I had zero art experience before coming here, but I learned so much and it was a very non-judgemental environment. I didn't feel bad about initially being bad at art. The teachers here are all amazing both at teaching and as people. The living quarters are not bad at all, and they are close to some great views. There are multiple trips to different cities and places that are also very fun. The program leaders are quite friendly and helpful and they treat you like a human being rather than just cattle to be moved around.

The arts and culture program is a great opportunity for those who are interested in art and are willing to travel. You get to work with brilliant tutors in really distinct mediums, and live in a beautiful location. There’s a good mix between technical learning and creative freedom. There’s a good balance between adult supervision and independence. For those who haven’t lived on their own, this is a perfect stepping stone to that. You also get to travel around Ireland, which is really cool. The trips around Ireland are also unique, and you get to see amazing sights with enough free time to explore on your own.

I really liked this program, and felt like I learned a lot during it. The excursion trips throughout the program were really interesting. There was a lot of history I didn’t realize until I heard about it. My favorite excursion was the Aran Islands. The art classes were engaging and fun. My favorite classes were charcoal drawing, woodworking, and photography.

Some advice I would give is to pack clothes with intention to re-wear them. The washing machine and dryer in the houses are very small and the dryer isn’t very effective.

Another bit of advice is to pack a jacket because Ireland is fairly cold and windy a lot of the time.

I'm so happy I came here on this program. It was two and a half months of windy cliff walks, making new friends, and intensive art workshops. I learned how to work with charcoal and gouache, and I loved assembling my new skills into the final exhibition.
Irish Gap Year staff were helpful, caring, and so much fun. Excursions and trips gave me opportunities to learn about Irish culture in a much more immersive way.
This is an excellent program and I highly recommend it to gap year students who love art, adventure, and fun.

I genuinely enjoyed this program so much. I learned so much, both about art and about Irish history. The program does an excellent job in exploring various towns and cities across throughout Ireland, and the art workshops were incredible. I had no formal art training going into this experience, and I have grown so much in my artistic outlook and in technical art skills. The staff are also so wonderful— they are some of the kindest people I have ever met, and will go out of their way to help you.

I had a lot of fun while here. I got to try a lot of new things artistically that I had never done before and the staff here was very nice and helpful. I'm very happy I was in Ireland for this fall.

There’s enough freedom to go off and have fun with your fellow gapers but enough structure and activities so that your never bored. I wish we could have spent more time in Dublin because it’s such a big beautiful city with so much to do compared to Donegal. Lots of the little hostels were so cute and fun to cook the group led meals.

Such a great once in a lifetime experience that not many have done! I loved bonding with the other members of the program and the social scene at night! Trying out new kinds of art really broadened my perspective and interests that I haven’t looked into before. The leaders are great and have amazing interactions with us. I personally came a few weeks late to the program but everyone was super welcoming and I feel as if I fit in right away with the other members. I would definitely recommend this program to others and love to experience it again if I could.