!!!! Music Generation’s Annual Report 2023
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
!!!! Call for Presentations and Workshops – National Portal Day 2024
Arts in Education Portal
Deadline: 5pm, Monday 9th September
The ninth annual Arts in Education Portal National Day takes place on Saturday 9 November at TU Dublin, School of Art and Design.
The Arts in Education Portal Editorial Committee welcomes submissions of proposals for workshops and presentations that represent quality practice and thinking within the field of arts and creativity in education. This year, the Portal Day will have a special focus on ‘Amplifying All Voices’.
The Committee particularly want to profile projects that represent children from diverse communities and children who are seldom heard. The closing date for submissions is 5pm Monday 9th September 2024.
Criteria for selection of proposals:
The Arts in Education Portal Editorial Committee welcomes submissions of proposals for workshops and presentations that represent:
- Dynamic approaches
- New ways of working
- Work that represents a commitment to excellence
- Strong aesthetic and/or educational outcomes
- Presentations/ workshops that include children’s voices
Our selection of proposals will also be informed by a desire for:
- Good geographic national spread
- A range of art forms
- Early years, primary post-primary and Youthreach representation
- Equal representation of both arts in education and creative sectors
- A balance of practical and theoretical approaches
How to apply:
Submissions should be made using the online form, please click the following link to access the form and read the full application guidelines.
For further enquiries, contact events@artsineducation.ie.
!!!! 2024 Portal Spring Regional Day – Programme Announced
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/
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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
Or
“Learn to Weave Irish Tweed” with Maeve Pudney
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!!!! Call for presentations and workshops: Portal Spring Regional Day 2024
Deadline extended: 5th April 2024
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 2024 with a focus on the North-West Region. This regional event will take place on Saturday 25th May in Sligo at Sligo Education Centre.
The event aims to connect teachers, artists, arts managers and anyone with an interest in art and creativity in education based in the counties around Sligo, Mayo, Donegal, Leitrim and Roscommon.
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 North-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.
Do you have a presentation or workshop that you would like to be included in the programme for the Portal Spring Regional Day? If so, please complete your proposal via our online form from the link below. If you have any questions please get in touch by email to editor@artsineducation.ie.
Application Information:
- The programme includes two project presentations with up to two presenters.
- Two creative workshops with one facilitator will be selected.
- All Speakers and Creative workshop facilitators must be based in the North-West Region (Donegal, Leitrim, Mayo, Roscommon and Sligo).
- Deadline: 5pm, 5th April 2024
Proposals should be submitted via Google Forms, click here to access the form.
!!!! Opportunity for Schools: Creative Clusters 2024-2026 initiative
Department of Education
Deadline: 10th 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.
!!!! Promoting diversity and inclusion in schools in Europe: Eurydice Report
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/
!!!! Opportunity for Artists: Funding Opportunities for Artists in Schools Announced for Cork County
Cork County Council Arts Serive
Dealine : 9th January 2024
Cork County Council has announced details of its 2024 funding opportunities for the county’s arts sector. Cork County Council’s Library and Arts Service is inviting proposals for funding for arts projects, activities and events taking place in the Cork County administrative area in 2024 that may be eligible for funding under a range of grant assistance schemes available.
Schemes announced include the Arts Grants Scheme which will support arts organisations and the voluntary sector, a scheme to support artists to work in schools, support for developing arts projects through the Irish Language, and a set of bursary and residency opportunities for professional artists of all disciplines.
Announcing details of the funding, Mayor of the County of Cork, Cllr. Frank O’Flynn, said, “Cork County Council is proud to support the arts community on an annual basis through our grants scheme. The Arts are integral to our communities, our schools, and our citizens. As well as supporting artists and arts organisations, we support festivals, performances, exhibitions, and other publicly accessible cultural programmes throughout County Cork. I look forward to seeing the joy and creativity that will emerge from the many projects who are set to benefit next year.”
Cork County Council supports artists, schools, and arts and community organisations in the Cork County administrative area annually through the following grant assistance schemes:
ARTS GRANT SCHEME
The Cork County Council Arts Grant Scheme provides financial or other assistance to individuals and organisations engaged in the presentation and promotion of arts activities or events in Cork County.
The Arts Grant Scheme is open to new or established arts groups, artists, festivals or other groups wishing to undertake creative artistic activity in any artform in the Cork County Council administrative area.
ARTISTS IN SCHOOLS SCHEME
The Artists in Schools Scheme enables primary and post-primary students and teaching staff to work collaboratively with an artist working in any artform on a creative project.
All Department of Education and Skills-recognised primary and post-primary schools and Youthreach centres in Cork County are eligible to apply.
To remove barriers for participation, this year for the first time, Cork County Council will also accept video/audio applications through the online portal. The Arts Office will provide assistance to applicants where extra accessibility support may be required.
Applications can be made online until the 9th of January 2024. Guidelines and further information is available here: https://www.corkcoco.ie/en/resident/arts/arts-funding-opportunities
For queries, email arts@corkcoco.ie or call 021- 4346210.