Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin TD launched IT Sligo’s Yeats Academy of Art, Design & Architecture Yearbook on Friday 15th October.
The Creative Showcase Yearbook celebrates the creative work of 68 students across the creative disciplines of art, design, performing arts and architecture. The annual is now in it’s third edition and this year the book will be sent to every secondary school in the country.
Speaking at the launch Minister Catherine Martin TD, congratulated the students and staff of IT Sligo’s Yeats Academy for their resilience and ingenuity in what was a very difficult year and a half for the creative industry;
“This book celebrates the creativity and immense talent in the northwest region. It also highlights a promising future for the creative sector with such talent coming through third-level institutes. This has been an extremely challenging time for students and you have all shown real resilience and ingenuity to express your creativity despite the restrictions caused by the pandemic. The lessons you have learned this past year will in no doubt strengthen your resolve to create a better world filled with creative design solutions, art we can enjoy in buildings that inspire. This book will be a testament to that for generations to come.”
An exhibition of students work was viewed by the Minister where she met with students and staff from across YAADA, guided by Head of Department Emmet O’Doherty and Head of Faculty of Engineering & Design, Una Parsons who welcomed the Minister:
“I am delighted we are announcing today with the Minster the distribution of our annual Yearbook of the Yeats Academy of Art, Design & Architecture to all secondary schools in Ireland.
IT Sligo has a rich heritage of Arts & Culture since its foundation over 50 years ago. With the recent creation of the Yeats Academy of Art, Design & Architecture along with the major refurbishment of buildings to create the Creative Hub on our Northern campus more and more students are coming to Sligo to undertake one of the many creative programmes we offer.
The 120-page bumper edition year book will be an inspiration to students to see what education options there are available for them to pursue in Sligo. The Yearbook is a fantastic showcase of over 68 graduating students end of your work along with the research currently being undertaken by YAADA staff.”
Emmet O’Doherty welcoming the Minister said;
“I am delighted to see our numbers rising form 270 students to 478 over the last three years. This also sees our first PhD students, growing and developing the creative and cultural research profile of the region.
The Yeats Academy is currently developing an €18m north campus “Creative Hub” which includes state of the art creative workshops and laboratories and a 150 seater performance theatre.
During her visit to IT Sligo the Minister was given a tour of the campus by the President of IT Sligo, Dr Brendan McCormack and Governing Body Chair, Niall Donnellan. President of IT Sligo, Dr Brendan McCormack welcomed the Minister to the institute;
“We very much welcome today’s visit from the Minister at a very exciting time for the institute. Today we have showcased the incredible creative talents of our students and we are delighted to discuss our exciting future with the Minister as we come closer to joining with our colleagues in GMIT and LYIT to create the first Technological University for the west and northwest. This will change the landscape of education and will also be a catalyst in the social, economic and cultural development across the region.”