Collaborative Arts recognised by President at Áras an Uachtaráin

On St Patrick’s Day 2025, Create were privileged to join artists working in the collaborative arts field to celebrate President Michael D. Higgins’ ‘Samhlaíocht agus An Náisiún – Imagination and The Nation‘ initiative in Áras an Uachtaráin.

Each year, the President and Sabina Higgins mark St. Patrick’s Day by hosting a reception for people who have made a particular contribution to Irish society, and in 2025 – the President’s final year in office – they chose to highlight the contribution of the arts at local level as community and personal experience.

We were thrilled to be surrounded by colleagues and peers; artists in the field of collaborative, socially engaged art, alongside local authority arts officers, musicians and performers the Beartla Ó Flatharta Céilí Band.

Create was honoured to support the team at Áras an Uachtaráin in preparing for the event, and our Director, Damien McGlynn, presented the President with copies of some archival material on the beginnings of Create – as C.A.F.E. (Creative Activity for Everyone) – including photos from the first national seminar of C.A.F.E. in April 1984, at which President Higgins was chair.

In his speech, the President spoke of his belief that “the more critically informed and alive we are to the possibilities of what it is that artists of all types do, the better it will be for the kind of society that genuinely commits itself to the formation of citizens with minds richly furnished by what the arts can offer”, further stating “Art allows us to reflect on different lived experiences, past and present, bearing witness, bringing healing, and calling to action… To all of you present, we are so grateful for your vital contribution to the promotion of an inclusive arts and culture”.

In addition to the President’s remarks, Prof Ciarán Benson, who was instrumental in the establishment of C.A.F.E. in the early 1980s, spoke, sharing his own reflections on the importance of this work over the intervening decades.

This unique event was an inspiring moment to recognise the enduring power and importance of artists and communities creating exceptional art together. The President’s words, rooted in life-long passion and first-hand experience, will provide an enormous boost to the community of collaborative, socially engaged artists working in Ireland today.