Creating gardens for art with children; a workshop for adults

Creating and running gardens for art with children; an artist's talk and workshop for adults with artist David Begley

About The Workshop:
In this artist’s talk and workshop, artist, writer, and filmmaker David Begley will share his experiences growing and nurturing gardens with children in schools, on a home school project, and in a community allotment. The talk and workshop will include a screening of David’s film The Keepers, created to highlight the importance of art and gardening for children and using the garden as a source for art workshops.

David will demonstrate art and gardening activities for children and share a selection of his lesson plans. This workshop will be of interest to artists, parents, facilitators, teachers, and community groups. David will discuss practical aspects such as working with schools, equipment and material lists, child appraisal, risk assessments and safety, insurance, working with weather, and how challenges create opportunities to learn.

Participants will enjoy a day of learning, drawing, and gardening with stunning views of the surrounding countryside.

Ticket price includes materials and a resource guide, which David will email to all participants following the workshop.

About The Venue/Parking:
This offsite event will be held at Cullen’s Cottages, Roundwood, A98 CY83. Lunch and tea/coffee available to purchase from Cullen’s farm pantry on the day. Please note this venue is a private home. It is close to Roundwood but has limited parking available therefore, participants are asked to arrive at Roundwood Parish Hall at 10.30am on the morning of the workshop and carpool from there. Mermaid/David will be in touch in advance to coordinate this with participants.

About David Begley:
David Begley is a visual artist, writer, film-maker, botanical ink and charcoal maker, and an arts educator. He works through drawing, painting, monotype, video, sound, and animation. 

His monotype prints have been selected for exhibitions at the Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair, London, Royal Hibernian Academy, Dublin, and Oriel Mostyn, Wales. David has received Arts Council and Artlinks awards for his visual art and creative writing. His animations have been screened in galleries and film festivals in Ireland, UK, USA, Greece, and France. David's artworks can be found in the public collections of Contemporary Irish Art Society, Environmental Protection Agency, Filmhouse, Irish National Teachers Organisation, and Office of Public Works, and Wexford County Council. 

David facilitates workshops for adults at Chester Beatty, Dublin, Mermaid Arts Centre, Wicklow, Irish National Heritage Park, Butler gallery, Kilkenny, Garter Lane arts centre, Waterford, and online with Plants and Colour UK. He mentors professional visual artists and contributed to Making Charcoal for Artists by Kate Boucher, published by The Crowood Press (2024). 

In 2020 David was commissioned by Wexford County Council to create The Monk’s Garden, a visual art, heritage, and gardening project with St Edan’s National School, Ferns. Inspired by this work, David made his short documentary The Keepers, highlighting the importance of art and gardening for children. The film has been screened at film festivals in Czech Republic, Greece, Ireland, UK, and the US. 

Immersed in ink making, David created a short film and series of paintings titled Small finds exhibited at St David’s Cathedral Refectory, Wales, and Wexford County Council in 2023. David Begley and artist Hanneke van Ryswyk have established a vegetable garden at Curracloe NS, County Wexford. They facilitate Biodiversity walk and draw activities in Wexford schools.