Explore Global Issues & Diversity through the Arts

‘It is more important to find out and appreciate what is similar about us as opposed to what is different' - 2008 course participant

Our next training course starts this Saturday - a few places still left!

 

Three days of workshop by skilled arts facilitators will introduce how to use a variety of art forms such as music, drama, and visual arts to explore diversity and global development issues with children. No previous artistic experience necessary!

Dates: 10am – 4.30pm, Saturdays, February 6th, 13th, 20th 2010
Venue: Froebel College of Education, Sion Hill, Blackrock, Co. Dublin
Cost: €100 for Comhlámh members and Froebel teaching practice schools, €120 for non-members, €80 concessions; €5 asylum seekers.  
Contact: For more information or for an application form call 01 4783490 or developmenteducation@comhlamh.org

Follow this link to download the application form. To apply for this course email it to developmenteducation@comhlamh.org with 'Explore global issues and diversity' in the subject line. 

Follow this link to download the 'Diversity through the Arts' resource produced by Comhlámh.

Click here to download the course advert

Workshops Include:

Use of Music
Regardless of your musical background, learn how music can be used in various ways to look at issues such as sustainability and indigenous rights.

Use of Art
Identify ways to use the visual arts to support children in creatively exploring diversity issues and in developing an inclusive and globally aware classroom.

Drama & Creative Writing
Explore migration through drama and creative writing. Investigate different strategies for using drama to educate about issues such as the arms trade and child labour.

Picture Books & Drama
Use picture books to explore representation, ethnocentrism, diversity and development issues. Examine colonisation through stories and using drama methodologies.

Previous course information below:

Diversity through the Arts workshops, November 2008

 

Click here to download the flyer

Participants learnt how to explore diversity and intercultural issues through the use of a variety of art forms, such as film, drama, storytelling, and visual at. Skilled trainers demonstrated effective use of various forms of art in promoting cultural diversity, and introduced participants to the theoretical knowledge needed to feel confident to deal with issues that may arise while carrying out these activities with a group.

This training was carried out over two Saturdays. It was aimed at anyone interested in carrying out educational activities with young children. In particular, pre-primary and primary school teachers (including playschools), EAL and language resource teachers. No artistic experience necessary. It focused on the primary school curriculum and in particular the intercultural guidelines. Funded by the Immigrant Integration Fund (the Department of Justice, Equality, and Law Reform).

Participants' feedback on 2008 training
The course met all of the participants’ expectations, with one commenting that it ‘far exceeded expectations’. Comments included ‘fantastic’, ‘mind-blowing’, and ‘very educative’. The aspects they highlighted were that it was ‘practical’, ‘informative’, ‘imaginative’, ‘interactive’, and had ‘a good mix of presentations’. Click here to download more feedback from previous course participants. 

2008 Course Aims:
The workshops aim to enable participants to explore diversity and intercultural issues with primary aged groups through the use of a variety of art forms.

They will:
 provide participants with the necessary theoretical knowledge to feel confident to deal with any issues that may arise while carrying out these activities with a group, regardless of the diversity and background of the group
 link these activities to the primary school curriculum, and in particular the intercultural guidelines
 use participatory methods
 introduce participants to a number of practical arts skills such as visual arts, drama, and storytelling
 provide participants with ideas for how to bring use of the arts into their classroom
 inform participants about the resources that are available