DIY story cubes

As a performer, I often get stuck in my own head when trying to create new, original, unique stories, characters and worlds. Using storycubes is a great, fun and playful way to provoke new ideas, to inspire unique characters and inspire original and beautiful images.   Introduction During this exercise I will be leading you on your journey to create beautiful story cubes. Story cubes are wonderful objects for any creative person to have in their toolkit. They can be used in a number of diverse ways; ignite improv ideas, storytelling, artistic inspiration, etc. Need ● A4 paper ● Ruler ● Pencil ●


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Honouring the small actions

On this April morning I am sitting in my living room watching the swallows make their nest under the eaves of the house across the road. They fly back and forth with bits of this and that to construct their home. So many journeys and so many pieces of debris are brought together to create something new. I am reminded of all the small things we do on a daily basis that we so easily dismiss or belittle by thinking that they are not important, that they don’t really matter, that they are not big enough. Yet it is all


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Creating with Salt Dough

I remember fondly the salt dough creations myself and my brother made when we were small, in the dresser in our home years after making them. The ravages of time may have made some of them a little less whole, but they still had pride of place next to my mother’s best glass, china and old photos. Making Salt Dough is an ideal activity to do with children, especially during this time whilst parents are looking for activities for smallies. No doubts though that this activity  can be fun for all ages! Salt dough Recipe  1 cup / 250g of


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Rainbow Feeds

When we take notice of our surrounding, what beauty there is! Take time with a camera to notice all the colours of the rainbow that surround you. You could choose to do this in nature and outdoors or to explore the colours around you at home; red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, pink and the shades in between. Our social media feeds get full of such a mix of stuff… interesting, depressing, helpful, distracting and beautiful! I thought it would be refreshing to fill feeds with rainbows of the beauty around us by taking pictures of all the colours from


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Engage with the Night Sky

CIT Blackrock Castle Observatory is used by CIT Research staff to explore topics such as pulsars, exoplanets and near-earth objects. It is an award winning Observatory and Science Centre, housed in an iconic 16th Century Castle. In addition to astronomy research, the Observatory seeks to improve science literacy, fostering interest in science, engineering and technology through the medium of astronomy. The whole team is passionate about bringing the night sky closer to the people of Cork and beyond. Through their activities and commitment, they want to inspire people of all ages and from all walks of life to experience the


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At home in Body and Spirit

As a dance teacher I work with the body, mind and spirit in class. During these Pandemic days , I am doing my best to find ways of caring for my dancers, both young and old, and the various mindful movement classes I teach. In working virtually, initially it has been easiest for me to connect with spirit, through meditation. So far I have been recording meditations and combining them with my photographs and sharing on line. I have also been making video clips of movement/ choreographic work and holding on line gatherings where I carry out body awareness work


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Nurturing Children’s Creativity

When schools closed recently, I got asked three times in one day how to make slime😜. It got me thinking that parents might need some creative ideas to do with their children over the next few weeks. As a practicing artist, I know the benefit of escaping to a creative space when I need to block out the real world for just a little while. With this in mind, I decided to set up a closed Facebook group for parents to help nurture their child’s creativity. It is my hope that the parents who follow along might try to take


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Coronavirus Kids Quiz

    My motivation behind making this quiz was my two young kids. They were so delighted (and still are) to be off school and they really weren’t getting how an invisible vapour coming from them might hurt their grandparents. They didn’t wonder too much about why people were waving in the window rather than coming in. So I made something I thought my daughter would laugh at. She actually added a few questions and answers but they were too crazy and graphic.     Barry English is the owner of Double Marvellous Media (https://doublemarvellous.com) and a member of our


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Sense Aesthetic

Mark Ewart Openness to finding comfort in unexpected places, is something that we should welcome into our lives right now. Not as an antidote to the ‘boredom’ that broadcast media feels bound to protect us from, but instead, a quiet, dignified appreciation, for what immediately surrounds us within our confinement. Of course, the irony is that most of us are still too busy to be bored anyway – and I include those doing essential and highly valued work in the community, as well as those who have sadly lost their jobs and are now occupied by worry and stress, upon


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Home is Where the Art is

Little Fine Artists is a mobile art workshop programme for children. It is a space for creative learning, for young artists to explore their own ideas and socialise with peers. The aim is to develop a young artist’s confidence in their creative practice and abilities. Little Fine Artists promotes the value in play, experimentation and imagination rather than focusing on honing a particular skill or craft. Workshops take place weekly in Cork schools and community spaces and are run by Since the recent closure of schools, colleges and cultural institutions due to coronavirus I decided to post an ongoing series


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