This Summer, sound artist and instrument-designer, Ed Devane worked with students from the four schools that make up The Dock’s Collective Producers in School. Students from schools in counties Leitrim, Roscommon, and Longford worked with Ed on a series of workshops to create an innovative musical instrument, using the cylindrical form as their starting point.
The Collective Producers in School began in 2019 when The Dock, collaborated with artists to create a unique programme of bespoke workshops and masterclass events for teenagers.
Under the guidance and technical skills of the artist facilitator, Ed Devane, the participants created a large-scale, sonic installation.
The young participants worked with mechanical and electronic components such as Arduino-controlled beaters, blowers, acoustic integrated speakers, and a bowing mechanism to create an interactive, sonic art installation. The final piece brought together the work of all schools involved as a physical and musical, interactive installation comprising fifteen separate cylindrical instruments, which react through touch-free sensors so that visitors to The Dock were able to interact with the installation to create sounds via the various touch-free sensors (IR distance sensors, capacitive sensors, light and heat sensors etc). The installation was displayed in The Dock Theatre for a week in late June.
The four secondary schools involved are Carrick-on -Shannon Community School led by the teacher, Deirdre Gillen; Ballymahon Vocational School led by the teacher, Anne O'Reilly; Abbey Community College, Boyle led by the teacher, Aengus Martin; and Drumshanbo Vocational School led by the teacher, Eugene Rooney. These schools are part of our Collective Producers in Schools programme.
This project was funded by the Creative Ireland Open Call Programme through Leitrim County Council.
The project is supported by STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) in Youth Work at the National Youth Council of Ireland (NYCI), which is building the capacity of the youth work sector to use STEAM to improve the lives of young people through the support of Science Foundation Ireland and Leargas.
This project is showcased as part of a Virtual Art Gallery by NYCI’s of STEAM in Youth work - Link to Virtual Art Gallery NYCI
