Well done to Paula Grant, Shauna Busto Gilligan, Nettie Emerson and Sharon Grant from Portlaoise Prison Education Centre, LOETB who presented Reflections of Home through music, poetry and stonecraft: Homecoming Installation Project at the Ahead Altitude Summit today. Their project received a tremendous response from attendees.
The project began when the Education Unit in Portlaoise Prison was invited to contribute to the Laois Homecoming Festival, which took place across the county from 6–9 September 2025. This invitation sparked a year-long collaborative project involving students from the Music, Literacy and Stonecraft classes.
Each student explored what the theme “Home” meant to them. Eight original pieces including poetry and music were accompanied by a stone window, made from recycled stone.
The window created by the Stonecraft students is their visual interpretation of the songs composed by the Music Students and poems written by Literacy students. The Stonecraft students selected words that inspired them and carved them onto stone. This installation was exhibited at the Laois Homecoming festival with great success.
