Right now visiting a gallery or museum is not possible due to Covid restrictions, but many, like the Chester Beatty in Dublin have produced some great materials for students and teachers to learn at school or at home.
Take a look at their website and explore the collection online HERE
Chester Beatty’s collections offer visitors an insight into the magnificent artistic and cultural traditions from around the world under one roof – this is what makes this museum and art library so special.
There may be someone in your class, school or community who shares the cultural heritage found in these stories – or it may even be you!
Worksheets and lesson plans for Junior Cycle
The Chester Beatty has teamed up with a number of educational partners including the Junior Cycle Religious Education Team as well as the Intercultural Education Services of Northern Ireland to create learning resources for both teachers and students.
These include:
Ways of Seeing I – This is a language support resource using museum objects from the Chester Beatty and the Ulster Museum Belfast
Download the activity sheet here!
This workbook introduces objects found in both museums and includes talismans, portraits, shoes and mandalas. There are specific vocabulary exercises to support language learning and arts and crafts making workshop activities.
Ways of Seeing II – This resource explores Islam, Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism and ancient Egyptian culture in the Chester Beatty and the Ulster Museum for teachers in Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland.
Download the activity sheet here!
Filled with teacher and student-friendly information about world faiths through themes including Parables, Migration, Journeys, Community, Celebration and Lifestyle in the Past, and illustrated with images from both museums, teachers and students have access to ready-made power points as well as classroom-based activities.
Check out these online resources for educators!
Watch arts and crafts activities on the Chester Beatty YouTube channel
Visual artist, HoiShan Mak, interprets Irish landscape in a style of a Chinese master, Chang Dai-chien. Inspired by the landscapes of this great painter, relax and enjoy the floating inks, build-up of colours and textures of this mindful exploration.
Ready to push those schools books to one side? Why not check out Chester Beatty's YouTube channel and participate in some easy-to-follow arts and crafts activities?
These include creating Persian-inspired patterns, ink painting, paper cutting, how to paint a Chinese dragon or draw in 3D, how to make a STEAMpunk mask and lots more.
Online workshops and 'how to' videos
If you are in need of a little rest and recreation, tune in to our online yoga, qigong, cooking demonstrations and music recordings.
Who was Chester Beatty and why is this museum significant?
Chester Beatty was born in New York in 1875. He was one of the greatest collectors of the twentieth century and an extraordinary friend to Ireland. Beatty started out as a mining engineer and later became a private collector of European and Persian manuscripts (hand written and illustrated books), Chinese snuff bottles and Japanese netsuke (small boxes worn around the waist).
He traveled extensively, including a visit to Egypt in 1914 as well as China and Japan in 1917. Beatty had an 'eye' for collecting rare and beautiful objects including very early Biblical writing on papyrus (made out of the Egyptian plant of the same name), rare books and paintings from Persia, Turkey, Armenia, North Africa, East Asia and Europe.
Beatty moved from London to Dublin in 1950 and on his death in 1968, he left his private collection to the Irish nation which is now housed in the grounds of Dublin Castle.
