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Visualise Carlow Programme 2009

Visualise Carlow was the advance programme to VISUAL – The Centre for Contemporary Art in Carlow which brings three temporary public art projects to Carlow, working with local, national and international artists and curators.  This exciting programme continues on showing exhibits in VISUAL and beyond.. 2009 was an exciting year for the Visualise Carlow programme as we approached the opening of VISUAL in September 2009.  This nationally acclaimed programme continued to build on the success and standards of previous years encouraging support to artists/curators as well as working collaboratively with local community, educational institutions, businesses and key stakeholders, building a visual arts audience in Carlow.

The Visualise Programme

  • Produced the seventh Visualise Carlow catalogue in conjunction with Visual’s first Visual Arts catalogue.
  • Unknown Point - held an ambitious temporary collaborative exhibition by acclaimed sound artists David Stalling and Anthony Kelly at various sites around Carlow town, curated by local composer/musician Grainne Mulvey.
  • The Stallion - commissioned and produced new work by internationally renowned artist Daphne Wright as part of the inaugural visual art programme for Visual.
  • Undertook to commission an Open Windows project, curated by Denis Roche for St. Dympnas Psychiatric Hospital, Carlow under Visualise which will become a longer term Arts in Health Strand to Visualise as this programme’s structure will change due to the opening of Visual.

County Carlow Youth Theatre

  • CCYT gave workshops based on best practice when teaching drama to all teachers of a local primary school. The skills passed on will in turn be used to enhance the quality of the teaching of drama in this school.
  • The Senior Youth Theatre undertook a Film Project. Between February and June members of County Carlow Youth Theatre wrote, directed, filmed and acted in a series of short films. The films were shot in local areas around Carlow. Carlow’s Council Chamber was used to showcase the finished product. Members arranged for a formal dress, movie premiere themed night. Drinks and sweets were provided as well as a presentation from the members. The night was a huge success.
  • CCYT collaborated with County Carlow Youth Services and held workshops in a drop in centre in Carlow town, encouraging integration of new members through youth service users who then joined CCYT.  15 young people joined CCYT through this initiative.  CCYT continued its relationship with the Carlow Youth Training in which it facilitated a FETAC Level 4 Drama module (leaving certificate level) to 15 trainees some of whom achieved accreditation. All trainees passed their exams. In addition 5 young people from this initiative joined CCYT.
  • A junior group was established. The 10 – 14 age group in Carlow began weekly workshops. In May this group presented their first production, The Weird, The Wonderful, and the Various Other Things, which was performed to large crowds in Eire Og and Visual, during its open days.
  • There are currently over 60 members of County Carlow Youth Theatre currently aged 10-18 years old and audience figures combined for the film night and various performances totaled over 300 people.  CCYT also worked with 25 primary school teachers in 2009.

Artists in Residence Programme

  • Following the success of play writer in residence Bryan Delaney Carlow Local Authorities Arts Office continued to work with Bryan in 2009. During Bryan’s residence he would have worked with over 60 writers, both amateur and semi-professional throughout County Carlow as well as working with local drama groups, lecturing at Carlow College on the Theatre Studies Course.  An exciting outcome of the 3 year residency has been the development of an Emerging Playwrighters group in Co. Carlow.  This initiative successfully achieved our aim to develop and build an audience for theatre/playwrighting in Carlow.

ASPIRO Formerly Carlow Young Artists Choir

  • Carlow County Council Arts Office worked in a strategic capacity with the Choir offering support and advice as well as funding throughout 2009.  Aspiro is established as a unique youth ensemble of international standing.

Éigse Carlow Arts Festival

  • Carlow Arts Office presented two Visual Arts projects during Eigse, 1. Unknown Point 2. Tullow TY student’s exhibition.  The Arts Officer is a member of the Eigse Carlow Arts Festival Board and the local authorities continues to financially support the festival.

Carlow African Film Festival

  • In 2009, Carlow Arts Office supported the Carlow African Film Festival, Irelands first African Film Festival continues to grow from strength to strength.  The festival provides an annual platform for social integration and social inclusion. As well as being a platform for education and collaboration.  Rudolph Walker OBE who plays the role of Patrick Trueman in the British Soap Eastenders was amongst the special guests who attended the 2009 edition of the Carlow African Film Festival which opened on Friday 16th October and ran until Sunday 18th October 2009 in VISUAL, Centre for Contemporary Art & George Bernard Shaw Theatre Carlow.

Public and the Arts

  • Carlow Arts Office worked in partnership with local agencies such as St.Catherine’s Community Centre, Travellers Training Centre, Carlow County Development Partnership, Community Partnership, Carlow Library Service and County Carlow VEC for the following initiatives:
  • Travellers Music Project – collaborating with St. Catherine's Community Centre and Music Network of Ireland. 2009 saw this programme develop a long term research phase seeking to access the needs of travellers in accessing the arts and in particular Music. The arts office acted in an advisory capacity in this instance. An exciting development from this project has led to two local Traveller women undertaking The Certificate in Music and Dance at the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance, University of Limerick through the Nomad project. The Nomad project works with the Traveller community, using music as a vehicle for learning and communication. Nomad recognises the contribution made by the Traveller musicians of old to the preservation and transmission of Irish traditional music and song. In 2010 Carlow Local Authorities Arts Office will endeavour to further support this on-going project both through funding, advice and promotion.
  • County Carlow Photographic Society Project – following the success of the artist in residence, Gypsy Ray working with this group over a year and the culmination of an exhibition at the 2009 Eigse Carlow Arts Festival, the Photographic Society continues working with professional artists, looking at photography in a contemporary art context as well as with twin town committees in Banbridge, Northern Ireland and in Škofja Loka, Slovenia.
  • Bealtaine Celebrating Creativity in Older Age – The Arts Office facilitated two Outreach Projects during Bealtaine 2009. Carlow Day Care Centre exhibited art works produced by centre service users at Carlow Library, Tullow Library and Bagenalstown Library for the month of May. Included in this programme was a Library and exhibition tour for participants. Playwright in residence, Bryan Delaney facilitated a series of talks on Working in the Theatre for active retired groups at libraries throughout Carlow during May.
  • 2009 saw the development of an Architecture programme whereby the architect (Terry Pawson London UK) of VISUAL worked with Tullow Community School giving talks about the concept behind the architecture of VISUAL.  This programme was facilitated by Artist in Residence Gypsy Ray who ran a series of drawing, photography and print workshops with Transition Year Students from Tullow Community School responding to the concepts of architecture and the design of VISUAL. This project culminated in an exhibition by Transition Year Students from Tullow Community School at Tullow Civic Offices and Swans Electrical Store, Carlow Town during Eigse Carlow Arts Festival 2009.
  • Carlow Local Authorities Arts Office provide ongoing support and advice to countywide artists and arts groups throughout the year and awarded grants to 34 local amateur and professional artists and 24 local groups.

Percent for Art Commission for Visual

Carlow Arts Centre Ltd., through Carlow Local Authorities Arts Office commissioned artist Eileen McDonagh to provide and install a work of sculpture under the Department of the Environment Per Cent for Art Scheme for Visual Centre for Contemporary Art and the George Bernard Shaw Theatre. Eileen McDonagh created the perfect accompaniment to this new architectural landmark for Carlow.  In Carlow Local Authorities Arts Office along with Visual Centre for Contemporary Art is proud and honoured to unveil her latest sculpture entitled Medusa Tree later this month.

A diverse line up of Artists exhibiting at Tullow Civic Office in 2009

During 2009 Carlow Local Authorities Arts Office invited a diverse line-up of locally based artistes to exhibit their work in Tullow Civic Offices.  The artists included Cora Murphy, Painter, Owen O’Neill, Photographer and Transition Year Students of Tullow Community School, who under the direction of artist in residence, GYPSY RAY created a body of work engaging with the architecture of Carlow’s new VISUAL Centre for Contemporary Art. Sarah Robinson is exhibiting her work from July – September 2009.  The final exhibitor in Tullow Civic Offices in 2009 was Maryse Lennon - Collection:  “One Man’s Junk”.  This collection is based on a fascination of discarded objects of affection, such as jewellery.  Jewellery, badges, buttons and other such things used in this collection were given by family and friends who were finished with them.  I wanted to give them a new purpose among pattern, colour, decoration and texture.

Artlinks 

2009 was another successful year for this user-led regional arts programme, supported by the Carlow Local Authorities Arts Office along with its four county partners in the south-east region…. In 2009 we initiated the following courses:

  • Spring 09 - Art Handling for Venues in assoc with Eigse & VISUAL.  Earning opportunities for Visual Artists - Mentoring of Carlow artists Hilary Elmes, Brandon McClane, Mairead Holohan.
  • Autumn O9 - Building communities of Culture.  Also in 2009 we were delighted to have awarded Borris based artist Gwen Wilkinson – Visual Artist – documentary photographer the ArtLinks Bursary Awards of €5,000. Please visit www.artlinks.ie to see the wealth of artistic activity and skills that that ArtLinks programme is helping to support, develop and profile. People interested in the Arts in the South East can also sign up for free e-Newsletter on the site.