CRAFTed: Learning Skills for Life Programme
CRAFTed is the Design and Crafts Council Ireland’s (DCCI) Primary School Visual Arts based educational programme. It promotes learning through creativity and innovation, placing professional Craftspeople to work alongside teachers in Primary schools, giving them an exciting opportunity to explore their creativity and learn new skills. The Programme focuses on integrated learning methodologies through the Visual Arts Curriculum, using a process-led methodology that focuses on the child’s own creativity. For further information about the CRAFTed Programme visit the Design and Craft Council Ireland (DCCI) website here.
For Teachers
CRAFTed supports teachers in the delivery of the Visual Arts (VA) curriculum and investigates how craft processes can contribute to learning in other subject areas such as Social, Environmental and Scientific Education (SESE) curriculum.
For Students
CRAFTed provides collaborative training, access to highly skilled Craftspeople and gives both teachers and students the opportunity to explore new materials, such as clay, fibre and metals.
CRAFTed 2020
School Name: St. Mary's N.S., Thomastown
Craftsperson Name: Debra Bowden
Class Group: 3rd Class
The title of this CRAFTed project was ‘The Lost Trades of Thomastown’. As a class, the group discussed various trades and looked at old photographs. They decided to focus on Billy O’ Reilly, who used to run a Shoe and Boot Repair shop in Market Street in Thomastown. The design process began with numerous drawings of various objects connected to the craft of shoe making; a sewing machine, shoe lasts and a pair of leather shoes. Using a variety of pencils, pens, feathers, wax and paint, the students drew with both their left and right hands focusing on line, form and texture. Using a view finder, they selected a small area of their drawing which could be transferred onto a woodblock, carved and finally printed. The aims and objectives of the project were to introduce the ancient Japanese woodblock printmaking technique (History and Geography) and to show the process of drawing, design, print and bookmaking (Construction).
School Name: Mother of Fair Love School
Craftsperson: Sheila Jordan
Class Group: Mixed
Sheila Jordan worked with the students and teachers of Mother of Fair Love School on their virtual paper project. Students explored various paper manipulating techniques and worked both in 2D and 3D, developing responses to different artists work. The open-ended nature of this material exploration allowed for students to be really creative and expand their ideas to the limits of their imagination. As this was a virtual project, Craftsperson and teacher had to work very closely on planning and rollout, with Sheila communicating the techniques being explored remotely.
School Name: St. Brigid's N.S., Coon
Craftsperson Name: Sandra Mc Allister
Class Group: Senior Classes
This CRAFTed project was designed to introduce students to the craft technique of weaving. Students engaged in the design process through life drawing, followed by colour studies, which they then translated into small weavings inspired by their drawings. Students learned several different weave structures over the course of their virtual CRAFTed project. Weaver Sandra Mc Allister designed bespoke video resources for the students to use in class and hosted live virtual classes from her studio. Students had the opportunity to see all Sandra’s different size and style Looms in her studio from their class and ask questions about the history of this ancient technique.