Guidelines for the 'Stories Project'

“Through the stories of Our Alumni, Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of Kimmage DSC”.

Thank you for kindly agreeing to contribute to this activity. We have been delighted with the response received from our alumni, and in view of questions that some of you are asking, we wanted to clarify some details.

  1. What do we want?
  • We want to put together a Collection of short stories – from a wide variety of alumni reflecting the rich tapestry of backgrounds of Kimmage students.
  • These pieces will be short – say 500 to 1,000 words – and will focus on the theme of one of your significant achievements[1] since studying at Kimmage. [See footnote below.]
  • We'd also like you to say anything about what has remained with you since your time with us – one aspect[2] of the Kimmage programme that you have found most helpful in your life or your work. [see note below.]
  1. What is the preferred format?
  • We are happy for you to send a short written script (1,000 words max) which tell the story you want to tell – and one or two photos to go with it. This could also be a reflective poem, if that is a style you prefer.
  • Alternatively, if you have access to a good video camera – you could do a short (5 minutes max) talk on the same theme.
  • Whatever format you choose – please send us your current work title (if you have one) and location, and a recent photo of yourself.
  • Where necessary, because of space contstraints, we will have to do some editing on the contributions.
  1. What are we going to do with the materials?
  • We are going to post the contributions onto our website – the exact style, location and page format to be decided – and also display them at an Exhibition we're going to host from next September in Kimmage Manor.
  • As well as showcasing the stories in this way, we plan to produce an e-booklet (in pdf)[3] which will be available for download from the Kimmage Alumni page.
  • At an event to be agreed in October, alumni will gather at Kimmage and these stories will form part of the focus of a conference on the 40 years of the Centre.
  • Other alumni not based in Ireland will be invited to participate in this gathering through web links or Skype, or if this is not possible, to send messages in advance and share in the occasion.
  1. When do we need it?
  • We'll be gathering these pieces during May - August, with the final deadline of 29th August.

[1]Achievements: what you consider under this heading is entirely up to you – for example, it could be a professional award, a promotion to high office, publication of a book, academic advancement, development of a new and innovative programme, political leadership, business success, etc – or a more personal sense of achievement in your own way of living and working, relationships with others, etc.

[2]Kimmage legacy: what you have found helpful in your life/work – it could be for example, a specific course or module you attended, or perhaps the process of learning used in Kimmage, or the building of friendships that have endured, etc.

[3]Editorial considerations: it may be necessary to limit the number of entries into the booklet, so unfortunately we cannot guarantee all contributions will be published in this collection.