Youth Arts can be broadly defined as ‘young people taking part voluntarily in creative, cultural or expressive activity outside of the formal education process. It can encompass participation and appreciation, as well as engagement with arts work specifically created by, with, or for, young people', from Arts in Their Lives: A Policy on Young People and The Arts, National Youth Council of Ireland
WCAC believes that there is huge potential for young people to meaningfully engage in arts experiences, and for young people to develop and articulate themselves within their chosen art form. WCAC believes that the process of experiencing art and participating in the making of art should be based on the principles of autonomy, equality, empowerment, participation and experiential learning.
The arts have an enormous role to play in the lives of young people both as a means of expression of an autonomous and vibrant youth culture, and as opportunities for young people to communicate thoughts, feelings, ideas and emotions. The arts allow young people to develop a critical attitude towards society and to question and celebrate through making and participating. Programmes such as West Cork Arts Centre’s Youth Theatre, which provides experiential theatre training and performance opportunities (see WCAC's Bebo Page); Friday Night Youth Arts, a visual arts programme where young people experiment with a range of ideas and materials with artists; and the annual Youth Arts Event, a programme of exhibitions and workshops, all motivate and challenge young people and lead young people to discover themselves, look at their own resources and value what they have to say.
For more information on WCAC's Youth Arts Programme see www.bebo.com/Youth-Arts-WCAC and our dedicated Youth Arts website. To read about WCAC's Youth Arts Development Plan and the 2007 Youth Arts Event go to in 2007, published by the National Youth Arts Programme
For details for the 2009 programe see 2009 Youth Arts Exhibition and Event Brochure (PDF 334KB)
For details of the 2008 Youth Arts Event, please download the Youth Arts Event 2008 Brochure here (PDF 228kb).
West Cork Arts Centre’s Youth Theatre is affiliated to Skibbereen Theatre Society and is currently under the directorship of Karen Minihan. The programme comprises interrelated activities – improvisation, characterisation, voice work, history of theatre, movement, directing, script-work and physical theatre which explore the motivations and relationships between people that exist in real, imagined or historical contexts.
Regular performances are held at Skibbereen Town Hall and other venues and offer further involvement in different aspects of production such as costume, lighting, sound and publicity.
AUTUMN PROGRAMME 2010
Youth Arts programme provides opportunities for young people to engage with the arts through a youth led programme that includes drama, dance, visual arts, and artist’s residencies. For more details on youth dance see Alan Foley Academy of Dance on the Children’s page of this website.
WCAC Youth Theatre
16 September – 9 December (excluding 28 October mid term)
Thursday’s 4.00pm – 5.15pm, 1½ hrs for 11yrs to 14yrs, 12 weeks
Thursday’s 5.30pm – 7.00pm, 1½ hrs for 15yrs to 19yrs, 12 weeks
Youth Theatre autumn term is a series of active and social drama workshops, where participants explore role play, develop vocal and physical skills and participate in a group activity which is energetic and highly enjoyable. Theatre and performance skills are developed with a view to developing a production for WCAC Youth Event in 2011.
The autumn term is facilitated by Karen Minihan with support from Project Assistant Caoimhe Pendred. A visit to Kinsale Drama group and course is planned for later in the term.
Friday Night Youth Arts
Friday 5 November - Friday 10 December inclusive (6 weeks)
€ 20 registration, €5 weekly subs
Friday Night Youth Arts gives young people aged 13 –18 the opportunity to work alongside professional artists in a contemporary arts context in an enjoyable and sociable atmosphere.
Working with Youth Coordinator Alison Cronin, and with the support of project assistant Caoimhe Pendred, the group develop artwork through a collaborative process for WCAC’s annual Youth Exhibition in the spring. The direction of the project is led by the interests and ideas of the participants, two guest artists will visit the group during the term. All materials are supplied.
Transition Year Project Update
Artist Catherine Ryan worked with a group of Transition year students from Mercy Heights Secondary School, Skibbereen from March until May this year to create an artwork from discarded spectacles installed in the Ultralase Ireland Clinic in Cork.
The sculpture was put in place during July and photos of the completed artwork will be published here and on Facebook as soon as they're available.
Supported by Ultralase Ireland .
Oileán 24 July - 21 August West Cork Arts Centre
Oileán is a photographic project by 12 young people from Cape Clear Island exploring different aspects of their daily lives on the Island. The young people worked with photographer Eoin O’Conaill to produce a diverse body of work reflecting each individual’s experience linked by their landscape. This is shown alongside a series of landscape images and portraits made by the artist during his time on the Island.
Born in Ireland in 1979, Eoin O’Conaill completed a B.A. Hons in Documentary Photography at University of Wales and currently lives and works in Cork. This project is funded by the National Youth Council of Ireland , Udarás na Gaeltachta and Ealaín na Gaeltachta and is generously supported by iophotoworks, Cork.
Is togra grianghrafadóireachta é Oileán ag 12 daoine óga ó Oileán Chléire agus grianghrafadóir doiciméadach Eóin Ó Conaill atá tar éis bheith ag obair leis an ngrúpa le cúig mí anuas. Mar chuid den taispeántas, deineann obair ó gach rannpháirteach, iniúchadh ar gnéithe éagsúla dár saol laethúil ar an oileán, an turas farantóireachta ar scoil, teaghlaigh, caithimh aimsire agus an tírdhreach, gach ceann ag tabhairt léargas ar an dtaithí atá acu ar maireachtáil agus fás aníos i gCléire.
Tá Eóin Ó Conaill tar éis sraith íomhánna tírdhreacha agus portráidí a cuir i láthair a thógadh i gCléire i rith a ama ann. Cuireann na híomhánna seo an pobal agus timpeallacht éagsúil Chléire i láthair, ó portráidí cónaitheoirí áitiúla, daoine óga agus daoine nua tagtha san phobal, deineann na híomhánna seo iarracht dearcadh nua a gabháil den áit agus pobal uathúil.
Rugadh Eóin Ó Conaill in Éireann i 1979, agus bhain sé B.A. amach i nGrianghrafadóireacht Doiciméadach ag Coláiste na hOllscoile an Bhreatain Bhig, Newport i 2003. Thaispeáin sé a chuid oibre i dtaispeántais aonair agus grúpa in Éireann agus an Eoraip le déanaí i nDánlann na Grianghrafadóireachta, Baile Átha Chliath, Taispeántas Idirnáisiúnta na hAmharcealaíona ev+a, Luimneach 2009 agus ag an Féile Idirnáisiúnta Grianghrafadóireachta, Lodz, An Pholainn. I 2008 bronnadh Gradam Náisiúnta Belmont Mill air agus bronnadh Gradam Dánlann na hEalaíontóirí Grianghrafadóireachta air i 2009.
Tá an taispeántas seo mar thoradh ar togra For-Rochtain Ógra ina raibh Ionad Ealaíon Iarthar Chorcaí comhpháirteach le Tír na Spraoi, Oileán Chléire agus maoinithe ag an Clár Ealaíontóir Cónaithe le na nÓg ag Comhairle Náisiúnta Óige na hÉireann agus Údarás na Gaeltachta. Buíochas le Judy Gilbert ó Tír na Spraoi agus iophotoworks, Corcaigh.
