The art of education
The National Gallery of Ireland will bring art to classrooms across the country again this year with an education initiative designed to help bring art into children’s lives.
Following a successful programme in 2021, the innovative Your Gallery at School initiative is committed to breaking down barriers that prevent young people from engaging with art in Ireland.
The programme provides an opportunity for students to take part in a series of informative workshops that are designed to teach through art and spark an interest in culture. Your Gallery at School began in January 2021, running workshops, sensory sessions and a creative careers programme, where students had the opportunity to learn about a variety of arts careers. The workshops ran in primary schools in Dublin, Sligo and Donegal and post-primary schools in Limerick, Clare and Kildare.
This year’s programme, which is supported by SMBC Aviation Capital will again work with four primary and four post-primary schools over the course of 2022. Sean Rainbird, Director of the National Gallery of Ireland, said: “We’re thrilled that Your Gallery at School will return this year. Our hope is that this opportunity to learn through art will encourage creativity and curiosity amongst our participants in the future.
Peter Barrett, Chief Executive of SMBC Aviation Capital, added: “We understand the importance of bringing the National Gallery to children who otherwise would not have the opportunity to access it and we are looking forward to seeing the continued positive impact of Your Gallery at School across the country.”
Schools are invited to participate via nationalgallery.ie during application windows running from 24 January-18 February and 29 August-15 September.
Once schools have been selected for participation, facilitators will then tailor a programme of activities for each school. The programme will emphasise the importance of art education, creativity and innovation and will be appropriate to the ages and school levels of students.