The Irish Arts and Culture Program

Amazing program with incredible staff and great opportunities for developing as an artist :) The housing situation and the close-knit environment encourages everyone to become like a family. The art tutors are super skilled and a fantastic resource. The surrounding area is beautiful and safe, with lots to explore and do, and the trips around Ireland are well-executed so the days are always full of adventures and explorations without wasting time. Overall a valuable experience I'm so grateful for!

This program changed my life. I came in knowing how to make 3d art with little drawing experience, and I left with charcoal and painting skills that I am extremely proud of. The natural landscape is conducive to creating art, and the local people were equally as inspiring. It is extremely different from the US, and living in a town with just two thousand people seemed daunting at first, but it really feels like a home. You get out on loads of trips as well, visiting cities like Dublin and Belfast and Galway along with smaller towns the typical person traveling Ireland would never see. So many memories were made here, and a program like the arts and culture program attracts positive people. The friends I found here are genuinely interesting and interested in the world, and I can’t wait to see what they will do. Our tutors are amazing, for I did not know many artists back home, and the mindset they gave me is one I will have forever. I had so many firsts, and it was a great foray into independence as they do take care of a lot (there is a laundry service!). It does get cold, and the wifi is spotty, but you get used to it. Recommend the Phoenix and the Chasing Bull, live music and draws a large crowd. Paris nightclub is fun, but the music is not it. The exhibition at the end is actually a big deal, and it was so satisfying to complete. Our leaders are great, and I would highly recommend coming on this program.

Irish Gap Year Arts and Culture program 2021 baby…… I’ve got one thing to say and one thing only….. this program rocks! I came onto this program with no prior knowledge of visual art, a meek little scallywag stumbling about in the artful darkness!!! However, with the help of our lovely tutors (ie: Ken, Micheal, Lani, Richie, Rossa, Paschal, and Edwin my personal favorite), I emerged from the countryside a creative little cephalopod, eager to create and more thoroughly explore the different mediums we had created with! The leaders (Phil and Kate in particular) were supportive and eager to help whenever possible, my peers were friendly and such little dumpling darlings, and don’t even get me started on the surroundings! BEAUTIFUL!!!

I came into this program a shy little hedgehog boy…. A meager squirrel lad…. But even within the first week of the program I began to notice a welcome change! I was no longer a meager squirrel lad not a shy little hedgehog boy…. I, in fact, had become quite the sociable fellow! Irish Gap Year has definitely helped and encouraged me to grow as a person, and I feel much more confident in my abilities to navigate different scenarios now.

Do this program. I’m telling you to. And if I’m telling you to it means you have to. Now close out of this review, go onto the IGY art program website, and send yourself or your child to ireland RIGHT now….

This was a wonderful program in which I met some incredible people and grew a lot as an artist. There was a good balance of structured activities and freedom which allowed for unsupervised exploration. The artist workshops provided a lot of help for developing skills and especially Michael's charcoal class really pushes you. Cities around Ireland are fun to explore and and quite safe. When going out into the nature around Ireland the views and landscapes are often incredible. Shoutout to Kate and Phil

It was awesome! I was very nervous at the start, but everyone was incredibly supportive and helped me to overcome homesickness really quickly. The art classes themselves were great. The tutors are amazing and very easy to talk to, both for asking for tips and tricks on their specialized mediums but also just generally sharing about themselves. Charcoal was incredibly intimidating to start, but Michael (the tutor) made it very straightforward and demonstrated how easy it is to play with the medium and have fun with it! It was great to explore Ireland and develop my artistic skills while making new lifelong friends.

After my three month stay with IGY I find myself almost sad but excited to leave for IGY has help set me up for the upcoming years of my life and IGY takes you out of your world and puts you into another one. I loved all the art teachers and grew a connection with some of them outside the class room. They are wonderful talented artists. The trips were definitely my favorite part of the trip, place’s like, Sligo, Derry and Dublin were all amazing places with a great CRAIC! All in all my time here was well spent

Doing this program has been one of the most amazing experiences of my life. I was so nervous getting on the plane to come over here, I had no idea what to expect. But I immediately found a new home. All of the staff at IGY are very welcoming and helpful, and Ireland itself is absolutely stunning. I have made friends here that I am going to keep for life. We were able to go around Derry, Galway, Dublin, Belfast, and some other areas. Our art tutors were absolutely amazing as well, I really watched my art transform while I was here. I could not have had a more amazing time while I was here.

I have made so many incredible friendships here during these last 3 months in Ireland. I tried so many new things- surfing, drawing in charcoal, watercolor etc.
I loved being able to show our art in the exhibition at the end of the three months here. It was the first time I had done anything like that and it was such an amazing feeling showing off all the art we made.
We also got to see so much of Ireland with all the trips we took. The land is truly beautiful- I especially liked the trip to Killarney national park.