merrion street

This event represents a coming together of arts and education professionals to share, learn, talk, network, get inspired, and interrogate best practice in the field.

Organised by the Arts in Education Charter Implementation Group and the Arts in Education Portal Editorial Committee, which is represented by key national agencies and arts-in-education stakeholders; and funded by the Department of Education & Skills, this free event is the first of its kind since the joint launch of the Arts in Education Charter by the Department of Education & Skills and the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht in January 2013.

The event will begin with an opening address by Professor John Coolahan, Educationalist, and Professor Emeritus of Education from the National University of Ireland, Maynooth.

The opening address will be followed by a series of over 20 workshops and presentations across a wide range of art forms and representing practice and approaches from all over Ireland, with relevance to the early-years, primary and post-primary education contexts.

The day is a celebration to the mark the end of the first year of the Arts in Education Portal, the key national digital resource of arts in education in Ireland. The Portal was launched in May 2015 and represents a significant step in the development of the Arts in Education sector, as a key initiative arising from the Arts in Education Charter, the implementation of which is being overseen by the Charter Implementation Group.

The National Day offers an opportunity to continue building a community of practice and supporting professionals who work with children through education and the arts. In addition to presentations and workshops, the National Day will offer a space for connectivity and networking, as well as providing a window into the Portal itself – through a display of selected and commissioned content, which has been developed over the past year.

Dr. Katie Sweeney, National Director for the Integration of the Arts in Education (Department of Education & Skills), who is Chair of the Portal Editorial Committee and a member of the Charter Implementation Group says, “The Arts in Education Portal is the key national digital resource of arts and education practice in Ireland. The Arts in Education Portal was one of the key objectives of the Arts in Education Charter. Underpinning the continued development of the Portal is a strong and implicit shared belief amongst all stakeholders in the intrinsic value of the arts in the lives of children. The Portal – through the content that it shares – has a role in advocating this value. The Portal reflects best current practice that is taking place in Ireland. Its vision is to establish a structure through which the arts and education community can be developed. Today, a year after its official launch, the Portal continues to develop through continued support and building of the community both on and offline. The site continues to highlight and underline the key principles of good collaborative practice”.

Speaking at the launch, Professor John Coolahan, Chairperson of the Charter Implementation Group, said "The Charter is a landmark attempt at co-operative policy endeavour for the arts-in-education. The Portal demonstrates the key principles of good collaborative practice and provides an unprecedented opportunity for young people throughout the country to engage productively with arts-in-education. The Portal provides an unprecedented opportunity for all stakeholders and young people to engage productively with the arts in education in Ireland”.

Note for Editors

The Arts in Education Portal (http://www.artsineducation.ie) was launched in May 2015 and is managed by Kids’ Own Publishing Partnership in collaboration with an Editorial Committee, whose members are:

· Dr. Katie Sweeney (Chair), National Director for the Integration of the Arts in Education (Department of Education & Skills)
· Helen O’Donoghue, Head of Education & Community Programmes, IMMA (Representing Encountering the Arts, Ireland)
· Phil Kingston, Community & Education Manager, The Abbey Theatre (Representing the Council of National Cultural Institutions)
· Emelie Fitzgibbon, Director, Graffiti Theatre Company (Representing the Arts Council)
· Dermot Carney, Arts Officer, National Association of Principals & Deputy Principals
· Joe Cunningham, Laois Offaly Education & Training Board
· Caitríona Ní Chullota. Director, The Education Centre, Tralee (Representing the Association of Teachers/ Education Centres in Ireland -ATECI)
· Lucina Russell, Arts Officer, Kildare County Council (Representing the Association of Local Authority Arts Officers – ALAAO)
· Seán Gallagher, Deputy Director, PDST Technology in Education
· Patrick Coffey, National Co-ordinator for Scoilnet, PDST Technology in Education/Scoilnet
· Deirdre Behan, Head of ICT, The Arts Council