A commissioned recording project that aims to amplify the voices of national school children in Clare has been developed.
In partnership with the Clare Arts Office and Creative Ireland, Glaoch! is a transmission of young thoughts and opinions as recorded waves.
Artist and producer John Lillis was invited to work with local national schools in Clare to develop two unique podcast shows, created, directed and presented by primary school students.
“In our current social climate of restricted movement and distanced interactions, our dependence on each other and our ability to communicate lies at the core of our wellbeing. Listening remains one of the more potent skills available to us. Our ears do a lot of the work, but the rest lies in our imagination. Glaoch! is a way to send a message, to amplify a voice to a community or nation, and to connect with its own local environment,” he explained.
Despite the fact that a great deal of media content is created and aimed at young people, children’s voices are seldom heard in transmissions. Glaoch! aims to give volume to the imagination of primary school students in Clare, creating a unique radio experience that is fostered organically within the classroom. Third class students of Ennis National School and the fifth and sixth class pupils of Broadford and Kilbane National School were the first pioneers to explore this new arts initiative.
Between March and May 2021, John worked with the students over a seven-week period to help plan, develop and produce the content. With the creative support and encouragement of Ms. Lisa Walsh of Ennis National School and Ms. Deidre Troy of Broadford National School, fun and imagination were brought to the forefront of all activities.
All material was recorded within the school or classroom environment. Students were encouraged to engage with their surroundings, their community, their history, and, most of all, themselves in an attempt to create 40 mins of podcast content that’s honest, clever, reflective, fun, personal, entertaining and educational. Areas covered include local folklore, dreams, interviews with local musicians and advice for their future selves.
Also included is an interview with a pair of socks, perhaps the first one ever in the world. The students were invited to research potential guests and performers, with each visitor to the classroom being interviewed by the participating students. Wider school participation was encouraged, with teachers and other students kindly agreeing to perform music and songs for the podcast.
“Unique recordings directed by the young students that show a deep sense of fun, engagement and imagination that could only be delivered from the wild minds of children. We hope the listening experience is as special for you as it was for us in the recording process.”
The Glaoch! Shows are available to stream online through soundcloud.
