Interactive Museum of Languages for Young Audiences (IMLYA) Tomasz Madajczak

Interactive Museum of Languages for Young Audiences (IMLYA) | Tomasz Madajczak
Roola Boola Children’s Arts Festival 2024

The Interactive Museum of Languages for Young Audiences (IMLYA) is a touring interactive exhibition for primary school children. IMLYA provides an immersive creative experience for children. By offering venues and schools the opportunity to experience the exhibition on their grounds and availing of educational activities, the exhibition enables teachers and education teams in galleries and museums to help young people learn and apply creative skills, reflect on linguistic diversity in our environment, learn about the origin of languages and experience aspects of different cultures and their symbolism.

IMLYA is a creative resource that supports children’s self-expression and creativity, drawing on living and ancient and living languages to reflect on the diversity of languages in our environment. Each component is designed to be interactive and is accompanied by a range of activities for children between the ages of 5 and 12 that spark children’s interest in other languages and cultures and in getting to talk about their own languages.

IMLYA is developed as a resource for primary school children, but there is no age limit. Everyone interested in experiencing multiple languages and diverse cultures will find interest in interactions with elements in the museum.

IMLYA was initiated and developed in 2021 by Mother Tongues, a social enterprise working to promote multilingualism and intercultural dialogue in Ireland, under the creative direction of visual artist Tomasz Madajczak.

About the Artist:

Tomasz Madajczak has worked with art and education for about 15 years, facilitating art workshops for children, teenagers and adults. The combination of art and education plays a crucial role in development of deep interest and curiosity in young people, to enable them to explore and widen their life perspectives.

Some of his previous realisations for children include: 7 artists initiative “Art in Action” shown at Uillinn West Cork Art Centre in Skibbereen 2020, “Inside Out” youth group exhibition Uillin West Cork art Centre 2020, “Sztuka Stuka” MOOS municipal art gallery Gorzów Wlkp. Poland 2019, 2 artists collaboration “Mapping The Divide” performance at Uillinn West Cork Art Centre 2019.

Tomasz studied Photography at the Fine Arts Academy in Poznań 1998-2003 completing an MAFA in the Intermedia Department. Tomasz emigrated to Ireland in 2003 where he has been a practicing artist since. He has exhibited in Poland, Germany, Netherlands, Sweden, Pakistan, France and Ireland.