Magic in the Mansions

Artist Orla Kelly, is bringing magic to the children of St. Mary’s Mansions as part of a collaboration between Clúid and Dublin City Council’s North East Inner City Initiative (NEIC). The interactive programme aims to support the children to develop their creative potential and encourage a sense of belonging and identity within their new surroundings.

In Phase 1, children received a weekly delivery of art supplies and instructions on how to use them. The first delivery contained a letter from someone who lived on the site of St. Mary’s Mansions in the 1700s, writing to the current residents to help them to develop their sense of the history and culture of this “new place in an old space”.

The next delivery contained everything needed for shadow puppetry. The delivery of torches and cut outs was met with squeals of delight and joy as the children witnessed characters and shapes come to life on their walls of their home. Each child also gets to keep the pack so they can create stories and play with it in their own time.

Magic in the Mansions is part of a collaboration between Clúid and Dublin City Council’s North East Inner City Initiative (NEIC) to engage with our residents in Killarney Court, Rutland St, and St. Mary’s Mansions.

Housing Officer Rob O’Keeffe has been involved in this project from the start and says the response has been overwhelmingly positive; “The response so far has been fantastic with huge anticipation and excitement amongst the children there. We have 39 children participating. Phase 1 has been designed to be Covid and weather-proof. Come Spring, we will move into the courtyard in St. Mary’s Mansions, where artists have already held a number of creative workshops in conjunction with the NEIC”.

The programme is due to run for approximately 6 months in total and we are hoping for lots more photos of our happy residents enjoying the arts and creativity on their doorstep.