HATS OFF TO SCOIL MHUIRE STUDENTS

Thanks to Creative Engagement NAPD, a unique millinery workshop was offered free of charge to all Transition Year students in Scoil Mhuire, Ennistymon.Award-winning milliner Sinéad Madden was invited by art teacher Mary Fahy to provide two 2-Day workshops to our Transition Year classes.

TYB had their workshops on Tue 10th and Thur 19th November 2015. TYA workshops ran on Mon 16th and Tue 24th November 2015.

As part of the annual Creative Engagement exhibition, the project will be exhibited in the National Museum of Ireland, Collin’s Barracks, Dublin in October 2016. The ceremony will be opened by the Minister for the Arts, and attended by many dignitaries.It is a wonderful achievement for our students to have on their CVs going forward. Each student learnt the art of making their very own fascinator, and worked in groups to learn how to block and trim a hat from start to finish.

The students were encouraged to learn from the artist, by observing her creative process and asking her questions. Milliner Sinéad Madden also uses a novel approach to hat-making called ‘Thermoplastics’, which she demonstrated to the students. It is hoped that these techniques may influence the girls’ costume design work as Transition Year students in Scoil Mhuire are also encouraged to enter the Junk Kouture Recycled Fashion Awards. This millinery training is a wonderful insight for the students into the world of fashion design.

Many of our past pupils have gone on to pursue careers in the arts, and to set up their own businesses. This project encourages the students to widen their skills base, and to experience a whole new skill. They may even decide to make and sell hats as a mini-company project for Enterprise class.

You can visit www.creativeengagement.ie for more details on the sponsors of the project or see www.scoil-mhuire.ie for more photos of the girls’ millinery skills in action. You may also view creations by Sinéad Madden by following her Facebook page.

Photos to follow…