Good times and not so good times

I got the results of my final exam today and am very happy. I put a big effort in over the last 12 months and feel fortunate that it has been recognised. In general it seems that everyone did well and that the examiner's were happy with the overall standard.

Of course this has been a long time coming. We first registered on a pilot arts and culture course in 2000. I remember going over to Sherkin for the preliminary interview and feeling quite intimidated. I know Ber was there and I think John O'Connor too and maybe Maj. The past plays curious tricks on my mind

The following three years were a rollercoaster for me. Learning how to sit through a crit was agonising. I couldn't bear to be seated for such long periods and became restless easily. Of course, the class was bigger then. We had 14 students including ; Tess, John, Gill, Geoff, Catherine, Adele, Fiona, Jenny, Sarah, Naoise, Clare and Rosemary - I know there were others too, but again my mind is curiously vacant in this regard.

The modular approach gave us unlimited access to lecturers in specialist areas that could not be replicated on a city campus. We were worked hard and had fun sometimes too.

DIT staff disrupted there families to come to Sherkin for a period of days to teach and evaluate. It was exciting as the pedagogy was being evaluated simultaneously to our own arts practice. Sometimes it seemed like being in a doubleskinned fishbowl and you know how that can distort your perception.

Amazing energy was found in SIDS. Josephine, Liam and Breda were a crack team. They traveled all over the country to meetings with Ministers and bureaucrats to secure support for the project. Although they were tireless in their commitment, not everyone was as enthusiastic leading to a four year interregnum between the end of the pilot phase and the commencement of the mainstream model.

I realise that there is a price for everything and today I don't want to forget the price that was paid for our success.

Today I am saying thank you to all those involved past and present.