How creative play supports heritage languages in the classroom
Celebrating the completion of our 'All Together – Gach le Chéile' project.
We are delighted to share the completion of our latest collaborative initiative, All Together – Gach le Chéile. Developed by Mother Tongues’ Director Fernanda Ferrari and Creative Producer Tony Fegan, in partnership with the Ozanam House Early Learning Centre and funded by the Arts Council Arts in Early Learning and Childcare Scheme, this project brought creative, multilingual arts experiences directly into early years education.
Set in the heart of Dublin’s North East Inner City, the initiative brought together professional artists Angelica Santander, Tamao Oka, Kasia Eliasz and Debora Adachi, early childhood educators, children and families for a sixteen-workshop journey filled with storytelling, music, theatre, movement and visual arts.
Guided by the beautiful children’s book Ná Gabh Ar Scoil! by Máire Zepf, illustrated by Tarsila Krüse and published by Futa Fata, twenty-one children aged three to five explored what it means to belong, using their full imaginations to guide the way.
Growing confidence through creative play
At Mother Tongues, we believe that a child’s home language and culture are incredible resources. All Together – Gach le Chéile sought to create a welcoming space where those individual identities were celebrated.
The independent evaluation conducted by Paula Phelan, alongside reflections from our participating artists, showed a wonderful progression in how the children engaged with the workshops. In the early weeks, some children were naturally hesitant or reserved. However, as the consistent weekly routines grew more familiar, their self-assurance blossomed.
Reflecting on the children’s development, project Associate Artist Paola Invernizzi noted how powerful it was to observe their journey:
I was mesmerised by the growth of these children, their evolution, and their receptive nature at different times and in different ways, some visible and some less obvious. I learnt that the impact of activities and projects is not always immediately visible.
Children who began the project quietly watching from the sidelines soon became active contributors, initiating their own ideas, leading songs, and showing remarkable memory retention of the themes, activities and facilitators by the time our final celebratory showcase took place.
He became much more open to trying new things. Before, he would hang back, but now he jumps straight in.
Strengthening bonds at home and in the classroom
The impact of this creative early years arts project extended far beyond the classroom walls. One of the most heartening outcomes was the enthusiastic participation of parents and families.
Through shared artistic play, music and storytelling, parents reported building even stronger bonds with their children at home. Many families noted that they began introducing the creative routines, songs and stories learned in the workshops into their daily home lives, opening up new pathways for communication and mutual joy.
I could see a real change in [my daughter's] confidence over the few weeks. She started speaking up more at home and wanted to show us everything she made.
Crucially, the project fostered a deep sense of mutual respect. Families expressed how meaningful it was to see their cultural backgrounds and mother tongues explicitly valued and welcomed in an educational setting.
For the educators at Ozanam House, working alongside Mother Tongues artists offered fresh, child-led approaches to embedding creativity in the early years curriculum. The setting saw a tangible skills transfer, with roleplay, singing and process-focused art becoming a natural part of everyday preschool practice.
For the first time, I felt our language was truly welcomed in the setting.
Learning for the future
Ambitious, multilingual community work always brings valuable lessons, representing what Paola described as “a huge learning curve and a real eye-opener to the complexity and fascination of delivering a project like this within such a multilayered environment.”
Navigating a busy early years setting – especially when balancing ten home languages, including Polish, Spanish, French, Somali and Nepalese, on top of English and Irish – requires immense flexibility and care. The project highlighted the practical realities of artistic collaboration, showing that true creative integration requires dedicated time to grow.
Future initiatives will benefit from even more structured spaces for collective planning, creative exchange, and brief, staff-friendly check-ins to deepen the collaboration between artists and educators. Rather than seeing these reflections as obstacles, we view them as a clear, honest roadmap. They show us that when structures are adequately supported, collaborative arts practice can leave a permanent legacy.
The sessions encouraged us to slow down and follow the children’s ideas more closely.
A hopeful model for tomorrow
All Together – Gach le Chéile demonstrated that when children are invited to bring their full selves – their languages, stories and heritages – into their learning environments, they thrive. As artist Tamao Oka shared, it was an absolute “pleasure to be part of the project and to collaborate with such a welcoming and supportive community.”
We want to extend our deepest gratitude to the team at Ozanam House, led by Debbie Keegan, Early Learning Manager, for their wonderful partnership, to the Arts Council for making this work possible, and above all, to the families and children who shared their creativity and voices with us. This project feels less like a finished process and more like the beginning of something truly important for our community.
Some of the quieter children really found their voice through the creative activities.
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