2020 has been a challenging year for the Chester Beatty and the Learning and Education Department has responded to a new way of engaging with our much-loved visitors. Prior to the country’s lockdown, in March 2020 we launched our intercultural school’s programme funded by Creative Ireland and the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission. 

While schools were closed, plans to work with the Junior Cycle Religious Education Team and develop training for teachers were put on hold as well as our new gallery tours for primary and post-primary schools. We have now adapted this project and are currently working with the Team to develop online learning resources.

Over the course of the year, we developed up to 80 online activities for children, young people, families, adults and community groups. This could not have been done without our incredible colleagues, freelance facilitators and volunteers as well as our partners including Dublin City Council Culture Company, Festival of Curiosity, Bloomsday, Science Week, Dublin Maker, Culture Night, Open House, Dublin Arabic Film Festival and colleagues from the Irish Museum sector.  We continued working with European partners as part of our Erasmus + funded project The Creative School and published a report on methods to include a creative and critical thinking approach in education. Case studies include Dublin City Council Arts Office Permission to Wonder project, the Arts Council of Ireland’s Creative Schools initiative and Dublin City Library’s Maker Bus.

We will continue to engage with our audiences throughout 2021 and endeavour to develop how best we can engage with children, young people, schools, communities and adults online. 

Check our website www.chesterbeatty.ie for details and updates