Amazing Laois artist set to help cultivate creative Laois children with captivating creations

Cruinniú na nÓg is a national day of creativity for children and young people up to age 18 which celebrates and encourages participation in culture and creativity through ‘doing’, ‘making’, and ‘creating’ from visual and performing arts to workshops and adventures in heritage, culture, science, technology or climate action.

For 2021 Laois Art Creativity and Culture team have launched the Cruinniú na nÓg Art Competition Laois Series: A Sense of Place and invite children and young people up to 18 (living in Laois) to create a piece of art inspired by their ‘sense of place’.

The artwork can be in any visual art medium such as drawing, painting, lego, sculpture, print, collage, digital photography, mixed media, graffiti, etc. The age categories for submissions are under 6, 6-8, 9-11, 12-14 & 15-18. One winner from each age category will be selected.

Their artworks will be professionally photographed and exhibited at Dunamaise Arts Centre. The five artworks selected will also become part of a series of postcards reflecting the many facets of Laois and our ‘sense of place’ and will be available to the public for free. The Competition is open for submissions until Wednesday, June 23. For all entry details go to dunamaise.ie.

As part of inspiring children and young people to respond creatively to their ‘sense of place’, a series of workshops and events has been programmed including, ‘A Sense of Place’ Masterclass (Saturday, June 7, 1pm-2pm) on creative makeup with Abbeyleix native James MacInerney and a showcase of professional makeup artistry tips and techniques to create a fantasy character inspired by his ‘sense of place’. MORE BELOW PICTURE.

James has been building a strong reputation in the make-up industry over the last years having worked on multiple projects in Ireland and the UK. He came to prominence in 2020 in the second season of BBC’s Glow Up: Britain’s Next Make-Up Star with his imaginative and spectacular use of his face as a canvas. In this live Zoom masterclass James will work with safe-to-use on face - natural resources including tree bark, flower arrangement integrated with makeup techniques.

His fantasy character will be inspired by his ‘sense of place’ growing up in the midlands with its own unique landscape and beauty. This masterclass aims to inspire young people from 12-18 on how to create their own ‘sense of place’ using makeup creatively.

Booking essential at dunamaise.ie or 057 8663355 or info@dunamaise.ie.

On Saturday, June 12 Kim Sharkey multimedia artist and award-winning illustrator will join us for Cruinniu na nOg exploring new techniques to make art based on inspiration from our own environments with Hidden Stories in the Landscape. Kim will share her love of discovering the treasure of hidden stories in the landscape and environment around us.

She will show how her work is often inspired by land marks in her own environment especially those used in making illustrations for the award-winning book, ‘Mór agus Muilc’. Participants will go on a virtually journey visiting some of these places and think about the hidden story hotspots in County Laois.

During this live Zoom workshop, Kim will share different ways of approaching image making with an illustration adventure using a new layering technique with drawing paper and tracing paper to make our own illustrations based on hidden stories in the landscape! Ages 5-11, 10.30am-11.30am, booking essential at dunamaise.ie or 057 8663355 or info@dunamaise.ie.

A Sense of Place, Inhabiting Memory workshop (Saturday, June 12, 1pm-2pm) for young people 15-18 is facilitated by visual artist Cliodhna Timoney exploring internal landscapes and sense of place using gesture, colour, and line.

Beginning with memory and intuition as an anchor, we will create abstract expressionist images through collage and paint techniques to create mixed media

images. This live and interactive Zoom workshop aims to give participants the opportunity to express emotions, memories, and internal responses through accessible materials in their own home.

Booking essential at dunamaise.ie or 057 8663355 or info@dunamaise.ie.

For more information on all workshops and events for Cruinniú na nÓg in Laois, go to laois.ie/cruinniu2021.

Keep in touch for updates and opportunities across our social media channels, @creativelaois.

Thanks to all involved in creating and delivering this year’s programme including Laois Arts Office, Heritage Office, Laois County Library Service, Music Generation Laois, Dunamaise Arts Centre, Abbeyleix Heritage House, Mountrath Youth Theatre, Reconnect with Nature, Birdwatch Ireland, Heritage Officer Programme and The Heritage Council.

Cruinniú na nÓg is an initiative of the Creative Ireland Programme at the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht and is presented in partnership with RTÉ and the Local Authorities. cruinniu.creativeireland.gov.ie.