Derrywash National School Celebrates Creative Schools Programme at Linenhall Arts Centre

Derrywash National School recently celebrated the culmination of two years of participation in the Creative Schools Programme with a special event at the Linenhall Arts Centre, bringing together pupils, teachers, artists and members of the local community.

The evening began with an opening reception for an exhibition of the children’s artwork. A series of short speeches reflected on the impact of the project. Deirdre Melvin from the Linenhall Arts Centre welcomed guests and spoke about the dedication and commitment of the Derrywash teaching staff in ensuring that access to the arts is embedded in the life of the school. This was followed by remarks from Aisling McDonnell, Principal of Derrywash National School, who shared stories and highlights from the project.

The significance of the exhibition was underlined by the attendance of representatives from the Arts Council of Ireland. Joanna McGlynn, Creative Schools Co-Ordinator with the Arts Council, spoke about the importance of creativity in education and the value of partnerships between schools and the arts sector. Pupils were also delighted to hear from artist Breda Burns, who worked with the school as its Creative Schools Associate over the past two years and led the creation of the artwork. She highlighted the talent and imagination of the pupils and reflected on the creative journey they undertook together.

Throughout the programme, pupils took part in a wide range of creative projects. Each child created their own painted canvas, while a whole-school collaborative artwork saw every pupil design and paint a unique piece using shaped Foamix material. These individual pieces were later combined to form one large artwork, showcasing the creativity of the entire school community.

Senior pupils also had the opportunity to work with visiting artist Michael Gannon, who introduced them to the cyanotype process, an early photographic printing technique.The celebration concluded with a performance in the foyer by the Derrywash School Choir, who performed a newly composed school song developed during the project to rapturous applause.

Artwork created by the pupils is on display at the Linenhall Arts Centre, Castlebar throughout March 2026, celebrating their creativity, teamwork and artistic achievements. Members of the public are warmly encouraged to visit and enjoy the colourful and vibrant exhibition.

In Photo:

From left: Principal Aisling McDonnell, Derrywash N.S., Visual Artist Breda Burns, Creative Schools Co-Ordinator with the Arts Council Joanna McGlynn.