[lang_ie]Ba é Ryan McDaid, mac léinn múinteoireachta ó Choláiste na Maoile Ruaidhe a chuir tús leis an tionscadal taighde seo leis na daltaí óna rang ealaíne an 5ú Bliain. Theastaigh sé luachanna agus dearcadh coincheapa na mac léinn a fhorbairt i dtaca le héagsúlacht a mheas agus aitheantais a thuiscint. Le seo a bhaint amach, bhuail sé suas na mic léinn ón scoil leis na grúpaí daoine áitiúla a mbíonn ag freastal ar an stiúideo ealaíne Create-a-Link i Leitir Ceanainn. Bunaíodh an stiúideo seo (Create-a-Link) faoi Bhord Sláinte an Iarthuaisceart le tacaíocht a thabhairt do dhaoine aonair atá ag fulaingt ó thinneas meabhrach. Is aidhm atá ann nó fostaíocht a fháil in earnáil na n-ealaíon, dul ar aghaidh in oideachas tríú leibhéal agus dea-bhail seo acu a fheabhsú trí mhodúil FETAC a chuir ar fáil san ealaín agus dearadh. Tá éagsúlacht mhór le cúlraí éagsúla sóisialta agus eacnamaíocht a ionadú sa stiúideo céanna.
Iarradh ar na mic léinn ón Choláiste clár faisnéise a chruthú ar an stiúideo ealaíne seo agus fuair siad amach conas chomh riachtanach agus atá éagsúlacht nó ilghnéitheacht i saol an duine. Fuarthas amach fós na fadhbanna a bhaineann le steiréitíopáil an t-am ar fad agus bhí siad ábalta amharc ar rudaí éagsúla ó dearcadh duine eile. Bhí siad in ann an duine féin a chur in iúl agus éisteacht go gníomhach le daoine eile. Bhí an táirge deiridh – an clár faisnéise cruthaithe, táirgthe agus curtha in eagar ina iomláine ag na mic léinn ón 5ú bliain agus d’fhoghlaim siad fós a lán scileanna luachmhar ar na meáin dhigiteacha. Bualadh bos daoibh uile![/lang_ie]
[lang_en-uk]It was Ryan McDaid, a student teacher at Mulroy College who initiated this research project with the 5th Year Art Students during last term. He wanted to develop values and attitudes of student’s concepts with regards to valuing diversity and understanding identity. To help achieve this, he introduced his students to the local groups of individuals who attend the Create-a-Link art studio in Letterkenny. Create-a-Link is an art studio that was set up by the NW Health Board to support individuals who suffer from a mental illness. Their aims include for their members to gain employment in the arts sector, enter third level education and to enhance the mental health and well-being of it’s members through QQI modules in art and design. There is a substantial diversity within the studio with many various social and economic backgrounds represented.
The students were asked to create a documentary on the studio and no doubt they discovered how diversity is a beneficial and necessary part of human life. They also explored the difficulties with stereotyping and they could now see things from a different or someone else’s perspective. They were also able to express one’s self and also to listen actively to others. The final product was a documentary, created, produced and edited by the 5th Year students themselves and they also learned valuable skills in relation to digital media and proved a complete success.[/lang_en-uk]