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Capturing The Creativity of Young People
Upcoming & Recent Events
Andy Rea
Andy Rea is a compositing, animation, VFX and rugby enthusiast with a background in Multimedia, but a love for moving things on screen eventually brought him to complete a Masters in Digital Effects at the NCCA, Bournemouth in 2012.
From there, he worked in a variety of post-production, animation and VFX companies, mostly as a compositor, and always enjoyed trying to help junior artists with their problems, which led him to try teaching, with stints in Ballyfermot, courses with Screenskills Ireland and eventually full-time in TUS between
Limerick & Clonmel across several animation, VFX, design & film making courses.
He is now the Programme Leader for Visual Effects for Film, TV and Animation, soon to be renamed 3D Animation and Visual Effects
Items Needed
Smartphone or tablet (bring both if you have them), phone charger, make sure phone fully charged
Some apps preinstalled:
(setup Epic Games account)
Exquisite Corpse
Waterford Youth Arts, Youth Reach & Little Red Kettle present window art for Waterford Gallery of Art, inspired by the surrealist “Exquisite Corpse” technique.
11:00am Waterford Gallery of Art
06 Jun 2026
Living Art
Waterford Youth Arts presents Living Art, where young people creatively reinterpret classic paintings using performance and recycled materials.
11:30am Waterford Gallery of Art
06 Jun 2026
The LIT @ The Lib
Young poets from around Waterford will share new work written specifically for Cruinniú na nÓg
2:00pm Waterford Central Library
06 Jun 2026
Living Art Project
Living Art is a multidisciplinary art project that invites young people to step into the world of the old masters and reimagine classics. Working collaboratively, participants explore painting, sculpture, performance, and mixed media, learning how different art forms can support and enhance each other.
Working alongside a professional creative, they gain insight into the world of making. Using found materials—discarded objects, recycled textures, and everyday items—we will transform the familiar into something unexpected. The emphasis is not on perfect replication, but on reinterpretation, imagination, and experimentation!
Youth-led creativity sits at the heart of the project. Young people share ideas, problem-solve together, and contribute to collective artworks that reflect a blend of perspectives. Through this process, they build not only artistic skills but also communication, adaptability, confidence and agency and a sense of shared ownership.
Connecting historical art with contemporary making, this project will bridge the past and present. It empowers participants to see themselves as creators within an ongoing artistic tradition—one that is constantly evolving, shaped by new voices, materials, and ways of seeing the world.
The project will finish with a public showing at Waterford Gallery on 6 June as part of Cruinniú na nÓg.
Meet The Makers
Sinéad Hourigan
Sinéad Hourigan is a theatre maker with a BA in Theatre and Drama Studies in the South East. She has been a drama tutor with Waterford Youth Arts for the past 4 years and takes on multiple jobs during the yearly shows.
Sinéad plays a big role in bringing NT Connections to life and recently both directed and designed The Animals which was performed both in Garter Lane, Waterford and The Lyric, Belfast. In her Drama workshops, Sinéad facilitates a safe environment for members to express themselves through acting, designing and creating art. Members explore and learn through games, script reading, improv and scene work. They also get the opportunity to explore theatre by attending productions by other youth groups as well as professional companies.
Cassie Kirby
Cassie Kirby is a Professional Artist based in the South East. She has a Ba (hons) Degree in Visual Arts which allowed her to become proficient in not only Fine Art but also in Graphic Design.
Cassie was the recipient of the Cork Printmakers Bursary Award having been shortlisted by both SETU and Cork Printmakers. Cassie was also awarded the Axa Insurance Award for drawing by the Royal Hibernian Academy. Cassie completed a higher diploma in Film and Television Production in 2023, making two award winning Irish language films, one of which was chosen to be shown at DIFF 2025. Cassie works from her studio creating work that has been shown in both prestigious Irish and International exhibitions. Cassie has a passion for passing on her multidisciplinary skills to the next generation in a fun and engaging way.
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The youngest literary festival in Ireland's oldest city
The Lit Festival Waterford 9–11 October 2026 | Waterford City, Ireland
The Lit Festival is Europe's first festival of reading and writing organised by young people, for young people. Based in Waterford City, Ireland, The Lit empowers young leaders to take the reins — co-organising events, curating workshops, showcasing creative work, and connecting with world-class writers and artists.
From Q&As and meet-and-greets to performance showcases and networking sessions, The Lit offers something for every young creative. With 80+ young leaders nurtured, 100+ professional creatives platformed, and 5,000+ young people directly impacted, this festival is a landmark event in Ireland's cultural calendar.
Visit: www.thelit.org
Waterford Youth Arts works with children and young people across a range of art forms; dance, youth theatre, drama, film, creative writing, visual art and street spectacle.
Activities are programmed as terms, 3 each year (Jan – April / April - June and Sept - Dec), which tend to run in 9-week cycles during late afternoons, evenings and at weekends.
If you know someone in this age range who would love to learn about the art world while making new friends and doing something new, this is a great opportunity for them. No experience is necessary to get started and we have an open-door policy so anyone can get involved.
At WYA, safety is paramount, and while your young artists are involved in one of their workshops, you can be certain that they are learning in a safe and secure environment as all WYA staff and volunteers have been Garda Vetted and undergone child safety training.
Registrations fees range from Eur 49 - Eur 69 per term. Bookings can be made online through
waterfordyoutharts.eventbrite.ie or over the phone T. +353 51 879 377 (office hours) For more information, get in touch with us; see the workshops section on this website or get in touch with the team for any other information.