Students get their creative juices flowing
PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS CELEBRATE THEIR CREATIVE TALENTS WITH AN ARRAY OF EXCITING PROJECTS
THE very first Creative Schools Week took place in various schools across County Wexford recently.
Creative Schools Week was an opportunity to showcase, highlight, promote and connect all the exciting creative work that is being undertaken across Scoileanna Ildánacha/Creative Schools and Creative Clusters, as well as any other school that wished to celebrate their creativity.
Creative Schools and Creative Clusters are both initiatives of Creative Youth, a plan to enable the creative potential of every child and young person. The Scoileanna Ildánacha/Creative Schools initiative aims to put the arts and creativity at the heart of children and young people’s lives.
It is led by the Arts Council in partnership with the Department of Education and Skills and the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. It was launched in 2018 with 150 schools selected to take part, in September 2019, a further 150 schools were also selected to participate. Creative Schools work with a Creative Associate to develop a create plan for their school.
As part of their celebrations four schools working with Creative Associate Aileen Lambert invited our photographers to visit their schools in order to share and celebrate with the wider community the great work which is going on in their schools as part of the Creative Schools Programme. These schools were Loreto Secondary School, Wexford; Bunscoil Rís, New Ross, Ballycullane NS and Davidstown NS.
LORETO SECONDARY SCHOOL, WEXFORD
During Creative Schools Week art teachers Josie Byrne and Julie Busher received training in use of the school’s Printing Press by artist Bernadette Doolan.
This will ensure that the teachers can then share their knowledge with their pupils and get more value out of this wonderful resource which was being underutilised. Earlier this year Transition Year pupils worked with Artist Lisa Murphy on a large external mural for the Min Ryan Park beside the school, while students also received workshops in Artists’ book-making from Andi McGarry and paper-making delivered by Tunde Toth. Aileen also has experience coordinating Per Cent for Art Schemes and is currently assisting and advising the school in how to approach the commissioning of new artwork for the school using the Per Cent for Art Budget.
Pupil account from Loreto:
‘My Art class took part in a paper making workshop. Everything was organised for us and it was great to get the opportunity to do something a bit different. Our Instructor, Tunde Toth, was very helpful throughout the whole activity. The workshop lasted for three hours. In this time we were able to make five pieces of paper. We were able to decorate two of them. Tunde explained everything in great detail and she was friendly and helpful. The workshop was messy but great fun!’
BUNSCOIL RÍS, NEW ROSS
During Creative Schools week each of the four 5th class groups did a workshop with Pat Broderick, who delivers workshops in straw and hay craft. Pupils learned about the creative use of hay and straw as a material to create various functional and decorative objects.
They each got a hand at making hay rope and a straw mask. Pat was really impressed not only with the pupils interest, attention and skills but also how they thought about many of the problems and dilemmas he asked them to consider and their creative, inventive responses.
This workshop is part of a programme entitled ‘Weave’ which their Creative Associate Aileen Lambert developed in consultation with the staff and pupils in the school. Last years activities included making Brigid’s crosses and Bridóg dolls using rushes, with Michael Fortune, an introduction to the Ros Tapestry and embroidery workshops with Alexis Bernstorff, dance on the theme of ‘weave’ with Becci Whelan, and Creative Writing workshops with Caroline Busher. The children and the teachers are looking forward a visit this week from Beth Murphy who will introduce them to various ways of working with both live and dead willow (sally) included a hands-on workshop weaving a fish using sallies, while a wool spinning and weaving workshop with Susanna Anker is lined up for the new year. 6th class pupils also received a visit from Therese Dalton of County Wexford Youth Film Project (CWYPT) to introduce them to the opportunity that is there for them to engage with the project once they reach the age of 13.
Pupil account from Bunscoil Rís:
‘Here at Bunscoil Rís, we participated in a Creative Schools Programme called Weave, which focuses on expanding, improving and aiding pupils’ creative mind sets. Last year, in 4th class, we did a variety of workshops such as artistic dance classes, creating St. Brigid’s crosses with rushes and creative writing with the author, Caroline Busher. We also learned about the Ros Tapestry from Alexis Bernstorff and worked on embroidery and weaving with various materials and tools.
My favourite part about Weave is that we got to link it in with our Wexford heritage with the tapestry. Overall, I would recommend the ‘Weave programme to other schools as it is fun and a skill learning activity.’ – Aoife Roche , 5th class, Ms. Cooney.
BALLYCULLANE NS
Aileen Lambert also works with the Heritage in Schools Scheme as a traditional singer and she undertook a series of workshops with all pupils in the school from Junior Infants to sixth. The songs
were then performed at the school’s 2018 Christmas Concert.
They also performed the songs for a South East Radio documentary which celebrated their involvement in the Creative Schools initiative. The school has also been making strides in filmaking; they received a visit from Therese Dalton of County Wexford Youth Film Project (CWYPT), School Principal Margaret Furlong attended Filmmaking Workshops and then shared her new skills with 4th to 6th class using their newly purchased ipads and green screen.
The whole school also engaged in a Contemporary Dance Workshop series delivered by Dance Artist Deirdre Grant, while Neil Dowling delivered a drumming workshop to all pupils. They are looking forward to developing their weaving skills upcoming singing workshops delivered as part of Music Education which will begin in early 2020.
Pupils’ accounts from Ballycullane NS:
‘My favourite activity as part of the Creative Schools Programme was Drumming with Neil Dowling. I loved learning the different rhythms and also using different instruments’ – Leah Power.
‘My favourite activity as part of the Creative Schools Programme was Singing with Aileen Lambert because I really got to sing my heart out.’
– Illeanna Egan.
‘My favourite activity as part of the Creative Schools Programme was Dancing with Deirdre Grant because I loved moving my body a lot and I loved playing the warm-up games.’ – Emilija Sic
DAVIDSTOWN NS
As part of the Davidstown NS Creative Schools Week Celebrations Aileen invited Alan Corcoran of South east Radio to visit the school and learn about their creative journey. Alan played the feature on his Morning Mix Programme on the morning of Friday November 8, which featured interviews with Aileen, Principal Ita Connolly, a performance on their ukuleles by 4th to 6th class and interviews with pupils from Junior Infants to sixth class. The Creative Schools programme to date in Davidstown NS has involved drumming with Conor Moore of Sound Out Drumming and dance with Becci Whelan which resulted in a while school performance at an event at the end of the school year in June.
They have just established a Cultural Twinning with a school in St Brides, Newfoundland, and look forward to working with Terry Dunne on living willow structures over the winter. They will continue to work on their ongoing film projects and are currently developing some big ideas for a film project in the new year. A short stop-motion animation by three pupils also featured at a curated National Creative Schools Week event in Mullingar Arts Centre.
CREATIVE SCHOOLS IN WEXFORD
Wexford has a high percentage of schools engaged in the Creative Schools Programme. Each of these schools has been assigned a Creative Associate to work with them and a budget of €2,000 to support the school in implementing their Creative Plan.
Schools which are now in Year 2 (began Sept 2018: Scoil Naomh Maodhóg, Ferns; Scoil Mhuire Davidstown; Kiltealy NS; Ballycullane NS; Bunscoil Rís Edmund Rice Senior Primary New Ross; Bunscoil Loreto, Gorey; Creagh College, Gorey; Loreto Secondary School in Wexford town.
Schools currently in Year 1 (began Sept 2019): Ballyoughter NS, Ballythomas NS, Meánscoil Gharman, Mercy School, St. John’s Road, Wexford, Murrintown NS, New Ross Youthreach, Butlersland Industrial Estate, New Ross, Scoil Naomh Áine, Rathgarogue,
Scoil Naomh Úna, Shielbaggan, New Ross, Selskar College, Wexford.
For further information on the scheme see www. artscouncil.ie/creative-schools. You can contact Aileen Lambert, Creative Associate at aileenlambert@ gmail.com or 087 7552593