‘VIRTUALLY There’, a national touring exhibition of work by artists, children and teachers created through online residencies, opened last week at Mary Immaculate College, South Circular Road.
The exhibition forms part of Lime Tree Theatre’s Bualadh Bos Children’s Festival, set for the month of October.
Installed in the recaption area of the college and an tSlí, the show stems from the only long-term professional arts programme running in Northern Irish schools, of the same title.
Managed by Kids’ Own Publishing Partnership, Virtually There has been funded by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland since 2007.
Demonstrating the use of virtual technology to connect studio and classroom, it showcases work made by artists Ann Donnelly, Julie Forrester, Ann Henderson, Sharon Kelly and Andrew Livingstone with primary school children from all over the North.
According to stakeholder Orla Kenny, creative director of Kids’ Own, said: “To us, what it highlights is that technology can provide a unique platform for connection between the classroom and the studio and gives children an opportunity to enter into an enquiring space with an artist.
“Far from drawing them away from their learning, it supports everything they are doing in the classroom and offers so much richness in terms of developing their creative and divergent thinking and supporting their learning and development through collaborative exploration”.
