Schools Online Workshops: Constellation Inspiration 9 - 11 Nov 2021
This Science Week, join us from your classroom for an interactive online workshop exploring the fascinating science and music of space!
Discover amazing star constellations visible from Earth such as Ursa Major and Orion and learn about the vastness of distances in space. Find out about the Golden Record – a really special collection of music and sounds from Earth that was placed on the Voyager space craft over 40 years ago and is still travelling through space.
Inspired by these and other wonders of the universe, you’ll get to create your own out-of-this world music in response. You might even compose a music track for your own Golden Record!
Led by musicians Anita Mahon and Bryan Jardim who are both passionate about space, this workshop will ignite your fascination for science and music in one.
Suitable for 1st-6th Class.
Curricular Links
Themes in this workshop tie into elements across the SESE curricula exploring strands such as Energy and Forces of the Science Curriculum and the Planet Earth in Space strand unit of the Geography Curriculum. These workshops also link to the Listening and Responding, Composing and Performing strands of the Music Curriculum.
Requirements for Participation
For safety reasons, a teacher must be present in the room throughout the workshop and be available to assist the children as needed.
- A computer/laptop with internet access
- A digital whiteboard (or alternatively a white wall or screen and projector).
- Speakers
- To ensure a smooth and successful workshop, The Ark staff will also need to arrange an advance preparation phone call with the class teacher.
Materials required:
- Each child will need some paper and something to write or draw with (e.g. pencil, pens or colouring pens etc).
Online platform: The workshop will be delivered using the Zoom video call software. This will be a private Zoom session which will only be accessed by the teacher whose class is booked into the workshop, the artists and The Ark's staff. The session will be recorded for the safety and security of all participants, however this recording will not be shared publicly and will be deleted within 30 days.
About the Artists
Anita Mahon
Anita Mahon is a musician, vocal tutor, and musical director. Based in Wexford, Anita has worked extensively with children and adults across a wide spectrum of musical genres. Her passion for music, and in particular voice, is fired by the limitless potential of music and creative inclusivity to inspire a collective vision.
She has worked on a number of large-scale projects with children including the Big Sing with Limerick County Council involving 600 primary school children, Music Generation Carlow’s Encore primary school programme as well as on-going work in music schools and performance coaching.
Anita holds specialist training in the Estill Model of Voice Training and is a member of the Natural Voice Practitioners Network. She was also the founding musical director and conductor of the Munster Rugby Supporters Club Choir.
Anita has run many successful Continuous Professional Development (CPD) courses for teachers at The Ark, delivered our first Summer Provision music workshops to schools online in 2020 and devised PlaySounds, a 6-week long online music engagement project with a Dublin school.
Bryan Jardim
Bryan Jardim is a music producer, guitar teacher, sound engineer, composer and session musician, with a never-ending passion for all things music and sound. He graduated from the Contemporary Music Performance course in the Ballyfermot Rock School in 2009 and has been working as a professional musician for over 15 years.
Bryan primarily works in his own project studio in Rathfarnham, South Dublin alongside leading an active music teaching practice. He is currently head guitar teacher with Des Carty School of Music and also teaches with Music Generation South Dublin.
As a musician, he has toured Ireland playing many of the top venues and the biggest music festivals, from Dingle's Other Voices trail to Kildare's Oxygen, supporting renowned acts like Kodaline, Aslan, Walking on Cars, The Coronas & Paddy Casey.
