Creative kids part of national launch

Two creative school pupils from Killarney were part of a national launch with Government ministers last week.

| By Michelle Crean

Cailean Laing (11) is a Fifth Class pupil in Two Mile Community National School, and John O'Brien from The Mon, were invited to the launch of the new Creative Youth Plan 2023-2027 which will further embed creativity into the centre of the lives of Ireland’s young people.

The plan, launched at the National Gallery of Ireland, aims to enable the creative potential of every child and young person. The boys met with Minister for Education Norma Foley TD, Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media Catherine Martin TD, Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth Roderic O'Gorman TD, and they were also interviewed by a panel of young people.

Cailean and his mom Tara Donoghue Laing were asked to attend because Tara is a creative facilitator for Kerry Local Creative Youth Partnership (LCYP) which was established in 2019 under a pilot initiative to support and enhance child and youth creativity in Kerry.

Kerry LCYP is a collaboration between creative practitioners, cultural organisations and resources, Kerry Education and

Training Board, Kerry County Council, Kerry Education Centre, Kerry County Childcare Committee, Schools (Primary and Post Primary), Youth Officers, youth service providers and family resource centres.

The objective is to provide out of school creative activities for children and young people that complement and work with formal school settings in a non-mainstream manner.

Cailean and Tara created 'Through Our Eyes', a photography project undertaken during lockdown.

A book launch of their work and an exhibition will take place at the County Museum Tralee on April 22.

"Cailean was very proud to see his photography on the walls of the National Gallery of Ireland," Tara told the Killarney Advertiser.

"I was also extremely proud as a mother and as a creative facilitator to see projects that we created in Kerry being appreciated by the ministers in Dublin.

"It is a huge achievement for the children for their creativity to be recognised and I hope it will continue to motivate their photography further."