Mother Tongues: arts and multilingualism for social change
To mark European Day of Languages, we are excited to launch our new short documentary showcasing the work of Mother Tongues! Our mission is to support multilingual families, celebrate linguistic diversity and create inclusive communities through the arts. Through our programmes, we aim to empower bilingual families, building confidence and fostering pride in their heritage languages.
Mother Tongues believes in the power of language as a bridge between cultures. By engaging with the arts, we connect families, inspire children and create spaces where every language can be celebrated and valued. Our work is driven by the belief that multilingualism enriches society and that every child deserves to feel proud of their linguistic identity. This is extremely important in Ireland, where one in five children is growing up speaking more than one language, including Irish and Irish Sign Language.
Our short documentary highlights the stories of families, artists, and educators who are at the core of our community, offering a glimpse into our impactful work.
Our programmes offer vital spaces for cultural celebration and resilience, fostering a sense of belonging. We work tirelessly to provide arts engagement to underrepresented migrant communities, including International Protection Applicants (IPA), and we are keen to bring our programme to as many communities as possible, to promote social cohesion at a time when people may be fearful because of the increasing visibility of anti-immigrant sentiments.
Mother Tongues “has developed very specific skills that contribute to the ecology of the arts within the YPCE (Young People, Children and Education) sector […] Its activities firmly incorporate the principles of equality, human rights, and diversity. Mother Tongues recognizes the right of every child to access culture and understands that different communities can experience isolation” (From the Arts Council Assessment Notes of Mother Tongues’ Arts Grant 2025 application).
Our flagship programme, Language Explorers, provides an inclusive environment where individuals freely express themselves in their preferred language, promoting the sharing of mother tongues and raising interest in diverse cultures.
We also place a special emphasis on supporting artists from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds through the Mother Tongues Festival and the South Dublin Cultural Diversity Programme, enhancing artistic expression and breaking down barriers between communities.
Mother Tongues provides dedicated support to families who are raising multilingual children, offering resources, guidance and community connections to help them navigate the unique challenges and opportunities associated with raising children with more than one language. Additionally, we support educators in developing multilingual classrooms that value all children’s heritage languages, viewing them as rich learning resources.
Discover more about our work in the 2023/2024 Activity Report and stay updated by subscribing to our newsletter.
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