Celestial Mechanics
Celestial Mechanics presents a learning experience for children through both visual art and science at Dunsink observatory, Ireland’s only Institute for Advanced Studies. This unique engagement with children aged 10-12years will involve curator Rayne Booth of Superprojects, artist Aileen Murphy and artist/educator Mary Jo Gilligan, and scientist Prof. Peter Gallagher. Following a tour of the observatory the children will be guided to create a series of large paintings and/or drawings inspired by themes of astronomy, to be displayed at Dunsink Observatory on the occasion of Cruinniu na nOg, Saturday 10th June. 

Location: Dunsink Observatory 

Times:   12 noon – 2pm
Date: Saturday 10th June

Booking link: https://celestialmechanicsdunsink.eventbrite.ie 

From the Earth

Children St. Luke’s National School, Tyrrelstown, will be guided by artist Edel Clarkson in an exploration of local biodiversity and ceramic making. An initial investigation and imagining of the local enviornment will inform the design of ceramic pieces which will be installed on school grounds during a celebration on Saturday 10th of June, Cruinniu na nOg. Over the course of four weeks the children will learn about the work of this artist, and how to engage with nature through art. Practical workshops will focus on observational drawing, clay modelling, construction and glazing techniques. Parents and the wider community will be invited to come together on Sat 10th to celebrate the installation of newly created ceramic artworks by the children and artist.

For more information, please contact Julie.clarke@fingal.ie

Baby Bop Orchestra

A series of interactive and lively classical music concerts for early years children and their families will be performed at Millennium Park, Dublin 15 on the occasion of Cruinniu na nOg, Saturday 10th of June. Violinists Megan Churcher and Natalia Jaworek, clarinettist Margot Maurel, tubist Adam Buttimer and flautist Ciara Corrigan-Margetts, of the Royal Irish Academy, have a musical programme of classical waltzes, Finnish tangos and familiar Disney tunes for everyone to dance along to in a playful and friendly first introduction to brass, woodwind and strings.

Location: Millennium Park Blanchardstown
Times:  12 noon – 12.35pm and 12.55 – 1.30pm 
Age:  Suitable for ages 0 – 4 years.
Date: Saturday 10th June

to reserve a place visit: https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/baby-bop-orchestra-cruinniu-na-nog-tickets-634152967597?aff=ebdsoporgprofile

For more information, please contact Julie.clarke@fingal.ie

Vocal Workshop ‘Finding your Voice’ with professional vocalist and musician educator Mary Flynn. This workshop will take participants through some of the fundamentals of vocal practice, with a fun practical session that will benefit anyone who has an interest in singing. Posture, warm up exercises, body percussion and different musical styles will all be explored.  This workshop is aimed at 7–11-year-olds, with a maximum of 15 children in the group. If demand is high, a second group will be considered. Duration 2 hours. No experience needed. 
Age: 7 – 11 years
Date: Saturday June 10th
Time: 12-2pm
Location: Burgundy House Swords
 

A New Beat

A New Beat will provide a learning experience in bodhrán, contemporary dance and movement for young people aged 12 – 18 yrs. Through a series of workshops delivered by professional musician Robbie Walsh and choreographer Roisin Whelan, participants will enjoy the playful experience of combining both artforms, which will culminate in a showcase performance on stage in The Séamus Ennis Arts Centre’s Piper’s Garden on the occasion of Cruinniu na nOg, Saturday 10th of June.

We are searching for young people aged 12-18 to participate in this exciting Dance and Music Project.

Saturdays May & June

Workshop duration: 2 hours

Location: Séamus Ennis Arts Centre, Naul Co Dublin

How do I apply? Please fill in this form. There are limited spaces available, all successful candidates will be informed shortly after application.

Irish Mythology - Finscéalta Beo

Professional theatre makers Sean and Niall McDonagh of High Rock Productions will guide the children of Scoil an Duinninigh and Gaelscoil Bhrian Boroimhe (Swords) in the creation of their very own unique theatre sketches based on old Irish legends. Children will be invited to explore storytelling and performance through a series of creative workshops delivered through Irish and during school hours. The series will culminate in a presentation of short physical theatre sketches by the 4th class students of Gaelscoil Bhrian Bhoroimhe, Swords, and the 5th class students of Scoil an Duinninigh, Feltrim. The sketches are based on the mythical Irish legends of the Táin Bó Culaigne and  of Cúchulainn and the Fianna. 

The children and artists will present a collective showcase of their work to family and friends in Swords on the occasion of Cruinniu na nOg, Sat 10th June.  

For more information, please contact Julie.clarke@fingal.ie 

The four Dublin Local Authorities are delighted to present this opportunity and invite submissions for: Exploring & Thinking Bursary Award 2022/23.

The Bursary Award will support individual professional artists to develop their artistic practice working with and/or producing work for early childhood arts.

It is open to individual professional artists who wish to develop their practice in early childhood arts, artists practicing in all artforms, artists resident in Ireland.

Join Laura & Ciarán of Islander Architects for a free interactive architectural workshop for teenagers on June 11th as part of Cruinniú na nÓg 2022.

This is a collaborative project with illustrator Chris Judge and ten schools in Fingal.

This is a collaborative project in conjunction with the Irish Institute of Music and Song focussing onexploring Irish Music with 12 - 18 year olds.

This is a collaborative project in conjunction with the Irish Institute of Music and Song focussing on exploring music with young people aged 12-18

This is a collaborative project in conjunction with the Irish Institute of Music and Song, focussing on exploring music with primary school kids.

This is a collaborative project in conjunction with the Irish Institute of Music and Song, focussing on exploring music with infants and toddlers.

Children and their carers are invited to explore and spend time together in this beautiful sensory play space for children of 3 years and up designed to
explore a variety of materials (wood, stone, sand, mirrors, modelling clay, fabric) and processes (weaving, plaiting, drawing, making, arranging).
Created by art educator Anne Bradley, this space was originally designed as a response room for Elemental, a sculptural
exhibition for children by artists Caoimhe Kilfeather and Karl Burke curated by Cleo Fagan of Superprojects.

Make Space would provide a contemplative, reflective place encouraging children and adults to explore a variety of natural materials considering their physical qualities: weight, texture, colour, sound. Participants are invited to consider how these everyday materials make up the natural and built environment around us. They are encouraged to manipulate and explore the characteristics of the materials through pouring, weaving, tracing, mark making, arranging.

The space also provides a place for relaxing, open-ended, intergenerational shared play and the opportunity for quiet, reflective conversation.
Ideally Make Space would be installed in a gallery space or other public context such as a library or museum.

Open Call – Cruinniú na nÓg 2022 Commission - Creative Ireland Fingal
Fingal County Council invites proposals from Artists and Creative Practitioners for the development and delivery of artistic projects for children and/or young people for Cruinniú na nÓg 2022.
Cruinniú na nÓg is a flagship initiative of the Creative Ireland Programme’s Creative Youth Plan to enable the creative potential of children and young people. This year it will take place on Saturday
11th of June. This opportunity is funded by Creative Ireland.

Timeline: Projects should begin in May and culminate in June/July. A midway sharing or final outcome presentation on Saturday 11th June is a requirement.
Budget Range: €4,000 - €20,000 (inclusive of all artistic fees, VAT and materials / production / performance/display/promotion costs).

Applications should be submitted clearly marked ‘Cruinniú na nÓg’ in ONE PDF by Monday 25th April to:

Email: Julie.clarke@fingal.ie
Julie Clarke, Youth & Education Officer, Arts Office, Fingal County Council.

The Exploring and Thinking Early Years Arts Partnership, made up of the four Dublin Local Authority invites submissions, through E-Tenders, for Research Evaluation services. These services are required to explore the impact of the Exploring and Thinking Artist Bursary Awards 2019-2022 on artists’ practice, and on provision for children (0-6years) in the settings in which the bursary occurred. Issues of partnership, sustainability, resources and support, and attitudes towards provision for children and young people may be among the issues considered in proposed responses to the tender.

To view the tender documents and for queries, please use the following link: 

Public RFT - Research Evaluation Services: Exploring and Thinking Artists Bursary Awards 2019, 2020,2021/2022 (eu-supply.com)

or

https://irl.eu-supply.com/ctm/Supplier/PublicPurchase/211300/0/0?returnUrl=ctm/Supplier/PublicTenders&b=ETENDERS_SIMPLE 

Closing date and time of 4pm, May 5th. 

This initiative is funded under the Arts Councils Invitation to Collaboration Scheme 2022.

The four Dublin Local Authorities are delighted to present this opportunity and invite submissions for: Exploring & Thinking Bursary Award 2021/22.

The Bursary Award will support individual professional artists to develop their artistic practice working with and/or producing work for early childhood arts.

It is open to individual professional artists who wish to develop their practice in early childhood arts, artists practicing in all artforms, artists resident in Ireland.

Bursary range: €500 - €5,000

The closing date: 2pm, 1st of December 2021

Email applications to: Julie.clarke@fingal.ie

Exploring and Thinking is a collaborative framework for early childhood arts in the Dublin region. It came about in 2016 when the four Dublin Local Authorities – Fingal County Council, Dublin City Council, South Dublin County Council and Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, partnered for the first time to collectively consider early childhood arts provision in the Dublin region.

Please find Bursary information & application criteria in the attached document.

Growing Up:D15

Draiocht's Youth Theatre & FeliSpeaks

Dublin 15 Youth Theatre will present two new poetry works on June 12th.  Created by the members while working with poet, performer and playwright  FeliSpeaks aka Felicia Olusanya, and actor and facilitator Emily Matthews, these works reflect the lives of these young people living in Dublin 15 today.

You can watch this beautiful documentary here

Fox, Bird, River, Sing! An audio adventure for families of all ages & all abilities.

Premiere: RTE Jnr 11.55 am and 4.55 pm Saturday 12th June 2021

(Excerpt) 'Where the land meets the salty water you stand, barefoot.  The sea laps upon your feet and in-between your toes. It’s dawn and the birds are wakening the land and as you lift your eyes, you see the sun peep over the blue horizon. It all looks mysterious today. You curl your hands to your eyes to make magic binoculars and as you scan the horizon you see appearing far away, where the sky meets the sea, a red fur-bodied, big-eared, white-chested creature sitting proudly on a floating log, the wise Red Fox'

This radio play is a whole family audio adventure that transports listeners from the sea to the singing forest on an epic, interactive, musical journey of dancing and singing, frolics with curious creatures and fantastic fun for the whole family. You decide where the venue is; the comfort of your own sitting room, garden or forest. Turn on your imagination, tune in the radio or download the audio link and travel through rich soundscapes and beautiful music in the world of Fox, Bird, River, Sing!

Visit our beautiful website to hear the full piece and avail of resource guides www.foxbirdriversing.com

Fingal Arts Office invites you to the launch of

Talisman - A collaborative exhibition between St. Joseph’s Secondary School, Rush, and artist Barbara Knežević.

12th June 2021

11am

Newbridge House & Farm, Donabate.

The exhibition will be launched by Cllr. David Healy Mayor of Fingal in the presence of Minister Darragh O’Brien and guests.

Talisman forms part of Fingal’s Cruinniú na nOg Programme. We look forward to seeing you there, and to celebrating these young people who have demonstrated incredible creativity and skill during this project. 

Social distancing and public safety guidelines will be observed. For this reason we will have a guest list at reception to manage numbers on arrival.

Please RSVP to Julie Clarke, Youth & Education Officer, by emailing: Julie.clarke@fingal.ie or phoning 01 8905000.

Full Project Details Here 

If Trees Could Talk

Artist Louis Haugh and eductaor Anne Bradley at Saint Marnock's Primary School, Portmarnock, Fingal. 

Please enjoy our project documentary here.

If Trees Could Talk is an exploration of artist Louis Haugh’s photographic work for primary school children.  His photographs are presented publicly on a billboard and several bus shelters in Portmarnock enabling children to view the work at scale.

Fingal Arts Office is delighted to share this beautiful artist-led digital workshop with your school.

This digital workshop forms part of an arts-in-education project titled ‘If Trees Could Talk’, which invites children to explore the photographic work of artist Louis Haugh.

‘Talisman’

A creative collaboration between young people from St. Joseph’s Secondary School, Rush and artist Barbara Knežević. 

Commissioned by Fingal County Council’s Arts Office on the occasion of Cruinniú na nóg 2021.

The project introduced TY students of St. Joseph’s Secondary School to Barbara’s artistic practice and the idea of ‘a collection’.  Through virtual engagements the students learned about materials such as precious stones, clay and wax used by Barbara in her work. The group explored the collection of Newbridge House, Donabate and discussed why people collect objects, what makes some objects more precious to us than others and what meaning materials and objects can carry.

A Creative Movement Workshop with Dublin Youth Dance Company.

Age: 5 – 10 years

Duration: 30 minutes

Virtual workshop.

Registration required: https://free-as-a-bird-dance-workshop.eventbrite.ie

Blakestown Students plant micro forest of 450 native broadleaf trees on school grounds. Watch here

This week students of Blakestown Community School proudly launched their Micro Forest of over 450 broadleaf trees on the school grounds. This beautiful concept of planting a forest outside of their art classroom was developed by artist Gareth Kennedy in partnership with woodwright Eoin Donnelly.

The art project, initiated by Fingal County Council Arts Office and Superprojects, involved seasonal art and ecology activities led by Gareth and Eoin. It included tree planting, wood splitting and turning, mulching, and planting while learning about the ecology of our native woodlands and contemporary art practice in the open air.

A Creative Movement Workshop with Dublin Youth Dance Company.

Age: 5 – 10 years

Duration: 30 minutes

Virtual workshop.

Registration required: A Creative Movement Workshop with Dublin Youth Dance Company.

Age: 5 – 10 years

Duration: 30 minutes

Virtual workshop.

Registration required: https://free-as-a-bird-dance-workshop.eventbrite.ie

An uplifting adventure exploring movement, space, music and play! Facilitated by the exceptional Dublin Youth Dance Company, this inventive dance workshop can be enjoyed in any family setting, indoors or outdoors. Liberate your spins, twists and jumps and prepare to dance your own dance! Register here to receive a Zoom invite to the virtual workshop on June 13th.

Dublin Youth Dance Company is Ireland’s premier dance company for children and young people. This is an opportunity not to be missed.

Look & respond to a selection of artworks within Fingal's Municipal Art Collection with artist Beth O’Halloran.

Age: all ages

Fingal Arts Office recently celebrated 25 Years of collecting art. We now share a selection of artworks from this amazing collection with you and invite you to respond with your own masterpieces. Ideal for all ages and abilities, our wonderful artist Beth O’Halloran will guide you through a process of looking, imagining, creating and drawing, inspiring your very own response to these magnificent artworks.

The four Dublin Local Authorities – Fingal County Council, South Dublin County Council, Dublin City Council, and Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council are delighted to announce this year’s recipients of the Exploring & Thinking Bursary Award. 

Fingal County Council (FCC) is working in partnership with Dublin and Dun Laoghaire Education and Training Board (DDLETB) to bring Music Generation to children and young people in Fingal.

As lead partner the DDLETB will recruit a Music Generation Development Officer and are now calling for suitably qualified and experienced individuals to apply for that role.

It’s an exciting time to be young in Fingal! The Dublin and Dún Laoghaire Education and Training Board has partnered with Fingal County Council and Music Generation to improve music education opportunities available to children and young people in the county.  Fingal is the latest area to commence participation in Music Generation, Ireland’s national music education programme which strives to transform children and young people’s lives by giving them opportunities to create, play and perform music in their own communities. ‘Music Generation Fingal’ will be established as part of the programme’s journey towards nationwide expansion, meaning that ultimately children and young people in every city and county in Ireland will have access to high quality, subsidised performance music education.

The four Dublin Local Authorities invite submissions for:
Exploring & Thinking Bursary Award 2020

Purpose: The Exploring & Thinking Bursary Award will support individual professional artists to develop their artistic practice working with and/or producing work for early childhood arts.
Open to: Individual professional artists who wish to develop their practice in early childhood arts, artists practicing in all artforms, artists resident in Ireland
Bursary range: €500 - €5,000
The closing date: 5pm, 11th December 2020

Read on for more information.

Cruinniú na nÓg is Ireland’s national day of creativity for children and young people. It is a flagship initiative of the Creative Ireland Programme’s ‘Creative Youth Plan’ to enable the creative potential of children and young people. The inaugural Cruinniú na nÓg took place in 2018 with free events taking place in cities, towns and villages across the country. The second iteration in 2019 proved to be even more successful with more unique creative events taking place nationwide, including ‘Continued Professional Development’ for Musicians working in Early Years through a Fingal Arts, Dublin City, Dublin South & Dun Laoghaire Rathdown Partnership.

Let's Explore the artwork of John Kindness.

Fingal Arts Office recently Celebrated 25 Years of Collecting Art! Over the next few days we will share an artwork from this amazing collection with you and invite you to respond with your own masterpieces.Ideal for all ages and abilities, you might like to focus on developing your drawing or painting skills by recreating the artwork you see, or you might prefer to focus on a small detail to get started and then let your imagination run wild to create your very own original piece in response. The choice is yours! All we ask is that you share your finished artwork for us all to see and enjoy. This way we stay together and connected through art.

Let’s begin with Irish Artist John Kindness. This print is called, ‘Charles Coote’, made in 1998, using two plate etching, aquatint & drypoint. Artists explore their subject matter in detail and carefully consider their composition. Look closely, what can you see? Explore the focal character and his garments, look at the background drapes, what else can you find?  Look around your home and find objects to draw.  Maybe someone at home would like to volunteer to be the subject matter of your artwork! Using whatever and whoever you can find, make your very own artwork inspired by John Kindness’ print.

What Do You See? Let's Explore the artwork of Catherine Barron.

Fingal Arts Office recently Celebrated 25 Years of Collecting Art! Over the next few days we will share an artwork from this amazing collection with you and invite you to respond with your own masterpieces.Ideal for all ages and abilities, you might like to focus on developing your drawing or painting skills by recreating the artwork you see, or you might prefer to focus on a small detail to get started and then let your imagination run wild to create your very own original piece in response. The choice is yours! All we ask is that you share your finished artwork for us all to see and enjoy. This way we stay together and connected through art.

Today we are delighted to share ‘Soup & Bread’ by Irish Artist Catherine Barron. It was made in 2013 using acrylic ink on sheet metal.  Artists use lots of different techniques and materials for creating their artwork. What do you think about the materials used to make this work, look at its shape? Can you look around your home and find interesting materials to draw or paint directly on to? Catherine once said that ‘windows frame a particular place, time and way of life. They are the eyes of a home’. Using your window look outside and capture the shapes, colours or objects you see. In Catherine’s piece she is looking from the outside in. Look around your home for materials to draw, colour and paint with; magazines & fabric cuttings for great for collage, what else can you find? Using your materials create an artwork in response to Catherine’s piece.

The Old Peach House, Malahide Castle’ by Fingal artist Susan Sex.

Fingal Arts Office recently Celebrated 25 Years of Collecting Art! Over the next few days we will share an artwork from this amazing collection with you and invite you to respond with your own masterpieces. Ideal for all ages and abilities, you might like to focus on developing your drawing or painting skills by recreating the artwork you see, or you might prefer to focus on a small detail to get started and then let your imagination run wild to create your very own original piece in response. The choice is yours! All we ask is that you share your finished artwork for us all to see and enjoy. This way we stay together and connected through art.

Summer time calls us to look again at the beautiful colours, patterns and rhythms found in nature. Today we’re delighted to share ‘The Old Peach House, Malahide Castle’ by Fingal artist Susan Sex. A watercolour on paper, it was commissioned by Fingal County Council in 2018. Susan is a botanical artist and has studied plants and their habitats for many years. What kind of plants can you find at home and in your surrounding environment? You might find a houseplant, an outdoor shrub, a wild flower. You might even find a plant in your fridge! Whatever you discover, study the detail, the colour, the shape, the texture. What does it smell like? How does it feel? Using your senses - sight, smell, sound, touch, what other information can you gather? Then create your own artwork in response to Susan’s painting using any materials you can find at home and share it with friends, family and Fingal County Council.

Let's Stay Together: Una Sealy (Part one)

An initiative connecting artists and communities during Covid-19.

In this week's Let's Stay Together series we welcome Fingal artist Una Sealy. Una is established as one of Ireland's leading visual artists. Her work is included in many private and public art collections, including our own in Fingal County Council. She is best known for her paintings of domestic interiors, streetscapes, landscapes and portraits, and today we welcome Una to take us through her process of how to paint a portrait.