by Kids’ Own
A children�s arts organisation and publishing house.
The TADA! exhibition, initially showcased at the F.E McWilliam Gallery & Studio in Co. Down, wrapped up on May 25th. Thanks to the funding from the Cruinniú na nÓg Shared Island initiative, a segment of this exhibition traveled to the Jackie Clarke Museum in Ballina, where it was displayed in early June. This move was celebrated with workshops aimed at engaging children in artistic and literary activities, promoting a sense of shared cultural heritage.
In collaboration with Mayo County Council and the FE McWilliam Gallery, two workshops were held for children aged 8-12 in Banbridge, Co. Down, scheduled for Cruinniú na nÓg on June 15th. Concurrently, the Jackie Clarke Museum hosted part of the TADA! exhibition, and linked workshops were conducted in Ballina Library, creating a virtual bridge between the two locations.
These workshops, led by our associate artists and writers, encouraged children to delve into visual arts and creative writing. Inspired by the themes in the book “This Giant Tent,” the children explored concepts of home, community, and belonging. They created art and stories that reflected their personal experiences and the voices of other children.
Mary Branley and Alice Dixon led the Ballina workshops. Mary Branley shared her experience:
“Artist Alice Dixon and I met our Cruinniú na nÓg creatives at the Jackie Clarke Gallery in Ballina to view a section of the TADA! Kids’ Own children’s art exhibition, which had just finished in the FE McWilliam Gallery in Banbridge. Eager to get going on their self-portraits, we continued in the Ballina library with cardboard, woolen fabric, markers, and glue guns. Half an hour later, we joined the Kids’ Own team in Banbridge to say a big Cruinniú hello and shared our work in progress with participants there. As our workshop continued, the glue guns were in constant use, as wild fabric hairstyles began to be added to detailed self-portraits. Some of our young people were inspired to start dressmaking – a sleeveless gilet for Jacob, and a skirt that could also be a top for Cora and Emily. What a fabulous way to spend a Saturday morning. Thank you, Cruinniú na nÓg Shared Island funders, for such a brilliant idea, providing so many creative free outlets for children.”
Ann Donnelly, alongside Susanna Galbraith, facilitated the Banbridge sessions. Ann reflected:
“Being Ourselves Session for Cruinniú na nÓg – To celebrate Cruinniú na nÓg, we delivered a session called Being Ourselves at the FE McWilliam Gallery in Banbridge, Co. Down. The session explored who we are and where we feel we belong. We looked at images from Kids’ Own’s TADA! exhibition and connected with the current exhibition of Scottish Women Artists, examining different kinds of portraiture and gathering ideas. Drawing with two hands helped to loosen us up, and soon stories appeared through drawings and watercolour paintings, with words flowing spontaneously. Linking with the Ballina group, we had a wonderful moment imagining the sound a ‘shream’ [screaming mushroom] might make. You might want to try to imagine or even make that sound yourself once you read more about shreams.”
Susanna added
“We delivered a workshop on the floor of the F.E. McWilliam Gallery, Co.Down, surrounded by the artworks in the Scottish Women Artists exhibition. The workshop was a one-off celebration of Cruinniű na nÓg that was focused on the idea of ‘self’ but also aimed to connect with the current exhibition at the gallery, the past Kids’ Own TADA! exhibition as it was on tour in Ballina, and the This Giant Tent Kids Own Project. (So there were a lot of plates spinning inside one 1.5 hr session!)
We started by walking around the exhibition and looking at some portraits, asking what we could see about the person in the artwork and what we couldn’t see. We started with some two-handed, blindfolded drawing, with pen which was a fun way to break open the idea of making a portrait and start exploring the ideas in the workshop.
We used a slideshow to look at some images from This Giant Tent and the TADA exhibition as inspiration for making some postcard scale pen drawings and exploring watercolours.
The child participating in the workshop was very interested in making images of a creature she had made up called a Shream, so we adapted the workshop activities to engage with and listen to the story of the Shream, and we used this as a way to touch on ideas of self and place. We listened to details about Shreams and worked together to gather them into a story (see below).
The highlight of the workshop was the video link with the simultaneous workshop in Ballina where we were able to tell this story to the participants there, and they interacted by imagining and making the sound of the Shreams. The participant in Banbridge got to listen to their story come to life from across the country.
The Shreams
‘These proper, actual little creatures live in a big, wide, moist forest. They are called Shreams. They don’t have roots. They just pop out of the ground and scream. Sometimes they chase Shrews, but only if they’re disturbed.They dig little caves in the ground. Each Shream has its own cave. They are only the size of a pencil stub, but they can eat things twice the size of themselves.Shreams are very solitary, and like to keep to themselves. But if they are hunting they come together. Then they are called a ‘Shriek’.’”
The children’s creativity was evident in both workshops. Their artwork and stories, featuring diverse themes and vivid imagery, reflected their unique perspectives on community and identity.
These workshops underscore Kids’ Own’s commitment to encouraging creativity, cultural understanding, and community engagement among children. By connecting communities across borders, we are contributing to a shared future that values and celebrates diversity. We thank all the artists, writers, children, and families involved, as well as our funders and partners, for making these events possible.
Stay tuned for more updates and future events from Kids’ Own as we continue to support young artists.
A thank you to Cruinniú na nÓg Shared Island initiative and Mayo County Council for funding and support this project.