Four day festival celebrating Lifelong Learning starts today | Dublin Learning City Festival opened today with over 100 educational events
Dublin Learning City Festival, was officially opened today by Lord Mayor of Dublin Cllr Ray McAdam, at an event in Charleville Mall Library. off Dublin’s North Strand. The festival, running from today Wednesday 22nd through to Saturday 25th April, aims to celebrate the inclusive learning possibilities in Dublin and to showcase the many organisations working to break barriers to education through a wide range of educational events.
Following the Festival’s theme, ‘Belonging’, tours, workshops, exhibitions, talks and many other activities that focus on learning will be made accessible to all in Dublin. Organisations that work to promote lifelong learning in the city will open their doors with free events in order to exhibit all traditional and non-traditional opportunities they have on offer.
Lord Mayor of Dublin, Cllr Ray McAdam officially opening the Festival commented, “Dublin Learning City Festival is a powerful expression of what it means to truly celebrate Dublin. It reflects our belief that learning belongs to everyone and that opportunity should be open to all, regardless of background or circumstance. Over these days, we see our city at its very best, curious, inclusive and ambitious. The challenge for all of us is to carry that spirit beyond this festival, to keep opening doors, to keep creating pathways, and to ensure that lifelong learning continues to thrive in every community across our capital.”
Dublin was established as a Learning City as defined by UNESCO in 2019 and received the UNESCO Learning City Award in 2021. The aim of the Dublin Learning City initiative is to ensure that education and learning is accessible for all individuals, regardless of background.
Denise McMorrow, Chair of Dublin Learning City commented, “Dublin fully encapsulates what it means to be a UNESCO learning city. The city continuously promotes lifelong learning for all and has many flexible pathways to learning.”
“We hope that Dublin Learning City Festival will further expose all the amazing and wonderful opportunities there are in this city. Learning can be life changing, and we want to give everyone that chance. Sometimes people don’t know what is out there for them and we’re hoping to change that.”
The project is fully funded by the Higher Education Authority (HEA) Access Initiative that brings together a collaboration of people and organisations including the main education providers IADT, NCAD, along with other HEI’s to work targeting socially disadvantaged learners and encourage and support them to take up learning opportunities at all stages of their lives.
Dublin Learning City has a strong partnership and is funded by Dublin City Council. Dublin joined the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities in 2019. UNESCO GNLC support and improve the practice of lifelong learning in the world’s cities and recognise progress made in building learning cities.
All events taking place as part of the Dublin Learning City Festival are free to attend, but some require registration of attendance. Further information regarding what’s on as part of the 2025 Festival can be found here: www.dublinlearningcity.ie
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