Niamh Fitzsimons is a designer/Illustrator who has just started Artz for Kids, a series of character-based art classes for children aged six to twelve years-old, at The Barbican Centre in William Street Drogheda.
Until July 2019 Niamh was doing very nicely selling her work to retailers in the homeware, fashion and stationary industries.
Trading under her business name NiamhDesignStudio, shehas sold to some of the biggest companies in retail such as Walmart, Target and other US companies. In Ireland her children’s ranges are selling in The Titanic Centre Belfast and Epic Ireland.
Niamh has ten nieces and nephews and has always loved working with children so, when the pandemic stuck in 2019, realising she had to adapt to survive, she started a summer camp teaching children aged 6-12 how to make character illustrations.
However during lockdown it all stopped and she quickly turned to teaching online and soon she was teaching up to 500 children a week on zoom.
Niamh really loves to see the children so excited each day to see the new characters and storylines they draw and design brings her a lot of joy.
She now runs Artz for Kids at seasonal camps all year around and afterschools in Ashbourne, Navan, Teltown, Donacarney and now Drogheda.
The sessions are delivered live and online as classes and camps. They build creativity, through drawing various themes such as circus, safari, kawaii animals and seasonal subjects such as birthdays, Easter, Halloween, etc.
“The name ‘Artz for Kids’ says it all” Niamh said. “Using art and storytelling in a fun way within the lesson, helping to bring out the art already inside the child, building their skills along the way.”
“Our teaching is gentle, inclusive, nurturing and encouraging. We feed their creative skills. Come and meet our fun characters in their wondrous worlds
Focusing on Children’s Creativity and Making sure we remove any anxieties they may have.”
Features of the ‘Artz for Kids’ classes include:
- Building real world confidence through art.
- Expertly guided lessons
- Professionally designed class material
- A mix of new and old teaching techniques to stimulate imaginations
- An array of new characters and worlds to explore in each lesson
Under the ‘Artz for Kids’ process the children follow the teachers step by step in pencil, then trace with sharpie and watercolour
“We are totally dedicated to bringing out the best in the kids that we teach” Niamh said. “I believe being gentle, caring and inclusive brings out the best in the children.
“By using characters as the focus of the class, each child is able to access their own unique creativity through drawing and storytelling while having great fun as they learn.
“We bring the art out in children, whilst protecting the delicate creative journey of sensitive young creatives. We recognise ‘art anxiety’ in children and work to dissolve it using our own techniques.
“This engenders growing creative confidence and joy in drawing and developing life skills.
“The Artz for Kids team is growing and we are currently looking for amazing teachers to join the team.”
For more information see: www.facebook.com/ArtzforKids or Instagam @artzforkids_niamh
Phone: 085 1438844 Email: artzforkids@gmail.com
