I am inspired by working collaboratively with young people. I see my role as fellow creative explorer, navigator and guide, taking the lead from the interests of the young people and having an adventure along the way. I am a firm believer in creative play, that by cultivating curiosity we enable motivation and we can trust a process of research and investigation to unfold, I am here to offer an ear, an eye, a hand and a heart and to delve into any resources I have which may be appropriate to the creative evolution of the project. I often begin by showing an example from my current practice ( and sometimes from my archive!) and then allowing a brainstorming session to ensue where we co-create the plan for our project together.
I have 30 years experience in formal and arts community education and participatory practice.
I will be speaking about Follow Your Nose at The Irish Museums Association’s Education and Outreach Forum on 23 June 2023
Follow Your Nose
Follow Your Nose is a collaborative art programme led by Julie Forrester, Cork Migrant Centre and Crawford Art Gallery that meets children who are living in Direct Provision, some of whom have been given leave to stay in Ireland.
Connecting online through zoom and in-person gallery visits, art-making has incorporated slime recipes, anime, cute food kawaii-donuts, Black Panther-inspired jewellery, hair styles, Saint Patrick. The programme aims to meet the children where they are at. To do this, Julie comes to each session with a suggested technique/theme, adapting to follow the children’s lead and interests, rather than a prescriptive approach.
Since 2021, Follow your Nose has co-created animations, drawing guides, and a video diary which will be screened at Cork Migrant Centre’s Anti-Racism and Integration Forum, Cork City Hall, in May 2023, and is currently working towards a project for exhibition in Crawford Art Gallery In September, which can be described as part portal, part sculpture; a real-life zoom screen which will invite interaction.
In this presentation, Julie will outline her experience of maintaining creative connection with children living in direct provision. Our efforts towards greater inclusion, co-creation, and the intimacy, strangeness and challenge of working through flat screens and phones.
/https://crawfordartgallery.ie/follow-your-nose-into-drawing/
Julie Forrester is an Artist-Facilitator with Crawford Art Gallery and is currently delivering Follow your Nose in partnership with Cork Migrant Centre, a project with families in direct Provision. Her visual art is characterised by a curiosity about narrative forms, arising from connections with place, memory and shared experience. She holds a BA in Fine Art, Masters Degree in art Process and a HAUMEA Certificate in Essential Eco Literacy.
Julie has a long career as artist in community and education contexts and is Associate Artist with The Design and Crafts Council of Ireland; Cork County Council; Creative Ireland’s TAP and BLAST programmes and with Kids’ Own Publishing Partnership. Her participatory projects have received awards from The Arts Council of Ireland and Local Authority Arts Offices.
In 2022 she was artist in residence with Cork Midsummer Festival’s Creative Enquiry working with Traveller groups with young Traveller children and their families, exploring the relationship between cultural identity and cultural engagement. Forrester is currently leading a multidisciplinary site specific project, Gleann na Phúca, in the Glen River Park, which is supported by the Arts Council of Ireland and Cork City Council.
The Crawford Art Gallery
Cork Migrant Centre
Cork County Council Library and Arts Service
The Department of Education and Cork Education Support Services Arts in Education
BLAST and TAP Residencies
Creative Schools
Creative Youth
The Design and Crafts Council of Ireland on their
CRAFTed Programme in primary Schools
DESIGN SKILLS programme with the Junior Cycle in Secondary Schools.
Associate Artist with Kids’ Own Publishing Partnership
Garda vetted.
Child safeguarding policy reviewed every 2 years.
Please see drop down menus for examples of work 🙂
Presentation commissioned by The Design and Craft Council of Ireland for their online resources. It serves as an introduction to my artist practice, designed to elicit responses from young people in school settings:
julforrester 