Kilkenny pupils receive special gift to mark Culture Night’s next chapter

Children who attend a Deis school in Kilkenny have received a special gift package of new books by leading Irish authors.

Pupils at Scoil Naisiunta an Moinin Rua will benefit from a new Arts Council initiative to ensure as many people as possible can experience Culture Night, which takes place tomorrow, September 18.

As part of the initiative, the government agency for funding and developing the arts has partnered with Children’s Books Ireland to publish a special guide to 100 of the best Irish books for children. The Books Make Things Better reading guide will be distributed free of charge through bookshops and libraries or can be downloaded on the Internet.

Arts Council Director Maureen Kennelly said much of Culture Night would be virtual this year, but more than 1,000 real books will be delivered to families around the country to promote the joy of opening and reading a book.

Ms Kennelly said: “Our goals for Culture Night in 2020 are that it represents the vitality of art across diverse communities, that it acknowledges the value that art brings to all our lives, and its essential role in promoting wellbeing within society.

“We believe passionately that the arts are for every single person in Ireland, and that is at the heart of the Equality, Human Rights and Diversity policy we launched last year. That’s why we have invested in broadening and diversifying audiences and participation in Culture Night.”