Saoirse Exton
Young Curators Programme
27 June 2024
The Dock was delighted to work with Oliver Harris, supported by the Leitrim Creative Sector Internship Programme, part of Leitrim County Council's Creative Ireland programme managed by the Arts Office and Local Enterprise Office. Oliver worked across all areas of the Artistic Programme in particular assisting with events in the Galleries and Performance Space.
"Working with The Dock as part of the Young Curators Programme has been a wonderful opportunity for me, as an artist, to learn firsthand about the practicalities of running a gallery and planning events. I have found that there are not enough opportunities for young people in rural areas who are interested in the arts, so being able to get involved with the local arts scene in this way has been an invaluable experience that I am very grateful for!"
During his internship, Oliver also researched and drafted our Quiet Space plan to make events at The Dock more accessible and comfortable for visitors. We are grateful for his contribution and hope to work with them again in the future.
"In my time with The Dock, I have also been able to research into the development and implementation of a quiet space for visiting artists and guests. As an autistic person, I understand the importance of these kinds of accessibility features, and I feel very proud to have been involved in this research. I hope that the work I have done in this area will be helpful in providing support to future visitors to The Dock, and in ensuring that their accessibility needs are met."
Young Curators Programme
The Young Curators Programme is a new initiative at The Dock to collaborate with young people on delivering strategic aims and priorities of the organisation, to provide paid work experience and funded training opportunities for young people in the arts and culture sector in Ireland and internationally, and to involve young people in policymaking and future-proofing activities.
