Longford students show the power of Making Moving Art

Shoppers and café diners were treated to a very unusual event in Pig Market Lane, Longford at the end of last month when art and dance collided.

Over 40 first year students from St Mel’s College, Templemichael College and Mean Scoil Mhuire, members of the Making Moving Art school project, put on an amazing performance of drama, drumming and circus skills.

In the hour-long show, the students performed original drama sketches they had devised, drumming ensembles and circus routines with newly acquired juggling and acrobatic skills, much to the delight of the audience.

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The students have been working alongside professional artists since last April as part of the Making Moving Art Project. The project was devised by the Longford School Completion Programme and funded through the Arts Council’s YPCE Award, Creative Ireland and County Longford Arts Service.

The purpose of the programme was to engage students who traditionally do not have access to cultural activities such as dance, music, drama and circus. The programme started last April with students from St. Michael’s BNS and St. Joseph’s Convent NS and will continue right through to Easter 2026.

Damien Ryan, Longford School Completion Coordinator, was full of praise for the young people and the artists: “Who could have imagined there was so much talent and ability in these young people, the skills they learned and performed in just one week was incredible.

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The programme was operated by Longford School Completion, in conjunction with artists Aoife Raleigh, Marie Corcoran, Anica Dawson and Peter Crann led by artist and dramaturg – Catherine Sheridan.

Ms Sheridan, the MMA coordinating artist, spoke of the importance of the programme: “One of the biggest things for me this week was seeing how the young people had grown and developed their confidence, enthusiasm, and passion. We saw their skill sets grow every day.”

The Making Moving Art is part of a greater increase of community art and spectacle art in Longford County and Longford Town specifically.

“There is a growing number of artists living and working in Longford that are contributing to events such as the Halloween Dead of Night Parade, Sun Town in Granard and Longford Lights,” the Acting Arts Officer Shane Crossan said of the burgeoning arts scene, “now we are starting to see it develop at a younger level in our schools and youth groups.”

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