My Generation launches Culture Night programme

This year, as part of the Glucksman project ‘My Generation’, teenage asylum seekers, refugees and migrants from across Cork city and county were invited to find creative ways to communicate their experiences of life in 2020 Ireland. Working with artist Kate O’ Shea, the group of young people are learning creative techniques adopted by artists and some of the ways in which public art can raise questions and generate new ideas in shared civic spaces.

This large scale public artwork is now on view on the façade of the City Library on Grand Parade and on Kyrl’s Quay.

Speaking ahead of this year’s Culture Night Cork City was Director of the Glucksman, Fiona Kearney, “over the last few weeks at the Glucksman, these young people have explored how art can amplify and communicate their ideas – it is thrilling to see their creativity and passion now emerge on to the streets of Cork for Culture Night. Thanks to funding from the Arts Council we can enable these talented teenagers to be really ambitious in the presentation of their artwork and dream even bigger than ever”.

Senior Curator at the Glucksman, Tadhg Crowley added “These young people have taken stunning photographs of themselves as they’d like to be represented in the public realm, to challenge perceptions, to ask questions, and to present positive images of young people alongside their messages of what change they feel is needed to create a positive future.”

Joshua, a teenager living in the Drishane Accommodation Centre, is one of the young people involved in My Generation and he said of the project “I enjoyed helping create this artwork because I learned a lot from the workshops. It made me realize the different people that are excluded from society and also helped me be more creative. I was delighted to get the opportunity to do some photography which was a good experience”.