We are delighted to announce that our long standing Associate Artist Mary Branley will be stepping into a new role as Kids’ Own writing mentor. She will be supporting our new panel of writers and artists as they work on new projects this year.

This mentorship will build on the years of experience Mary has with Kids’ Own where she has worked on classic projects such as Charlie Barley and all his Friends (2001) where she and a team of artists worked with Traveller children and their parents and grandparents to create a book; and more recent projects such as I Hope You Grow (2018) where she worked with artist Maree Hensey and a group of children living in temporary accommodation to create a book packed with poetry, stories and artwork. Mary has been an integral part of Kids’ Own’s work and evolving methodology for over twenty years.

This mentoring role will foster a new mode of peer support and collaboration, ensuring that our new writers and artists are fully supported as they work on Kids’ Own projects. In addition to mentorship and shadowing, Mary will support the professionalisation of their collaborative practice with children in a way that reflects and honours Kids’ Own’s way of working.

Mary started her new mentoring role by leading our recent training workshops in The Model Sligo, where she lead us through a series of projects that she has worked on over the years. She provided wonderful insights into Kids’ Own way of working and collaborating. Next she will be supporting writers and artists on two brand-new book projects which we are very excited about!