Common Ground and Create, the national development agency for collaborative arts, co-partnered on the framework and delivery of the Connect Mentoring Programme. 

www. connectprogramme.wordpress.com/

Connect was supported by an advisory group and the overall research was informed through a range of discussions with partners, artists, educators and those who work in community and social contexts. The Connect Mentoring Programme took place over an eighteen month period, concluding in early 2010.

The Connect mentors were Elaine Agnew, Paul Roe, Jay Koh and mentees were Nick Roth, Pia Dunne, Fiona Whelan, Anne Maree Barry and Mark Ellison.  The mentees were artists engaged in the past and present by Common Ground and based in the community contexts of Fatima Homework Club; Dolphin House Homework Club and the After Schools Programme of the Family Resource Centre St Michael's Estate, Inchicore Dublin.

The Connect mentoring model is applicable and responsive to the unique conditions of collaborative arts, and drew upon community partners and participants as active learning partners in shaping the Connect programme and findings.

The Connect Mentoring blog is intended as a platform through which the learnings of the Connect programme, its DVD and accompanying Booklet, can be further debated, explored and tested by mentors and mentees.

www.connectprogramme.wordpress.com/