Early Years Artist Residency: Boghanna Báistí Beaga

Between October 2024 and May 2025, artist Helen Barry has been working with three classes in Holy Child preschool on Sean McDermott Street. The artist has been visiting the school on an almost weekly basis, for sensory and artistic explorations with the children. The programme has been peppered with visits to Hugh Lane Gallery, where the children and their educators are joined by the children’s parents to see and discuss selected artworks on display, and for their own artistic activities.

“The most important relationship we will ever have is with ourselves. This is my starting point” – Helen Barry. Helen’s practice is underpinned with an ambition to raise awareness of agency in every child. She uses a multi-disciplinary and multi-sensory approach to provide them with the stimuli and skills to connect with their own voice in order to embed a deep-rooted positive sense of self.

This is the second iteration of this artist-in-residence programme, in partnership with North East Inner City (NEIC). The first one was highly successful and took place from May 2023-May 2024. The project culminated in an interactive exhibition for children under 5 years of age – ‘High Expectations’ – at the gallery from June – September 2024. More on this project HERE

Helen Barry, biography:

Helen Barry is a visual artist, inventor and classically trained dancer. She has over 35 years experience working creatively and playfully with the very young to the very old. Helen’s practice is imbued with the responses and stimuli offered through direct engagement in providing and developing arts experiences with and for others. This collaborative process is what drives her work, from the initial concept through to the design, making and sharing of the creative output with her co-creators and new audiences. Since 2016 Helen has specialised in co-creating with children living with mild, moderate, profound and neurodiverse needs. The creative output takes many forms including interactive multi-sensory sculptural works, installations, performances, sound works, textiles, printmaking, poetry, children’s books and artist residencies. ‘Placing the emphasis on verbal literacy perpetuates the belief that the relationships we have with others are more important than the one we will have with ourselves’ directs her methodology. The synergy created by using a cross-disciplinary approach provides a sensorium palette from which Helen draws from. Everything exists on the horizon; a perpetual visual and aural palatte of sensations, frequencies and movements through which we interpretate the world around us. Helen’s ambition is to design arts experiences that allow us to explore and discover our bodies’ receptors that will stimulate growth, wellbeing and an ability to focus and thrive. Helen has been awarded several bursaries and commissions for her work with early years children. The National Concert Hall is also supporting her foray into music and sculpture.