SpunOut.ie Presidential Youth Forum at Dublin Contemporary 2011

national | miscellaneous | press release Tuesday October 04, 2011 18:27 by Volunteer

Opportunity for candidates* to listen to, learn from and appeal to young voters

On Saturday October 15th the SpunOut.ie National Youth Organisation, in association with Dublin Contemporary, will bring together 200 young people for a youth focused forum with the 2011 Presidential candidates. The event will give the candidates a unique opportunity to discuss with the younger generation why they should vote for them. It will also provide a chance for the candidates to hear young people’s opinions and answer their questions directly.

The event, chaired by journalist and SpunOut.ie board member Sara Burke, will be streamed live online at www.SpunOut.ie to thousands more people throughout Ireland and abroad and include interactive questions via Twitter.com ( @spunout ) and Facebook ( facebook.com/spunout.ie ).

The SpunOut.ie Presidential Youth Forum is aimed at engaging young people in social and political issues and to ensure decision makers and representatives listen to and involve young people in working for a new Ireland. This event will also focus on how young people can themselves innovate for social change outside of the political system and will include a discussion with guests Colm O’Gorman Amnesty International Ireland, and Orla Tinsley Author and Cystic Fibrosis Activist, who will both share their extensive first-hand experience of campaigning in Ireland.

This event is being held in association with the ‘The Office of Non Compliance’ at the Dublin Contemporary 2011 exhibition at Earlsfort Terrace, near Stephen’s Green in Dublin 2. Admittance is by ticket holders only and prior registration for limited youth tickets is required at www.SpunOut.ie.

Speaking on the motivation behind this initiative SpunOut.ie Founder Ruairí McKiernan said;

“We have the youngest population in Europe and instead of harnessing this potential Ireland is abandoning our young people to a future of debt, unemployment, emigration and hopelessness. All our key institutions and structures have failed to protect, engage and develop young people as the vital life-force of society. It has therefore never been more urgent to allow new ideas and energy to come to the fore and our event, in partnership with Dublin Contemporary 2011, creates an important civic space for discussion and debate as we work together in creating a new Ireland that really does cherish our young people”.

ENDS

Event details

Date: Saturday Oct. 15th, 2.30pm-6pm
Location: Dublin Contemporary, Earlsfort Terrace, D.2
Web-cast: Live web cast online www.SpunOut.ie
Photocall: 5.15pm: Candidates present youth civic award
Photos: High resolution pics online on SpunOut.ie from 6.30pm
Candidates*: 5 confirmed so far confirmations pending for Dana Rosemary Scallon and Senator Norris.
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About SpunOut.ie National Youth Organisation

SpunOut.ie is an independent youth powered national non-profit working to help young people create personal and social change. SpunOut.ie combines an interactive online community providing health and lifestyle information, signposting to help services, an alternative youth media space, dynamic discussion forums, and a platform for youth participation, campaigns and advocacy. SpunOut.ie reaches over 550,000 users online each year, millions more through the media and has won numerous awards including a Golden Spider Award and a Net Visionary Award.

SpunOut.ie also runs the Academy of Activism, which provides free practical 'tools for change' training, a 'SpunOut Super Heroes' mini grants scheme, and 'SpunOut Youth Summit' gatherings for young people to come together, get informed, inspired and organised. SpunOut.ie is partially funded through a mix of philanthropic, foundation, state and community investors and welcomes the support and involvement of people from across Ireland and abroad.

SpunOut.ie, Seán MacBride House, 48 Fleet St., Temple Bar, Dublin 2
T: + 353 (0)1-6753554
E: media@spunout.ie
W: www.spunout.ie

Wire in further at:
Facebook: http://facebook.com/SpunOut.ie
Twitter: http://twitter.com/SpunOut
YouTube: http://youtube/com/user/SpunOutMedia

Charity: CHY16212 | Company: 384783
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About Dublin Contemporary

Ireland’s international art exhibition, Dublin Contemporary 2011, turns the city into a vibrant art gallery from September 6th to October 31st 2011. Responding to the theme Terrible Beauty—Art, Crisis, Change & The Office of Non-Compliance, and led by curators Jota Castro and Christian Viveros-Fauné, the exhibition presents the work of more than 100 of the world’s most exciting artists, whose artworks will establish Dublin as the destination to discover the latest in Irish and international contemporary art.

The main exhibition hub at Earlsfort Terrace will show a variety of artworks in a range of unusual spaces. Visitors can also expect to enjoy an intriguing series of street works disseminated in 22 locations around Dublin, as well as sculptures in the Iveagh Gardens. The art trail continues with exhibitions at the nearby Royal Hibernian Academy, which will house Lisa Yuskavage’s unique brand of painted ladies, new installations and paintings in The National Gallery of Ireland and Douglas Hyde Gallery at Trinity College, as well as a solo show by Willie Doherty at the Dublin City Gallery The Hugh Lane.

For media enquiries and images, please contact:

Daniela Sabatini or Claire Feely
Main Office: + 353 1 678 7920
Email: dsabatini@dublincontemporary.com / press@dublincontemporary.com
Web: www.dublincontemporary.com