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Creativity, multilingualism and community building are themes we will discuss at this year’s opening event for Mother Tongues Festival.
Everyone is invited to participate in a round table discussion with a group of diverse minds in the arts and education.
The discussion will be moderated by the Assistant Dean International at the University of Limerick, Dr Anca Minescu, an expert in the field of ethnic relations, cultural diversity and group identities.
Dr Minescu will be joined by artists and other academics to discuss why artistic communities, policymakers and government bodies need to embrace multilingualism and how this can be done through creative means.
Contributors include:
- Nisha Tandon, the Founder and Director of Arts Ekta in Belfast, one of the first organisations on the island of Ireland to promote ethnic arts, culture and heritage since 2006.
- Anna Ní Ghallachair, a Chairperson to the Board of Údarás na Gaeltachta. Lecturer in French, German and Irish and Director of the Language Centre at Maynooth University until retirement in 2021.
- Dr Hala Jaber, a Palestinian community musician. She obtained her PhD at the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance, University of Limerick in 2020, examining community music approaches and best practices when working in the context of post-conflict migration.
- Oein DeBhairduin, an Irish Traveller activist, educator, and writer with a passion for preserving the beauty of Traveller stories and language. He is the co-founder of LGBT Tara (Traveller and Roma Alliance).
Continuing the conversation
Following the discussion, there will be a participatory workshop to explore the topics of multilingualism and the arts at a grassroots level.
What can we do as individuals to support this initiative?
How do we continue this conversation in different communities?
From the workshop, we hope participants lean in, question, and work together to examine these topics so we can continue spreading Ireland’s rich artistic and cultural tapestry, and connect people through the power of language
Highlighting creative multilingual projects
At 5.30 pm, a reception will be held to mark the start of our 2023 Festival and celebrate Mother Tongues 2023 Spotlight booklet, a small publication highlighting national and international creative projects, and artists and producers that embrace multilingualism in their work.
A special thank you
to our friends, sponsors and funders for supporting our mission to promote multilingualism and intercultural dialogue in Ireland.
Mother Tongues Festival is supported and funded by the Arts Council, South Dublin County Council, South Dublin County Tourism, Languages Connect, the French Embassy in Ireland, Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Rua Red, the Civic Theatre and RTÉ Supporting the Arts.
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