Our annual celebration of Creative Arts, Literature and Learning got off to an excellent start on Monday with a visit from David McPhillips, former lead guitarist with The Coronas. In conversation with Mr Michael Bevan, David (Class of 2003) spoke to students about the challenges and rewards of a career in music, and the benefits of changing career after 12 years in the music industry.
On Tuesday students met Jordan Barry-Browne (Class of 2011), who is a freelance illustrator and independent comic book creator under the imprint ILLstrips. Jordan talked about his creative process and about the challenges and rewards that come with being an independent creator. Check out his work on his website.
After meeting Jordan, Ms Regan's First Year Irish class were inspired to make their own Irish-language comic strips, a selection of which can be seen in the gallery below.
On Wednesday, we heard from Cormac Murray (Class of 2006), co-founder and art director of Algorithm, a creative production studio based in Dublin. Cormac told a packed theatre how the Algorithm team blends creativity and cutting-edge technology to create stunning visual experiences.
Our guest on Thursday was Nick Sutton (Class of 1976), who spoke about architecture as a career. He discussed the skills and qualities needed by architects, the challenges of designing in different countries for different climates, and he told the students not to be afraid to change career direction.
Thanks to Mr Earley for the photos. See more photos on our Flickr page.
Photos of the Gala event can be found here.
The CALL celebrates the important role of Creative Arts and Literature in student Learning. For several years now, The CALL has traditionally been held over a week in February with daily talks in the theatre designed to inform, entertain and inspire students.
Alumni who have made careers in music, in art, in writing, in film and theatre, whether as participators or producers, have returned to the College for this event where current students get the opportunity to explore the possibilities within the Arts and follow their example. The event has previously culminated in an evening Gala concert where all parents, alumni and students are welcome. See photos of the 2020 Gala evening here
Last year it was not possible to run The CALL in the traditional sense. However, being mindful of the role of the Arts in student learning here at Gonzaga College SJ we shared recorded pieces illustrating how drama and rhetoric in general are valued as being an intrinsic part of a Jesuit education.
This year we are delighted to be able to run The CALL again live in the theatre for the students throughout the week (January 31st - 4th February) and in place of a Gala event we will be hosting a matinee finale on Sunday 6th from 3pm in the Coulson Theatre. All parents, past pupils and friends of Gonzaga College SJ are welcome and while tickets are not necessary, seat reservations must be made by calling Elise in the office on 01 497 2931 or emailing office@gonzaga.ie to indicate how many seats you would like for the Sunday show.
Please take a moment to review the stellar line up for this years event! (PDF attached).
