Fashion Department Creative Engagement 17 Annette Malone and Fashion Department students produced a collection of costumes based on theme “Under the Sea”. These costumes are currently under post production and being photographed to create a short animation by another past graduate Amy O’Shea. Teacher, Miia Satama’s statement: “We have found in LCFE Fashion Department that bringing in past graduates can be very beneficial to both students and teachers. This gives students an opportunity to explore possibilities in their study and a career choice, Creative Engagement is motivational experience for us all. This year we invited past student Annette Malone to work with students on costume which we are hoping to present to Limerick’s Troy studios summer 2017.” Annette Malone and Fashion Department students produced a collection of costumes based on theme “Under the Sea”. These costumes are currently under post production and being photographed to create a short animation by another past graduate Amy O’Shea. Artist, Annette Malone’s Statement: “My name is Annette Malone and I am a past student of LCFE. After finishing my City and Guilds certificate in Fashion and Textile Design in 2008 I went on to do a BA in fashion design at UCA Rochester. I now live in London where I work as a costume maker/designer. The technical training I received at LCFE played a vital role in my current career path as I found I had great interest not solely in the design element but also the development and construction of pattern making and clothing. I have no average day in my line of work and the diversity of my jobs has spanned from Hollywood film, working for the likes of Warner Brothers and 20th Century Fox to working on much smaller productions where it may be a one man/woman play. Each job teaches something new and the roles are always interesting. The work always poses challenges but the rewards by far outweigh these. It was a fantastic opportunity for me to come back to LCFE and spend time with the current students aspiring to go into the world of fashion and costume and I hope that they benefited from the time we had together.“ Project brief:...
Read MoreBlackwater Community School, Lismore, Co. Waterford 2017
Blackwater CS have had landscape artist Eilis O’Tool, introduce herself and her craft to first year students for six weeks. These sessions included a research trip in our local environment where students took photos on their phones for inspiration, learning the practical rules for working with oils and technical methods of paint application. It has been a wonderful experience and we are so grateful to the NAPD for this fantastic scheme. The students have completed 46 paintings of their environment. The next step was for students to curate, run and promote a school exhibition of their work. They had to decide as a group how to display them. In lieu of financial sponsorship our local art gallery offered us assistance, the education officer Jennifer Marshall agreed to take students on a tour of the gallery. This included a brief discussion about lighting and placement, the role of the curator and promotion. Also they brought their paintings and photographs of their planned space to exhibit so Jennifer could help students appreciate the work and plan their display. As there are two 1st year groups this was the first time the two groups worked together, which set them up for the joint effort of putting together the exhibition. Below are some student diary extracts, student photographs and scenes from the painting sessions. “It was fun that we were out of class and just taking photos. In my old primary school we barely painted and if we did it was a simple thing, but over in Blackwater it’s really cool and fun and we have new tool like a pallet knife. I love art here because it’s a challenge.” “We took lots of photos and it was great to get out of class and to listen to about what Eilis does in her job and it was something different which I enjoyed.” “I think that these classes were a very good idea and I would love if we repeated it. Maybe it would be more fun if we did people or portrait paintings.” “Eilis showed me how to blend the sky and the foreground. I am happy with my painting at the moment and I’m really excited to hold our own exhibition.” “I...
Read MoreNational Arts in Education Day May 6.
The Second National Arts in Education Day takes place Saturday May 6 in St. Patrick’s College Drumcondra ( in the new wing) There are workshops, demonstrations and discussions on all aspects of arts in education. Anne Bamford the UN and international expert on arts in education will be giving a talk on the day. All Creative Engagment fans and others are exhorted to give this great initiative a visit on the day. For more information please go to...
Read MoreColáiste Bhaile Chláir, Claregalway, Co. Galway 2017
Creativity and excitement has filled the Art room over the last few months as the 5th year Coláiste Bhaile Chláir Art students develop new skills and techniques with local Ceramics artist Maeve Gallagher, through the Creative Engagement Programme. The students have been adventurous and determined to overcome the challenges they face developing throwing and turning skills on the pottery wheel as they finish another round of beautiful pieces ready to be fired and glazed. The students have just learned the various application techniques involved in glazing their bowls with the first batch of ready for the second firing in the kiln. During the past few months the students have modelled their clay birds, before creating plaster molds which are now ready for the next step where they will produce a collection of contemporary birds as part of their final ceramics sculpture design. As the students work together to finalise their design the motivation levels are high as they see the results of all their hard work at the finishing stages of their project. The students decided to model birds from clay, giving them a contemporary look rather than a realistic look but liked the idea of including some texture before making plaster molds to produce a large amount of birds in a lighter material which would allow them to hang from a height. The idea behind it, is that a few distant birds will fly in to join the flying flock before scattering off independently to make their own journeys representing the students coming together for their journey through school before fleeing the nest to begin their own future. This has been a fantastic experience, not only for the students involved, but for other art students that got the opportunity to get involved in the various workshops and processes along the way. “That is so good…it’s like a real proper bowl” One student commenting on another student’s ceramic bowl. “This is so much fun…we get to work with really messy stuff. I am so excited!” a student expressing their enjoyment “That’s so cool the way you can see the bird’s feathers” “It would be great to have a...
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