The project had three elements – large scale public photographic works, digital activity packs and classroom-based workshops with the artist, and introduced children to Louis’ artwork as a starting point for conversations about trees. These photographs are a result of his body of research on the history of commercial forestry in Ireland and how Sitka spruce plantations have shaped the Irish landscape for the last 100 years.

Louis was joined by educator Anne Bradley and together they engaged the children in a series of practical workshops designed to explore a number of themes including botany, seed collecting, landscape, mythology and storytelling from indigenous North American culture where the Sitka spruce is a native tree.

The children experimented with a number of visual processes including large scale photography, drawing, mapping and participated in artist led discussions. Each child in the class received a multi-sensory discovery pack as part of these classroom-based workshops and a digital workshop was made available to all primary schools in the county. We’re delighted to share this digital workshop with a wide audience now.

Find out more: www.fingalarts.ie/education 

Watch the video here.