Cross border music project launched for children and teenagers in Laois

An exciting new cross border songwriting project with children and young people is to be launched in Laois.  

Isle of Song is a project for young people and children from Laois, Offaly and across Northern Ireland and it’s taking place from March to October 2025. 

It is aimed at young musicians and singers, who love music and are interested in songwriting, aged from 10 to 18 and led by Music Generation Laois in partnership with The Nerve Centre in Derry. 

Across two residential music camps in Antrim and Laois, participants will get to experience playing in a band, collaborating to write songs with fellow participants, working with a team of experienced mentors, performing at Stendhal Festival in Limavady and at The Fort in Portlaoise.  Isle of Song will culminate with showcase concerts in September and October 2025 on-stage in The Nerve Centre in Derry and Dunamaise Arts Centre in Portlaoise. 

Speaking at the launch of Isle of Song, Music Development Officer with Music Generation Laois, Rosa Flanery explained that:  “Isle of Song will bring together 50 young musicians from all over Ireland, North and South, to create, collaborate, and develop original music! This project really is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our young people , who will get to meet like-minded young musicians from all over Ireland, visit new places, perform at festivals and in professional music venues, record and release new music. We are very grateful to the Government of Ireland and Creative Ireland for supporting this project, and to all our funders and partner organisations who supported us in the application process.”

Isle of Song is part of Creative Ireland’s Shared Island Initiative. The ‘Creative Youth/Shared Island Initiative’  aims to bring together like-minded organisations and children and young people, North and South on the island of Ireland to nurture collaboration, understanding, and hope for the future through active participation in creative projects.

Music Generation Laois is leading out on the Isle of Song project, partnering with The Nerve Centre, Derry. The Creative Youth/Shared Island Initiative’ application process was highly competitive, with six projects across Ireland in total receiving ‘Creative Youth on a Shared Island’ funding. €180,000 has been allocated to The Isle of Song project.

 See musicgenerationlaois.ie or nervecentre.org

Music Generation Laois is part of Music Generation, Ireland’s National Music Education initiative, supported by U2, The Ireland Funds and The Department of Education. Locally Music Generation Laois is part of Laois and Offaly Education and Training Board and supported by Laois County Council.