Kids' Own Activity Report 2020 by Kids' Own Publishing Partnership

Kids’ Own Annual Activity Report

2020

Kids’ Own Annual Activity Report 2020

About Kids’ Own Kids’ Own is a children’s arts organisation and publishing house and Ireland’s only dedicated publisher of books by children, for children. Kids’ Own works in defence of children’s right to culture and supports their individual creative expression through publishing and the arts. Kids’ Own is driven by a passionate belief in the intrinsic value of the arts in children’s lives; as a source of joy, fulfilment and connection. We work to give children greater access to cultural expression and to be actively, creating, enquiring, communicating and making meaning through the arts. Our vision is for a society that recognises children as independent writers, thinkers and creators and that truly values the arts in the lives of all children. Our mission is to develop, publish and promote artwork and writing created by children for children and their communities through meaningful engagement with professional artists.

Kids’ Own Annual Activity Report 2020

Strategic Aims 1

Engagement and co-creation Increase opportunities for children to develop artwork and writing through meaningful engagement with professional artists.

Visibility of children’s work Increase the visibility to children’s artwork and writing through publishing, exhibition and dissemination.

Professional arts practice with children Strengthen the practice of artists and other professionals who work with children.

Research and advocacy Strive to build evidence and lead change towards children’s inclusion as active creators.

Building internal capacity Ensure that Kids’ Own has the capacity to achieve its strategic aims.

Kids’ Own Annual Activity Report 2020

Organisation and Governance Legal structure Kids’ Own is a non-for-profit company limited by guarantee and a registered charity. Company number 508465 Tax registration number 9822769G (not VAT registered) Charity registration number 20082190 Board members In 2020, Kids’ Own had five board members. Election of board members Kids’ Own’s Constitution sets out the following rules for election/ appointment of board members: To qualify for appointment, a director must be nominated and seconded for the position by existing directors. Nominations must be in writing, received at the registered office at least two weeks before the board meeting at which the appointment is to be made And for terms of directors: Directors shall be appointed for a term of three years and shall thereafter be eligible for reappointment for a further period of three years, but shall then retire.

The role of the Board The key role of the board of Kids’ Own is to provide leadership to the organisation by setting strategic direction and ensuring policies are in place that support this direction. The board also: • Approves, monitors and reviews the work programme to ensure it is effectively meeting the agreed objectives and performance indicators. • Protects and represents the interests of Kids’ Own and is accountable to the membership. • Ensures a framework of prudent and effective controls are in place for the work of Kids’ Own. • Discharges its responsibilities in accordance with the defining rules of the organisation. Board meetings The board of Kids’ Own met four times during 2020, on the following dates: 20th February 28th May 28th August 27th November Governance Standards As a registered charity and publicly funded non-forprofit organisation, Kids’ Own is wholly committed to fulfilling best practice requirements in relation to the governance of our organisation. In 2020, our Board dedicated particular focus to ensuring full compliance with the Governance Code issued by the Charities Regulator in November 2018 and is delighted to now have a framework within which to continue operating to the highest standards of governance.

Kids’ Own Annual Activity Report 2020

The Kids’ Own Board Carmel Brennan Dr. Carmel Brennan is retired as Head of Training and Practice with Early Childhood Ireland, where she had responsibility for the organisation’s work in developing curriculum, improving practice and supporting services to work with the national frameworks. She now works as a part time lecturer in Maynooth University on the degree and masters in early childhood education programmes. Her research interests are in the areas of curriculum and particularly children’s play – the subject of her PhD thesis. More recently, she focusses on children’s co-construction of stories through play and the relationship between play and artistic enquiry in children’s lives. Jennifer Hennessy (Chair) Jennifer is Regional Manager for the Dublin and East Region at Clann Credo, Ireland’s largest Social Finance Provider. Jennifer has a background in finance and banking. In her role with Clann Credo she has worked with hundreds of non-profit organisations including many arts organisations. Jennifer has a keen interest in art and recently received a Diploma in Art and Design from NCAD. She has her own art practice and is part of an artists collective called Artists L9. Michael Kirby Michael has almost three decades experience working in the private sector in the U.S., England, and Ireland and, since 2001, is a Partner of business and management consultancy firm Meehan Tully & Associates Ltd. He holds a B.A. from Villanova University, a M.A. in International Relations from St. John’s University, New York, and a MBA from Trinity College Dublin. Michael has extensive professional experience of the not-for-profit sector and is actively involved in a number of organisations in a voluntary capacity.

Irene Lawlor Irene E2E Power Brands & Innovation, Senior Communications Manager at GSK where she has worked since November 2016. Previously, she was Communications Manager at Barnardos, Ireland and the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, New Media Specialist with O2 Ireland, and Instructional Designer with Riverdeep. Mark O’Brien (Treasurer) Mark is Director of axis, Ballymun, an organisation at the heart of Ballymun on the northside of Dublin. Axis is an arts centre, production company, arts development organisation & resource centre. Mark also practices as a theatre director. Credits include: Feast or Famine by Sinead Moriarty as part of 24 hour plays at the Abbey Theatre. For axis, ‘Bang Bang’, ‘Tea Chests and Dreams’ and ‘The Parting Glass’ by Dermot Bolger (touring nationally and Internationally), ‘Glimmer’ by Joe Flavin, ‘Stór’ by Ciaran Taylor, ‘The Good Father’ by Christian O’ Reilly, ‘Cleaners’ by Colm Maher, ‘Waiting for Elvis’ by Eileen Gibbons, Other work include ‘Shorts’ (Fishamble), ‘Jack Fell down’, (Team) ‘The Welcome’ (Druid), ‘Pass the Parcel’ (The Ark), ‘Sparkleshark’ (Draiocht), ‘Hype’ (Broke Theatre Co.),‘The Oresteia’ (Galloping Cat), ‘A Soldiers Tale’ (Co-Opera). Mark also practices as a composer/sound designer and has facilitated theatre workshops nationally and internationally

Kids’ Own Annual Activity Report 2020

Overview of our programme in 2020 2020 was a positive year for Kids’ Own, despite the challenges posed by the Coronavirus pandemic. While many arts organisations were forced to close or pause their activities, Kids’ Own was fortunate to be able to capitalise on our digital expertise and we moved many projects online, facilitating new modes of engagement for children and young people through virtual platforms. During the year, we continued developing several youth initiatives that had been seeded in 2019 which offered young people opportunities to creatively share their voices and experiences on key issues affecting them. 2020 was also a great year for continuing to forge strong local partnerships in our County of Sligo, and a new commission from Sligo PPN—exploring the impact of Coronavirus on school children across the county—was a key strategic piece of work, which will result in a new publication in 2021. At the start of the year, our exhibition of work from our long-running Virtually There project at Ulster University as part of Young at Art, Belfast Children’s Festival, was also a very significant event that brought our work into the public domain, and the launch of research from the project offered an important reflective and theoretical contribution to the sector of arts in education.

We continued supporting the sector through our role as managers of the national Arts and Education Portal and were also delighted to continue developing our Dissemination and Visibility Plan— with funding from the Arts Council, through which we continue extending the impact and reach of our work. The following pages give a summary of our activities according to each of our Strategic Aims.

Aim 1 Engagement and Co-Creation

Aim 1: Engagement and Co-Creation Kids’ Own Annual Activity Report 2020

Increase opportunities for children to develop artwork and writing through meaningful engagement with professional artists. Throughout 2020—and in spite of the Covid 19 pandemic—a wide range of projects provided spaces and opportunities for children and young people to connect with professional artists, offering a platform for selfexpression and the development of their voices and artwork. Young Writers 2020 Building on the successes of our cross-border Young Writers project in 2018, we began a new phase through which we developed two groups of writers in Letterkenny and Derry. The project facilitated cross-community peer exchange and creative selfexpression under the mentorship of writer and poet Mary Branley. Due to Covid-19 restrictions, the groups primarily met online. As 2020 drew to a close, it was clear that a formidable community of young people had been developed between those who shared many of the same cultural and artistic interests and inspirations, as well as many of the same social justice concerns. A literary journal featuring the young people’s work is due for publication in 2021. Artists: Mary Branley Partners: Donegal County Library; Libraries NI Funders: Department of Foreign Affairs Reconciliation Fund Participants: Young people aged 13-19 from Letterkenny and Derry/Londonderry Participant numbers: 15 Venue: January-March: Derry Central Library and Letterkenny Library; March onwards: online via Zoom, Google Hangout and Classroom.

Mayo Schools Exhibition Project A project commissioned by Mayo Arts Service to explore and respond to Mayo County Council’s Schools Exhibition collection. Over an eight-week programme led by Associate Artist Kiera O’Toole, 4th class children selected new artworks for the Schools Exhibition programme, explored the artworks by considering medium, colour, texture, and form, and created their own artworks in response. The children’s creative explorations and questions formed the basis of a new, child-led resource for other schools in County Mayo to use. This resource will be published in early 2021 and will be sent to schools participating in the Mayo Schools Exhibition Programme. Artists: Kiera O’Toole Partners: Mayo Arts Service, Mayo County Council, and St Angela’s National School, Castlebar. Funders: Mayo Arts Service, Mayo County Council, and Creative Ireland Mayo Participants: 4th class children at St Angela’s N.S., Castlebar Participant numbers: 30 Venue: January–March: St Angela’s NS, Castlebar. March onwards: online

New partnership with Down Syndrome Sligo In February, we worked with Down Syndrome Sligo for the first time, marking the beginning of a new and exciting partnership which both organisations hope to develop in future. As part of Down Syndrome Sligo’s celebrations for World Down Syndrome Day in March, Artists Naomi Draper and Anna Leask worked with the children and young people and together they explored a range of different natural and traditional materials used in craft-making. Artists: Naomi Draper Partners: Down Syndrome Sligo Funders: Down Syndrome Sligo Participants: children and young people in the Down Syndrome Sligo network Participant numbers: 20 Venue: Northside Community Centre, Sligo

Aim 1: Engagement and Co-Creation Kids’ Own Annual Activity Report 2020

Reinventions Project This project cultivated an ethos of sustainability and creative reuse through online artist-led workshops for families. The online workshops engaged children and young people in imaginative toy-making focusing on the reuse of waste, recycled, or natural material. Following the workshops, each artist created a guide now available on Kids’ Own’s website. In a second stage of the project, Christ Spoorenberg, a Sligo-based mechanical engineer designed and constructed a Reinventions cabinet made entirely out of reused and salvaged material. This mobile piece is an exciting creation that will allow Kids’ Own to foreground sustainability, circularity, and creative reuse in a variety of workshops and projects for years to come. Artists: Vanya Lambrecht Ward; Anna Spearman; Martha Van Der Meulen; Christ Spoorenberg Funders: Community Foundation for Ireland Circular Economy Grant Participants: Families with children aged 7+ in Sligo and Leitrim Participant numbers: 10 Venue: online

Health and wellbeing project with Sligo Comhairle na nÓg and Foróige Leitrim This project focused on facilitating young people in counties Sligo and Leitrim to have their voices heard on issues of mental health and wellbeing through an artistic process. Following an initial online consultation with members of the Kids’ Own team, both groups worked with artist Andy Parsons in person over four creative sessions. They explored a range of media and techniques to design poster artwork exploring themes of mental health and wellbeing, which communicate positive messages to their peers and the wider community during the difficulties of the pandemic. These posters were displayed in prominent outdoor locations throughout Counties Sligo and Leitrim in time for World Mental Health Day on the 8th of October. Artists: Andy Parsons Partners: Sligo Leitrim Children and Young People’s Services Committee, Sligo Comhairle na nÓg, and Leitrim Foróige. Funders: Department of Children and Youth Affairs, Northwest Regional Drug and Alcohol Taskforce, Sligo Leitrim Children & Young People Services Committee, Sligo Local Community Development Committee Participants: Young people from Sligo Comhairle na nÓg and Foróige Leitrim Participant numbers: 15 Venue: Market Yard, Carrick-on-Shannon; Foróige CRIB Youth Project, Rockwood Parade, Sligo.

Aim 1: Engagement and Co-Creation Kids’ Own Annual Activity Report 2020

LGBTQI+ Creative Project Phase II This is the second phase of a project in partnership with Youth Work Ireland North Connaught (specifically SMILY LGBT group), funded by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs as part of their LGBTI+ Youth Strategy. In Autumn/Winter 2020, LGBTQI+ young people living in counties Sligo and Leitrim participated in online creative sessions with Kids’ Own writer Mary Branley, artist Andy Parsons, and designer Martin Corr. The group explored their own lived experiences through discussion, writing, artwork, and graphic design. The resulting artwork and text will be displayed on prominent billboards in Sligo in 2021 with the aim of reaching their peers and the wider community with messages of positivity and support for LGBTQI+ youth in the rural northwest. Participants will also create individual postcards featuring artwork and text that will form a resource set for youth services, ensuring that LGBTQI+ youth have a voice in the development of such services. Artists: Mary Branley; Andy Parsons; Martin Corr Partners: Youth Work Ireland North Connaught and the SMILY LGBT group Funders: Department of Children and Youth Affairs Participants: Young people from SMILY LGBT group and young people from Sligo and Leitrim recruited via an open call. Participant numbers: 12 Venue: Online

Online Creative Workshops to mark UN Day for the Eradication of Poverty To mark the UN Day for the Eradication of Poverty, we developed an online project to connect young people on this important issue. The group thought about and discussed issues of poverty, particularly in their own local area and made global connections with these issues. Participants wrote letters to individuals and organisations with calligraphy ink and used origami-style paper folding to create their own envelopes. As an output from the project, we developed a downloadable letter-writing template, which can be folded into an envelope, and which features some of the participants’ artwork and writing, so that children and young people can be

inspired to write letters and take action on issues of poverty. Artists: Vanya Lambrecht Ward and Mary Branley Partners: Foróige CRIB Youth Project and Sligo Comhairle na nÓg Funders: Department of Social Protection and Employment Affairs Participants: Young people aged 14+ in Co Sligo Participant numbers: 12 Venue: Online

The Big Book of Sligo Kids’ Own began a new book project entitled The Big Book of Sligo: A Children’s Panorama of County Sligo in December 2020, commissioned by Sligo PPN with additional funding from Creative Ireland Sligo. This project aimed to gather children’s stories about their experiences of 2020, of the pandemic and public health restrictions. The project was also framed within a wider lens of health and wellbeing, focusing on the children’s local environment and sense of community. We wanted to bring children’s voices and their creative expressions to the wider community in County Sligo and to ensure they are part of our future plans and visions as a community. This book will be published in 2021. Artists: Karina Nachbar and Mary Branley Partners: Our Lady of Mercy School, Sligo; Sooey National School; Clohogue National School, Castlebaldwin. Funders: Sligo PPN; Creative Ireland Sligo Participants: 2nd– 6th class students; Syrian families living in Sligo. Participant numbers: 80 Venue: Sooey NS; Cloghogue NS, Castlebaldwin; Our Lady of Mercy Primary School, Sligo; Northside Community Centre, Sligo

Aim 2 Visibility of Children’s Work

Aim 2: Visibility of Children’s Work Kids’ Own Annual Activity Report 2020

Increase the visibility to children’s artwork and writing through publishing, exhibition and dissemination. Kids’ Own Visual Thinking Team In Summer 2020, Kids’ Own worked online with a group of 8 children from all over Ireland – our Visual Thinking Team – to develop responses to our 23–year archive and to help Kids’ Own to map out ideas for a large-scale exhibition that will showcase our archive for young audiences. This was a unique opportunity for young people to have a meaningful engagement with the Kids’ Own archive and for their responses and ideas to shape and influence how we present this work to a wider national audience in the future. Artists: Vanya Lambrecht Ward Funders: Arts Council of Ireland Participants: Children aged 9–13 from across Ireland Participant numbers: 8 Venue: online

Virtually There Exhibition, University of Ulster, Belfast The Virtually There exhibition showcased work developed by children, artists, and teachers in eight schools in Northern Ireland over the previous three years who participated in this collaborative, virtual arts-in-education project. It was held in the Ulster University, Belfast, in early March 2020 as part of the Belfast Children’s Festival. Artists: Lisa Cahill, John D’Arcy, Ann Donnelly, Naomi Draper, Julie Forrester, Ann Henderson, Sharon Kelly, Andrew Livingstone. Partners: St. Patrick’s PS, Crossmaglen, Co. Armagh; Killard House, Donaghadee, Co. Down; Ballydown PS, Banbridge, Co.Down; Strandtown PS, Belfast; Aughnacloy PS, Aughnacloy, Co. Tyrone; St. Colman’s PS, Lambeg, Co. Antrim; St. James’s PS, Newtownabbey, Co. Antrim; Donaghey PS, Dungannon, Co. Tyrone. Funders: Paul Hamlyn Foundation; Arts Council of Northern Ireland Venue: University of Ulster (York Street, College of Art) Belfast

Aim 2: Visibility of Children’s Work Kids’ Own Annual Activity Report 2020

Reprint of classic Kids’ Own books

Publication of new book Here in Ourselves

In 2020, we were delighted to have an opportunity to reprint two classic titles from our archive, which continue to have enormous relevance for contemporary audiences of children and young people and which give critical representation to children from diverse communities and culturespecific contexts:

The Here in Ourselves project supported the individual creative expression of young people at the Mid West School for the Deaf in Limerick in 2019 through a predominantly online project. The resulting book was published in early 2020. Funders: The Creative Engagement programme (NAPD); Creative Ireland, Limerick Partners: Mid West School for the Deaf, Limerick Reach: 300 copies published.

Can’t Lose Cant As part of our Visibility and Dissemination 2020, funded by the Arts Council of Ireland, we reprinted this beautifully illustrated dictionary of Cant words with translations in Irish and English. It was originally made in partnership with St. Conleth’s Senior School, Ballymany Primary School, and Kildare County Library in 2003. Kids’ Own worked with Oein DeBhairduin in the development of this new edition and Oein also contributed a foreword to the new edition. A-Z and Back Again Originally published in 2002 as part of a project with two communities in Derry and Sligo, including members of the Traveller and settled communities in Sligo, the reprint of this book was kindly funded by the ESB Energy for Generations fund. This book was also used as a starting point for a new project in 2020 for early years children and their families, in partnership with Sligo Leitrim Childcare Committee and Sligo Leitrim CYPSC.

Children’s Book Reviewers Throughout 2020, Kids’ Own sought children to review our books. This call-out for children’s book reviewers is part of our continuing work to ensure that children’s voices are central to every element of our work. We also developed special bookmarks to promote Kids’ Own books and to reach more children interested in reviewing our books.

Aim 3 Professional Arts Practice with Children

Aim 3: Professional Arts Practice with Children Kids’ Own Annual Activity Report 2020

Strengthen the practice of artists and other professionals who work with children. In 2020, Kids’ Own continued to assume an important role in the children’s cultural sector as a provider of professional development supports; always striving to raise the status of children’s work through the sharing and connecting of expertise; and the interrogation of practice.

The Arts in Education Portal Kids’ Own continues to manage and develop the Arts in Education Portal on behalf of the Department of Education and Skills and the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media. We have supported the development of this online space since its inception in 2015 and are proud to bring our knowledge and understanding of the sector; and professional development, editorial and publishing expertise to this initiative. In 2020, we developed various online supports and initiatives to continue building an audience for the Portal and a sense of community to the arts in education sector.

Portal Events • Spring Regional Day • National Day • Documentation Awards • Dedicated commissioned content

Kids’ Own Methodology Document As part of the development of a new publication, exploring our 23-year methodology for engaging collaboratively with children and young people, Kids’ Own commissioned a series of essays by some of our longstanding associate artists, which will form part of this seminal publication.

Kids’ Own Annual Activity Report 2020

Aim 4 Research and Advocacy

Aim 4: Research and Advocacy Kids’ Own Annual Activity Report 2020

In March 2020, Kids’ Own celebrated the launch of Open Space: An action research report from the Virtually There project, the result of independent research conducted by Dr Bryonie Reid over a three-year period. The publication was launched by Dr Ali Fitzgibbon at Ulster University as part of the opening of the Virtually There exhibition. The launch event also included a roundtable discussion entitled ‘What does collaboration really mean?’, chaired by Mark O’Brien, Director of axis Ballymun, with panellists comprising teachers and artists from the Virtually There project.

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I think it can’t be understated; how brave the teachers are doing this. I think it’s really important to state the teacher’s part in this. That always gets underrated. You’re having to take a risk within your professional life to hold open space within the classroom for this unknown quantity that nobody can really define when you’re starting it. –Ann Donnelly, Artist

Aim 5 Building Internal Capacity

Aim 5: Building Internal Capacity Kids’ Own Annual Activity Report 2020

Expansion of the Kids’ Own Team In 2020, Kids’ Own was delighted to welcome Éilís Murphy to the team as Administrator/ Publishing Assistant. Strategic Planning The board and executive team engaged in a series of Stategic Planning sessions, as we came to the end of our current Strategic Plan in 2020. A new three-year Strategic Plan for the organisation will be launched in 2021.

Governance Code The board gave special focus to the Charity Regulator’s Governance Code in 2020 and, at the end of the year, were proud to achieve full compliance with the code. This now provides a framework for ongoing monitoring and ensuring the highest standards of governance.

Kids’ Own Annual Activity Report 2020

Achievements and Outputs Audience figures In 2020, Kids’ Own engaged with:

• 131 sector professionals;

• 202 children through direction engagement and co-creation;

•

Online audience of 6397 + 14,298 Portal users

• Book audience of 1830 readers • 2017 children and parents as public audiences for our work;

• 1000 books were also distributed to 100 branch libraries in 2019

Kids’ Own Annual Activity Report 2020

Testimonials I was extremely proud of my daughter and all her peers. I have watched her grow in confidence since joining the writing group, having conviction in herself and her writing. Parent of Young Writers project participant I love how the young writers are encouraged and supported in their creativity. I love how inclusive, respectful and inspiring the workshops are for the young writers. They have been the focal part of the week during lockdown and look at the beautiful work that has been achieved. Mary Branley is a wonderful and gifted facilitator who really has allowed these young writers the space to think, dream and create. Parent of Young Writers project participant My favourite food is sausages and toast. My birthday makes me happy. It is in January. I like PE and soccer. I have a puppy and I like monkeys, cows and horses. Kasey It really helped my mental health since it gave me the opportunity to write, and to talk to other people my age. Young Writers participant Just a thank you! This was genuinely one of the most fun things I’ve ever done. Young Writers participant The first night I started with the young writers group, I was nervous, and unsure what was going to happen. But by the end I was so happy that I had found such a wonderful group. Young participant I would like my voice to make people feel safe and happy when they hear my words. LGBTQI+ participant

Well done. It was really well facilitated and so encouraging of the kids. Parent of Reinventions Project participant I tried to convey how I was feeling in the moment using images of people cut out from newspapers and magazines and collaged together. I feel like its main message to older people is to remind them of how growing up, especially in 2020, can be an unpredictable rollercoaster of emotions, so give young people a break sometimes because you never know what they are dealing with in their life. Youth Mental Health Project participant I feel my artistic practice and the way I think about what I do in the world has been greatly affected by encounters and experiences working on VT. I feel the wonderful relationships with the teachers I worked with and with Fionnuala in particular, really helped consolidate belief in the value of what we do as artists. The special connections with the children have been life-affirming for me and I think often of how we worked through themes and ideas and taken these experiences into new ventures. Sharon Kelly, artist The children are drawn into a much more introspective approach because the programme was structured in such a way that it became a very important aspect of the children’s personal development. Their confidence grew. Their concentration and ability to spend time on a particular task improved greatly. Their interest in art was nurtured through introducing them to many artists, sculptors, etc. over the centuries. They all began to see themselves as creators and artists and believed in the value of their work. Fionnuala Hughes, teacher

Kids’ Own Annual Activity Report 2020

Executive team Creative Director/CEO: Jo Holmwood Jo has worked with Kids’ Own since January 2009 and was appointed Director in early 2019. During her time with the organisation, she has managed dozens of collaborative projects with children and young people and published numerous titles representing their real voices and experiences. As director, she holds responsibility for the creative direction of the organisation, the successful delivery of Kids’ Own’s strategic plan, sound governance and financial stability of the organisation, fundraising, HR, sustainability and creative planning. Digital Content Manager: Emma Kavanagh Emma graduated from NCAD in 2004 with a Bachelor of Design. In 2009 she earned an Honours Postgraduate Diploma in Arts Policy & Practice at the NUIG and since then has been working in the professional arts and cultural sector with a particular focus on digital media. In her current role as Digital Content Manager, Emma is responsible for the management of the technical needs of Kids’ Own including the Kids’ Own Archive, alongside continuing management of the Arts in Education Portal on behalf of the Portal Editorial Committee, including the successful delivery of the Portal Content Strategy and Portal events.

Project Manager: Ciara Gallagher Ciara’s background is in third-level education in the Arts and Humanities, including postdoctoral research in children’s literature and culture. This background allows her to bring a recognition of the ethical and cultural value of the work that Kids’ Own leads and develops and the centrality of children’s voices within this work. In her role as Project Manager, Ciara is responsible for planning and implementing a range of Kids’ Own projects, as well as fundraising and developing new partnerships. Administrator/Publishing Assistant: Éilís Murphy Éilís is a bookbinder, visual artist and educator who studied Fine Art Print in NCAD. She is passionate about books and loves creating and helping others to create books as an accessible art form. In her role as Administrator and Publishing Assistant, Éilís is responsible for digital content creation for Kids’ Own’s website and social media, project management and general publishing duties.

Kids’ Own Annual Activity Report 2020

Looking Ahead to 2021 Much of our planning for 2021 has been about building capacity and increasing our visibility in order to continue extending the impact of our work. We plan to do this by forging stronger links with the education sector and developing resources that support the use of our books in the classroom as intercultural and child-voiced learning tools. We also plan to develop training initiatives and professional development supports through which we can share our way of working with more artists and writers. We will be developing partnerships with venues to begin touring a new exhibition of work from our 24-year archive and will also be planning a strong programme of activity for 2022, when the organisation will celebrate its 25-year anniversary.

We will be developing new projects with children and young people across Ireland, resulting in brand new publications that give voice to children’s experiences and multiple modes of expression; and will also be reconnecting long-term arts-ineducation partnerships in Northern Ireland to build on the amazing process-based work that has evolved over many years through our Virtually There project.

Kids’ Own Annual Activity Report 2020

Financial summary Total income: €282,943 Total expenditure: €283,927 Total assets. €26,775 Accounts are audited by Mulhern Leonard & Associates Mail Coach Road, Sligo Town

Kids’ Own Publishing Partnership CLG 40 Wolfe Tone Street, Sligo, County Sligo, Ireland, F91 R231