This programme explores West Cork Arts Centre and its exhibition, education and community programmes as resources to the teacher and the child in the classroom. Through classroom-based projects, gallery visits, practical workshops, and talks and discussions for teachers, it aims to develop the teacher’s understanding and experience of contemporary visual art and its connection to Visual Arts Education and delivery of the Primary Curriculum.
The Programme for Primary Schools seeks to create an atmosphere of genuine exploration, encouraging freedom to respond, interpret, experience, react, perceive and express, therefore coming to a greater knowledge of oneself and one’s place in the world. The programme is designed to be open, explorative and child-centred, to create space for each child’s vision and to use the visual arts as a conduit to explore a child’s view of the world.
Classroom-based Programme
The primary schools classroom based programme begins each autumn term and includes: a preparatory teachers meeting; a class visit to WCAC for a day including a guided tour of the gallery and practical workshops; two follow up workshops in the classroom; an online guide to the exhibition designed for participating schools to access in the classroom; a personal project plan developed with each teacher to help integrate the programme to their own needs and interests whilst fulfilling the curriculum and an exhibition featuring artwork developed during the programme in the main gallery at WCAC at the end of the programme.
The programme aims to encourage an imaginative response, develop practical visual arts skills and enable confidence in appreciating art for both pupils and teachers. The artist will develop an individual project plan with each teacher to enable teachers to continue delivery of the project in the classroom and maximise opportunities for cross-curricular links relevant to the group.
The programme is aimed at all levels of primary inclusive of special needs groups. Special needs groups will be catered for with shorter more frequent sessions to accommodate shorter attention spans and the need for the facilitating artist to develop a relationship with the group.
This year’s programme will be based on the exhibition The Essence of Taste by James L. Hayes and will be delivered by artists Alison Cronin and Tess Leak. An Education / Exhibition Guide for this year's Primary Schools' Classroom-based Project is available here
Past Education Guides are available to view here: Ed Guide Ellen Driscoll ; Cutters Education Guide and Amy Walsh Education Guide
This programme is delivered in partnership with the West Cork Education Centre.
Primary School Tours Programme
The Primary School Tours Programme is available during the summer term for schools visiting Skibbereen as part of their annual school tour. It also provides an opportunity for local school groups who may have missed out on a place in the main primary schools programme to include a gallery visit in their year’s activities, helping to fulfil the looking and responding strand of the visual art curriculum.
Visits include a gallery tour of the current exhibition followed by a practical visual art workshop in response to the artwork.
The second level schools programme aims to provide teachers and students with opportunities to engage with the arts across the curricula, through gallery tours, film screenings, and workshops.
For art and design students; The Second-level Exhibition Project focuses on drawing, a core skill in both the junior and senior cycle curricula. The programme aims to stretch participants concept of what drawing can be, exposing students to contemporary drawing practice through a gallery visit to one of two exhibitions, and an artists visit to the school. The exhibitions on which this programme is based are Dermot Seymour , Selected Paintings 1987 – 2012 ,18 August – 22 September, and Rita Duffy, Arctic Circus, 1 December 2012 – 19 January 2013. This programme begins in the autumn term, culminating in an exhibition of work produced as part of the Youth Exhibition in Spring 2013. This year's programme will focus on themes surrounding Objects and Otherness, and will be delivered by Alison Cronin. To register please send your details to alison@westcorkartscentre.com
Fee €30 per class group.
WCAC welcomes Second Level students and their teachers to visit the Centre and explore contemporary visual art through the exhibitions and related artists’ gallery talks. Gallery tours are also available on request year round.
For transition year students; This year sees the development of a new programme aimed at, but not exclusively for, Transition Year students. With the rise of the online blog, everyone has the opportunity to be a cultural commentator. In an effort to encourage critical thinking and develop lifelong interest in contemporary culture, this programme offers students the opportunity to develop their critical skills, learning to look at and discuss art, and express their own views, in a mature and considered manner. The programme includes gallery visits, film screenings, workshop discussions, and the opportunity for students to have their work published online. Groups registering for the project may do so through the Art department, English department, or as a Transition Year module.
Please note, it will be necessary to arrange group visits to WCAC in order to participate. Fees will be negotiated depending on the level of engagement which can be tailored to suit individual schools needs. See the Young Critics Blog here.
For all departments; West Cork Arts Centre runs a short programme of film screenings aimed at Second Level Schools each year, during our annual Youth Event in the spring. This programme is delivered in partnership with the Irish Film Institute’s Education Programme, which offers films aimed at both Junior and Senior Cycle students across the curricula, including foreign languages, Irish, English, History, CSPE and Art. For Film Screenings coming up in April see Upcoming Film Screenings
If you are interested in our film programme please get in touch to let us know what area interests you particularly and we will endeavour to programme accordingly.
On an ongoing basis opportunities arise for schools performances, talks, workshops or other projects with, for example, poets, musicians, film makers, theatre companies, dancers, or other artforms, if you are interested in being kept informed about such opportunities please make sure we have your details on file, along with your area of interest.
For teachers; WCAC in partnership with West Cork Education Centre are committed to supporting art teacher’s professional development. Minimum numbers are required to justify running workshops. If you are interested in putting your name down on a mailing list, workshops will be arranged once sufficient numbers have expressed an interest.
For more information on any of the above programmes, please feel free to contact Alison on 028 22090, or alison@westcorkartscentre.com
