Derry Artist Sinead draws up a digital canvas to keep Art on the School Curriculum

Trailblazing Derry artist, Sinead McDermott, has put her 23-year teaching career on hold to bring her genius new digital art portal to life and encourage local schools to sign up and keep art on the school curriculum.

After two years of development, Sinead unveiled her new digital resource to over 100 Primary School Principals at the Head Space Conference in the Galgorm Resort, Co Antrim.

To celebrate she is running a competition for one lucky local school to have her portal for free.

Sinead is an artist and qualified art and design teacher with over 23 years teaching experience in primary and post primary schools in Northern Ireland. In 2020 she took a career break to develop her business ideas.

The Art and Design Factory is Sinead’s online and in person art school which allows her to teach classes to wider range of ages and abilities. During lockdown she had over 500 participants across the globe attend one of her online classes.

Sinead developed the digital portal to offer classes at the click of a button. As a teacher she knew many colleagues were expected to teach art to children having very little training or experience as artists themselves.

She said: “Many teachers don’t teach art in their classrooms because they are not confident in their own creative ability and lack the flare and passion for art to confidently deliver quality classes.

“This resource will equip pupils and teachers alike with creative skills and confidence that will ensure the creative output of the classes is celebrated and grows.

“I have seen first-hand how art empowers a child, harnesses growth, and enables them to improve their mental wellbeing.

“It provides escapism. I am extremely passionate about encouraging arts is accessible for all and deliver in a way that caters for all learning abilities. Lessons are structured consisting of themes on the national curriculum.”

The digital portal Sinead has developed means she can teach the classes in multiple locations via the online portal.

This gives teachers the opportunity to keep art on their class timetable with none of the pressure on them as teachers to dream up ideas or learn how to draw, paint, or make.

The class watch Sinead on a screen and follow the instructions. The teacher can stop, pause, rewind, fast forward to suit the skill and ability level of the class. The art portal enables teachers to have an art session with their class at any time.

Sinead has recorded 40 classes that are offered as part of the digital package.

If you would like to find out more about this invaluable resource and enter the competition to win it for your school, then please click on: https://artanddesignfactory.com/