Sensing Place 2020/2021 - Uillinn: WCAC school's programme
An exhibition of work from Uillinn’s schools programme, 30 January to 14 March, 2021

Taking the work of three Uillinn Artists in Residence - Mary Sullivan, Pascal Ungerer and Kate McElroy - as a starting point, primary school children examined a variety of different ways that place can be explored through art. Pascal uses paint to capture places on the edge of rural and urban. Kate uses photography and found objects to capture a sense of a place in flux. Mary uses performance to respond to specific sites, often in her home place of Bere Island.

Sensing Place was devised and delivered by Uillinn Public Engagement Assistant and artist Kate McElroy. She met online with the teachers involved to discuss the project in advance of a brainstorming session with each class group. Then, during a lowering of Covid-19 restrictions, Kate was able to deliver an outdoor session at each of the schools, where the children could investigate their local environment. To complete the project she posted parcels containing art materials and resources to support an online classroom-based workshop with each class. Throughout the process Kate was available to assist and advise the teachers and worked with them and their pupils to create an exhibition of their work at Uillinn.

This exhibition showcases work by pupils from 5th Class, Scoil Mhuire NS, Schull with teacher Johanna Fitzmaurice; 6th Class, St Joseph’s Girls School, Clonakilty with teacher Sarah Geaney; and 2nd & 3rd Class, Our Lady of Mercy NS, Bantry with teacher Maeve Keane.

By student from Scoil Mhuire, Schull, 2020