Signal Art Centre’s preparation for this year’s St. Patrick’s day parade was a real team effort, and in addition to the Signal Arts staff working very hard making the centrepieces for the float and the costumes, we also collaborated with many other organisations, including, Little Bray Family Resource & Development Centre, St. Andrew’s National School and Bray School Project. Our staff members masterfully held workshops in all of these places and prepared a great volume of amazing looking things for our float. This year’s theme was Human Chess, and we wanted to create very extravagant looking rococo era costumes teamed up with chess hats and a giant chess board embellished with rococo era ornaments and animal shapes.

The final results exceeded everyone’s expectations and the day of the parade was busy but still great fun for us! I would like to thank all the people who walked with us in the parade; the members of Trans Greystones, kids from Bray School Project and St. Andrew’s National School and the kids from our Signal Arts Centre art classes. For the second year in a row Greg Mulvaney from Casabuild provided us with his truck for the float and helped us to set it up. I also want to say a big thank you to Donal Smyth who was in charge of securing all the pieces of the float with Ciaran Coogan, Jade Butler, Greg Murray and James Hayes. The workshops this year were held by Ciaran Coogan, Margaret Walsh, Anna O’Rourke, Olive Merry, Ruth Feeley and Jade Butler, and the work produced in them by the children was of exceptional quality. Andrew Freeland made the spears for the kids walking in the parade and a big thank you to Anna O’Rourke for taking all the photographs on the day. Artist Greg Murray deserves a huge thank you for tirelessly making 32 chess hats and a giant chess piece for the float and also for performing in front of the judges with Ciaran Coogan at the end of the parade. The music for this performance was sampled by our graphic designer John McCann. Signal Arts volunteer, Justyna Kosmulska, who also walked with us in the parade was a big help for people getting ready and she also provided extra costumes and wigs for us. Our seamstress department that consisted of Ruth Feeley and Anna O’Rourke, created the most amazing regal costumes and we would have been completely lost without their expertise in fashion and design. Having the privilege to work with such a talented team I’m looking forward to our next project already!

Kaisa Ypya