‘What’s Your Issue?’ – Art Exhibition

Two youth clubs and one youth drug support project in North East Inner City (NEIC) Dublin have formed the art collective Colourful Youth. The young people worked with artists for 9 months to create ‘What’s Your Issue?’ - art works that explore issues impacting on them in this fragmented community.

This collaborative art exhibition has been led by 21 young people with artists Shireen Shortt and Serena Teehan. The young people (who will open the exhibition themselves) have been gaining skills in art-making processes and critical analysis to visually develop, shape and share their ideas about how life impacts on them in North East Inner City Dublin.

The disciplines represented include drawing, sound, painting, video, performance, documentary, sculpture and photography.

The project sprang out of discussions facilitated by the Arts, Culture and Heritage Sub-Group as part of the NEIC Community Coalition meetings at the end of 2016. The resulting art and culture needs analysis formed an aspect of the community strategy in the North Inner City ‘Mulvey’ report.

Development of the project has been funded through the Dublin City Council Arts Grants (Neighbourhood Category); NEIC Drugs Taskforce; and by the Government under the North East Inner City Initiative.

'Colourful Youth' is in its first year and we will be collaborating with more NEIC youth services in 2018.

This year the 4 groups of young people are from Swan Youth Service, Crinan Youth Project and LYCS (Lourdes Youth & Community Services) ages 15 to 23.