Education & Outreach
The Cork Creative Careers Programme offers TY students and 6th class pupils the opportunity to explore their own creativity, visual literacy, local arts resources and creative career paths through direct engagement with local arts practitioners. Five local facilitators facilitate five different creative topics, allowing the students to explore different art practices, develop new skills and explore their own creativity:
- Topic 1: Visual Art with Kate McElroy, a visual artist and member of Sample-Studios
- Topic 2: Printmaking with Aoife Claffey, a printmaker, installation artist, and member of both Sample-Studios and Cork Printmakers
- Topic 3: Filmmaking with Maximilian Le Cain, a filmmaker and film critic who is also involved in the development and delivery of First Cut! Youth Film Festival and Cork Young Filmmakers
- Topic 4: Music Production and Songwriting with DJ Stevie G.
- Topic 5: Illustration with Olivia Golden, member of Illustrators Ireland.
If you’d like to submit an expression of interest in your school becoming involved in the Cork Creative Careers Programme, contact: programme@sample-studios.com
Testimonials:
“The Creative Careers programme at Sample Studios has been an incredible experience! As a special school, it was amazing to have workshops that were fully accessible and tailored to our students’ needs. Over five sessions, our TY students learned from incredible artists, including printmaking with Aoife Claffey and music production with Stevie G. Each workshop was hands-on, engaging, and inspiring, giving our students a real insight into creative careers while building their confidence and skills in a supportive environment.” Christina Hayes, Bonnington, Montenotte (2025)
“The feedback from my class last year was incredible- some pupils were really inspired by the backgrounds and stories from the artists. One child in particular really gained confidence and ambition from an artist (Elize de Beer) who spoke of her experience with dyslexia. This pupil included this experience in her end of year highlights from primary school. She genuinely admired this artist and was thrilled to see somebody “in real life”, thrive professionally in spite of this condition. Another artist, Aoife Claffey, hugely influenced how we go about printmaking in our school. We’ve bought a printing press and use her lessons regularly. The children love it!!!” Aoife Quinn, St Columbas GNS with Facility for Deaf Children (2025)
“I want to convey how well the workshops are going. Each of the facilitators have been very open and flexible with our young people and the format works very well for us. They are responding well to the participation element and anything visual the artists bring in to show them. Listening to information is more tricky for them so instead of presentations we have been chatting as the young people are ‘doing’ something. I want to thank you again for reaching out to us and facilitating these groups.” Karen Barry, Éist Linn Adolescent Mental Health Inpatient Unit, Bessborough (2025)
Supported by RTÉ Toy Show Appeal, Community Foundation Ireland, and The Arts Council of Ireland.
Learn more
The Cork Young Curators & Critics Programme offers young people (16-25 years) the opportunity to learn about different creative career paths actively through a series of workshops and self-directed arts experiences. The programme includes weekly workshops in printmaking, zine making, photography, filmmaking, art criticism, curatorship, creative writing and includes trips to arts activities locally and day trips to meet with other groups around Ireland, such as the Waterford Young Arts Critics group.
Find out more about The Cork Young Curators & Critics Programme: https://youtu.be/JQgFuZA99bw
Learn morePhotoGo
PhotoGo is an award-winning schools photography competition and exhibition presented by Sample-Studios, supported by Cork City Council Commemoration Fund. The Programme takes places in secondary schools in Autumn annually.
PhotoGo 2024
We have rolled out our PhotoGo programme to schools for the 2024 school year. Photographer and Sample-Studios member Kate McElroy will facilitate a series of photography workshops in schools in Cork City’s Northside. We’re getting ready to install our exhibition of all student submissions in The Lord Mayor’s Pavilion so stay tuned for updates! PhotoGo 2024 is generously supported by Gurranabraher Credit Union.
PhotoGo 2023
PhotoGo invited local second level students to take photographs which reflect the theme of ‘Home & Heritage’ and particularly celebrate Cork City’s Northside. Following a series of photography workshops with transition year students facilitated by photographer and Sample-Studios member Kate McElroy, over 150 photos were submitted to the competition. Shortlisted entries were presented in the windows of The Lord Mayor’s Pavilion in November and December 2023.
Click here to view the PhotoGo 2023 exhibition online.
PhotoGo 2022
PhotoGo invited local second level students to take photographs which reflect the theme of ‘Home & Heritage’ and particularly celebrate Cork City’s Northside. Following a series of photography workshops with transition year students facilitated by photographer and Sample-Studios member Kate McElroy, over 150 photos were submitted to the competition. We invite you to enjoy this exhibition of shortlisted photo entries in the windows of The Lord Mayor’s Pavilion, Fitzgerald’s Park, from December 1st – December 6th 2022.
Click here to view the PhotoGo 2022 exhibition online.
PhotoGo is is the proud winner of the ‘Best Small Sponsorship Award’ at the 2022 Business To Arts Awards.
PhotoGo 2021
PhotoGo invited members of the community, local Transition Year and third level students to take photographs which reflect the theme of ‘Commemorating the Past, Celebrating the Present’ as part of the decade of commemorations and particularly celebrate Cork City’s Northside. We invite you to enjoy this exhibition of shortlisted photo entries in the windows of The Lord Mayor’s Pavilion, Fitzgerald’s Park, from October 29th – November 16th 2021.
Click here to view the PhotoGo 2021 exhibition online.
Supported by Gurranabraher Credit Union and Cork City Council Commemoration Fund.
PhotoGo 2020
The PhotoGo 2020 competition launched during Culture Night 2020 when members of the public were invited to take photographs which celebrate Cork City’s Northside communities and the theme of ‘legacy’, to mark the important centenary year of the Burning of Cork in 1920. Over 100 entries were received from the public and local Transition Year students. Over 100 TY students also participated in a series of free photography workshops with artist and Sample-Studios member, Kate McElroy. The exhibition was displayed in the windows of The Lord Mayor’s Pavilion to enable visitors within 5km of Fitzgerald’s Park during Level 5 lockdown, to enjoy this selected presentation of PhotoGo entries safely and those within the County from December 1st – 3rd and further afield online in our digital exhibition. Gurranabraher Credit Union produced a commemorative calendar featuring the 12 shortlisted photos, including the winner of the People’s Voice Award by Sonia Salzano. The project was supported by Gurranabraher Credit Union and Cork City Council Commemoration Fund. PhotoGo 2020 was shortlisted for the Business to Arts Best Small Sponsorship Award.
A City Rising Youth Architecture Programme enables young people, from 16-25 years to gain an understanding of architecture and the built environment through creative mediums such as photography, printmaking, street art, architectural drawing and Cork’s architectural history.
Building upon the success and the strong working relationships of Sample-Studios’ establishment of the Cork Young Curators & Critics in 2021, Sample-Studios designed a new programme in 2022 and 2023 focusing on making architecture, design thinking, urban planning and the built environment accessible to young people. This programme comes at a critical time in Cork’s development, with significant investment in transforming our main thoroughfares, docklands and 29 million euro investment in the refurbishment and restoration of the historic building that houses Crawford Art Gallery.
It is vital that young people in Cork City are facilitated in having the design language, architectural awareness and critical thinking skills necessary to navigate this change to their urban landscape, be active participants in the architectural development of their City, and be supported as active and informed custodians of our built heritage. In addition to supporting the development of young people’s awareness of architecture and stimulating their engagement with the urban space through creative means, this programme has enabled young people from diverse communities across Cork to engage directly with role models within this field and better understand the careers paths available to them in architecture and related industries.
The programme consists of a series of workshops with experienced tutors culminating in site visits to buildings of architectural and cultural significance in Cork City and a final exhibition in Cork City Library of the work created by the young people. View the 2023 A City Rising Exhibition in Cork City Library Foyer until February 28th 2024
Supported by The Arts Council of Ireland Engaging with Architecture Scheme.
Learn more
Find out more
