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The Artists in Schools Scheme 2012

Artists in Schools 2012

The successful schools  were:

Scoil Nigherancah Naofa/Cullohill

Mountrath Community School/Dysartbeigh/Mountrath

Scoil Bhride NS/Rathdowney, Co Laois

St Josephs GNS/Mountmellick

Timahoe NS, Timahoe

Clonenagh NS, Mountrath, Co Laois

Scoil Chriost Ri, Portlaoise

 The successful schools in 2011 were:

•  St Colemans NS, Stradbally Co Laois  with artist Laura Byrne on a visual arts story/writing project
• Colaiste Iosagain – Secondary School, Portarlington with writer Jean O’Brien on a creative writing project.
• St Paul's NS, Mountmellick with drama tutor Julie Duane on an integrated drama and arts project
• No 2 National School, Portarlington with artist Beta Franca on a visible music project
• Portlaoise College, with dance tutor Erica Borges on a dance and drama project
• Scoil Bhride, Rathdowney with drama tutor Aine Caulfield on a drama project
• The Rock NS, Mountmellick with percussion tutor Eddie O’Neill, on a drumming project
• Castlecuffe N.S, Clonaslee with artist Caroline Conway on a craft printing project
• Scoil Chriost Ri, Secondary School Portlaoise, with artist Lynn Kirkham on a willow weaving project.

 Central to the Arts Policy as indicated in the Arts Plan 2006-2011: Laois County Council is committed to sustainable educational programmes in the arts that support opportunities for learning as well as developing skills in a range of Art forms both within and outside of the formal education sector. With this in mind The Artist-in-Schools Programme allows the students to have an in-depth experience with the professional artist and gives them the opportunity to experience different art media. Laois County Council runs the artists-in-schools scheme allowing collaboration between artists in any art form and pupils from the primary and second level schools. During the last seven  years of the programme, sixty four schools have benefited from some wonderfully creative and imaginative arts projects, and worked with highly professional artists. 

 Ten schools participated in the 2010 scheme in a variety of different art projects. A total of 14 schools were involved in the scheme in 2009 and they had the opportunity to work in Film/animation, Patchwork, Graphics, Sculpture, Textile art, Music, and Photography. The scheme is funded by the Arts Office in association with the Arts Council and it has been running very successfully in Laois for a number of years.  The benefits are that it gives schools the opportunity to work with different artists and explore new arts mediums.

• Idea or proposal can come from either Artist or School
• Artists constitute professionals working full-time in their art form for eg. literature, painting, sculpture, dance, drama, music, pottery, mosaic etc.
• A list of Artists is available from the Arts Office but schools can select their own artist.
• Funding is available to cover Artists’ fee for up to 20hrs.