Westmeath winners at Someone Like Me Art Competition

Second class pupils from St Etchen’s National School, Kinnegad have been the junior national winners in this year’s National Disability Authority Someone Like Me Art Competition.

The announcement was made at a ceremony in Dublin City Hall this morning, where teachers and pupils from 52 primary schools gathered to celebrate achieving County Winner status and hear which of the schools would be named overall winners.

Speakers at the event included James Casserly, a young disability advocate, and the national awards were presented by Minister of State Emer Higgins, TD, who has with responsibility for disability.

Muslim National School, Dublin, won the senior category.

Celebrating its 10th year, the competition, which is organised and funded by the National Disability Authority, allows young people to learn about inclusivity and diversity and express that through the medium of art.

The overall Junior award was made to second class pupils from St Etchen’s in Kinnegad, whose submission comprised a large 3D model of an accessible play park. The students carried out research with their schoolmates with autism to inform the design and development of their park.

An inspiring project which invites all to see the world through another’s eyes, and asks people to walk with empathy, understanding, and kindness, earned Muslim National School the senior award. Created by the whole school, led by teacher Farah Mansour, the project reflects the fact that the pupils come from many different places – from Gaza and Ukraine, from refugee experiences and from families building new beginnings here in Ireland. Many of the pupils have both visible and invisible disabilities, and others face challenges that can’t always be seen.

To highlight that, the pupils decorated shoes as a way of telling stories, allowing viewers a glimpse into someone’s hopes, strengths and dreams. Together, the collection of shoes celebrates resilience and is a reminder that though paths may be different, every child’s step matters. It reminds us that we are all walking the same road to acceptance, belonging and understanding.

Director of the National Disability Authority, Dr Aideen Hartney, said: “I would like to congratulate the pupils and teachers at Muslim National School and St Etchen’s National School on their success today. Both entries were exceptionally creative, both in terms of their artwork, but also in their thought-provoking messages of inclusivity for all and especially those with both visible and invisible disabilities.

“Someone Like Me is an important part of the National Disability Authority’s annual programme of work to help develop positive mindsets, a culture of inclusivity and a sense of belonging and connectedness, allowing each and every person in Ireland to feel a valued member of society.”

Minister Higgins added her congratulations and said: “Initiatives like this are so important in helping young people learn about disability, start positive conversations, and see inclusion as something that matters in everyday life.

“This government are committed to building a better and more inclusive Ireland for people with disabilities, and that work starts by fostering understanding and positive attitudes from a young age. The creativity and imagination shown throughout this competition is a wonderful reminder of how early understanding begins. By encouraging curiosity, kindness and empathy at a young age, initiatives like this help shape how children see the world, and how they see one another.”

In the 10 years of its operation, almost 30,000 children have taken part in the Someone Like Me Art Competition. Schools are provided with special curriculum-linked lesson plans and activities designed to help pupils develop an awareness and understanding of visible and non-visible disabilities, drawing on their own personal experiences of disability, with a vision of creating a more inclusive society.

The judges also singled out the entry from Katie Dillon, a pupil at Spa National School, Tralee, for a Highly Commended Award, for her colourful entry which centres on the question Is there Someone Like Me? Showcasing a spiders-web of activities, this thought-provoking artwork celebrates the similarities Katie shares with her classmates.

More than 1,700 entries were received from individual pupils, class groups and whole schools right across Ireland. Entries ranged from posters and collages to large sculptural installations and multi-media pieces.