The Ark After School Creative Writing Project: My Place Magazine
We recently completed our pilot programme The Ark After School, funded by Dublin UNESCO City of Literature. The Ark After School provided the opportunity for children from local DEIS schools to participate in an ongoing after school programme with a creative writing focus, resulting in a beautiful magazine being made showcasing the participants work!
"The best online art class I've been to!"
We invited 25 3rd and 4th class students from inner-city DEIS schools to participate in 6 weekly after school sessions. Led by writer Kate Heffernan (among other things, she has written Peat, a play for ages 8+ which premiered in The Ark in 2019) were short bespoke creative writing workshops, igniting a conversation on writing, culture and the city.
The Ark After School group rose to the challenge and explored the art of storytelling and the written word through these live online workshops. We were delighted to be joined by children from the following schools:
- Scoil Chaitriona, Baggott Street
- St Audoen’s National School
- Ringsend Girls National School
- St Laurence O'Toole National School
- Presentation Primary School George’s Hill
- St Christopher’s, Haddington Road
At the end of the sessions, Kate Heffernan, led by the groups ideas, designed a magazine containing the children’s writing and art work from the six weeks.
My Place Magazine
Take a look at this beautiful magazine below, you might even be inspired to explore creative writing yourself!