Student Voice
The Student Voice project showcased the learning journeys and experiences of IADT students who had taken different routes into higher education. Through student stories, video and public events, the project demonstrated how access supports had helped students overcome personal, educational and socio-economic barriers and progress into higher education.
Lanagh Connolly shared her experience as an IADT Access student through a student video, providing an insight into her learning journey and experience of higher education.
Student video
Lanagh also contributed to a panel as part of the Access & Inclusion On Show event, which took place in IADT’s Carnegie Library in Dún Laoghaire in April 2025 during the Dublin Learning City Festival
Access and Inclusion On Show – IADT
The festival launch also featured three IADT students who spoke about their learning journeys, including returning to education as mature students and overcoming illness and socio-economic challenges:
Eimear Macken – IADT Art student
John-James McDonald – IADT Immersive Media Studies student
Louise Farrell – IADT Access Foundation Programme student
These student stories helped to demonstrate the different pathways into higher education and the impact that access and inclusion initiatives had on learners’ educational journeys.
Engagement with the Travelling Community
As part of IADT’s ongoing work to engage with Traveller and Roma communities, learners and artists, the Access service invited artist Chloe McDonagh to create a permanent piece of artwork for display on campus. The artwork, Together, was created for IADT and was displayed in April 2026 as part of the Dublin Learning City Festival.
The project provided a visible representation of IADT’s commitment to inclusion and to creating routes and supports for members of Traveller and Roma communities to access higher education. It also highlighted the role of art and creative practice in building connections between communities and the institution.
