European Dyslexia Awareness Week 2021

European Dyslexia Awareness Week 2021

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To mark European Dyslexia Awareness Week 2021, the “PIGSY” short film is being presented and shared on the social media pages of Irish Libraries. Directed by Filmmaker Mike Andrews it was originally screened in Film Festivals in the UK and Ireland including the prestigious Film Fleadh in Galway. In 2021, it went on to be screened as part of the Ranelagh Arts Festival. And now to raise awareness of Dyslexia it is being shared by Irish Libraries, including Tipperary Library, Meath Library and Donegal Library and also the Europe Direct Centre in Ballinasloe.

Dyslexia Awareness Day

Dyslexia Week runs from the 4th of Oct to 10th of Oct 2021 with Dyslexia Day taking place on Friday 8th of Oct 2021.

Thank you Libraries!

A big thank you to all of the Librarians and Irish Library Staff (especially Tipperary, Meath and Donegal Libraries) involved in sharing the “PIGSY” short film to mark European Dyslexia Awareness Week and to raise dyslexia awareness.

View “PIGSY” film

You can view the “PIGSY” short film here

How to introduce art to children: 10 top tips and Enid’s top ten books about art for Children

Guest Blog: Introducing Art to Children and the top ten books about art for children

Guest Blogger Enid Bebbington (my wife!) writes about the ways to introduce art in to your children’s life. Enid also lists her top ten books choices about art for children - as a Librarian, she should know!

Bring art in to your child’s life!

After reading what a previous guest blogger wrote on the PIGSY website (see here) about her visits to London Art Galleries with her little son it got me thinking how awesome it is for us all to enjoy art through the eyes of a child. Children of course are the future of every industry and if we want art to survive and thrive (not that I think it won’t) we need to encourage the next generation to be art lovers just as much as this generation is.

However, as an art lover, I think seeing art through the eyes of a child helps to progress the craft and enjoyment of art. The engagement of a child, who has no boundaries, stimulates a conversation that in reality you don’t know where it will go or will take you. Additionally we all know that children have the biggest imaginations which could provide the biggest inspiration for artists!

With this is mind, I’ve thought about different ways that you can help and encourage the children in your life to be art lovers.

10 easy ways to introduce art in to the lives of children:

After a brain storming session with PIGSY here’s my 10 tips for introducing art in to the lives of your children

1. Art Museums & Gallery Excursions

2. Books - see the full list below!

3. Clothes - allow children to express themselves and their artistic spirit by letting them choose what clothes and colors they wear

4. Creating their own art - encourage your children to create their own art with art supplies in the home and then create a virtual art gallery on instagram in order to share it with family and friends around the world

5. Travel - research as a family where artists came from and then plan a vacation to this location to explore all of the places that the artist ventured around

6. Hang art in the home - and even give your children the option of hanging their favorite artist in their bedrooms

7. Make art a special treat - Sundays can be the day to visit an art gallery and then go for a hot chocolate after to look at pictures and talk about the art you just saw

8. Do you have an artist family member or friend? Set up a visit to their studio so your child can see how they work and what their artistic process is

9. Baking. Yes really! Bake a cake based on a piece of art. The Merrion Hotel in Dublin does a really great thing where they base their afternoon tea cakes on pieces of art in the hotel art collection. Really clever!

10. Face paint and dress up - children can experiment and explore art through these mediums

Enid’s Top Ten Books to introduce art to children & babies

“Life doesn’t frighten me” Edited by Sara Jane Boyers, with words by Maya Angelou and paintings by Jean-Michel Basquiat

1. “Miffy at the Gallery” by Dick Bruna

2. “123s of Art” by Sabrina Hahn

3. “Andy Warhol. What colors do you see?” by Mudpuppy

4. “Pantone Colors” by Panetone

5. “This little artist: an art history primer” by Joan Holub

6. “Good night starry night (Peek a book book) “ by Amy Guglielmo

7. “Little artist board book set” by Emily Kleinman

8. “Keith Haring Pop Art 123” by Mudpuppy

9. “Yayoi Kusama Covered Everything in Dots and Wasn't Sorry” by Fausto Gilberti

10. “Women Artists A to Z” by Melanie LaBarge

“Life doesn’t frighten me” with Basquiat illustrations

11. I actually have an 11th, which is my favorite - it’s “Life doesn’t frighten me” which features art work by Jean-Michel Basquiat and a poem by Maya Angelou. I like it so much, that I have my own copy - it’s not just for children!!

Architecture for Babies

And here’s a little bonus book that you can add to the list. It is one of my go to books for gifts when friends welcome a new baby in to their life…….I think a book is always a good option as a gift for a new baby as clothing seems to be the preferred gift so it’s nice to give something a little different!

“Architecture for Babies” by Jonathan Litton

Final Bonus Tip - Join your local library!

My final tip for art in your family’s life is to join your local library. You’ll save a fortune on books and there are generally art activity sessions that the children can attend for free. Coupled with this many, libraries are connected to art galleries and show really great work by local artists.

And btw, do you know that Irish public libraries no longer charge fines and also have a universal card that you can use in both your home library and any other library in Ireland?!

American Dyslexia Association features PIGSY short film

Dyslexia and PIGSY - the film

Thank you to the American Dyslexia Association for featuring the PIGSY short film by Mike Andrews on their website.

Click here to view the PIGSY film on my website.

This film had it’s premiere showing in the Galway Film Festival in 2018 and then went on to be shown in film festivals in the UK and Ireland. It features me and how my life has been as a person with dyslexia and I hope that it can be an inspiration to others with the condition.

European Dyslexia Week

Beyond being shared by many of the world’s Dyslexia Support Organisations, the film was also screened by Irish Libraries in 2021 to mark European Dyslexia Week. As someone who is married to a librarian, this was something I was so very proud to be part of ,as libraries do amazing work and provide the most fantastic supports and resources here in Ireland as well as running services from some of the most beautiful buildings that were provided by Andrew Carnegie and are now being maintained by library authorities all over Ireland. Andrew Carnegie left his mark all over the world and libraries are a testament to his legacy.

e-Services from your local library

Of course libraries have moved on to provide services beyond the traditional offerings within the bricks and mortar of the buildings. With e-Resource offerings there are free e-Books and e-Audio Books available (I love audio books!) and also things like educational courses that can be done at any time online. Additionally many libraries offer and lend such things as Tablets for Older People to stay connected, and I see that DLR libraries offer reading pens which will be of so much benefit to many different types of users.

With most services offered free of charge in libraries in Ireland, there has never been a better time to join up and see what is available. And if you aren’t interested in borrowing a book you can always attend some of the events that they host - there really is something for everyone from the library!