Creative Postcards: Friendship
In December 2025 and January 2026, British Council Ireland, in partnership with the British Embassy Dublin and the National Library of Ireland, hosted the ‘Friendship’ Creative Postcard exhibition inspired by the 250th birthday of Jane Austen and her friendship with Ireland’s literary hero, Maria Edgeworth. Through this shared literary lens, young people explored ideas of friendship, voice and connection across time and place.
Students worked with selected texts by Austen and Edgeworth, alongside illustrations from the National Library of Ireland’s Prints and Drawings Collection. Using the blackout poetry method, students creatively re-imagined the visual and textual possibilities of the page, responding to both language and imagery in new and expressive ways.
In total, 35 schools from across Ireland and the UK took part in this year’s project, submitting 819 creative postcards. The works on display reflect the originality, thoughtfulness and creative confidence of the students involved.
Participating schools represented at the launch:
- St Louis Secondary School, Co. Louth
- New-Bridge Integrated College, Co. Down
- Coláiste Cois Life, Co. Dublin
- St Genevieve’s High School, Belfast
- Thomond Community College
- Crana College, Co. Donegal
- Coláiste an Eachréidh
- St Paul’s Community College, Co. Waterford
The exhibition was presented at the National Library of Ireland Seamus Heaney Centre in Dublin, in partnership with the British Council and the British Embassy Dublin. The launch event brought together students from a selection of participating schools alongside invited guests and formed part of a wider celebration of youth creativity and cross-border collaboration. Coverage of the launch featured on TG4’s children’s programming.
This is the fourth iteration of the Creative Postcards project, a UK-Ireland creative initiative that invites young people to respond artistically to shared themes through literature and visual expression. Previous editions of the project explored the themes of War, Identity and Climate, with this year’s focus on Friendship.
At its core, the Creative Postcards exchange project reflects the strength of UK-Ireland cultural collaboration and the role of literature and the arts in fostering understanding, empathy and friendship among young people.
In collaboration with the UK’s Jane Austen House
Following the Dublin exhibition, the Creative Postcards project has continued to evolve well beyond its original showcase. In January 2026, the postcards made their way to Jane Austen’s House in Hampshire, England, where they became part of the Pride and Prejudice Festival (23–28 January 2026). The festival marked the 213th anniversary of the novel’s publication and drew visitors from across the UK and beyond. The Creative Postcards added a contemporary, student-led dimension to the celebrations, offering a visual response to Austen’s legacy. The postcards remained in the house following the festival until end of February.
On 22 February, Jane Austen’s House further deepened this collaboration by hosting a drop-in lino printing workshop. Led by Creative Postcards project lead teacher Fergal Killkenny (St. Louis Secondary School) and Eimear McKeown (New-Bridge Integrated College), the session invited visitors of all ages to explore the craft of lino cutting. Participants experimented with tools and techniques, creating their own Austen-inspired silhouettes, or working with pre-cut blocks designed for the event. The workshop offered a hands-on way to engage with Austen’s world while celebrating creativity, craftsmanship and cross-community collaboration.
Upcoming events with Creative Postcards
We are so thrilled to announce that the Jane Austen 250 Friendship postcards will now travel to the Maria Edgeworth Centre in Co. Longford for a third exhibition as part of the Maria Edgeworth Festival 15–17 May and that they will continue to celebrate the historic friendship between Jane Austen and Maria Edgeworth. The postcards will be on display from 21 April to 18 May.
Find out more in relation to the Maria Edgeworth Festival.