North Clare Youth Present Groundbreaking Exhibition
A group of young people from North Clare have taken part in the CHG&S Young Curators Project 2025, supported by the Arts Council of Ireland’s Young Ensembles initiative. This exciting, youth-led project culminates in a public exhibition opening Tuesday 10th June at 7pm in The Courthouse Gallery, Ennistymon.
Over the course of several months, the young curators engaged with professional artists, art institutions, and curators—gaining hands-on experience in the full lifecycle of an exhibition, from concept to curation and installation.
A Collaborative Journey Across Clare
The project was guided by co-ordinator artist Ana Colomer and Mary Fahy, teaching artist from Ennistymon Community School, who worked closely with the group throughout. Documentation was provided by photographer and videographer Aleks Skibniewska, who captured the creative process as it unfolded. Project facilitation and support were provided by Éanna Byrt of The Courthouse Gallery & Studios.
Who are the Young Curators?
Jagoda Augustyn, Fareedah Bello, Ali May Cowper, Alex Davoren, Ella Enright Whelan, Alana Foudy, Michael Hayes, Vladyslav Kovalenko, Alisa Kravchenko, Alicia Lorente-Cabrera, Anna Lyabakh, Veronika Nikolaieva, Mable O’Boyle, Sadie O’Brien, Siabh Rich, Marcello Stella, Oleksii Yanovskyi, and Franzii Strohmair, all 5th yr art students from Ennistymon Community School. This youth group collaborated with self-taught artists Ian Manton and Michael White.
Participants began with a Visual Thinking Strategies workshop and responded to exhibitions at The Courthouse Gallery, including work by Lee Welch and others. Maria Cagney, Curator of Education and Outreach at the Hunt Museum, delivered a powerful talk and shared insights on accessibility and inclusion in the arts creating a framework for inclusion that framed the exhibition.
A visit to Gentian Press in Lisdoonvarna introduced participants to the art of letterpress printmaking, led by Conor Burke. They then travelled to the Clare County Council Arts Office in Ennis, where Aoife Byrne from the Clare County Municipal Art Collection generously hosted and provided unique access to works by a wide range of Irish artists including Louis le Brocquy, Ennistymon-based Sara Foust, Brian Bourke, and Jean Regan.
The resulting exhibition, curated entirely by the youth group, showcases a selection of their favourite works from the Clare County Municipal Art Collection, displayed alongside their new original artworks created by the participants themselves and by Ian Manton and Michael White, service users of the Brothers of Charity, who were mentored during the project by artist Sarah Fuller.
Participants learned how to frame, hang, and install artworks—gaining valuable insight into curatorial practice and the collaborative work involved in creating a public and accessible exhibition.
A beautifully designed exhibition catalogue, the result of a workshop in visual communication delivered by Barry Mullins, accompanies the show.
Artists Selected by the Young Curators
Bernadette Madden, Caitríona O’Connor, David O’Rourke, Domingo Cuatindioy, Eithne Jordan, Imelda Greene, Jean Regan, Renee MacNiece, Michael McCormack, Paul Weerasekera, Hilary Gilmore, Tomás O’Maoldomhnaigh, Denise Ryan, Peadar McNamara, John Kelly, Louis le Brocquy, Brian Bourke, Sara Foust, Philip Morrison, and Máirín Kelly.
Acknowledgements
This project would not have been possible without the support of Siobhán Mulcahy, Clare Arts Officer, and the Clare Arts Office team, the dedicated staff of the Courthouse Gallery and Studios and all community partners who made the experience unforgettable. We are especially grateful to Ennistymon Community School and teaching artist Mary Fahy for facilitating participation and supporting the involvement of students in this independent youth led project.