The BLAST scheme gives pupils in schools all over the country the opportunity to work with a professional artist on unique projects.  This initiative supports children and young people for the future, where skills like the ability to connect and collaborate with others, engage in creative and critical thinking and practice inclusivity at every level will be paramount to peace, stability, sustainable economic growth and equality. 

The artist’s fee is €1,000 per residency which is funded by the Department of Education.

This year, students in the Senior Classroom will be working with visual artist Ruth Wood of Kilkee, County Clare.

Theme / Basis for Proposal:

This workshop is designed to promote an understanding of the rural cultural identity of this locality. Rural depopulation is a real concern for the schools and community of West Clare. The Local Development Company (L.D.C.), contacted the school, in relation to, designing a website to highlight the school’s value within the community. The school asked local artist, Ruth Wood if she would be interested in working on a creative workshop, for the children, in partnership with both the school and the L.D.C. This project is a collaborate project, connecting school children to their community, with the hope of sustaining the social and economic continuance of this area.

The following is an outline of the proposal based on that collaboration.

Title: My Favourite Place

Aim: The aim of the residency is to make images based on field research within the Loop Head Peninsula: looking at the locality through a creative lens. This projects endeavours to illustrate the connection of our young people to the environment.

Outcomes:

The children will:

·       Be introduced to creative methods of site – specific field research

·       Utilize a variety of art materials

·       Engage in a process led, child centred, experiential creative workshop

·       Have fun

·       Have the opportunity to engage in a novel way with their heritage and articulate that engagement visually

The School and Local Development Company will have:

·       Images of the children creatively exploring the landscape of this locality

·       Short video of the process

·       Artworks the children create based on their fieldwork

·       All the above will be available for use on the new website