Sandra Kelly wants to listen: a sit-down with Waterford Youth Arts' artistic director
The cast of Waterford Youth Arts latest production 'The Animals'.
It is fitting that Sandra Kelly, a Laois native, has officially lived in Waterford longer than she lived in Laois, the very year she is named artistic director of one of the city’s most important arts organisations.
After a mighty 40 years at the helm, former artistic director of Waterford Youth Arts Ollie Breslin retired just before Christmas. Sandra is the second person ever to take up the position. This week, the Waterford News & Star met Sandra for a coffee to talk about her vision for the organisation.
Sandra has a BA in Visual Arts and an MA in Arts Management. With a background in visual arts, Sandra is hoping to emphasise interdisciplinary practices. She sees art, drama, film and writing as mediums that can have "natural crossovers".
Sandra is interested in what she describes as “socially engaged practices”, which means artwork that aims to have a positive effect on the community it involves.
She has worked with young people in direct provision, been involved in the Garter Lane Young Critics project, and made a documentary-style film with Waterford Youth Reach.
She takes the community aspect of Waterford Youth Arts as seriously as the art-making itself.
“There’s a really strong network and community that comes from the four walls of the arch, and I think that’s really important.”
“I’m all about the process. I’m never too worried about the end result because if you create a space that allows people to thrive, that’s where the real magic happens. If you have a young person who’s incredibly shy and by the end of three weeks of workshops, they’re chatting and interacting and engaging, to me, that’s the moment of success. It's not the big shiny thing that’s been made.”
She summed up why she was drawn to the role well when she said, “I love figuring out how to get somebody to think creatively.”
Sandra is not sure yet what her ‘stamp’ on the youth arts organisation will look like. At the moment, her focus is on listening because “really it's about the voice of the young person. I could sit here and tell you I’m going to do X, Y and Z, but I don’t think that’s fair because the ethos of the organisation is the voice of the young person.”
Sandra is not looking to knock down the Arch and rebuild it in her own image. For her, it is the young people who matter most.
She is especially inspired by the Lit festival, an entirely youth-run literary festival that WYA facilitates.
“I’m excited to see what's coming, but I’m also mindful that I’m taking over the role from someone who’s been there for 40 years, so I will be taking time to settle in and get my bearings.”
“Because I’m new in the role, I have the really lovely opportunity of listening. It could be something as simple as having photos on the wall that represent the current grouping of young people.”
For Sandra, her job is all about “listening, and hearing, to what is being said as opposed to what I want them to say.”
Sandra is the only person who has ever replaced the former artistic director and founder of the organisation, Ollie Breslin. For Sandra, the experience is “surreal”. She has been introducing herself to people by saying, “I’m not Ollie.”
“Me and Ollie are very different. It's really important to acknowledge the history and heritage of Waterford Youth Arts because Ollie has had that space for 40 years, which is an incredible achievement. But it's also important to highlight the fact that Cathy is an incredible person in Waterford Youth Arts and I really look forward to working with her.”
Cathy Hanrahan, development director of Waterford Youth Arts, has been a stalwart of the organisation for over a decade.
“It's really about giving the young people the space to be comfortable enough to tell you what they want as well. That’s something Ollie was always really good at. Each person has had a different relationship with him but all so positive.”
It's clear that Sandra has a passion for the organisation.
“The summer project is one of my favourite things to see during the calendar year. Even when I worked other roles, it was always something I made a point of seeing.”
We get to talking about how many members have gone on to become workshop facilitators for the organisation. Sandra says: “That’s the magic of Waterford Youth Arts: you learn a skill; you develop it, and then you’re able to pass it back and share it.”
“Most adults I’ve worked with in Waterford have done a stint in Waterford Youth Arts.”
What drew Sandra to the organisation was its strong sense of community.
“Somewhere like Waterford Youth Arts is really beautiful in that it’s a space for everyone. It doesn’t matter what your skill level is. It allows you to explore creativity in a really nice and gentle manner, but also pushes you out of your comfort zone.”
“You could start in creative writing and end up on the stage.”
At the end of the chat, Sandra shares her favourite quote with me: “The gardener does not make a plant grow. The job of a gardener is to create optimal conditions.”
Waterford Youth Arts' newest show, 'The Animals', directed by Sinéad Hourigan and acted by WYA drama members, will run in Garter Lane on the 13th and 14th of March as part of the Connections project.
