The Hopkins Youth Festival July 2024

 - an annual event organized for 5th Year students interested in literature, writing or the arts in general. Students are welcome from all over Kildare- as well as Dublin, Laois, Offaly and Carlow.

Newbridge College, 10 am til 4 pm daily (except Sunday).

Hans Pålsson Celebrity Concert Saturday July 20th Newbridge College Theatre

The full cost of the programme would be over €300 but this is subsidised by The Hopkins Society. As a result the cost to you, for the week, including Classical Concert, is kept to €50.
  

Exam help at hand!

Also involved in this Youth Festival of Arts and Literature:

• Brett Millier, Professor of American Literature at Middlebury College, Vermont, USA will discuss the life and works of Emily Dickinson and Sylvia Plath with the students.
• An exploration of Shakespeare’s drama on the Leaving Cert. course. Presented by Jenny Adamson, English teacher and Licentiate, London School of Music & Drama.
• An Fhilíocht don Ardteist – how to prepare the Irish poetry for the Leaving Cert. exam. With Derek Egan, Dept. of Education examiner.
• Introduction to Creative Writing ( Poetry and Prose.)
• Multi-language Translation Workshop

And there's much more!

• Words and Music Workshop where students explore the relationship between Music and Lyrics; attempt at composing themselves. Led by Conor Mahony, musician and songwriter.
• Arts Workshop led by a Creative Artist.
• Making a Documentary Film – behind the Camera with

  Multi-award Winning Film Producer, Jim Kelly (USA)

• Visual Arts - an expert guides you.
• Speaking and Performing in Public.
• Highlight:
  Free entry to the festival’s Celebrity Classical Concert with world-famous pianist HansPålsson (Sweden). Be our Guest - and enjoy!
• Meet and mingle with visitors and writers from around the world.

Past participants observations on The Hopkins Youth Festival

Absolutely fantastic. I’ve never experienced anything quite like it and I never will again!

Has given me so many lovely memories and increased my level of understanding in art and literature enormously. I received a H1 in my Honours English Leaving Cert and I believe that The Hopkins Youth Festival helped me greatly for this exam.

The Hopkins Youth Festival has had a major influence on my life.

I thought the broad range of subjects was excellent and the teachers who were fantastic...

I see poetry from a better angle now, my eyes are open to every possibility of the poem. I now know that I enjoy writing and reading poetry and have all the tips, thanks to The Hopkins Youth Festival.

 

The Hopkins Youth Festival was brilliant! I know a lot more material for the exam and it was meeting other young people with same interst in poetry was wonderful!

I enjoyed The Hopkins Youth Festival greatly. It was one of the best weeks of my summer.

 

We leave it to each school to nominate the students they feel would best benefit from attending the Youth Programme. For further information on the programme contact Derek Egan at derekjegan@hotmail.com 

or 086-4021459.  

For information on the Hopkins Festival see our website www.gerardmanleyhopkins.