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Community Arts Programme |
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At the beginning of 2005 a programme
aimed at providing new opportunities for adults in
the North East Inner City to get involved in the visual
arts was launched. This programme is especially keen
to encourage individuals who heretofore have not been
afforded this chance to give it a go. The programme
which is funded under Dormant Accounts is run on a
partnership basis between the local community, Dublin
City Council, the Dublin Institute of Technology and
The Larkin Centre. As the managing agent for the programme
the Larkin Centre is mindful of the importance of
building a set of processes and practices to embed
the programme in the community and nurture local ownership.
Community art like community education operates from
a set of beliefs that values local knowledge, starts
from where people are at, learning is active and connected
to the learners' life experiences. The operational
ethos of the programme is based on community development
principles of consultation and dialogue with partners
rather than a directive or prescriptive approach.
This programme brings together the formal and non
formal education sectors and a key element of the
programme during 2005 concerned achieving compatibility
in respect of approaches to teaching and learning
across these sectors. |
Putting Ideas on Paper
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| Since May 2005 the key focus of the community art
programme has been on the creation of a piece of public
art, namely a mural, reflecting some aspects of community
life, to be located on Ballybough Road, on the site
of the new community centre. The theme of the mural
is "A sense of place" captures both the diversity
of activity and changing landscape of this vibrant community.
As part of the mural project a number of workshops were
convened to enable all participants gain an appreciation
of the technical side of art covering colour theory,
drawing and perspective. . |
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| The mural was officially launched on April 3rd, 2006
by An Taoiseach, Mr. Bertie Ahern, T.D. In his address
to the community on the day the Taoiseach drew particular
attention to the significance of this achievement. "A
mural not only visually enhances a particular area;
it also offers the opportunity to highlight so many
different aspects of community life on the one canvas
- or hoarding as it were! The theme of the mural "A
Sense of Place" captures so well the ever-changing
face of Ballybough. You have the old flats alongside
the new homes. The prominence of Croke Park highlights
just what a feature this iconic stadium is in the skyline
here. You have the old railway carriages opposite the
modern Intercity. And holding it all together you have
the hands - hands, which symbolise friendship; which
symbolise support and, most importantly of all, which
symbolise a community coming together in pursuit of
a particular goal.
And here in Ballybough that goal has been to make
art a visible presence in the community. In particular,
it has been about giving people the confidence to
engage with it. Too often, art is viewed as something
"high-brow", far removed from the realities
of our day-to-day lives. Having had the chance to
get really stuck in however, I am sure you will agree
that art is a medium that is actually open to us all.
With a little bit of confidence and lots of imagination,
the results can be really impressive." Excerpt
from Speech by the Taoiseach, Mr Bertie Ahern, T.D.
at the unveiling of the Larkin Community Education
Centre Mural on Ballybough Road. 3rd April 2006 |
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