NYCI_Logo_plumNYCI_Logo_plumNYCI_Logo_plumNYCI_Logo_plum
  • About
  • Advocacy
    • Youth Work Funding
    • Youth Employment
    • Social Protection for Young Jobseekers
    • Youth Homelessness
    • Active Citizenship
    • Legislative Process in Ireland
  • Training & Events
    • Book Upcoming Training & Events
    • Tailored Training
    • Certificate Courses
    • E-Learning Courses
  • News
  • Resources
    • Publications & Documents
  • Programmes
    • Programmes
      • Youth Arts
      • Child Protection
      • Global Youth Work
      • Equality & Intercultural
      • Youth Health
      • International
      • Digital Youth Work
      • STEAM Engagement Programme
    • Projects & Initiatives
      • NSETS
      • Climate Justice
      • Skills Summary
      • Young Voices
      • One World Week
      • North-South Practice Development Hub
      • UN Youth Delegate
    • Past Projects & Initiatives
      • Your Wellbeing Hub
      • Community is You
      • 25 Percent Project
      • EirGrid Consultation
      • YouthPact
      • Screenagers
      • No Hate Speech
  • Get Involved
    • Committees
    • Members
    • Campaigns
    • Jobs
  • Home
  • Advocacy
    • Youth Work Funding
    • Youth Employment
    • Social Protection for Young Jobseekers
    • Youth Homelessness
    • Active Citizenship
    • Legislative Process in Ireland
  • Training & Events
    • Book Courses & Events
    • Tailored Training Courses
    • Certificate Courses
  • News
  • Resources
    • Publications & Documents
  • Programmes
    • Youth Arts
    • Child Protection
    • Global Youth Work
    • Equality & Intercultural
    • Youth Health
    • International
    • Digital Youth Work
    • STEAM Engagement Programme
  • Projects & Initiatives
    • NSETS
    • YouthPact
    • Skills Summary
    • Young Voices
    • One World Week
    • Screenagers
    • UN Youth Delegate Programme
    • Climate Justice
    • North-South Practice Development Hub
  • Get Involved
    • Committees
    • Members
    • Campaigns
      • Vote at 16
      • Youth Work Changes Lives
    • Jobs
0

€0.00

✕

Working in Partnerships

Courage, tenacity and patience key to partnerships involving young people and the arts

Seeking out partnerships can be enormously helpful to youth work and artistic programmes alike. It has the potential to create new relationships and networks and to access different cultural spaces, realities and venues. It also has the capacity to increase resources – not just through increased or diversified funding sources, but also through access to human knowledge, skills and time.

Partnerships can also help build participation (numbers, breadth, diversity) and increase the information available to all different Stakeholders involved. Partnerships can also offer increased administrative and organisational support with access to volunteers, media or public positioning. It can also provide access to new or bigger audiences, and much more.

Crucially, partnerships can help engage more people, and types of people, in different arts and cultural activities. This can deepen the experiences of those already engaged and help to involve people in different forms and roles. These roles could include a process to becoming creators of culture, artefacts and traditions, as well as being production assistants, designers, media contacts, audiencemembers, funders, or volunteers.

Historically, in St Michael’s Youth Project, Inchicore (which has now evolved into Core Youth Service), our interest in developing partnerships stemmed from our particular early experiences with the Irish Museum of Modern Art, and grew from there. IMMA plays a very important part in our story and how we evolved – including but not just in relation to the arts.

Exploring Partnership Experiences

IMMA opened in the former Royal Hospital Kilmainham, in the heart of Dublin 8, in May 1991 in what was a completely different time for Ireland, economically and artistically. Certainly, most of what we now know in our community, such as Common Ground (which initiates and supports various art enterprises within the Canal Communities of Dublin), the Canals Community Partnership and National Youth Arts Programme, did not exist.

There was no model or roadmap when IMMA opened and sought to engage with local communities – so we all took a leap of faith. That’s how the relationship between St Michael’s and IMMA began.  A group of youth workers, artists, curators, a museum, a youth project and, of course, young people got together and started to have conversations.

Helen O’Donoghue, Senior Curator of the Education and Community Department at IMMA, spoke to me in 2008 about those early years, while I was researching community arts and exploring its impact. She spoke of going into communities and having frank and honest conversations with the people of Inchicore, Rialto and Drimnagh. Somehow the conversation resonated in Inchicore and St Michael’s, people seemed to be interested and a fire was lit, so to speak. That was the beginning of our relationship.  The world has changed in many ways but our relationship or partnership with any organisation begins in the same way now as it did back then. There are initial conversations to see if there is something workable in a proposition from one side, or just mutual interest. But even if these confirm a mutual interest and certain sympathy, at some point you have to trust in things and take a chance.

Not everything works out – and you need to be aware of that going in. There are no guarantees: it happens that young people lose interest, people leave their jobs, funding gets pulled, things do not work out. But if you do not have trust and do not even try, then things certainly are not going to work. This is the foundation of all our relationships with arts organisations.

Relationships are not without difficulty and, while our young people enjoyed their engagement with IMMA on the whole, there was always the undertone of not feeling they belonged when you teased out their experiences. In fact, perceived class divide was a topic for much discussion between artists, youth workers and the young people involved.

This is not an issue easily resolved. How do you make a place like IMMA more accessible to young people, particularly young people from disadvantaged communities? This was a question we repeatedly asked ourselves as partners, but to which we never found an easy or complete answer. Our relationship with IMMA is not as strong and dynamic now as it has been at times in the past, but we are keen to reignite it and try again.

Making the arts accessible and offering quality arts programmes to disadvantaged young people, some of whom may be at risk, is a real challenge but also very important. When it comes to the arts at St Michaels, youth projects are about creativity, challenge, protest, fulfilment, enjoyment and fun.

While we,  at St Michael’s, certainly appreciate our engagement with the arts, it has experienced a lull throughout the time of this current government and austerity in general as our youth service went into survival mode, glad to be able to keep the doors open at all.  This sometimes starves the morale and resources to push the boundaries, let alone be part of effective partnerships. Things might not be as dire just now as they have been in recent years, but neither are we back to where we were before in terms of resources, energy and creative synapses. Entering 2018, we just want to reignite our passion for creative partnerships, since our history shows that our young people have benefitted greatly from the arts. Working with young people through the arts is a big part our past – and we hope our future.

Stand out collaborations

Partnership between a cohort of artists, community workers, youth workers, young people and volunteers have supported initiatives that engaged young people, brought them to reflect on their lives and community, celebrate or challenge experiences in their lives and the life of their community, and of course to express themselves in different ways, forms and mediums.

Over the years, St. Michaels made a huge commitment and gave a lot of our time to bring young people through the process of being involved in large exhibitions and installations. Tales of the Promised Land, held in 2008, was a site-specific exhibition that publicly celebrated and shared a range of diverse and creative art work created against the backdrop of the proposed and failed urban regeneration programme in the community of St. Michaels.

Individual exhibitions that came together to create Tales of the Promised Land, involving diverse groups in the community engaging with different artists, collaborators and forms of artistic expression, included:

  • Pimp my Irish Banger
  • No Ordinary Lives
  • Children of Lir
  • Where old blocks go
  • The hoarding project
  • Recycled teenagers
  • Create the frame
  • That I might never get used to this

The entire exhibition involved intense collaboration with young people from 8 years old to people of pension age. We covered many acres. We used the grass where the old blocks where, the newly converted Richmond Barracks, the local sports hall, block 4 no. 118 as a process room that showcased the process of each individual exhibition, St. Michaels Church, bus shelters, the historic McDowell’s pub and the offices of Common Ground.

The site was huge, the engagement and outcomes were rich, emotional and very real.  Young people were interviewed, made newspaper headlines and enjoyed a very difficult process, which culminated in a night where they were the centre of attention for their hard work and creativity.

The positives of such collaboration are not limited to that of the immediate stakeholders. The feedback afterwards was this this venture was a very positive, emotional and learning experience for the whole community. It was a massive amount of work over a period of years that ended with a village full of different and exciting exhibitions that were all rooted in the past, present and future of St. Michaels.

Dr Declan McGonagle, director of National College of Art and Design (NCAD) picked up the Pimp My Irish Banger installation for the opening of the college’s new exhibition space in Thomas Street, Dublin. The project itself was about challenging joyriding culture, claiming their space in the community and having fun doing it.

Young people from our youth project worked closely with artist Terry Blake, youth worker Carol Byrne and Siobhan Geoghegan of Common Ground to produce this piece. This was a really empowering experience for our young people that pushed them into the spotlight, where they had no option but to accept the praise they were given. It might sound strange to say that, but the ability to take a compliment is a learned behaviour we have to actively cultivate in many of the young people in St Michael’s, who often suffer from low self-esteem.

The limelight associated with the process and exhibition made the young people involved a little uncomfortable at times, but they also benefited by learning that they belong in any company.

I have regularly felt inspired when working in partnerships (that the whole really was greater than the sum of its parts) and have really valued seeing how experienced operators, such as Rialto and Bluebell Youth projects, interact with artists, agencies and institutions – and, most importantly, how they transfer this ownership and way of being to project participants.

We all met monthly in IMMA for ‘Spaces’ meeting, as we called them while working on ‘The Mapping Project’. These meetings involved an independent facilitator, curators and representatives from IMMA, youth workers and team leaders from all three youth projects, artists assigned to the individual projects, and Common Ground. This was a space where we met consistently and spoke about our experiences, challenges and successes. We also got to see and hear about the differences in the approaches being used across projects in the different areas.

What stood out for me was the total investment and belief in the process that Rialto and Bluebell youth projects brought, even as I was still finding my way to seeing the place of arts engagement in youth work and was a little sceptical. The sheer commitment of all involved to the process and tackling each individual issue through the arts was a real eye-opener. To give that much time and manpower to an arts project took a bit of getting used to.

On a monthly basis at these meetings we heard how young people were developing through their relationships with artists, youth workers and curators. The resulting publication mapping lives, exploring futures became an important record, catalogue and manual for a new model of visual arts practice that enabled young people to map their own lives and curate their own culture.

Use your judgement and learn the lessons

One of the most intriguing lessons I have picked up in working with young people in the youth project and then engaging more widely in partnerships concerns the importance and dangers of self-expression. We encourage young people to be expressive in the youth work setting, and that can come easier to them when working with an artist or youth worker in a safe place – so safe in fact that they push the boundaries of what they should share.

Youth work professionals have a duty to young people like that to protect them from themselves at times since putting that work out into a public space when it is completed might leave them exposed. Young people allowing themselves to feel vulnerable with a youth worker shows positive relationship building and is good practice, but putting aspects of that out there in society for all to see is not always good for the young person. Protection of the young person should always be paramount.

Getting out if a partnership is not working

It’s also important to mention initiatives, ideas that we thought would succeed, some we were sure would succeed, but that did not click, for one reason or another.

One that strikes me was an initiative came up to explore daily life and fictional stories through the design and publication of comic books. The process was too long for the young people and the artist so it faded out, but the process was enjoyable for the first three months and important relationships were formed.

We also tried to use arts in our group contracts with young people, by depicting the guidelines proposed for the partnership of young people and youth workers. This failed spectacularly because young people felt we took too long to get past that process to the actual group work. They were not taken in by how we tried to make it fun to speak about timekeeping, bad language and intimidating behaviour through pictures and a comic book format. It’s fair to say that comic book initiatives were rejected overwhelmingly by the young people.

That doesn’t mean we didn’t learn from these initiatives. The process is always rich in data and, when you evaluate initiatives, you can see why things didn’t work and why the process had value in itself. What’s often important is to give it a go. This process, in particular, taught us not to ‘push’ a concept on young people (no matter how much we might like it and thing they will get it) because young people will push back. It’s sometimes hard to transfer decision-making power, but youth workers have to allow a power-sharing mechanism in any process.

Conclusion: when partnerships work, they can be great

It can be difficult to work in partnerships, and with professionals from different sectors who think differently, who don’t have the experience and sensitivities of youth workers but have their own ideas, practice and considerations to bring to the table.

You have to be aware that everybody is entering into this process with their own ideas. These may include different views and values so sometimes you have to challenge or argue (and concede) if it’s the right thing for the young people that you are engaged with.

At St Michael’s Youth Project (now Core Youth Service), our early partnerships, whether small or large, failed or successful, served to show us that a lot can be achieved through working with others – and that it’s worth working at.

We probably thought of arts partnerships as necessary in the beginning, because we needed someone to direct and support us while entering into this world. Now, even though we have the capacity to run arts programmes, we believe it is important to have a partner to help us to go against basic youth work instinct, to challenge and bring us into conflict in creative and constructive ways, in order for us to emerge with a better programme for the young people.

Our current partnerships with NYCI and our resident artist will help us to celebrate 30 years of history through our archives. Common Ground continues to support us when navigating uncharted waters, and we also have two other irons in the fire that will see us work in partnership with the community of St. Michaels and the wider Canal Communities.

But there’s no avoiding the need for hard work and plenty of tolerance when working in partnership. These qualities can – with the right pinches of time and personality, and moments of magic – create excellent artistic work and most importantly, growth and empowerment opportunities for young people.

 

Download Working in Partnerships

Download Working in Partnerships

Eric Caffrey
Eric Caffrey
Eric Caffrey, Project Manager, Core Youth Service. Eric has worked in the Inchicore area of the Canals Community for 16 years, 13 of which were as a youth worker. Core  youth service has always used the arts as a medium to work effectively with young people most at risk.
See More Articles by Eric Caffrey
access all areas advocacy applications arts budget Building Blocks for Wellbeing campaigns Certificate and In-Depth Courses child safeguarding Climate Change consultation Content Needs Edit/Review Covid-19 creativity diversity Education Elections & Voting Employment equality European Youth Forum European Youth Strategy Global Youth Work Health Quality Mark Human Rights impact inclusion justice mental health Migration minority ethnic young people NQSF NSETS One World Week Past conferences Peace Policy Press Press Release Research resilience screenagers Skills Summary STEAM Sustainable Development Goals testimonial

STAY UP TO DATE

Join 5,000+ subscribers and keep up to date on our work and news
from across the youth sector:


 

Our work is supported by

About NYCI

  • About Us
  • Advocacy Work
  • Code of conduct on Images & Messages
  • Child Safeguarding Statement
  • Contact Us
  • Press
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • NYCI Community Guidelines

Programmes

  • Youth Arts
  • Child Protection
  • Global Youth Work
  • Equality & Intercultural
  • Youth Health
  • International
  • Digital Youth Work
  • STEAM and Digital Youth Work

Training & Events

  • Training & Events
  • Book Training Online
  • Tailored Training
  • Certificate in Health Promotion
  • Certificate in Youth Arts
  • Customer Account Login

Members

  • Member Organisations
  • How to Become a Member
  • Members Website Login

Stay up to date

Join 5,000+ subscribers and keep up to date on our work and news from across the youth sector:

© National Youth Council of Ireland 2022 | Registered Charity Number: CHY 6823
0
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie SettingsAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT
Dennis O'Brien

I have over 30 years experience in the voluntary Youth Work and Youth Sector in Ireland.

I am currently the Volunteer Development Manager with Forόige. In this role I am responsible for key tasks such as managing, developing and supporting the involvement of thousands of Forόige volunteers in all aspects of the organisation. I also lead on the design, dissemination and implementation of best practice standards in volunteer recruitment, management and retention policies and procedures. I am a member of Foróige’s child safeguarding and protection internal working group. I also was a member of the Ministerial advisory group for development of the National Volunteering Strategy, launched in late 2020, and I am currently on the communications working group for the role out of the strategy.

I believe that youth work’s essential role in young people’s lives has been made all the more obvious as a result of the pandemic. The restrictions caused by the need to protect vulnerable people in particular from COVID 19, were imposed on young people without them having any say in the matter. They became takes of others rules and priorities, without input or choice. This, while necessary at the time, is the exact opposite of what we want for young people. We want them to be heard, to be helped to develop their own views and values (not just absorb ours). We want them to be involved in decisions that impact on them and to feel they have an influence, with which comes connection to society and hope for the future. The National Youth Council of Ireland plays a huge role in representing the shared interests of the organisations who are its members. These organisations, large and small, bring a range of youth work approaches arising from various traditions and a focus on particular youth needs. The diversity of organisations provides choice and opportunity for young people to pursue their own interests.

This diversity presents a challenge too, in identifying and agreeing their shared interests on which NYCI can represent, advocate and influence. This calls for a president who will listen support, facilitate. It calls for an NYCI which is effective, well governed and compliant with all relevant governance and financial, management requirements.

I believe I have the necessary skills for this role from my role in Foróige and my previous experience on the board of NYCI, including a term as its vice president. I am aware of the need to represent negotiate, assert firmly but respectfully, to act together in seeking to influence government departments and politicians. I understand the need for a strong working relationship between president and CEO.

Nicola Toughey

Nicola has been involved in Girl Guiding for over 44 years and has been employed in the CGI National Office in Dublin since 2013. Nicola has also been a volunteer leader with CGI in Wexford for the last 19 years.

In her role as National Office Coordinator, Nicola works closely with the NYCI and members of other youth organisations, through the Specialist Organisations Network and represents CGI at numerous meetings. Nicola also attends meetings with the Department of Children and Youth Affairs representing the uniformed bodies of the Youth Work Electoral College.

Nicola has held voluntary positions within CGI of National Secretary and National Commissioner for Ranger Guides and was a member of the National Executive Board. Nicola continues to attend CGI Board meetings in her current role.

Before moving to Ireland, Nicola worked for the UK Government and the Environment Agency in the nuclear industry regulation division and was also a youth member and then volunteer with the Guide Association UK.

Greg Tierney

I am currently a Senior Manager with Crosscare Youth Services with over 20 years’ experience having started my youth work career in CYC in January 2000, and was part of the merger with Crosscare in 2013. I line-manage our 6 Dublin West and East Wicklow youth projects, and also have responsibility for Youth Information and Outdoor Learning in Crosscare.

I have a Bachelor of Arts in Applied Social Studies from Maynooth University, and last year I completed a masters qualification, gaining a (MSc) Master of Science in Innovation & Strategy in the Maynooth Business School. I feel there is a need to be innovative and strategic in future plans for the sector, as we seek to be sustainable and receive full cost recovery for the delivery of quality youth services.

I am currently a member of the Board of Adamstown Youth and Community Centre. This is in an area with broad cultural diversity and we are trying to develop some youth provision in this under-resourced area. We were recently approved for a new part-time youth worker and a dedicated Youth Diversion Project for Adamstown, to increase the Lucan Boundary. Greg has been a NYCI Board member for the last 3 years.

Eve Moody

Eve is an active leader in her locality currently working with girls between the ages of 5 and 7, and previously worked with Irish Girl Guides’ older branch for 10- to 14-year-olds. Eve has previously represented Irish Girl Guides at the Erasmus+; Get Active! Human rights education among young people workshop.

In addition, Eve sat on the Membership, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion committee for Irish Girl Guides. Eve is a primary school teacher and focused her college dissertation on the impact of period poverty in schools. Eve has been a NYCI Board member since 2021.

Claire Anderson

Claire Anderson has been working with Scouting Ireland since October 2020 in the role of Communications Officer. She is an experienced journalist, marketing manager and communications expert. Claire graduated with an MA in Journalism and New Media in 2015. She is based in Cork and has worked with several high-profile businesses including the Irish Examiner. Working in marketing communications from 2017, Claire has created and implemented advertising and communications strategy for company expansion into eight new markets. She has worked closely with colleagues to build effective communication practices and systems. She has managed all content production from production to publishing and most recently developed a new central website for Scouting Ireland. Claire has over seven years of experience leading content production and successful marketing campaigns. She completed a Diploma in User Experience and User Interface Design this year. She also runs her own marketing business. Claire has been involved in dance since she was a child and is a keen supporter of the arts. She has volunteered with Cork Feminista and Husky Rescue Ireland, however, she is not actively volunteering at present. Claire lives in the countryside with her partner, dog, cats and hens. She enjoys sea swimming and hiking in her spare time as well as training for her first 10k race.

Mick Ferron

Mick Ferron is currently the Regional Youth Services Manager with Sphere 17 Regional Youth Service.

Qualifications:
BA Social Science from UCD
Higher Diploma in Youth and Community work from NUI Maynooth.

Sphere 17 is a community-based regional youth service covering Dublin 17 and the Kilbarrack area of North Dublin. The service operates from four different youth centres in the catchment area providing a range of different programmes, activities and support for young people 10-24 years.
Sphere 17 believes all young people can achieve great things. Their mission is to support young people to be the best that they can be, and they do this in different ways for different young people, as they need it, through the varied services provided.

In addition to the UBU funded youth service activity, Sphere 17, in collaboration with local partners, also provides a youth counselling service – The Listen Project, manages the Woodale Youth Justice Project, and is the lead organisation behind Creative Places Darndale.

Prior to his 16 years in management with Sphere 17, Mick has worked in community-based youth service provision in Ballyfermot and in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne, Australia. He has also worked in the homeless sector, and in a drugs education project in Cork.

David Backhouse

Originally from Canada, David Backhouse has been an active youth worker in Ireland since 2008. Chiefly through the YMCA, his involvement in many youth and community initiatives has brought him into partnership with Léargas, Cork City and County Councils, Irish Aid, CDYS, Youth Information, SpunOut, Comhairle ná nÓg, Foróige, Hub ná nÓg, Youth Work Ireland, CYPSC and many other local arts and community associations.

In 2016 David took up the role of Cork Regional Director for YMCA and in November 2019, began his current role as Deputy National Secretary, responsible for YMCA Ireland operations in the Republic of Ireland as well as providing support to all YMCA agencies north and south. He is passionate about Youth Participation, Creative Methodologies and the provision of high quality, well supported professional youth services to those in Ireland most in need.

RoseMarie Maughan

Rose Marie Maughan Is the National Traveller Youth Programme Coordinator with the Irish Traveller Movement. She has been working in the Irish Traveller Movement since 2004 on a local, regional, national and international level in different capacities such as Board member, National Accommodation Officer, Membership Officer, Education Officer, Project coordinator.

She has both a lived experience of being a young Traveller in Ireland and issues facing young Traveller youth today alongside an in-depth analysis of youth work and issues facing the sector. She strongly believes in youth’s right to self-determination and meaningful participiation in finding solutions to issues affecting their lives.

In her current role as National Traveller Programme Coordinator, she is overseeing the implementation of the Irish Traveller Movement’s Traveller Youth 5yr strategy working towards giving Traveller Youth a voice in all sectors of society.

Garry McHugh

Garry McHugh is National Director of Young Irish Film Makers, Ireland’s national youth film organisation. Responsible for strategic planning, fund raising, artistic and programme development. Managing partnerships with national funding bodies such as the Arts Council, Dept. of Children & Youth Affairs, Screen Ireland and the Education & Training Board.

Since taking over the National Development of the organisation in 2014, Garry has worked with the team at YIFM to grow the capacity of YIFM programmes to work with double the number of young people over the past five years, delivering five times the number of contact hours with participants. Young Irish Film Makers now work with over 1500 young people annually across Ireland through the youth arts practice of film and animation. Demand is continuing to grow as YIFM film making and animation workshops are recognised for their ability to deliver high quality outcomes for young people from all backgrounds.

Garry is heavily involved in the programme design and delivery of informal education workshops delivering quality personal, social and creative outcomes for young people across Ireland. With a focus on film and animation workshops for secondary schools, youth development agencies and youth workers nationwide.

Before he became involved in youth development and youth arts work, Garry was a professional filmmaker, musician and enjoyed treading the boards as an actor. He believes this grounding in the creative industries led him to where he works now, with young people through youth film programmes. He has twenty five years of experience in film production, broadcast radio and informal education & training. His CV ranges from corporate communications and music video production to training and informal education programmes in film, animation and digital media production.

Reuban Murray

My experience comes from my many years within the Irish Second-Level Students Union, chiefly as president during 2020-21 where I represented student’s throughout the covid-19 pandemic, working with the Department of Education and education stakeholders as part of the State exams Advisory group to do what was best for our young people through an extremely challenging time.

My other experience across other organisations such at Spuntout.ie national action panel or partnering with other organisations here such as ICTU on young workers rights gives me the necessary experience to bring a new perspective to the governance of the NYCI.

I have been a representative of young people for the last 5 years at a local, regional national and international level – with my particular focus on youth representing and how that can be best achieved – I hope you can put your confidence in me to work as a member of the NYCI board to deliver this for you and continue the outstanding work of the NYCI.

Niamh Quinn

Niamh Quinn is a Manager with Foróige. Niamh has extensive direct youth work and management experience within the youth work and non formal education sector. With Forόige since 2004, Niamh’s previous roles include Outreach Youth Officer working with young people aged 14 – 18 years most at risk; Senior Youth Officer and Acting Area Manager.

Niamh’s current role is supporting the development, roll out and delivery of CPD training and processes for the national School Completion Programme.

Niamh is the current Vice President of NYCI. Niamh is also the current Chair of the NYCI HR & Governance Sub Committee.

Niamh is a graduate of Trinity College, Dublin.

Access your One World Week Resource

  • Why do you need my name and email address? Our funding is conditional on monitoring usage of our resources by youth workers, educators and activists such as yourself. If you do share your details, we will forward a short feedback survey to you within six weeks. Thanks for your support with this.
    We'll send you updates about our work and news from across the youth sector. We always keep your data safe, and you can unsubscribe at any time.
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

  or access resource without filling form »