Cork City’s Local Economic and Community Plan 2024 - 2029
9.6 Case Study: Cork Lifelong Learning Festival – Award Winning, Globally Recognised
Since 2004, the annual Lifelong Learning Festival has made Cork Learning City a reality for people of all ages, interests and abilities.
The idea of a Lifelong Learning Festival was first set out in the ‘Imagine Our Future’ policy and developed further in ‘Pure Cork’ LECP 2016 – 2021. It is supported by a range of partners, including the two universities and the Education and Training Board. It also works with Cork City Council, the HSE and many other local and community partners.
In 2023, Cork Lifelong Learning Festival was named Irish Festival of the Year by the Local Authority Management Association.
The enduring success of the festival is based on the strength of connection with:
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Communities
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Learning Neighbourhoods
The success of the festival is based on three guidelines, all events are:
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All learning partners – formal and informal
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Hosted by willing partners using their own resources
Watch a video interview with Willie McAuliffe, the Co-Chair Cork Learning City and Growing Lifelong Learning in Cork (GLLiC): https://vimeo.com/806719708
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Free
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Open to the public
The festival was recognised internationally as a model of best practice by UNESCO in 2015. Cork City was then one of the first cities to receive the Learning City Award. Cork City was elected as the host city of the third International Conference on Learning Cities in 2017. Since then, the festival model developed in Cork City has been emulated in cities around the world including Australia, the USA, Wales and South Africa.
Find out more: https:// corklearningcity.ie/lifelong- learning-festival/
Figure 9.2: Participant at the Cork City Lifelong Learning Festival, City Library. (Image: Darragh Kane).
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