This month, we had the pleasure of visiting some of our Gaisce Gold Participants as they completed their residential project at the National Gallery of Ireland (NGI)!
Amid the chaos, colours, and new connections, we caught up with one of our fantastic PALs, Kate Drinane, to talk about all things Gaisce, what it’s like being a PAL, and life at NGI.
Kate has an impressive career in NGI spanning across 14 years. At present, they are the Tours, Talks, Training & Interpretation Officer for the gallery. Accessibility and people-focused initiatives, alongside love and care for the gallery, are Kate’s favourite elements of their job. From the tour guides to the gallery panel, all employees have a genuine love for the building and collections, and place making them as accessible as possible to the public at the forefront of their work.
This human-centred work ethic is what drew Kate and the wider gallery staff to Gaisce. The overlap in values and goals, alongside a desire to serve the public, has made our 7-year partnership a “match made in heaven”.
One highlight of this partnership has been the Queer Mind, Body and Soul exhibition, which ran in 2020 at NGI. This exhibition explored the experiences and perspectives of a group of young LGBTQIA+, gender non-conforming people and allies. Collaborating with artist Shireen Shortt, this group worked on modes of artistic expression across multiple disciplines and media. It was a fantastic event, with reactions from both the participants and public to be a “heartwarming, beautiful wrap up” to a couple of tricky years.
Overseeing the young people complete their residential project encouraged Kate to reflect on their childhood and consider what advice they would give their younger selves. However, Kate concluded that they “wouldn’t change a thing”. “My journey has been pretty good. I like this version of myself, and everything that came before shaped that”. Rather than changing their past, Kate would give their young self a fist bump and say, “Keep going, you’re doing great!”
A huge thank you to Kate and all staff at the National Gallery of Ireland for their constant dedication, commitment and enthusiasm for our partnership. Collaborations with such important organisations allow us to provide young people with new and exciting spaces to learn, grow and build communities.
A huge congratulations and best of luck to our Gold Participants on the rest of your journey. We can’t wait to see where Gaisce will take you. ✨
