Promoting the concept that there are constantly new things to learn, Limerick’s Lifelong Learning Festival makes a welcome return to the city and county later this month for a 6th consecutive year, with over 200 events and activities to interest, entertain and engage people of all ages!
The 2016 Limerick Lifelong Learning Festival takes place from Saturday 16th to Friday 22nd April and was launched today (Tuesday) in the Council Chamber, Merchants Quay, by the Mayor of the City and County of Limerick, Cllr Liam Galvin, accompanied by the Chairperson of Learning Limerick, Josephine Cotter-Coughlan and Learning Limerick’s, Yvonne Lane.
Organised by Learning Limerick, representing the main stakeholders involved in promoting learning across Limerick City and County, this year’s Festival theme is ‘Learning from Each Other in a Changed Limerick’.
Speaking at the launch, Learning Limerick Chair, Josephine Cotter-Coughlan, said: “This year’s festival really has something for everyone – wherever you live, whatever your age and whatever your particular interests. It’s all about promoting learning and enjoyment through involvement in the wide variety of art, cultural, IT and sports activities that feature in the programme.”
Entry is free to all events once again throughout the festival week including: exhibitions, tours and workshops relating to the 1916 Rising and ‘800 Years of Fashion’, a workshop offered by The Hunt Museum. A new initiative this year is a series of collaborative events with the business sector to make the festival directly relevant to the workplace.
Another innovative development for Learning Limerick is the involvement with the 13th PASCAL International Learning Cities Conference to be held in Glasgow in June 2016. Learning Limerick will be showcased at this international event and will deliver a paper entitled ‘From Learning City to Learning Region: Connections, Challenges and Changes’ which will explore the role that various connections have had to play in Limerick’s journey towards becoming a ‘learning city-region’.
Speaking at today’s launch, Mayor Galvin focused on the benefits of learning: “Lifelong learning and upskilling oneself is a process which lasts throughout our adult lives, and includes all kinds of learning. I have come across many examples of lifelong learning in every community across Limerick. I want to acknowledge everyone who is creating these learning opportunities, whether they are doing so in a voluntary or a professional capacity.”
This year’s festival also sees the return of the hugely popular Thomond Park Showcase on Saturday 16th April to officially open festival week. The free event will offer a snapshot of what the festival programme will offer. The showcase will feature a series of interactive events, activities and workshops spanning across all areas of learning including: history, fashion, activities for children and young people, culture, business and personal development, arts and crafts, music and dancing, sports and leisure, health studies, as well as many events exploring more traditional education and training areas.
Also speaking at today’s launch, Learning Limerick’s Yvonne Lane, said: “It’s great to see the growth of the Festival once again this year, including the enhanced involvement of the business sector. This participation is very much valued by Learning Limerick. The return of the Thomond Park Showcase Day to open the Festival week is also very exciting and links closely with both Limerick’s celebration of the Centenary of the 1916 Rising and the Limerick 2020 Bid for European Capital of Culture.”
Free copies of the 2016 Festival Programme are now available throughout Limerick and on www.limerick.ie/lovelearning, with daily updates also on Facebook ‘Limerick Lifelong Learning Festival’ and on Twitter @LimkLearnFest.