Simon classes in art prove a popular project

December 2005

Weekly classes in the Simon Community run by two local artists are proving a big hit.

Sinéad McCourt and Ciara Agnew met at DkIT in July while doing a ‘Creative Approaches to Art in the Community’ course.

As part of the course in the Cross-Border Centre for Community Development they had to do a three-week work placement, and as Ciara had previously worked as a volunteer in the Simon, they decided to spend it working at the Barrack Street hostel.

The classes proved such a success that they made a decision to continue them on their own accord after the placement had finished.

‘We feel that everyone is getting so much out of it that we decide to keep the classes going,’ explains Sinéad who graduated in Fine Art from DkIT in 2000 and has been involved in community arts since.

Indeed, the participants are so enthusiastic about the classes that they request and get a new space for them. Now, the room is being used as a creative space for art and music, with Sinéad and Ciara introducing the students to basic art techniques, sometimes to the accompaniment of a karaoke machine.

‘We’ve called the sessions Jack In The Box as we don’t want anyone to be intimidated by the idea of going to classes,’ adds Ciara, a member of Bridge Street Studios.

‘Some of the residents who have been housed come back every week which is great.’

Sinéad continues: ‘We felt professionally and morally that it wouldn’t be right to stop the classes once the placement had ended, so we decided to carry on for some sort of continuity.’

The artists are conducting the classes voluntarily and have secured sponsorship for all of the materials.