Early Years

Early Years

Early Years Pilot Arts Project

Call for Artist Facilitator

Project Overview:

Leitrim County Council Arts Office, in collaboration with the Healthy Leitrim Breastfeeding Programme, is seeking interest from qualified artists to develop and implement an arts project involving infants supported by their parents or caregivers. The primary objective of the initiative is to develop and undertake an action research project with infants and parents, develop learning and lay the groundwork for a more extensive and ambitious project than can developed in collaboration with the project partners, children and caregivers.
The Healthy Leitrim Breastfeeding programme consists of approximately 60 children aged from new-born to two and a half years. These children regularly attend the breast-feeding support groups held at different centres throughout South Leitrim.
It is up to the tenderer to determine the nature of the project, duration of sessions, number of sessions, age range and group size as best befits the project and collation of research outcomes. However, it is anticipated that the project will be carried out in one location only with the same people throughout.

Project Scope:

  • Engage babies and their parents or caregivers in creative exploration
  •  Conduct research and experimentation
  •  Develop plans for a larger-scale project based on the learning and insights gained from the initial project
  •  Collaborate with a mentor throughout the project*
* Leitrim County Council Arts Offices recognises the purpose and benefit for all artist facilitators to be supported by a mentor with extensive expertise in this practice area that they can rely on to explore artistic ideas and approaches. Leitrim County Council will discuss this with the successful tenderer based on project needs and the resources available.
Budget: Artist Fee: €4,000, inclusive of all costs to the artist including VAT (if relevant), travel, accommodation etc. Provision of project mentor (if desired), materials, rental of space, and any other costs of member participation are provided for separately.

Deliverables:

  • A programme of activity involving a group of early years children
  •  Documentation of the process
  •  Participation in an evaluation process in partnership with Leitrim County Council and Healthy Leitrim
  •  Participation in meetings with project partners to devise a more extended creative engagement programme based on the learning outcomes of this pilot project. (Estimated to be 2 x half day meetings.)
  •  Collaboration with mentor*
Contact Information: Mary Blake, Children & Youth Arts Officer, Leitrim County Council at 071 96 20005 Ext 541 or mary.blake@leitrimcoco.ie