Creative Places
2020 - 2023
Creative Places Tuam
Creative Places is an Arts Council programme for places around Ireland that have not had opportunities to benefit from sustained investment in the arts and creativity.
In 2020, Create was awarded the tender to manage Creative Places Tuam, the pilot programme. The programme aims to develop a grassroots approach to creativity and arts engagement, building capacity for a rich, engaged artistic and cultural practice in the town and its hinterlands. It makes space for new ideas and new collaborations.
Creative Places Tuam has offered a number of opportunities for everyone to be involved in a meaningful way. This includes artist residencies, community funding initiatives, commissions, creative exchanges and development days, publications, short films, songs, community-based artist awards, public events including conversations with Tuam voices, and more.
Carolann Courtney is the coordinator for Creative Places Tuam, responsible for programme delivery. Carolann works on the ground in Tuam and engages directly with communities, artists and project stakeholders to successfully realise the programme’s aims and objectives. Carolann is based in Tuam on Wednesday and Thursdays, and working off-site on Fridays. She can be contacted at creativeplacestuam[at]create-ireland.ie.
Click here to visit Creative Places Tuam website
Creative Places National Network
Since the successful inception of the pilot programme in Tuam, the Arts Council has expanded the programme (June 2021 – June 2024). The new Creative Places include Athy (Kildare), Baltinglass (Wicklow) Bagenalstown (Carlow), Darndale, (North Dublin), Edenderry (Offaly), Tipperary Town and the West Cork Islands for three year programmes, while Shannon (Clare), Iveragh Peninsula (Kerry) Loughlinstown/ Ballybrack (South Dublin) and Mac Uilliam (Tallaght) receive research awards to develop their Creative Places.
Create manage the Creative Places Network Services (2021- 2024). Our aims include to connect the Creative Places awardees, provide opportunities for peer support, learning and knowledge exchange, and to contribute to the Creative Places goal to “… build local arts programmes which will benefit the people who live in these places”.
This involves regular Conferencing and Networking events, weekly informal catch ups and advisory sessions, individual mentorship for each programme’s coordinator/ researcher, etc
