The next stop on the Virtually There tour is Limerick. Virtually There is a national touring exhibition of work by artists, children and teachers created through online residencies, and will open to the public on Monday 8 September 2014 at Mary Immaculate College, University of Limerick. The exhibition forms part of the Limerick City of Culture programme and Lime Tree Theatre’s Bualadh Bos Children’s Festival and is funded through the Arts Council of Ireland’s Touring and Dissemination of Work Award.

The exhibition stems from the Virtually There project, the only long-term professional arts programme running in Northern Irish schools, which is managed by Kids’ Own Publishing Partnership and has been funded by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland since 2007. Demonstrating the use of virtual technology to connect studio and classroom, this exhibition showcases work made by artists Ann Donnelly, Julie Forrester, Ann Henderson, Sharon Kelly and Andrew Livingstone with primary school children from all over Northern Ireland.

A pilot programme at Mary Immaculate College is mirroring the process being carried out in schools with students at the college over a 5-week period. A national symposium on 16 October for representatives of the arts and education sectors will explore how technology can support meaningful collaborations between artists, children and teachers, and enrich children’s creativity and learning experiences within the school environment. This symposium is a free event and will take place at Mary Immaculate College from 1-5.30pm. For further information, contact Kids’ Own: [email protected] or ph. 071-9124945.

Virtually There will be on show to the public in the main reception and An tSlí at Mary Immaculate College until 16 October 2014 from 9am-7pm Monday-Friday. The exhibition forms part of the visual arts programme at Bualadh Bos Children’s Festival (9 – 31 October). See www.limetreetheatre.ie for festival details.

For 2014/15 tour dates see: https://kidsown.ie/announcing-virtually-exhibition-tour/

Images below from the Virtually There exhibition and event tour at Highlanes Gallery, Drogheda: