Stuck On Repeat
Photography Series by Alannah Flood Magennis
This collection of photographs captures the reality of drugs in the community through a young person’s lens.
View the work here
Keep Away From Children
Mixed Media Sculpture by Lara Murphy
This art piece is about how young people are being exploited by the companies manufacturing vapes. It says ‘keep away from children’ on the label but they are very clearly advertised and targeted towards children.
View the work here
Best Friends
Short film by Tori Awotunde & Madison Maloney
Jane and Liza are best friends. A new start in secondary school means they face many challenges in their relationship. Will it survive?
View the work here
Beauty of Nature || Think of the Futre
Digital Drawings by Mairis Strods
These digital drawings are about what will happen to the earth if we don't recycle and reduce how much waste we produce.
View the work here
IF YOU HAVE NOTHING NICE TO SAY
Photography Collage & Story by Katie Gaskin & Sophie Greene
This photography collage shows different types of bullying and how it affects people. We want people to think about what they say to people.
View the work here
Broken
Mixed Media Installation by Ruby McCormack
Broken is an installation that shows the emotional impact on people when they are called names.
Watch the film here
STICKS AND STONES MAY BREAK MY BONES BUT WORDS WILL HURT ME
Mixed Media Installation with Audio by Maddie Scully
This installation shows the power of negative comments over time and how they can bring a person down.
Watch the film here
A SERIES OF SELF CARE
Photography Series by Toni Mitchell
This photography series is about taking care of yourself, trying to maintain a positive mindset, which leads to positive mental health. This can help you achieve your goals in life and supports you in doing whatever you put your mind to.
View the work here
DRUGS AT A YOUNG AGE
Photography Series by Katie Forrester
This photography series shows commonly used drugs among teenagers. It shows hotspots within the community where young people tend to use drugs. The series compares locations before and after a weekend, showing leftover paraphernalia.
View the work here
mentor works
Mentors are existing members of What's Your Issue? who continue with the programme to create new work and/or support new members to develop their ideas.
Our 2022/3 mentors included Kyle, Olivia & EmilyLee
KYLE HOGAN BENNETT is an emerging filmmaker. His short film, The Eviction, was screened at Fresh Film Festival 2023 & Dublin International Film Festival 2023. His current work, Dead-Eye: Vengeance, inspired spin-off series Helen News, featuring his alter-ego, journalist/broadcaster Helen White. Find his growing series on TikTok & YouTube @helenshole_news.
OLIVIA RODRIGUES is a an emerging photographer, songwriter & musician. She wrote and performed the song From Darkness to Light for WYI? 2021/22 and recently performed an original song with an SYS Studios band at the IYMA’s. This year she explored her interest in diversity in her community through photography.
EMILYLEE DUFF, emerging photograper and filmmaker did not exhibit this year, however she played a key role supporting new WYI? members this year. Her short film, Pressure, was screened at DIFF 2023 and she recently played a small role in Irish feature Ready Or Not, currently in post-production. See EmilyLee’s work at http://reckless.ie/emilylee
DEAD-EYE: Vengeance
Short Film by Kyle Hogan Bennett
When Dead-Eye’s brother was groomed into and killed by a gang a decade ago, his mission became clear: Vengeance.
View the work here
COMMUNITY PORTRAITS
Photography Series by Olivia Rodrigues
Community Portraits is a photography series capturing diversity in the community.
View the work here
2023 Catalogue
2023 marks the 5th Edition of What’s Your Issue?, following exhibitions of work by young artists from Dublin’s north east inner city in 2017, 2019, 2021 and 2022. The What's Your Issue? programme is built on creative collaboration between young people, youth workers and artists. Participating young artists explore issues relevant to them and are supported to develop skills in art mediums of their choice.
Our 2022/23 young artists are members of SWAN Regional Youth Service, Ballybough Youth Service, Belvedere Youth Club, East Wall Youth and International Youth Club. Our young artists worked with their youth workers along with artist in residence, Shireen Shortt to create thoughtful and exciting new work. We are thankful again this year to have received the support of The Arts Council through the Young Ensembles funding stream, offering us the opportunity to grow and create a high quality arts programme for and with our young participants and mentors.
Our young artists explored themes of bullying, mental health & wellbeing, vaping and the targeting of young people by vape manufacturers, climate change, community pride, drug use and drug crime. These issues are explored through various traditional, digital and traditional mediums including film, photography, writing, drawing, mixed media and sculpture.
The work was exhibited in D-Light Studios in September 2023.
Each artwork is available to view in more detail by clicking the image provided.
