Places Matter Conference - VISUAL

VISUAL Centre for Contemporary Art &
The George Bernard Shaw Theatre

Places Matter Conference

The Arts Council and Local Government

24 and 25 March 2022 |

Admission: Thursday €40, Friday €60, Full Conference €100. Students and Artists Free

Book Tickets

Places Matter Conference: investing creatively in people and places

The Arts Council and Local Government will jointly host its third biennial conference, Places Matter, on 24 and 25 March 2022 in VISUAL in Carlow.

Asking questions such as; how has the impact of the pandemic influenced the importance of the places where we live and their creative potential? Who is part of our place based conversations and are all voices included? Does where we live matter for opportunities to engage in the arts? The conference will provoke and inspire public sector organisations, policy makers, arts organisations and artists to understand how we creatively collaborate for a better future for people and places?

Download the digital programme here.

If you have any access requirements, such as Wheelchair access, an ISL Interpreter, or access to an Induction Loop System, please do let us know in advance using the comment box when you book so that we can make your experience the best possible.

Following public health guidance in relation to Covid 19, delegates are welcome to wear a mask should you feel more comfortable doing so.


THURSDAY 24 MARCH

**SOLD OUT**

Doors open 12:30

Join us for lunch at 1pm and choose to attend one of two events:

2pm to 4pm

Making Community, Creating Place: How communities are supported to creatively make place

Create, the national development agency for collaborative arts together with Creative Places Tuam invite you to join us in an in-depth session on making communities and creating place. Beginning with an artists’ reflection from the Creative Places pilot in Tuam, the Programme Coordinator and members of the Tuam community discuss working together over the shifting and uncertain terrain of lockdown.

Making Community, Creating Place: then invites delegates to connect with the expertise of the varied communities from The Creative Places National Network and collaborative practitioners in a collective exploration of the conceptual and practice-based frameworks for delivering honest, meaningful and engaged work in estates, villages, towns and hinterlands all over Ireland.

Session includes Creative Places Tuam and Network Services Coordinator and panel chair, Carolann Courtney, Tuam-based artists Joanna McGlynn, filmmaker David McDonagh, Tuam resident and community advocate Patricia King Callaghan with Dr Grainne Coughlan.

2pm to 4pm

Street Craft workshop with the Irish Architecture Foundation

A concentrated look at the Old Dublin Road and College Road in Carlow, for local stakeholders and delegates; celebrating the subtle craft of the street, shining a light on the many moments and elements which, when woven together, create liveable places to live, work and play. Participants will meet at VISUAL, then go on a walking exploratory tour of the streets and return to share their observations of the physical, social and aural environment of the streets. Facilitated by Deirdre Greaney (urban designer)


FRIDAY 25 MARCH

**SOLD OUT**

9.00 ARRIVAL, REGISTRATION AND REFRESHMENTS

9.45 WELCOME AND OPENING REMARKS

Maureen Kennelly, Director of the Arts Council, Moira Murrell CCMA and Kathleen Holohan CE Carlow County Council.

10.00 KEYNOTE: VALERIE MULVIN

Architect and author of Approximate Formality, the Morphology of Irish Towns will address the challenges facing and creative potential of towns in Ireland today.

10.20

Reflections in verse by Carlow poet, Clifton Redmond

10.25 PANEL DISCUSSION

on the creative possibilities for Irish towns, chaired by Fearghus Ó Conchúir, including Valerie Mulvin, Ali Harvey (Heritage Council), Garrett Phelan (Artist), Rita Marcalo (Dance Artist) and Tom Dowling (Pride of Place).

11.15 MORNING BREAK

11.30 AND 15.00 OPEN CONVERSATIONS

will explore methods of enabling open and equitable dialogue between various stakeholders and communities with a focus on place making. Facilitated by Damien McGlynn (Ireland Director, Creative Lives) and Conor O’Leary.

11.30 STAYING WITH THE LOCAL

Common Ground will share their experience of working as a local arts organisation in Dublin and strategies that can form relationships with artists and community that are collectively responsive to issues of spatial and social justice. With Siobhán Geoghegan (Director, Common Ground), Kate O’Shea (artist) and Enya Moore (connecting from Australia)

12.15 PLACE-SPECIFIC APPROACHES TO SUSTAINABLE PROSPERITY

Led by UCD and Queen Margaret University Edinburgh a discussion on how we now face urgent challenges to develop socially and environmentally ethical approaches to arts and cultural sector recovery that are sensitive to local contexts. With Dr Victoria Durer and Dr Rebecca Finkel.

12.15 FREEDOM OF THE CITY

Led by the Glucksman Gallery in partnership with Cork City Council, artists and local stakeholders, a presentation and discussion on the creative consultation process developed to inform the Cork City Development Plan, which ensured that young voices were heard in their future vision of Cork City. With Fiona Kearney (Glucksman Director), Tadhg Crowley (UCC) Fearghal Reidy (Director of Service, Cork City Council), Denise Cahill (Healthy Cities Coordinator Cork City) and artist tbc.

12.15 AND 14.20 REIMAGINE CAFÉ

A welcoming and inclusive space for conversation for those involved in place making, reimagining their built environment, spatial justice and addressing the imbalance in access to safe, healthy and attractive built environments Led by the Irish Architecture Foundation and facilitated by Dr Sindy Joyce.

1.15PM TO 2PM LUNCH

14:00 KEYNOTE BROADCAST FROM EMMANUEL PRATT

in Chicago, who will talk about the work and values of place based arts and community development in the Sweet Water Foundation

14.20 GALWAY 2020: LEARNING FROM PLACE BASED CULTURAL INVESTMENT

A conversation about learnings and legacy from one of the most significant cultural investments in a place in recent years as a result of the European Capital of Culture designation in 2020. Chaired by Paul Fahy (Galway International Arts Festival) with Brendan McGrath (Chief Executive, Galway City Council), Patricia Philbin (Galway City Council), Marilyn Gaughan Reddan (Galway 2020) and Christine Sisk (Culture Ireland).

14.20 KELLS:THE BIGGER PICTURE

The story of place making in Kells and how collaboration between the local authority, community and cultural stakeholders has led to new opportunities, investment, reimagined spaces and a shared strategy to revitalize the town. With Gerardette Bailey (Arts Officer, Meath County Council) Loreto Guinan, (Heritage Officer, Meath County Council) Deirdre Kinahan (playwright) and Mark Smith (artist and activist)

15.20 COMMUNITY-LED PLACEMAKING AS CIVIC PARTNERSHIP, MODELS OF ARTIST-LED REGENERATION

A presentation and discussion on recent examples of artist-led processes for engaging meaningfully with all stakeholders to develop a genuine civic partnership in the creation or renewal of places, addressing social, ecological, cultural and economic issues as well as the physical realities of place. Chaired by Davie Philip (Cloughjordan Eco Village) with Tom O'Donnell (Self Organised Architecture), Matt Baker (artist, the Stove Network, Scotland) Rosie Lynch (Callan Workhouse Union), Ailbhe Cunningham (Architect, Photographer)

16.20

Conference reflection with Felispeaks and Leo Moran



ONLINE

FRIDAY 25 MARCH

Online sessions and live streaming.

There are two online sessions: Most of the sessions on Friday will also be live streamed on the Arts Council website.

By booking to join us online you will receive the links to both these sessions.

9.25 The arts and changing rural places moderated by Dr Bernadette Quinn (TU Dublin)

Earlier this year, NESC (National Economic and Social Council) said that ‘we need to take time to understand how rural Ireland is changing’. This conversation will debate the prospects facing the arts in rural places, asking: how can we understand ‘the rural’ in the context of making art today? and what challenges and opportunities are posed by digitisation? With Hina Khan (Artist), Siobhán Mulcahy (Clare Arts Officer), Dr Eimear O’Connor (Director, Tyrone Guthrie Centre), Dara McGee (Artistic Director, Áras Eanna) and Pearse Doherty (Event Producer)

10.25 ART IN THE RURAL LANDSCAPE (online)

Offaly and Mayo County Council’s along with Visual Artist Ireland will discuss two significant land art projects (Lough Boora and Tír Sáile), their research and considerations on artistic, community and economic values. Opening remarks by Anna Marie Delaney (Chief Executive Offaly County Council) facilitated by Terre Duffy with Sally O’Leary (Arts Officer, Offaly County Council,) Aoife O’Toole (Acting Public Art Coordinator, Mayo County Council) and Noel Kelly (Director, Visual Artists Ireland)

Includes an online network session.


Book Tickets

Download the digital programme

You may also like

220220 Horizontal Image web

A Space for Making Good Decisions About Place

Helena Fitzgerald

26 February - 22 May 2022

Isee Earth

i see Earth

Tom dePaor

26 February - 22 May 2022

One Hundred Steps web

One Hundred Steps

Bárbara Wagner & Benjamin de Burca

26 February - 22 May 2022

SRWC 35mm 3

Soft Rains Will Come

Christopher Steenson

26 February - 22 May 2022