Songs of Empowerment
Songs of Empowerment
October 10 @ 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm IST
Songwriting workshop for 13-17 year olds
Book Your Place
Admission free, book here.
Artists
Colm Quearney, songwriter, musician, workshop facilitator, Development and Outreach Officer with Fighting Words
Full Event Details
Songs of Empowerment is a workshop conducted by Colm Quearney, a workshop facilitator and Development and Outreach Officer with Fighting Words. At this workshop, participants have the opportunity to look at the history of songs that empower and will draw on these themes to create their own songs relevant to today’s generation. The workshop takes place on Saturday 10 October 2026 from 12 noon to 2pm and is conducted onsite at Fighting Words, Behan Square, 12-16 Russell Street Dublin.
Songs and music have played a powerful role in human rights movements, giving a universal voice, crossing barriers and promoting unity and equality. At this workshop, teenagers will look at the history of protest songs, and draw on these themes to create their own songs relevant to today’s (their) generation. No previous song writing experience is required. However, feel free to bring along any instruments or lyrical ideas you might have.
This event is presented by Fighting Words Fighting Words provides free programmes and mentoring in creative writing and related arts to as many children, young adults and adults with additional needs as we can reach.
Speaker Biographies:
Colm Quearney grew up in, and still lives in, Dublin. As a songwriter and musician Colm has released five original albums of music and has contributed to original albums with bands and artists including Lir, Dragonfly DC, Square Pegs, Colm Mac Con Iomaire, Pugwash, Thomas Walsh, The Pale and Bronagh Gallagher.
As a writer Colm has written a musical for teenagers that was produced twice by the Gaiety School of Acting. Composed and written a radio musical series for RTÉjr in 2024, and written a play that was performed at The Gate Theatre, Dublin 2025.
Between 2011 and 2018 Colm worked as head of the song writing department at BIMM Dublin (British & Irish Modern Music Institute). Colm now works for Fighting Words as Development and Outreach Officer.
Organisations Involved / Partner Organisation(s):
