Dublin Gig-Arts Event at the Lir Featured Second Level Pupils & their Art

Posted on: 26 April 2013

Young artists, musicians, dancers and actors from more than 20 schools across Dublin brought their creative talents to the city centre when they recently took part in the Dublin Gig-Arts Event sponsored by RSA Insurance at The Lir Academy, Trinity College Dublin. The event was one in a series to mark 20 years of the Trinity Access Programmes and marked a unique collaboration between Trinity College Dublin, Gig-Arts  ? an arts education NGO – The Lir Academy and RSA Insurance.

The Dublin Gig-Arts Event was a dynamic day of creative enterprise and ‘giving back.’ Participants explored their creative talents, gained confidence and performed in a live stage show. To give back, the students created colourful artworks to showcase across the City and commit to ‘giving’ a day of community engagement in their own area. Special guests from the local schools and community were invited to enjoy watching the Gig-Arts Stage Show at The Lir Academy.

Trinity Access Programme Director, Cliona Hannon, said: “Trinity College Dublin is delighted to use this opportunity to collaborate with The Lir, Gig-Arts and RSA to include eighty students from our linked DEIS schools and the local community in a celebration of creativity.”

HR Director at RSA Insurance, Anne Renehan commented: “RSA is delighted to partner with the Dublin Gig-Arts educational event which is a prime example of our ethos to encourage a more inventive, resourceful and fulfilled society. We are very pleased that, aided by our staff volunteers, we can support creative outreach to disadvantaged communities across Dublin.”

Co-Founder of Gig-Arts, Abbie Cooke Speaker, Artist and Social Entrepreneur, said: “I’m excited about leading the Dublin Gig-Arts Event for so many young artists and musicians who are keen to develop their creative enterprise skills and who want to give their time and talent to help their local community. This is a golden example of Dublin’s young leaders of tomorrow in action.”

Loughlin Deegan, Director of The Lir Academy said: “Gig-Arts provides the perfect opportunity for The Lir to reach out to young people from schools in our immediate area, many of whom will hopefully study full-time at The Lir Academy in the future.”

Participating students, aged 16 to 18 years, collaborated to create four pieces of public art which was be made from re-cycled materials. The artworks will be on display at Trinity College and shared around the twenty participating schools.