From Creative Spark Dundalk to Duncairn Arts Belfast: The first Immerse Her cross-border bootcamp
From September 8th to 10th, young women were welcomed to the ImmerseHer initiative to explore printing onto Irish linen using both screen printing and laser cutting.
The young women engaged in creative practice and hands on making throughout the three-day bootcamp at Creative Spark in Dundalk and the Duncairn Arts Centre in Belfast. They had the opportunity to explore the facilities and enjoy immersive, hands-on making experiences. The activities were very practical, with participants creating designs inspired by Irish Textile heritage, nature and its meaning to them. They also experimented with plant-based and water-based inks for sustainability approaches.
It was also a great opportunity for the young women to meet new people, make new friends and develop their creative and technical skills. They produced a wide range of printed samples onto Irish linen sourced from Baird McNutt.
On Day 3, the ImmerseHer participants travelled to Belfast, where they explored augmented reality and created future messages from themselves in 2050 to someone who might find their motif in the future, connecting to their heritage. They explored techniques for creating augmented reality and adding interactive buttons, sound and video. The bootcamp provided a clear mix of hands-on analogue technologies and digital technologies, allowing the young women to explore new ways of adding layers of storytelling to their creative work.
Jackie Toal said:
“It was great to see the creativity of the young women and the wide variation of ideas and approaches. It was wonderful to see how the young women made connections, new friendships and built-up kinship. Thank you to all the young women and supporting artists and facilitators.”
ImmerseHer is a cross-border PeacePLUS initiative led by Dundalk Institute of Technology in partnership with Wheelworks Arts and funded by PEACEPLUS Changemakers.
