South Dublin County’s Creative Ireland programme of events gets the spotlight
CREATIVE Ireland South Dublin – Culture and Creativity 2017 has emerged through the inspirational Creative Ireland Programme that supports greater investment in our children, our communities, our creative industries and our cultural infrastructure.
The Creative Ireland Programme is the Government’s Legacy Programme for Ireland 2016 – a five-year initiative, from 2017 to 2022, which places creativity at the centre of public policy.
Local Authorities are the key drivers of the Creative Ireland initiative and each Council is charged with devising Local Culture and Creativity Plans. The Plans are a collaboration across the arts, heritage and creative industries to enhance community participation and provide support for artists and creatives the years ahead.
Recent highlights in the county in 2017, include the inaugural Crinniú na Cásca (Easter Monday), and Ruaille Buaille Lucan Children’s Music Festival; the opening of the Round Tower Interpretative Centre in Clondalkin, and the opening of the digital library hub in Palmerstown, and the programmes generated from these initiatives.
A further ambition for this plan is the development of Tallaght as a creative hub in the county, building on the existing creative cluster of the Civic Theatre, Rua Red and the County Library, and the artists and organisations who interact with the public in these spaces.
There are upcoming opportunities to take part in events such as Rock to the Top this August with Ciarán Taylor, a walking-based project inspired by the story of Oisín í dTír na nÓg which follows the route of the warrior from Tallaght through Glen na Smól, up to the top of Kippure.
Nominate your workplace to take part in Worksongs, a project with Singer Fiona Dowling and Composer George Higgs or find out more about the Citizens’ Chorus which will start in September with theatre director Veronica Coburn.
Three new awards were announced at the launch of the Culture and Creativity Plan 2017 which aim to enhance creative skills and fostering creative ambition. Proposals are now invited for the Artist & Creatives Collaborative Practice Award which will support an artist to create a new work with a community of participants.
Artists are also asked to engage with cultural organisations or venues in the county as part of the project and they may have access to mentoring from one of these venues or organisations. The amount of the award is €15,000.
Creative Ireland South Dublin also offers an opportunity to nurture the creative talent of emerging groups and collectives of artists in the County through the Emerging Arts Group Incubation Award. The amount of the award is €5,000.
From September, Schools Cultural Awards will be accepting applications from both primary schools and second level schools for projects in the disciplines of Drama, Dance and Visual Arts that will enrich arts practice in schools in the county. The maximum amount of an award will be €2,000. Five awards will be made in 2017.
This ambitious plan will feature the highly regarded Techspace, NOISE Dublin, Music Generation South Dublin and Tenderfoot programmes encourage children and young people to push the boundaries in creative skill and critical thinking.
December will feature Unwrapped Winter Festival in an outdoor spectacle featuring 300 children, young people and adults from South Dublin County’s youth, schools and community arts groups.
“We have a strong foundation for creative participation in the County. The Creative Ireland South Dublin programme raises awareness of these initiatives and promotes new ones that will result in wider community engagement,” says Arts Officer Orla Scannell
“Through its policies and the commitment of public resources, South Dublin County Council contributes to the development of the cultural vitality of the county,” said Daniel McLoughlin, Chief Executive of South Dublin County Council.
“The Creative Ireland Programme offers strengthens the proud tradition we have in fostering and promoting creativity within the arts, culture and heritage. Culture plays an essential role in the lives of our communities and our Creative Ireland plan gives expression to the rich traditional cultural identities native to our locality and the one hundred and twenty different nationalities that are now part of our community.”
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