Ealaíona Maisiúla & Stair

Workshop at a glance

During Ireland's historic EU Presidency, inspire the next generation to express their vision for the future by booking a free Museum Changemaker workshop!

Through hands-on, object based learning and creative activities, students will explore prominent changemakers of early 20th century Ireland, active citizenship, and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals at the Museum.

Based in the Changing Ireland galleries, students work in teams to connect Global Goals with historic artefacts and Changemakers from early 20th century to 21st century Ireland. Alongside exploring a series of related objects on display and from the Museum's handling objects collection, students design and create manifestos expressing their vision for the future as Changemakers themselves. 

Please note that this workshop is being run as a pilot during Autumn Term, 2026. As this is a pilot stage, we can only accommodate 1 booking per school. Your classes engagement with this workshop will help us to develop this offering for Spring Term.

"They learned how individuals from Ireland made a difference. They thoroughly enjoyed the artifacts and being able to link them to a story. They broke down the wording of the goals and articulated these in their own words after having discussed in groups and through a practical example." - Teacher feedback

All galleries in Collins Barracks are fully accessible. Changing Ireland galleries can be acessed by lift. Further details on site accessibility can be found here. 

Curriculum Links

Politics and society 
History
Art, Craft & Design
English Language / Oral Listening Skills

Learning outcomes 

• To explore active citizenship through the museum 
• To develop skills in critical thinking, teamwork, and creative expression by working collectively on interpreting the collection and co-designing a shared vision for the future.   
• Allow students to explore the collection in a self-directed manner, while having a defined purpose.
• Gain a greater knowledge of Ireland's relationship with the wider world in the 20th century

Skills Developed

• Decision-making: The workshop will be student-led with participants being encouraged to explore the UN Sustainable Goals and collection on their own terms.  
• Observational/ imaginative/ descriptive/ analytical 
• Speaking/ listening/ understanding/ empathising 
• ​Working within a team 

Resources and suggestions

Online

To learn more about Revolutionary-era Ireland and provide context, you can watch our virtual tours:

• Proclaiming a Republic: The 1916 Rising
• Bonnets, Bandolies and Ballot Papers

Before your visit

• Read literature and poetry depicting events from and around the period
• Explore the online Changing Ireland resources to discuss the feelings and motives of people in the past and how an event in the past may have been perceived by those who participated in it

After your visit

• Further work on the design and message of manifesto. 
• Plan a project encouraging students to think about how they can bring the Sustainable Development Goals into their everyday lives. 
• Students work together to present on Changemakers, both current and historic, relevant to them. 
• Hold a classroom debate on an issue or historic event discussed during your visit.