Funded by The Arts Council Local Partnership Scheme, Across the Border/Bridging the Gap cross-border initiative will place two artists as catalysts for creativity in schools in South East Galway and North West Tipperary. The selected schools are over the border from one another. The residencies will provide a platform for artists to develop their own practice working with children, through peer mentoring and support within the established structure and expertise of a Kids’ Own led programme.

The theme for each residency will be devised through discussion between the schools and the artists. The aim of these partnerships will be to develop new work, with a focus on technology not only as a tool for communication but also as a medium for creating work.

The residencies will evolve over one school year from September 2008 to June 2009 and will involve forty-eight residency days in total. Divided over two eight week blocks, these days will include; one contact day, one process day and one day dedicated to the artists’ own practice. There will be a further four creative exchange / professional development days involved.