Waterford's Vita Community Hub launches Capturing Perspectives
Ally Durbridge, participating artist. Photo: John Power
Vita Community Hub has launched a special exhibition viewing at GOMA Gallery of Modern Art.
Capturing Perspectives is a showcase of works by students at the Vita Community Hub from their weekly workshops.
Vita Community Hub supports their students to build confidence, meaningful connections and live independently.
Community Support Worker Dawn Lee told the Waterford News and Star that the project is about students claiming their space in the art world.
“The works come from the students’ own imagination and it’s their stories and their voices and it’s great to see them represented in the gallery,” said Dawn.
The Vita Community Hub has four programmes: visual art, ukulele class, photography and stop motion films.
They work with a new artist every six weeks and tutors include Thomas Grace, Anne McDonald, Seamus O’Brien, Rhys Wallace, Dean Flynn and Ben Hennessey.
The hub has been doing these classes for two and a half years, but this year they have had a lot of new students.
They said GOMA Director Jenna Whelan has been very supportive of the hub and some students now intend to go and study art.
“It’s just the confidence of the guys. You know, you get people going ‘oh I can’t do art’, and then they come in and they are making art, they see it up on the walls. It’s a great confidence boost,” said Dawn.
Speeches on the day of the exhibition launch came from Dawn, students, Ally Durbridge, Ashraf Dufala, Conor Flynn and Orla Kelly.
Students said they learned skills and new ways of creating, felt included and had a huge amount of fun.
“It made me see everyday things in a new way,” said Ally from the photography programme.
“I didn’t know much about animation, but I always loved stories and characters. This course helped me bring those stories to life, one tiny movement at a time,” said Conor from the stop motion class.
“Each week I felt my confidence grow not just in the music but in myself,” said Orla from the ukulele group.
“I am proud of the artwork I made, and I am proud to share it here today, said Ashraf from the visual art programme.
The programmes are funded by the WWETB, and art students used their work to create calendars available on the day.
The launch concluded with a performance from the ukulele group, who played Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Queen’s We Will Rock You.
Check out the performance in the video below.
