Young People
Our programmes provide a unique space for young people to develop a critical attitude towards society and to question and celebrate through making and participating. They provide artform choice in visual arts, dance, theatre and access for young people to engage with artists on residence and cross platform exploration.
We have been working to expand our access to the arts for Young People influenced and steered by our Young Peoples Committee, ‘Guerrilluinn’s’. The group gives voice to ideas in relation to building and participating in our programmes at Uillinn and is facilitated by staff and artists working on the programme.
In a brainstorming session back in the spring of 2022, the ‘Guerrilluinn’s’ devised a project with the aim of increasing access to the arts for more young people in west cork and voicing their thoughts and ideas through exciting and ambitious multimedia public art project that challenges perceptions of what art can be.
Beginning in September 2022 the ‘Guerrilluinn’s’ took action on these ideas and created a multi-disciplinary project to build artform bridges, increase access, upskill and explore industry links to create a joint temporary public artwork in Skibbereen. The project called FREEDOM was led by Guerrilluinn’s who were in studio residency from 7 November 2022 to 28 January 2023.
Our programme is delivered in three artform based strands: Young Dancers, Rusty Frog Youth Theatre (RFYT) and Draw Mind Matters coordinated through the Guerrilluinns. All spaces are inclusive, welcome young people from diverse backgrounds and be LGBTQ+ and ally default. Additional opportunities take place throughout each year to enrich the young peoples experience of the arts including exhibitions, once off events and outings, In addition opportunities are also presented through Cork’s key youth arts support LCYP Local Creative Youth Partnership and RFYT proud membership of Youth Theatre Ireland.
YOUNG DANCERS
8 places, €40 Membership
12 Sessions
Monday's 4.45 pm to 6.15pm
15 Jan to 22 April (ex. 12 Feb, 25 Mar and 1 Apr) 2024
with Elaine McCague and guests.
This programme is ideal for young people with some movement or dance experience to attend both facilitated and peer to peer sessions and experiment with aerial and choreography in contemporary dance.
Attending sessions is a fantastic way for young dancers to broaden their experience, step outside their comfort zones, make connections, new friends and discover new ways to move and create.
RUSTY FROG YOUTH THEATRE
16 places, Membership Fee €80 per term
Tuesday 6:00pm to 7:30pm
30 January to 9 April (ex. 13 Feb and 2 April) 2024, including 2 Saturday's and 3 Easter Dates (TBC)
Age 13 to 18 (Second level students)
Working across artforms on 'Shakespeare with a twist' with Musical Director Liz Clark.
Facilitators Sylwia Migdal, Liz Clark and guest Terri Leiber
Rusty Frog is WCAC's Youth Theatre for teenagers which produces original, high-quality and exciting theatre. The programme includes: weekly training workshops in acting, improvisation, stagecraft, voice, script work, street theatre, puppetry, physical theatre, clowning, dance, percussion, devising, writing, directing and technical skills. It also includes an annual theatre production, theatre trips and participation in the national Youth Theatre Festival. Youth Theatre is a unique blend of youth work with a professional theatre approach - it builds confidence, creativity and communication skills. The YT programme focuses on the development and empowerment of its members as well as developing their theatre skills.
No experience is necessary, just commitment.
Rusty Frog Youth Theatre Facebook page
Rusty Frog Youth Theatre Instagram
Here is what some of our members have to say:
"Personally I love youth theatre. It offers me a chance to make new friends and I know I can express myself without getting judged"
"I really really enjoyed it, Its a safe space for acting and just expression in general"
"Its very fun and rewarding. I can be myself"
"I loved Youth Theatre. I felt it was a really great space to be in."
Rusty Frog Youth Theatre is supported by the Arts Council and Cork County Council.
DRAW MIND MATTERS
€40 membership, 12 Sessions
Friday 4.30 pm to 6.30 pm
19 Jan to 26 April (excluding 16 Feb, 29 March and 5 April) 2024
Ages 14 to 18 years
with Tomasz Madajczak, Sylwia Migdal & Guests
Draw Mind Matters is an innovative art project which invites young people to express their experience of life in Ireland today through drawing, painting, photography performing arts with artists Tomasz Madajczak, Sylwia Migdal and guests artists
In sessions from September to December 2023, young people will be working on:
Creative responses through the performing arts.
Exploring human body as a creative tool: language, drawing, use of materials, the surrounding space and the presence of others.
Tomasz Madajczak, an artist and Draw Mind Matters (DMM) facilitator, introduces performing arts to Uillinn West Cork Arts Centre participants and the general public.
Participants will highlight the importance of awareness of our body: the voice which we speak, the mark left by the pencil which the hand holds.
The sessions will incorporate media that the participants are familiar with, such as spoken word, painting, and sketching.
The workshops will spark creative investigation into the nature of the creative process and the ways it corresponds with contemporary challenges.
My Body is My tool.
Innovative response to creation where the artistic language is developed through embodied awareness. The youth group will explore nature of: art performance, tactile drawing, awareness to materials, surrounding space and presence of the others. The sessions will start involving the media known well by the participants: painting, drawing, sculpture, spoken word, encapsulating and highlighting the importance of bodily awareness. All that we do, comes from our body, the voice which we speak, the mark left by the pencil which we hold. The sessions will open up creative en-query about the nature of the creative process and the ways it reflects the issues of the times we live in.
text: Tomasz Madajczak, 2023
ABOUT THE FACILITATOR
Artist Tomasz Madajczak has worked with art and education for 15 years, facilitating art workshops for children, teenagers and adults. The combination of art and education plays a crucial role in developing deep interest and curiosity in young people, to enable them to explore and widen their life perspectives. Recent projects for children are: Art in Action and Inside Out, both at Uillinn: West Cork Art Centre, 2020; Sztuka Stuka, MOOS Municipal Art Gallery, Gorzów, Wlkp. Poland, 2019; and artists collaboration Mapping The Divide performance at Uillinn, 2019. Tomasz studied Photography at the Fine Arts Academy in Poznań 1998-2003 completing an MAFA in the Intermedia Department. Tomasz emigrated to Ireland in 2003 where he has been a practicing artist since.
ALAN FOLEY ACADEMY OF DANCE (AFAD) promotes dance as a vibrant and enjoyable art form through classes, workshops and performances in ballet, jazz and modern dance for 3 to 18 year olds. AFAD is part of Cork City Ballet (CCB) which embraces a policy of engaging dancers from international companies as well as Ireland's finest classical and contemporary dancers, to perform to audiences all over Ireland.
Founded in 1991, the Alan Foley Academy of Dance has branches in Skibbereen, Bantry, Clonakilty and Carrigaline. Under the direction of Alan Foley, the School offers a complete range of classes for young children and teens who wish to pursue recreational dance instruction in a supportive and encouraging setting.
More details here on booking, times and fees. Alan Foley Academy of Dance (Ballet, Modern and Jazz)
Images: Draw Mind Matters at the FREEDOM Event in December2022. Image by Tomasz Madajczak. Young Dancers Perform at the FREEDOM event in December 2022. Video created by Draw Mind Matters participants in 2022 with artist Tomasz Madajczak. Alan Foley Academy of Dance, Senior Modern Class students perform at Ballet Gala 2022 at Uillinn
