Soil Studio

19/10/2026

https://kildarecocoarts.submit.com/show/421
Delighted to be part of the Kildare Art & Ecology Artist Mentoring Programme. It's an Art & Ecology mentoring opportunity for artists with an interest in working in the arts and nature with babies and toddlers aged 0-24 months.
Kildare County Council Arts Service with Kildare County Childcare Committee in partnership with Soil Studio invite expressions of interest from professional artists (of all artforms) living or based in County Kildare who wish to develop their ecological and early childhood arts practice with babies and toddlers aged 0 to 24 months.
The Art & Ecology Artist Mentoring programme has grown from the Kildare Art & Ecology project for babies, toddlers and young children aged 0-3 years and their Childminders that was delivered in Athy in 2024.
Closing date for EOI is this Wednesday! Feel free to spread the word.

09/09/2026

Interesting article on the importance of really engaging with nature and soil with 'your hands and skin' on a daily basis and how this improved children's health in Finnish early childhood settings.

Putting our hands in soil and touching grass, trees or moss provides a wide range of health benefits, for our skin and wider immune system.

02/09/2026

Trisha and I were in Portugal earlier this year for the Kick Start of SoilTribes that brought together awardees for the EU funded initiatve for 2026. We are so proud to be representing Ireland and part of a wider community committed to fostering a sense of care for soil and the life beneath our feet. Here's a link to our interview in Portugal.

In this video, we introduce Soil Story, a SoilTribes grantee led by...

02/09/2026

Our theatre play 'Soil Story' for a young audience aged 3 to 6 years now has EU recognition on the SoilTribes Initiative EU Funded website. To find out more about Soil Story and our work as Soil Studio arts collective have a look at the SoilTribes page. https://soiltribes.eu/soil-story/

Soil Story Ireland About Theatre work for a young audience. Soil Story is a six-month theatre and early childhood soil literacy initiative led by Soil Studio in County Sligo, Ireland. Created for young children aged 3 to 6 years, Soil Story is told from the perspective of the humble worm

07/08/2026

07/08/2026

We recently developed a baby iteration of Soil Story which we shared at Tír na nÓg Community Childcare Centre recently. Thanks to Alison Stewart of alistewartphotography for taking some beautiful images of our theatre performance. Thanks to Europe for funding our 12 venue outreach tour of Soil Story in 2026. Thanks to Tír na nÓg Community Childcare Centre for hosting us.

07/08/2026

Soil Story is a story about soil, told from the perspective of the humble worm. Created and performed by artists Jackie Maguire and Trisha MacLaughlin of Soil Studio in collaboration with dramaturg and 'outside eye' Miriam Needham.

In 2026, Soil Studio received EU Funding as part of the SoilTribes Initiative to further develop and tour Soil Story in 12 venues throughout County Sligo. What made the Soil Story tour distinct was that it was an outreach located in 12 early childhood care and education settings.

In addition, each Soil Story performance took place outside in these rural settings. We reached 5 babies and 175 toddlers and young children aged 3 to 6 years and 42 Early Childhood Educators from County Sligo, Ireland through the European Union SoilTribes Funded Initiative in 2026. This audio visual piece documents our Soil Story journey while offering different perspectives, so we hope you enjoy it! Thanks to Pink Lime Studios for creating it.

The creation of Soil Story has also been supported since 2024 by the Hawk’s Well Theatre Sligo, through their 'Week and Time at the Well Awards' and by Sligo County Childcare Committee, Creative Sligo Open Call Funding and Sligo County Council in 2025.

Special thanks to the 320+ plus babies, toddlers and young children of County Sligo, in particular those from Sligo Springboard Family Support Services who have supported the early development and growth of Soil Story since 2024.

Special thanks to Kieran Griffiths and Maeve McGowan of the Hawk’s Well Theatre Sligo, for your encouragement, guidance and ongoing support.

Thank you Miriam Needham for being a wonderful dramaturg and 'outside eye'. We have loved developing Soil Story with you.

Thanks to ethnomusicologist Rachel Dempsey, dance artist Roberta Ceginskaite and costume designer Maura Logue for your mentoring and guidance in 2026.

Thanks to Dr Marlene McCormack of Dublin City University, Veronica Muldowney of Collooney Montessori School and to Rachel Cavanagh of Tir na nÓg Community Childcare for appearing in this audio-visual piece. Thanks also to Sorcha O’Malley for your support with set design in 2025.

And finally, a very special thanks to Sligo County Childcare Committee who have supported Soil Studio along the way and with our ‘Wormery Movement’ in Early Childhood Care and Education/School-Age settings which is well underway!
Email account: [email protected]
Insta: soilstudiosligo

Soil Story is a story about soil, told from the perspective of the ...

07/08/2026

Ladies night at the Hawks Well Theatre Sligo in 2026. It's not every day you get to be interviewed by the one and only Pauline McLynn. We had a super chat about Soil Story in front of a live audience!

07/08/2026

07/08/2026

Junior and Senior Preschool enjoyed a Soil Story performance from Soil Studio recently 🌿🍂🍉 🪱. Thanks to all the team at Little Buddies and to Europe for funding the Soil Story Sligo outreach tour through the SoilTribes initiative.