Soil - A Sensory Experience. Music & Visual Art Workshop

with Youth Artist in Residence Jackie Maguire

14 April 2023

90mins

Youth Artist in Residency at The Dock Jackie Maguire will collaborate with Soil Scientist Dr Agnieszka Piwowarczyk and Forest School Educator Trisha MacLaughlin to explore soil texture in this sensory workshop for young children age 0-6yrs.

You will use your hands, feet, eyes an ears to explore different soil textures and discover what makes the best soil.

As part of her residency at The Dock, Jackie and her collaborators Dr Aga and Trisha will be leading a series of workshops and events focused on young children under six years old. Their work will involve researching and exploring soil as a living system as part of a future theatre production.

This residency will raise awareness of important environmental issues facing the soil ecosystem, and to engage young children in these topics through the arts. It will also provide a space for children to develop their creative voice in art, decision-making, and creativity.

Please wear clothes that you don’t mind getting some mud and soil on. We will be working outside in a tented area for this workshop, so bring warm layers and wear wellington boots.
Dress comfortably, bring the baby bag and we will provide a complementary cuppa and cold drink for the children at the end of the workshop.

About the artists

Jackie Maguire Youth Artist in Residence at The Dock is a musician and artist working through music, drama and the visual arts. Currently she is Research Associate at Trinity College Dublin’s School of Education and an early childhood Arts Lecturer at Maynooth University, DCU and Hibernia College. Jackie has presented at a number of national and international conferences on her work as an early years artist and researcher and has published in peer reviewed journals in this area.

Dr Agnieszka Piwowarczyk specialises in environmental and soil sciences with many years dedicated to studying and researching soils in - and outside academic environment in Ireland and abroad. Dr Aga has designed and supervised a number of soil related research studies with scientific outputs published in peer-reviewed journals, as book chapters and at national and international conferences with awards. Currently, Dr Aga is exploring how to best share her knowledge and passion for soils to young children and she is the process of writing a book called Soil is not Dirt.

Trisha MacLaughlin is a Forest School Educator and has worked in both the Early Childhood Care Education and Community Development sectors for many years as a practitioner, researcher, consultant and lecturer. Trisha has a Masters by Research in the field of Early Childhood Education and Care and a Level 3 (UK) Certificate in Forest School Programme Leadership. She formed Sligo Woodland School in December 2016 and her practice is modelled on the Forest School approach.