IMMA, in association with Bealtaine Festival 2021, presents Tracing Memories, a series of six themed, documentary-style podcasts which interrogates the role of art in our lives, pointing to the positive outcomes of art engagement from childhood onwards.

Between 2017 and 2020, members of IMMA’s Visitor Engagement Team, recorded art-themed interviews with participants of Studio 10, IMMA’s long-running gallery and studio programme for over-eighteens.

Studio 10 grew out of a long-term outreach programme with the St Michael’s Parish Active retirement group in Inchicore, Dublin 8, that was initiated in 1991 by Helen O’Donoghue, Senior Curator: Head of Engagement and Learning, IMMA and was developed into an open studio model for adults more generally in the mid-2000s. IMMA celebrates its 30th birthday this year, as does this evolving programme.

Participants Jean Brady, Ben Dhonau, Olive Galbraith, Sarah Galbraith, Barbara Geraghty, Ries Hoek, Barbara Keary, Esmé Lewis, Brian McCoy and Noel Moore share their art experiences. Their stories demonstrate the power and potential art holds to connect us with our memories and emotions, with our higher selves and with each other.

You can access the podcasts, transcripts and images of the artworks discussed on this webpage.