Garden to Creation – Athlone Arts and Tourism Cruinniú na nÓg 2025

Children and young people are invited to take part in an exciting creative experience that blends fashion, sustainability, and art. Garden to Creation offers participants the opportunity to design and make their own costume, model it in a vibrant fashion show at Athlone Castle, and have their work professionally photographed and exhibited at Luan Gallery.

Led by local artists Niamh Butler and Aoife Doolan, this hands-on workshop series encourages imagination and environmental awareness. Participants aged 9–15 will design and craft unique costumes inspired by the rich beauty of the Historical Garden at Athlone Castle – all using recycled and sustainable materials.

Workshop participants will then have the chance to showcase their designs on Saturday 7th June for the National Cruinniú na nÓg Garden to Runway Fashion Show, held in the courtyard of Athlone Castle. Here, the young designers will take centre stage, proudly showcasing their creations in front of friends, family, and the community. The event will feature live musical performances by talented youth musicians from the Féile na Sionainne festival, and a special guest will host the afternoon of festivities as Master of Ceremonies.

To round off this creative journey, photos taken by professional photographer Chris Burke during workshops and the fashion show will be displayed in the Garden to Gallery Exhibition at Luan Gallery on Saturday 2nd August.

* Please note that, due to the nature of this project parents/guardians will be required to sign a photo consent form.