About Fighting Words
Co-founded by Roddy Doyle, Fighting Words is the creative writing organisation for children and young people, with locations all around Ireland. All our programmes are free of charge and run by teams of volunteer writing mentors. Join our team to help children to explore their imaginations and tell their stories!
What's Involved
Story-writing workshops with primary school children (first to sixth class) take place weekday mornings, 10am-12pm at the Fighting Words centre in Dublin. Working together with the help of the Fighting Words team, the class begins an original story, which they will see being projected up onto a big screen as they write. The children decide on the characters and plot and go through the story together sentence by sentence, editing as they go. The Story Illustrator creates drawing for the story as it is being written - a cover for the story and 1-3 illustrations included in the text.
Children then have the opportunity to write their own individual ending to the story, including their own illustrations. Throughout the session, mentors work with the children to encourage them and assist them as required. The children's work is bound and each child receives an illustrated copy of the book they have written to take home.
The children participating are always enthusiastic and amazed by the work our illustrators create. To see their ideas being brought to life in real time brings them so much joy and encourages confidence in their ideas.
The illustrator is a key element to the workshop, it adds a whole other dimension to the story the children create and we really appreciate every illustrator who volunteers their time with us.
There is no professional experience required, just a confidence in your own abilities and an enjoyment of drawing.
What's required for this position
- Ability to draw
- no professional experience required, just confidence in your own abilities
- Enjoy working with children
- Good listener
- Arts/ Music/ Drama
- Education/ Training
- Personable Skills
- Youth/ Childcare
Level of English required for this role:
Intermediate English
Times and commitment required for this role
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
Morning | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | | |
Afternoon |
Evening |
Minimum time commitment: Flexible
Hours required: 3hrs
Other Details
Location of volunteering opportunity:
Fighting Words, Behan Square, 12-16 Russell Street, Dublin 1 D01 WD53
Screening details for this role:
- Garda Vetting
- Informal Interviews
- References
- Application Form
Volunteers will be provided with the following supports:
- Support/ advice/ recognition
- Supervision
- Initial induction and training
- Reimbursement of expenses
- Insurance cover
Volunteers with the following challenges will be supported in this role
- Physical Disability
- Mental Health Difficulties
Age restrictions:
Over 18
Benefits you will receive as a volunteer
Volunteers will have the benefit of working with children in a creative environment. It will give them experience working with young people, may inspire their own creativity and is a lot of fun!
Getting there
Train: DART/Commuter Rail to Connolly.
Bus routes: 123 to Summerhill, 11/16/41 via Lower Drumcondra Road.
Russell Street is a continuation of Jones Road. Russell St/Jones Rd runs between Clonliffe Road and the North Circular Road.