Invitation to Collaboration
Cultural Diversity
Since 2016, in partnership, Mayo County Council (lead partner), Donegal County Council and South Dublin County Council have collaborated proactively on the development of policy, sectoral training, appropriate cultural service, models of engagement for best practice for Local Authorities in relation to Cultural Diversity under the Arts Council's Invitation to Collaboration Scheme 2016. This scheme supports Local Authorities to apply for projects or initiatives that they identify as being of strategic significance to arts development locally, regionally and nationally.
-
Project Strands
Mayo County Council, South Dublin County Council and Donegal County Council have worked on the following strands in order to examine and expand strategic approaches to working in Intercultural contexts:
- Cultural Diversity Training for Venues and Cultural Providers.
- Cultural Diversity Training for Artists/Music Generation tutors.
- Cultural Diversity Artist(s) in Residence (Mayo & South Dublin).
- Research and Development: Support for Culturally Diverse Audience Development by venues (South Dublin).
- Research on Transcultural Community Engagement in the South County Dublin Area.
- Research & analysis (Donegal): strategic provision of relevant cultural services developed in partnership with Donegal Intercultural Platform.
- Open Days (Donegal): celebratory, social and cultural exchange events.
- Transcultural Dialogues Seminar & Events (South Dublin).
-
Paper, Light, Shadow project at the Linenhall Art Centre
Paper Light Shadow was a project and exhibition of Artworks by Syrian teenage refugees now living in Mayo. Throughout late July and August they participated in a visual art and animation project at the Linenhall Arts Centre.
The group came up with a story and told it using visual imagery in the form of animated paper cut-outs. Under the expert guidance of artist Maeve Clancy, assisted by designer Jeni Roddy, they imagined, conceived, wrote and conveyed the story using artwork they created during the project. Working in the Linenhall, they had the chance to meet, collaborate, speak English, learn visual art and animations skills and produce their own short animated film.
This exhibition opened in the Linenhall Art Centre, Castlebar in early October 2017 and it then travelled to Custom House Studios, Westport, Ballina Arts Centre and Claremorris Library.
Paper Light Shadow was supported by Mayo County Council, South West Mayo Development Company, Linenhall Arts Centre and the Arts Council as part of the Invitation to Collaboration scheme.
-
Weaving Project with Merovee Guerin
The Weaving Project was an innovative collaborative project, inviting participants to create a communal weave piece at the Tacú Family Resource Centre in Ballinrobe. The project was facilitated by artist and weaver Mérovée Guerin. Skills were taught individually and no prior experience was needed. The project was supported by Mayo County Council, Mayo Intercultural Action (MIA) and the Arts Council.
-
Working in Intercultural Contexts, A Guide for Local Authorities and Cultural Providers'
The culmination of this process was the production of a guidebook entitled ' Working in Intercultural Contexts, A Guide for Local Authorities and Cultural Providers'. In this guidebook you will find models of best practice for working within the intercultural environment including action steps and useful resources. These guidelines are informed by surveys and interviews carried out by the Transcultural Research Summary and Next Steps by Dr Zoë O’Reilly and the Invitation to Collaboration, County Donegal, Mayo and South Dublin survey.
View the guidebook here - Working-in-Intercultural-Contexts-Guide-for-Local-Authorities-and-Cultural-Providers
See the launch of the publication here - https://vimeo.com/424070720