Outreach Workshops
Waltons New School of Music
‘Since the beginning of time, children have not liked to study. They would much rather play, and if you have their interests at heart, you will let them learn while they play; they will find that what they have mastered is child’s play.’
– Carl Orff
Running since 2001, the New School’s diverse programme of outreach music and cultural workshops is designed for primary and post-primary schools, youth centres, special needs organisations and the local community. Although diverse, they have two essential elements in common: they are all hands-on and interactive. Click on the images to workshop pages, below are frequently asked questions about them.
How do your workshops work?
Except for our Music Technology for Post-Primary Students and Leaving Cert. Music Technology workshops, which take place in the New School’s Music Technology Lab, the workshops take place on-site at your school or centre.
Although individually tailored to suit the needs of different age groups, all workshops aim to:
- Cultivate musical curiosity.
- Encourage participants to explore their creativity and generate their own musical ideas.
- Introduce musical concepts through experiencing them.
- Show participants that music is fun and accessible, and develop their confidence through it.
Teachers/supervisors, who are strongly encouraged to participate, are provided with suggested follow-up activities for classroom use.
Who will facilitate?
Our facilitators are professional musicians and educators with a wealth of experience and have been carefully selected for their ability to work with and inspire young students, as well as their experience with group music tuition. They are also Garda vetted and fully insured. See individual workshop pages for profiles.
How much do they cost?
Our workshop fees are very reasonable and are as little as €2.40 per participant (€2.16 per participant for DEIS schools) for primary Tin Whistle Tasters and €2.60 per participant (€2.36 per participant for DEIS schools) for primary Bodhrán Tasters.
In addition, all workshops take place on-site (except our Music Technology for Post-Primary Students and Leaving Cert. Music Technology workshops, which takes place at the New School), so there are no travel or transport costs to be factored in, and minimal disruption of classroom schedules.
Because Bodhrán Tasters, Drumming Around the World and Sounds Irish require a substantial amount of equipment, the fees for Bodhrán Tasters and the one-facilitator version of Drumming Around the World include an additional €30 for equipment transport, and the fees for the two facilitator version of Drumming Around the World as well as Sounds Irish include an additional €50 for equipment transport.
How do your fees compare with other activities?
The fact that workshops take place on-site means that their cost compares very favourably with any activities that require transport. The workshops are competitively priced compared with other ‘in-school’ activities, and fees include the facilitators’ time (comprising planning, travel, set-up and facilitation), all instruments/equipment and administration costs. It is important, when looking at the cost of activities, to compare ‘like for like’. For example, team-taught workshops are an effective way to interact and engage with a larger number of workshop participants, but two facilitators are necessarily more expensive than one.
How can we pay for workshops?
Some schools ask their students to contribute to the cost of a workshop, or the workshop can be paid for by funds from the school’s parents association, or through fundraising. Some local authorities may also be able to offer grants for arts projects. Contact your local authority Arts Officer to find out if this is possible.
What do we need to provide?
Except for our Music Technology for Post-Primary Students and Leaving Cert. Music Technology workshops (which take place at the New School and do not require any materials or equipment) and Tin Whistle Tasters (which require participants to have a tin whistle) we provide all materials, instruments and equipment for the workshops.
We do require a signed workshop contract, outlining our requirements, as well as a deposit of €100, to confirm a workshop.
How can get more information?
We would be happy to answer any questions you may have about our Outreach Programme or workshops. Please use our Contact Form to get in touch.
