the sustainability and longevity of the project. In these meetings I initially provide staff with a thorough understanding of Creative Schools. I then explain the different components of the programme including the first step: ‘Understand’. I design posters listing the following questions as headings:

What are the creative strengths of the school?
What creative areas can the school develop?
What creative activities can the school implement to develop these areas?

I then facilitate a discussion with staff where they are given the opportunity to provide answers/ideas to questions listed. We pass around the posters and everyone makes a written note of their contributions. I also ask staff about their own individual areas of expertise for example: Is there a staff member that is a particularly skilled/trained musician/dancer? etc. This is very beneficial for all staff to be aware of going forward. I have found that a lot of schools are interested in working collaboratively together to share their creative skills and knowledge.

New Beginnings in 2019:

I am looking forward to a new year of opportunities for Creative Schools and excited to move on to the next stage of the project.

!!!! Invitation to teachers & practitioners to attend the Theatre Connects Symposium

University College Cork

Date: 25th May, 2018

Performative Pathways between Schools, Universities and the Wider Community

The invited speakers will offer their perspectives on why theatre should be introduced and established as a subject in primary and secondary schools, why universities should embrace performativity within and across academic disciplines, and why leading theatres should continue to embrace and increase their outreach activities and aspire to employ theatre education specialists. The symposium should be of special interest to those who aim to form stronger links between theatre and education, including teachers, lecturers, theatre students, directors of theatres and theatre companies, applied theatre practitioners and policy makers.

Symposium organisation: Manfred Schewe and Fionn Woodhouse, Department of Theatre, School of Music & Theatre, UCC

Venue: Creative Zone, Boole Library, Main Campus, University College Cork

Date & Time: 25th May 2018 (12 a.m. to 4.30 pm.) – attendance free of charge, please confirm by May 24th

For more information go to www.ucc.ie/en/music-theatre/drama/news/theatre-connects-symposium.html