Farranree students’ art work goes on public display

Months of creative work by students at Scoil Íosagáin and Scoil Bernadette Special School have gone on public display with the help of resident artist Lisa Lillywhite, of The Smart Happy Project, working in partnership with teachers, school staff, and Ireland’s Creative Youth Initiative TAP+ programme.

The new school library at Scoil Íosagáin Boys’ NS in Farranree was home to the fourth-class students’ ‘I AM…’ art exhibition.

Guided by class teacher Ms Fitzpatrick, SEN teacher Mr Tattan, SNA Tara McCarthy, and Ms Lillywhite, the exhibition is the culmination of an eight-week project exploring the connections between nature and the local community.

It was put together using mixed-media works in charcoal, ceramics, and figurine-making, all created through hands-on observation of the natural world.

Students explored tree lifecycles, reflecting on what nature offers to both humans and wildlife. The opening drew a packed room of proud parents, teachers, and SNAs.

To mark their achievement, the students also planted a new tree in the school grounds, a living reminder of a project that taught them how to creatively advocate for the world around them.

Equal energy

A second TAP+ residency with Ms Lillywhite was held at another local school, Scoil Bernadette Special School, and brought equal energy and creativity to the classroom.

Working with second-year students, art teacher Kelly Anderson and SNA Deirdre Flynn, Ms Lillywhite led ‘Art Through the Elements’, a project exploring air, earth, water, and fire through a wide variety of mixed-media techniques, including clay pots, charcoal landscapes, weavings with wood and fabric, cyanotypes, and watercolour artworks.

Their achievements were celebrated at a public exhibition in the Mayfield Library, supported by Richard Forrest and Emma O’Brien from the library, and attended by Edmund Hussey, director of the Cork Education Support Centre.

Both projects are a testament to what artist-in-residence programmes can achieve.

Through The Smart Happy Project, Ms Lillywhite’s work focuses on building confidence and curiosity and a sense of personal identity through creative practice.

A spokesperson for the project said: “For the students, the teachers, and the wider communities these schools serve, these exhibitions are a moment to pause and recognise something important: That creativity, given the right space and support, has the power to take root and grow.

“Much like the tree now standing in the grounds of Scoil Íosagáin.”