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Building Community through Creative Multilingualism

Opening event

16th of Feb, 3.30 pm

@Rua Red, Tallaght

Building Community through Creative Multilingualism. Mother Tongues Festival 2023.

Join us for a roundtable discussion on themes of creativity, multilingualism and community building. The conversation will be moderated by 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, policy makers and government bodies need to embrace multilingualism through creative means, and how this can be done.
This discussion will be followed by a participatory Workshop exploring the topic of multilingualism and the arts at a grassroots level.

A reception event will follow at 5.30 pm marking the beginning of the Mother Tongues Festival and the launch of our 2023 Spotlight publication, featuring national and international artistic and creative projects that embrace multilingualism.

Moderator

Dr Anca Minescu

Assistant Dean International in Ethnic Relations at University of Limerick

Contributors

Nisha Tandon

Founder and Director of Arts Ekta in Belfast, one of the first organisations on the island of Ireland promoting ethnic arts, culture and heritage since 2006.

Anna Ní Ghallachair

Chairperson to the Board of Údarás na Gaeltachta. Lecturer in French, German and Irish and Director of the Language Centre in Maynooth University until retirement in 2021.

Hala Jabar

Dr Hala Jaber is 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 practice when working in the context of post-conflict migration.

Oein De Bharduin

Oein DeBhairduin is 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).

Mother Tongues Festival

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Magical Treasures

Jan 30, Feb 13-18-27, March 6-13

@County Library, Tallaght

Storytelling & Art workshop

For families with children aged 3 to 6

Languages:

English + Hungarian + Bring your own!

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Please note:

Booking is required. When you reserve a child ticket the accompanying adult goes free. Children must be under the supervision of an accompanying adult at all times.

Find the enchanted treasures that await you with Kata and her special guests! Join Kata and her puppet friends as they lead you on a magical quest. Along the way, children and their parents will be transported to another world through storytelling and interactive creative projects.

Booking is required. When you reserve a child ticket the accompanying adult goes free. Children must be under the supervision of an accompanying adult at all times.

This workshops series is part of the award-winning Language Explorers programme, which has shown to improve parents’ and children’s confidence in using their mother tongue and enhance children’s language and communication skills. Find out more.

Meet the artist

Kata Varnyu

Kata is a qualified Hungarian actress, theatre maker and drama facilitator. She is the founder of the Hungarian Irish Theatre which connects artists from all nations and creates culturally diverse and entertaining theatre plays for young and adult audiences. Kata has several years of experience working with children as an art and drama facilitator. She believes in the positive benefits of art and theatre and would like to make it available for all children and young people. She is also passionate about promoting multiculturalism, equality and diversity. She holds a QQI Level 8 certificate of Principles of Art Therapy and recently completed the Drama Facilitation course of Youth Theatre Ireland. 

This event is funded by

Mother Tongues Festival

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Forging Stories & IMLYA

Interactive Museum of Languages for Young Audiences

18th of Feb, 1 pm

@County Library, Tallaght

Storytelling workshop

For families with children aged 6 to 9

Languages:

English + Romanian

Please note:

Booking is not required. Children must be under the supervision of an accompanying adult at all times.

Mother Tongues' Interactive Museum of Languages for Young Audiences (IMLYA) at North Clondalkin Library. .Picture Conor McCabe Photography.

Put your language explorer hats on and delve into the adventure as pirates do! The journey will be led by artist and main piratess Alexandra Gogan, who’s set on building stories, conquering new languages with word games (and beyond!) and, most importantly, unleashing your seeker’s mindset.

Continue the pirate quest at the Interactive Museum of Languages for Young Audiences (IMLYA). IMLYA is an exhibition where children have the opportunity to interact with language-based sculptures inspired by linguistic artefacts, signs, pictographs, and alphabets. By engaging with the art exhibit, children will develop an understanding of other languages and cultures and unlock their creative potential. You will find IMLYA in the Library from February 11th.

Meet the artist

Alexandra Gogan

Alexandra Gogan is a Romanian writer based in Dublin with a background in theatre and the performing arts. Her experience working with young audiences ranges from humble beginnings as a Disney Princess impersonator to an actor in children’s plays, workshop facilitator and co-founder and creator of “Bibabo”- an independent theatre company that aimed to produce quality art experiences for children in kindergarten and primary school.
Recently worked with Super Paua as a writer and performer, developing a short multilingual audio story that delves into Romani and Romanian heritage, explores grief in multiple languages and celebrates the cultural diversity of Dublin’s public transportation system. Currently writing ‘’A man, a dog and a goose’’ and ‘’Mister Tonohashi and The Missing Cat’’, the first in a series called ‘’The Thomas Thorne Files’’.

IMLYA was commissioned by South Dublin Creative Ireland programme as part of Cruinniú na nÓg 2021, and it was co-funded by Languages Connect.

This event is funded by

Mother Tongues Festival

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