This project will seek to engage with local primary school pupils to animate the rich natural and cultural heritage of the Avoca River in County Wicklow via the production of a series of short ‘storytelling’ animated films. 

The catchment of the Avonmore, taken together with the Avonbeg and Avoca rivers is the largest in County Wicklow, stretching from Lough Tay and Lough Dan high in the uplands, it passes through glens, villages  and rolling countryside before entering the sea at Arklow. Having engaged with local people, historians, archaeologists and ecologists on the upper reaches of the Avonmore in 2020 via the Avoca River Stories project, it is now proposed to work specifically with two schools in Arklow, Gaelscoil Inbhir Mhóir and St SS. Michael and Peter Junior School, on telling the stories from the school children’s perspective. Both schools are participating in the Creative Schools Programme and this project will be carried out is association with Creative Associate, Laura Ní Fhlaibhín. Other project partners include the local authorities Water Programme, the Heritage Office, Arklow Library and the Arklow Maritime museum.

The project will entail the undertaking of a series of workshops with the children to produce the final animated output with a public screening. The films will be hosted on the Avoca River Stories social media. See here for more information. 

Please note that the details of events listed above are provided by the relevant Local Authorities.