Kids’ Own recently returned to our family project in Dungarvan and we were delighted to hold another round of workshops with children from the Traveller community and their families. These workshops, held over the Easter period, served as a follow-up to last year’s successful sessions on the beach, emphasising reflection, reminiscence, and the celebration of the creative process over the final outcome.

The project underscored the significance of memory within the artistic journey, rather than fixating solely on the end product. Last year, the beach served as both canvas and inspiration, with the natural art crafted by the children left to grace the sands as a testament to their creativity and the beauty of their creations. The workshops took place on the beach giving the children an opportunity to experience nature together and let creativity and collaboration lead the way.

This year’s workshops ran over three sessions, catering not only to the children but also involving their mothers in separate and joint sessions. The inclusion of mothers proved instrumental in fostering a sense of ownership and pride in their children’s art works. Reflecting on their children’s work under the guidance of associate artists Maree Hensey and Francesca Hutchinson, mothers actively engaged in the process, making the workshops more collaborative.

The workshops were well-received and we looking forward to our next set of workshops. Keep your eyes peeled for more updates.  You can read all about our workshops in Dungarven last year here: https://kidsown.ie/dungarven-early-years-project-update/

We’d also like to extend our thanks to Dungarvan Traveller Community Health Project in County Waterford, Dungarvan Traveller Health Project, Waterford County Childcare Committee and Waterford Traveller Interagency Group who have supported and collaborated with us on this project.