…a conscious place for living as an artist,
a creative & a community member.
By Julie Spollen
An Artists in The Community Outreach Project 2019. A Conscious Place for Living – Places, Engagements, Personal & Community Narratives. ‘Feedback with & by the community, for the community’ was shared with, Offaly County Development Plan and Community Wellness survey by Offaly PPN.
“Artists are enablers of cultural & creative experiences”
The exhibition piece appealed for a ‘new spatial contract’ guided by rural and urban designers and local authorities to involve artists working together with communities for equity, inclusion and spatial identity. Spaces need to be adaptive for usage to ensure and enable inclusion and means of expression to all. The exhibition also appealed for an understanding of the potential of the arts and how the design of an area may impact and enhance our lives with the activities we do. This community project funded and supported by Anam Beo, The Community Foundation for Ireland, Offaly County Council, The National Lottery Fund, The Irish Wheelchair Association and Offaly Public Participation Network.
‘Provide tactical places for creativity & arts engagements,
these spaces should work for everybody,
for creative engagements & social health’
The project was unpacked during and by the following;
- Riada House Day Care & Residential – Activate creative feedback sessions with Julie Spollen
- Bealtaine Feedback Cafés with Offaly County Council, Offaly Public Participation Network, Active Age Groups and Older Peoples Network.
- Get Together Sessions at Charleville Centre.
- Presentations with Dr Owen Douglas Urban & Rural Planner UCD.
- Community feedback on spaces for public use that are creative and socially inclusive.
- Catherine Donnelly Dance Artist workshops with the Irish wheelchair Association.
- Visual Artists Laura Angell, Rowena Keaveny & Julie Spollen.
- A Place to Sit- The Irish Wheelchair Association with Ballycumber Active Age Group art sessions.
- Sustainability discussion and making session with The Irish Wheelchair at Áras and Chontae.
- A Creative Charter for older people, arts engagement funded by The Community Foundation for Ireland.
- Activate, A Conscious Place for Living, as an artist, a creative & a community member, exhibition.
