Come to Tullamore to discover 'What Makes A Man!'
Spoken word and music in Tullamore’s Lloyd Town Park on this Friday, June 19
Offaly County Council is delighted to present What Makes a Man, a free, open air event in Lloyd Town Park on Friday 19 June, from 4pm to 5.30pm.
This free, open -air event celebrates creativity, community and the voices of teenage boys in Offaly through poetry, spoken word and music. It features original spoken word pieces created by participants from Tullamore Youth Project, alongside performances by spoken word artist Leon Dunne, rapper Flynn Johnson, and the Youthwork Midlands Choir, who will present songs from Hamilton
Through a structured programme of workshops in May and June, participants developed original spoken word and performance pieces, focusing on expression, confidence and connection. The project grew from conversations with teenage boys in Tullamore Youth Project about identity, masculinity and creativity. These conversations evolved into powerful performances that are honest, raw and sometimes funny — creating a space for connection and change.
This project has been developed by Festival in a Van, an arts organisation established during Covid19 to commission and deliver creative work with communities across Ireland. It has been delivered in collaboration with Tullamore Youth Project, a UBU project managed by Youth Work Ireland Midlands, and Offaly County Council, as part of Men’s Health Week, which runs from 15–21 June. Men’s Health Week is an initiative of the Men’s Health Forum in Ireland (MHFI), which promotes and enhances the health and wellbeing of men and boys across the island of Ireland.
Cathaoirleach of Offaly County Council, Cllr. Declan Harvey, commented: “Offaly County Council’s programme for Men’s Health Week offers a varied range of activities for men and boys across the county. We are delighted to host this event, showcasing the achievements of the young men from Youth Work Ireland Midlands in our wonderful town park.”
What Makes a Man creates a supportive, peer led space where young men can explore themes of identity, masculinity, belonging and emotional wellbeing, while developing confidence and their own creative voice. A parallel programme is also taking place in Edenderry, facilitated by Dagogo Hart, writer, performer and co founder of the WeAreGriot collective. This work will be showcased later in the summer.
What Makes a Man demonstrates the power of creative practice as a tool for engagement and wellbeing — offering young men a space to reflect, communicate and be heard, while building confidence, empathy and a stronger sense of identity.
This programme is supported by Offaly County Council, Youth Work Ireland Midlands, and the Arts Council. The free event will take place in the northern section of Lloyd Town Park, adjacent to the water feature and bandstand. It begins at 4pm, and all are welcome.