Curiosity, Creativity and Connection
Upbeat experiences that inspire a love of learning
Leebow’s ethos springs from my childhood, where art was an outlet for creativity and our parents always encouraged us to be curious. As a result, we grew in confidence and self-awareness. Thanks to them, I learnt that it’s the process rather than the result that matters, and that real learning is about freedom to experiment rather than a random set of rules.
Somewhere along the way, I realised that in the right environment, learning is fun. And when learning is fun, it sticks.
Process-led, Person-Centred
At Leebow, students immerse themselves in the process and create and learn at their own pace — all in a welcoming, engaging, non-competitive environment.
We never tire of seeing the joy students get from learning something new. Or of waving them off, smiling and happy, with pride in what they’ve achieved. And maybe a few new friends too.
As a kid growing up, my parents made sure no art medium was off limits. I was even allowed to doodle on the walls!
That early experience taught me that if the teaching environment is fun and provides creative freedom, learning becomes something you want to do rather than a chore.
So I set out to become an artist and an educator.
After gaining a BA in Fine Art from the Institute of Art, Design & Technology in Dun Laoghaire, I taught art right across Leinster. Meanwhile, I took every course I could in order to add to my skills, build experience and become the best teacher I could be.
A key turning point came when I took a Train the Trainer course in 2016. Now, I had the tools not just to teach, but to teach others how to teach, and in a way that is firmly rooted in an ethos of positive learning.
In 2023 I founded Leebow to bring all my activities under one umbrella. Today I run art classes and camps for children and adults of all ages and abilities, mainly from our wonderfully bright purpose-built studio behind my home in Courtown.
I also run parties to celebrate everything from Communions to birthdays, deliver Internet Safety workshops in primary and secondary schools across Leinster, and design educational programmes for clients who can’t find exactly what they’re looking for anywhere else.
Thanks to my extensive Train the Trainer experience, I’ve designed programmes on everything from art to sport, in partnership with Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council and the Vocational Education Board. My work as a Director Consultant with BNI (Business Network International) has enabled me to collaborate with businesses across Wexford and the Leinster region.
I’ve also contributed to mainstream education by teaching the Leaving Cert Applied programme at Gorey Youthreach. Most recently, I was commissioned by the Enterprise Board and Wexford Arts office to develop a pilot programme for Transition Year students on generating creative ideas for business.
Five Random Facts About Me
My first teaching job was teaching sport! I’ve taught everything from swimming to salsa dancing.
The name Leebow combines my nickname, ‘Lee’, with my love of rainbow colours (I even have a rainbow-coloured fur coat).
My house is as colourful as me: teal with a yellow front door.
I come from a family of creatives, from graphic designers to model makers.
I have two very creative daughters - one an artist, the other a chef.
“It doesn’t matter what the subject is, I believe for learning to be effective, it needs to be fun and creative. That’s why I set up Leebow. If you can free up people’s imagination and get them thinking for themselves, they start to really enjoy learning. It makes them want to learn more, to develop their own ideas rather than just being told what to think or do. They become more confident. It’s a really powerful thing.”
