Creative Places and Create Networking Event 2022

Booking is now open for the Creative Places and Create Networking Event 2022.

This two-day event will explore how support and solidarity intersect with and inform the development of critical relationships in socially engaged, collaborative arts practice. We are delighted to host the event this year in Tuam, home of the Creative Places pilot. Come with us to explore the town, seeing our core preoccupations of support and solidarity in action.

During this two day event, our invited speakers will propose a series of methodologies that can be used in order to build networks of support and solidarity for and between collaborative, socially engaged practitioners and communities.

On this page you will find links to the full programme, booking, an access document, and speaker biographies.

Programme

The keynote speaker will be Pablo Helguera, a New York-based Mexican artist working with installation, sculpture, photography, drawing, socially engaged art and performance. As both an artist and educator Pablo has made a very significant contribution to the field of socially engaged practice. Through his projects and critical writing, he has expanded our thinking of what it means to be a socially engaged artist, and the potential of the practice to effect change. Often employing humour, Pablo has illuminated many of the key preoccupations of contemporary socially engaged arts practice, communicating the complexity of what’s at stake while also highlighting critical pathways through for a generation of artists. Following his keynote lecture, Pablo will be joined in conversation by artist Deirdre O’Mahony.

Friday will feature a showcase of the Creative Places Network, a chance to get to know each Creative Place and learn about how each place is exploring creating work together with the community. This will be a whirlwind journey across the country, highlighting the realities of the practice, building relationships and making things happen together. This will be followed by a panel chaired by artist Seamus Nolan and featuring Kathleen Keenan (musician), Mary McDonagh (theatre artist) and Nora Corcoran (Galway Traveller movement, Misleor festival), on Representation and (Re)imagining Traveller culture at local, regional and national levels. Via various artforms the panel will discuss the importance of the community taking the lead in developing, directing and producing the experiences and histories of the Traveller community.

This panel will be followed by an input by the Critical Friends, a network of professional practitioners with socially engaged, participatory and collaborative practices who have graduated at a Masters level, who are currently engaged in a hybrid library and archive- based residency with Create.

We are delighted to feature the premiere of The Colour of My Breath, a filmic exploration of the particular challenges of integration from the perspective of collaborative/ community artists from minority ethnic or migrant backgrounds, followed by a panel discussion with artist Tomasz Madajczak, Alessandra Azevedo, Amir Abu Alrob and Mark Sebata, with lead artist Jijo Sebastian. This panel will be chaired by Carlos Garrido Castellano.

The event will be closed out on Friday evening with a community conversation Ory’Sta (Tuam slang for What’s the Story?) event, an informal conversation between Tuam-based artists Jojo Hynes and Midie Corcoran, who will be joined by artist Kate O’Shea, held in Reapy’s Bar.

Accommodation

Limited discounted rooms (€69 a night) are available to attendees at the Ard Rí house hotel on a first-come first-served basis. Please ring the Ard Rí to book ((093) 40100), letting them know you are attending the Networking Event. Other options in Tuam include the Corralea Court Hotel and private arrangements, such as Air BnB.

Access

It is important to us that as many people as possible have an opportunity to experience our Networking Event.

Those with financial, access or other requirements are invited to contact Create on info@create-ireland.ie, or 014736600, to discuss how we can best support you to attend. Irish Sign Language (ISL) interpretation will be available upon advance request. We are aware that many access requirements exist. If in the case you feel that you cannot attend due to an unmet access requirement, please get in touch with us and we will work with you to ensure you can experience the event.

Creative Places is an Arts Council funded programme. The Creative Places Network is managed by Create. Creative Places Tuam is led by Create, working with Galway County Council Arts Service.