THIS IS ART CLUB! A brand new weekly fix of all things creative for young art lovers starts Thursday 3 March on RTÉ2 & RTÉ Player
Following on from the enormous success of This Is Art! digital art competition, RTÉ is delighted to bring an exciting new series for young artists and art lovers to RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player this Thursday. Presented by Holly Pereira and Shane Keeling, This Is Art Club! comes to you from the National College of Art and Design campus each week and is jam packed with art, artists, demos, tips and tricks, exhibitions, visual culture and special reports. Each episode is dedicated to one of the key materials used in the making of art – clay, pigment, paper, glass, metal, plastic, and even pixels. We’ll be finding out where they come from, how they’re used and why they make such incredible art. Every week a team of young TIA Reporters will be out and about bringing us special reports on some of the exciting events, exhibitions and creative projects happening all over the country as well as seeking answers to the age old question ‘what is art?’! Throughout the series, young people get to go behind the scenes in different industries to be an ‘artist’s apprentice’ for a day – trying out all sorts of creative careers from pottery throwing to costume design, sign painting, glass blowing and special effects model making. 
A host of different creative practitioners share insights on their work and process and special guests from the art world include Aideen Barry, John Kindness, James Earley and more. This Is Art Club! dives into some of the weirder wonders of art history and TIA Club artist in residence Ross Carvill will show us how we can turn some very ordinary things into extra-ordinary art. And, we’ve invited crack teams of young artists to come in to our TIA Club studio on campus at NCAD to demonstrate some of the skills and techniques they use in their work. The series runs for eight weeks, starting at 5pm on Thursday 3 March on RTÉ2 and on the RTÉ player. Artists and art lovers of all ages are invited to join the club and follow along on TV, RTÉ Player, and online. rte.ie/thisisart offers a unique digital companion to the series where audiences can dig deeper into some of the work featured in the series. Here you will find lots of bonus material, downloads, demonstrations and art education resources compiled by the NCAD School of Education. Holly Pereira is an illustrator & muralist based in Dublin. Her work is colourful, fun and bold. Holly’s hand-painted murals often take reference from folk art and through her work, she seeks to explore the effect of colour and design in the public space, creating bright and exuberant environments in which we are invited to play. Holly has worked on a wide range of projects, from digital illustration to four storey, hand-painted murals, bringing a fresh and unique creative approach to each project. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfC_0yHslgE Holly says: ‘I’m excited to see the ideas and thought processes of all the young artists on This Is Art Club!, especially when it comes to politics and the climate crisis. They will shape the art world (and maybe the world) in the coming fifty years, and I’m looking forward to what they have to say.’ Shane Keeling is an emerging artist from Wexford, specialising in ceramics, sculpture and illustration. He holds a BA in Applied Materials from NCAD and is currently working in London as a resident artist, technician and educator at The Kiln Rooms. Shane describes himself as a process driven artist that uses humour to make his work more palatable. He intentionally pursues chance and risk while creating art. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yre0eKaU3H0 Shane says: ‘Art for me is a lifestyle. It’s walking through the world with my eyes wide open and taking in everything like a sponge, looking for inspiration from the everyday. Art is about inclusion and having fun……Trust your gut and your work will always be honest. Be excited by every step in the making process and take risks whenever you can. Don’t be afraid to try something new and failure is your new best friend.’ Suzanne Kelly, Head of Children’s and Young People’s content, RTÉ, said: ‘Grown ups everywhere will remember the art and craft programmes they raced home to watch on tv when they were growing up. That love of creativity still exists for young people and to meet that need we’re proud to bring you a unique and fun series which I’ve no doubt will inspire and mesmerise future generations of artists. Watch it on TV, then go online to rte.ie/thisisart to discover even more. It’s so important, now more than ever, to celebrate and encourage all forms of creativity and it’s fascinating to lift the lid on what a diverse artistic nation we really are.’ Bonnie Dempsey, producer, Dyehouse Films said: ‘We really wanted to create a space to celebrate the amazingly diverse work that young people are involved in all over the country. We also were determined to show that art is not just a hobby – it’s a real job and while the work that artists do is serious and important, it can also be enormous fun. We are so grateful to all creative practitioners, both emerging and established, who generously gave time, energy and encouragement to our art clubbers, whether it’s sharing insights and advice, taking a young apprentice under their wing for a day or welcoming a curious TIA crew into their studio. We hope that this series proves to young people and parents alike that there are so many different ways to be an artist and that art is for everyone.” Professor Sarah Glennie, Director NCAD: ‘NCAD is delighted to collaborate with Dyehouse Films and RTÉ as part of this exciting new project encouraging young people from across Ireland to explore their own creativity and where it can take them. Creativity has a place across all areas of society and an education in art and design opens many doors into many different future careers and we hope that this programme shows young people the many different ways they can create their own creative futures.’