Published 19.03.2020
by Kids’ Own

Kids’ Own teams up with Down Syndrome Sligo!

Last month, Kids’ Own teamed up with Down Syndrome Sligo for the first time! As part of their preparations for celebrating World Down Syndrome Day on the 21st March, Down Syndrome Sligo invited Kids’ Own to work with them on a special creative session.

Kids’ Own Associate Artist Naomi Draper worked with the group of children and young people and together they explored a range of different natural and traditional materials used in craft-making. Naomi arranged the creative space into different stations, such as rushwork, clay, textile, woodwork, glasswork, and of course bookmaking and binding!

Naomi talks and plays with some of the children at the start of our creative session.
Naomi talks and plays with some of the children at the start of our creative session.

All of these stations were little circles connected to the main circle where everyone gathered at the beginning. Each station or circle allowed the children and young people to try something new, to work with a new material or a material that might be familiar to them from everyday life but used in a different way. As each circle was linked to a particular craft, we all had a chance to imagine taking on different roles, from working with wood or clay to making our own mini books.

A parent works with two children in the main circle at Kids' Own workshop

There was great excitement and energy as everyone immediately started to play and get stuck into the materials!

There were so many different materials to explore!

There was also a lot of focus as everyone tried out working with different materials.

Photographer Anna Leask was there to document the workshop and captured these lovely moments from the creative session. Anna also had some new apprentice photographers, as some of the young people took some beautiful photos with Anna’s guidance.

Parents of the children and young people also joined the workshop and we all worked and played together. There was a really lovely group spirit between all the different families at the session and it was great getting to know everyone in the group a little more.

Down Syndrome Sligo’s World Down Syndrome Day celebrations on the 21st of March have been postponed, but we hope everyone can support them at a celebration in the near future. Please click here for more information on Down Syndrome Sligo or find them on Facebook by clicking here.

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