“Birds teach great life lessons, all you have to do is listen to their song.” - Gautham Ghargi
FORE WORD Shiva R Joyce
\"Whatever the bird is , is perfect in the bird... Whatever the bird does is right for the bird to do… If I could leave their battleground for the forest of a bird I could melt the past, the present and the future in one Then I could fuse my passions into one clear stone And be simple to myself as the bird is to the bird.\" - extracts from ‘Birds’ by Judith Wright The migratory bird navigates air, sea and land to make its way to the comfort of a home place. It builds and moulds its dwelling from what the environment around it offers, and generously shares the stories of worlds afar, bringing lively gossip of the day’s doings in its birdsong and babble or foreshadowing the change of weather and seasons from its vantage point in the air. They announce for us too, the dawning of each day with its new untouched potential and offer a lullaby to restful sleep. Comforts, hopes and understandings making them the perfect creatures to offer solace through uncertainty, and give wing to the imagination of the vulnerable young children and parents in Direct Provision in this project devised to offer activities, exchanges and connections through the confronting realities of both COVID and asylum processes. Shiva R. Joyce is a Writer, Printmaker, current Features Editor of GoodDayCork and on the Board of Directors for NASC, Migrant and Refugee Rights Centre. Her work focuses on ethno-ecological and intersectional realities, and creatively seeks to amplify unheard voices, change the narrative and empower those who are all too often silenced in society. We would like thank Shiva R Joyce for her meaningful words and much valued contribution as a community participant on the Little Bird Babble project. Photographic image taken at Ashbourne House Direct Provision Centre by a participant.
ORIGIN & CONTEXT Little Bird Babble is a multidisciplinary arts participation project conceived by visual artist Rachel Doolin and designed & delivered alongside collaborators George Hanover actor/theatre maker and Fiona Kelleher composer/musician. The project was conceptualised while working on an Early Years Arts Bursary with the children and staff at Wallaroo Child and Family Project located at Ashbourne House Direct Provision Centre. The original arts project was reimagined to respond to the challenges presented by the COVID-19 crisis and was part of an Early Years Arts Pilot Scheme with Graffiti Theatre Company and supported by Creative Ireland and the Department of Children and Youth Affairs. The artists began the project with a primary goal to identify and utilise new methods of creative communication that could encourage interchange and collaboration between the artists and the families currently availing of Ashbourne House Direct Provision Services during the COVID-19 lockdown. Artwork by a child participant .
THE COLLABORATORS Rachel Doolin Visual Artist Creative Lead & Project Design & Managem ent George Hanover Actor/ Theatre Maker Artist Collaborat or & Co- Designer
Fiona Kelleher Composer /Musician Artist Collaborat or & Co- Designer Gilbert Orphaned Crow Crow Collaborat or & Mischief Maker
OBJECTIVES To identify and utilise new methods of creative communication that could successfully encourage meaningful interchange and participation between artists and children/Families. To design a series of multi-sensory and holistic experiences that incorporated sound, music and story as well creative and sensory play in an outdoor setting. To bring the children on an adventure full of wonder and surprise, while encouraging them to explore the world around them through a creative lens. To offer support and bring a sense of joy and excitement to children and families during an extraordinarily difficult time. To invite community participants and members of the public to take part in a meaningful project thus motivating a sense of community and connectivity during a period of uncertainty and isolation.
“Each has to enter the nest made by the other imperfect bird.” -- Rumi
Photographic image taken at Ashbourne House Direct Provision Centre by a participant.
Artwork by a child participant.
METHODOLOGIES The artists approach
OVERVIEW The Little Bird Babble artists worked closely with the management and staff of Wallaroo Child and Family Services to produce a series of weekly engagements designed specifically for children and families living at Ashbourne House Direct Provision during the COVID 19 lockdown. The project was underpinned by the theme of birds, baby birds, birdsong, bird babble, communication, nesting, home, migration, care, hope, communication and connection. The project incorporated a variety of personalised activities and interactions, which were delivered over a consecutive period of ten weeks. The artists utilised accessible services and communication platforms (e.g. An Post, WhatsApp and Facebook) to facilitate participation and interchange during the project. Each week an individually addressed package from the Little Bird Babble Postal Service was delivered to Ashbourne House Direct Provision Centre. Each individual packs contained a themed letter and activity cards as well as the materials and instructions necessary to complete an activity. Participant’s were invited to play the role of ‘Little Bird Babble Explorers’. They were asked to explore their surrounding environment and conduct field research in order to help the artists ascertain the suitability of the location to become a Bird Sanctuary for new baby birds. The weekly activities were designed as a series of nature based explorations that incorporated sound and story, as well as creative and sensory play.
BIRD SONG Twee! Twee! Twee! Little Bird I only wish I knew The meaning of your warbling’s So I could twee with you. - Barbara Vance
THE NARRATIVE Once upon a time there was a little baby crow called Gilbert. Gilbert lived in a nest high up in a tree in Fiona’s garden. One day baby Gilbert fell out of his nest and landed all the way at the bottom of the tree. Luckily Fiona found baby Gilbert and she was able to help him. Fiona and her family adopted baby Gilbert and they made him a new nest in a tree, but not too high up! Every day Fiona and her family feed baby Gilbert breakfast, lunch and dinner and Fiona even sings songs to baby Gilbert when she puts him to bed at night. With Fiona’s care Gilbert is growing stronger every day, he is very loud and very clever, and he loves to communicate with humans! Gilberts story has inspired us to create a very special project for all the baby birds living around Ashbourne, we call this project Little Bird Babble. We would like to find a place for new baby birds to live, but because of all of these COVID restrictions we really need YOUR help. A little bird told us that you have been busy learning lots of new skills at Forest School and you also love all the crows living around Ashbourne House. We think that the forest at Ashbourne would make an excellent home for new baby birds to live, and if any baby birds ever fall out of their nests, maybe you could help them like Fiona helped Gilbert. What do you think? Are you up for the challenge?
LITTLE BIRD BABBLE POSTAL SERVICE The artists worked collaboratively to design a customized series of engagements specifically for families with children aged 0-12 living at Ashbourne House Direct Provision centre. Each week over a 10 week period the children received a personally addressed package from the Little Bird Babble Postal Service. Each package contained a themed letter, activities and all materials and tools necessary to complete the activities. A child size post box was set up at the reception area of the Direct Provision Centre. The children were encouraged to respond to the artists through the Little Bird Babble postal service. They were provided with extra paper and a stamped envelope for their letters, stories and drawings. Every Wednesday at 11am the post was collected by an artist and the weekly packages were delivered to the reception.
DIGITAL CONNECTION Upon in depth consultation with the management care workers at Wallaroo Child and Family Project, the artists chose to use WhatsApp as the primary media platform that would facilitate direct communication between the artists and families living at the centre. A private WhatsApp Group was created for the Little Bird Babble project. Parents were invited to join the group in order to communicate, interact and play with the artists directly. The artists posted information, images, and sound recordings throughout the project. The artists also created weekly videos addressing the children directly and encouraging participation throughout the project. Artist Fiona Kelleher also composed personalised songs for the participants, these Little Bird Babble Records were gifted to the participants via our private WhatsApp group. Participants were also invited to submit their images, findings and thoughts in response to their weekly activity packs. Artists responded accordingly and offered further provocations relevant to the weekly themed activities.
RECORDS
EXPLORATIONS Each week the children received a personally addressed package containing a letter with instructions, Little Bird Babble activity cards, and the tools/materials necessary to complete the activities. Children were invited to take on the role of a Little Bird Babble explorer and conduct field research in their environment. Participants were asked to investigate their surroundings in great detail and undertake a series of creative nature based explorations. Activities incorporated sound, discovery, visual, sensory and imaginary elements such as: Story telling, adventure, mapmaking, birding, deep listening, song and nature based creativity. Children were encouraged to correspond with the artists through the Little Bird Babble Postal Service or by completing a fun activity card called a ‘Little Bird Babbler’. A ‘Little Bird Babbler’ was an activity that involved the help of a parent to use their phone as a creative tool. Some Little Bird Babblers encouraged the children to play a game with the artists via WhatsApp or make a sound or video recording or take a photograph. Each week the artists received beautiful artwork, letters, stories, images, videos and recordings from the children. The artists interacted with participant’s throughout the project, acknowledging their correspondence and responding accordingly.
COMMUNITY Participation
CALL TO ACTION During the Little Bird Babble project the artists initiated a call to action, inviting members of the public to participate in the Little Bird Babble Project by creating a Comfort Bird. A Comfort Bird is a small hand carved wooden bird that can fit into the palm of your hand. Traditionally these little birds are made as a token of affection and support for a person in need. We had a fantastic response to this call out. Artists, makers and members of the public of all ages and from all over Ireland answered our call to action. Each participant created a beautiful hand crafted Comfort Bird, all of which were gifted to the children during the project. Some participants were experienced makers while many were not. Yet all our bird making volunteers embraced the opportunity to get involved in the Little Bird Babble project, learning a new skill and creating a meaningful gift for child living at Ashbourne House Direct Provision Centre. The Birds were delivered to the centre towards the final weeks of the project. All of the birds were sent with a little message and poem. The children were very excited to receive their very own little bird made especially for them. They were provided with materials and instructions to create warm and cosy nests in anticipation of there birds arrival.
OUR BIRD Gavin McEntee David Scannell Fiona Kelly Eve Maya Tim Fury Micheal Cleary Carolan Connolly Kathleen Fitzpatrick Deirdre Dwyer Louise Walsh Helle Helsner Maud Cotter Maria Svensson George Hanover Studio of Visual Artist Maud Cotter at The National Sculpture Factory
MAKERS Oisin Burke Shiva R Joyce Hilda Ekpo Joan Hickson Roisin Foley Cork Stick Makers Valentina Gambardella Nelly Azzopardi Julie Forrester Peter Nash Anna Entrambasaguas Rachel Doolin
THE NESTING BOXES
20 nesting boxes were created by visual artist Rachel Doolin for the Little Bird Babble project. Through Rachel’s connection with the Brothers of Charity Southern Services a group of supported persons were invited to participate in the Little Bird Babble project. The Brothers of Charity Services Ireland provides quality services to support people with additional needs. 20 unfinished nesting boxes were delivered to a Brothers of Charity residential care home, where the participant’s were guided through a process by their support worker to bring the nesting boxes to full completion. The participants each kept a nesting box for themselves and the remaining 12 boxes were for the Little Bird Babble project.
“W we suppo participat projects t everyone Don Conn
. We would like to thank Rachel and the Little Bird Babble team for getting this project off the ground and giving us the opportunity to bring it to completion. Both staff and the people ort were very enthusiastic in working on this project and ted fully throughout it. It has inspired staff with ideas for new that we are currently progressing with. Once again, thank you From e on the Bird Box project at the Brothers of Charity Day Service.” nolly (Support Worker, The Brothers of Charity)
LEAVING LANDMARKS On the final week of postal deliveries the project participant’s received a certificate of achievement in their packs. Participants were congratulated on their success in helping the Little Bird Babble team ascertain the suitability of the location to become a bird sanctuary for new baby birds. The nesting boxes were delivered to the centre and children were invited to decorate the boxes as they wished. They worked in groups to put their own unique stamp on the nesting boxes and took pride in their creations. The final part of the Little Bird Babble project is an event in which all of the artist’s along with a representative from Birdwatch Ireland will visit Ashbourne House to meet with families in person and install the nesting boxes on the surrounding grounds. Unfortunately due to continued COVID restriction’s we have not been able to facilitate this final milestone of the Little Bird Babble project. We are hopeful that we will be able to visit the centre soon and would like to take an opportunity to thank Bird Watch Ireland who generously contributed to the Little Bird Babble Project and gifted beautiful posters and magazines to be included in the LBB packs.
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