Opening Reception Saturday 7 February, 2 – 4pm

Red Bird Youth Collective latest exhibition Saturday 7 February. Project workshops took place from October to January, resulting in three distinct original graphic novels. Red Bird members have conceived of and implemented these graphic novels from idea stage and storyboards, to finished product. They are installing a multimedia exhibition, and will also present their graphic novels on their website www.theredbirdcollective.com.

Facilitated by artist Maeve Clancy, who specializes in graphic novels, comics, animation, and film, Red Bird members have investigated traditions of story telling and narrative techniques used in graphic novels as a starting point. Taking a fine art approach to their work, the aim of this project is not to replicate existing ideas, but to unpack its modes of representation, and re-present these in an installation. The goal of the graphic novel project is to develop visual story telling techniques that can be presented in both online & installation form. They have also been learning about deconstruction, appropriation & collage, which will also inform their process.

Red Bird Youth Collective is a visual art group for young people living in Galway city & county. Established in September 2011 by Galway Arts Centre, it has received funding from The Arts Council & Galway County Council to deliver large scale, youth-led projects in collaboration with professional artist. The current graphic novel project is enabled through The Arts Council of Ireland’s Youth Ensemble Scheme and local authority funding. Red Bird Youth Collective members work together on a diverse range of projects, including visual art, film, architecture, digital media, performance and literature projects. Alongside these artistic endeavours, Red Birds also learn the administrative background to these projects, enabling them to recreate similar ventures outside of the group. They are also exposed to aspects of marketing, curation, and event organisation/management relevant to each project. By taking ownership of each project, and directing decision making from conception to completion, Red Birds are fostering a sense of creative freedom and independence.

For more information on Red Bird Youth Collective, or for further details on our upcoming Spring exhibition please email Galway Arts Centre at info@galwayartscentre.ie or visit our website at www.galwayartscentre.ie to sign up to our mailing list.