Past Projects

In April 2022, The Ark was delighted to present its fourth Nomad as part of BIG BANG Dublin! Internationally renowned musician and educator Paul Griffiths led a series of collaborative music workshops with children from St. Audoen’s National School. Over the course of the Nomad workshops, Paul worked with the children to explore a range of musical ideas and together they devised a short music performance, which was a unique expression of their personalities and musical imaginations.

The children performed the music they created at The Ark with accompaniment from Paul and supporting musicians Ríona Hartman, Dominic Mullen and Dave Redmond.

Part of BIG BANG Dublin! 2022
Supported by The Community Foundation for Ireland

The Ark recently completed Clondalkin Dance Project supported by the Community Integration Fund.

The project provided migrant families with a creative dance programme tailored specifically for the integration of migrant children aged 5-12 in The Ark Children’s Cultural Centre.

Five dance workshops took place at Clondalkin Towers Direct Provision Centre, designed for children age 5-12, delivered by The Ark artist in resident dance artist Monica Muñoz and break-dancer Cristian Dirocie. These workshops encouraged migrant children to express their creativity through movement.

Workshop participants and their families were invited to The Ark for a live performance of Francis Footwork and a meal at which these migrant families met families from The Ark Children's Council.

The project allowed migrant children and Irish children to learn from one another, engage creatively, provide mutual cultural understanding and provide a welcoming space for migrant families.

Supported by the Community Integration Fund

In November 2021, we 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!

Writer Kate Heffernan led 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.

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 which you can view and learn more about here.

One of the objectives of The Ark 2021-2023 Strategy is to deliver more inclusive experiences for audiences with disabilities and to actively seek out those audiences. In addition to ensuring The Ark’s wider programme is more inclusive to children with varying needs, we are committed to developing bespoke arts activities which directly respond to the needs and interests of children with disabilities. In December 2021, artist and educator Phillida Eves delivered an in-depth week-long workshop programme with St. John of Gods School, Islandbridge. She collaborated with The Ark’s Artist in Residence Monica Munoz to deliver dance workshops to two classes in over five days.

Feed back from the Principal of St. John of Gods:
''A really big “Thank You” for choosing our school for the Winter Light Sensory Arts Week with Phillida and Monica. It’s really hard to describe how wonderful the experience has been for each and every child in the classes who participated... The programme that Phillida and Monica facilitated was pitched perfectly to meet their individual needs.''

From November-December 2021, artist and illustrator Duffy Mooney Sheppard ran a series of workshops for children living in emergency provision (in partnership with Focus Ireland) and a series of workshops for children living in direct provision.
Children took inspiration from winter animals, nature and ancient folklore, celebrating the magic of winter and storytelling. The workshops were drop-in and online for children of all ages and their grown-ups.

Feedback from a parent living in Mayo; ‘I really enjoy my time doing it, it's really a good activity to keep engaging the children and a good means of study, it promotes children being creative.’

At the end of the course, Duffy created over 100 art packs which were sent to children living in emergency provision and children living in six direct provision centres across the country.

"The kids loved the experience. Sally and Caitriona were fabulous with the kids. they learnt so much about the instruments and music. Even the principal danced a jig for the lads!"

The Ark partnered with Live Music Now Scotland to bring live music performances to two local schools, celebrating St. Andrew's Day. On the morning of 29th of November 2021, musicians Caitriona Hawksworth and Sally Simpson performed for over 50 children at St Laurence O’Tooles CBS Boys School Seville Place, and St Laurence O’Tooles National School Rainbow Park, Dublin.

This engagement was financed by the Scottish Government and marks yet another collaboration between The Ark and Live Music Now Scotland for St. Andrew's Day.

A new intergenerational drama project in the Ringsend community exploring the theme of ‘growing up’.

This initiative involved two groups: older residents of the Ringsend neighbourhood and 5th and 6th Class students of St. Patrick’s Boys National School. The project consisted of 15-20 afternoon drama workshops; most of which took place in the schools and Ringsend Community Centre, with some carried out at The Ark. The classes that engaged with the project and the scheduling of these sessions were finalised in consultation with the schools’ principals and liaison staff.

During our visits to the Ringsend community, we talked to the older group about their experience of growing up in Ringsend, their interactions with younger people and their memories of their own grandparents. Similarly, we facilitated an intergenerational conversation with the younger group. We are explored their impressions of older people and the rapidly changing neighbourhood in which both young and old inhabit. Through the workshops we have provided the children with a general introduction to drama and performance. We also discussed issues that unite both age groups – growing up, interdependence, community, crime, intergenerational relationships and death.

As the project developed, the testimony from these conversations formed the basis of a short film The First was a Boy, shot in and around Ringsend with filmmaker Luca Truffarelli. We will invite the participants and all members of the Ringsend community to attend the final presentation to enjoy the film and project together.

Supported by: Dublin City Council, South East Area Local Area Office (Neighbourhood Grant Scheme),The Ireland Funds, Dublin Bus Community Spirit Awards