Arts Office

The Brightening Air
County Sligo Arts Plan 2002-2005

A large crowed gathered in The Foyer of Sligo County Council at lunchtime on Saturday 15th June 2002 for the launch of County Sligo’s first Arts Plan. Speeches were by Cllr. Joe Leonard, Chairman of SPC4 for Housing Policy, Social & Cultural Development; Arts Consultant & Theatre Director Martin Drury who was guest speaker at the launch; and Cllr Padraig Branley, Cathaoirleach, Sligo County Council who officially launched the Plan.

According to Cllr. Joe Leonard ‘Access to the arts is a fundamental right of all citizens, essential to living a full and rewarding life.’ He emphasised that it is the policy of the Council to support and facilitate increased opportunities to enhance the environment in which art is made, engaged with and received. The Plan is therefore the process through which the Council seeks to achieve its objectives.

Martin Drury, who provided the Foreword to the Plan, referred to the still embryonic relationship between local government and the arts in Ireland and that something similar could be said justifiably about the relationship between the arts and planning. He went on to say that in part, that is why this first Sligo Arts Plan is important both locally and nationally. The success of the local authorities arts development programme ‘Placing Art’ (1998-2001) lied not so much in the series of planned, sequenced and developmental actions it facilitated, though these were impressive. More remarkable was the yoking of the principles of better local government with those of high-quality contemporary arts planning. For it is this fusion that has resulted in strategically-driven actions rather than simply a list of random activities. He concluded that it is clear that in the town and county of Sligo, policy-led planning has provided a framework that translates values and ideals into practice.

In the introductory pages of the Plan, in a piece commissioned by the Arts Office, local poet and playwright John Kavanagh maps achievements in Sligo’s arts and cultural environment. He pays tribute to the many individuals, groups and organisations, past and present who, through their enthusiasm and commitment to the promotion of the arts, have made Sligo the vibrant cultural centre it is today.

Mission Statement - Delivering the Plan

Sligo County Council will create:

• Opportunities for the citizens of Sligo to make, share and participate in high quality artistic processes.
• Possibilities for artists to imagine, innovate and create work of excellence.
• Time, space and support for those who would create expressions of self, community and place.

A central tenet of Sligo County Council’s arts policy is to facilitate and support opportunities to enhance the environment in which art is made, engaged with and received. The implmentation of The Brightening Air County Sligo Arts Plan 2002-2005 is the process by which maximum impact on the local arts environment will be achieved over the coming three years. As a first step, the Arts Office has identified five key areas for development under the plan: The Artist, Social Inclusion, The Arts Sector, Physical Space Environment, Arts Infrastructure.

The Arts Plan will be delivered and managed by the Arts Office under three service areas: Information and Resourcing, Programming and Development, Linkages and Infrastructure.

Information and Resourcing 2002

The Brightening Air: County Sligo Arts Plan 2002-2005

Distribution of Sligo Events Quarterly: This comprehensive quick guide continues to impress with the variety, quantity and quality of arts and cultural events taking place all over County Sligo throughout the year.

Three documents about public art in Sligo were published: Placing Art: A Colloquium on Public Art in Rural, Coastal and Small Urban Environments.

A Report by the Public Art Strategy Group on the future application of the Per Cent for Art Scheme by the Sligo Local Authorities.

A Report on the evaluation of the pilot public art programme, Placing Art, by the Public Art Steering Group.

The Maugherow Project Resource Handbook & Video: Documenting the work of the project from 1998-2001.

Vogler Quartet in Sligo Resource Video: Documenting the residency programme from 1999-2002.

In 2002, €173,000 was provided by the members of Sligo County Council in support of: the arts programmes of arts organisations; community arts events; and small residency bursaries to individuals:
Model Arts & Niland Gallery; Hawk’s Well Theatre; Sligo International Choral Festival; Blue Raincoat Theatre Co.; South Sligo Summer School; Coleman Traditional Festival; James Morrison Weekend; Ballintogher Traditional Festival; Feis Shligigh; County Sligo Fleadh; All Ireland Confined Drama Finals; Maugherow Drama & Entertainment Group; Sligo Active Retirement Writers; The Caisleach Writers; West Sligo Womens’ Art Group; Appleloft Gallery; Calry Show; The Benwiskin Centre; Aclare Development Council; Grange Art Workshop; Workhouse Studios; Ballymote Youth Steering Group; Stage on Fire; 4 Bars Later; Sligo Summer Festival; Gayle Norman; Sarah Cottle; Patricia Curran-Mulligan.

‘Thank you for helping provide a sojourn during which a serious body of work can be undertaken at Annaghmakerrig.’ -Tyrone Guthrie Centre Bursary Recipient 2002

PROGRAMMING & DEVELOPMENT 2002
Intergenerational Arts

Students and older members of the Maugherow community continue to work creatively together in weekly workshops in St. Patrick's National School, Maugherow. In May 2002 The Maugherow Project held its third annual exhibition 'Time and Tide'.

Informed by learning from The Maugherow Project and other models of best practice the Arts Office have developed a new intergenerational project in partnership with the North Western Health Board and the Mercy Convent Primary School, Sligo.

In 2002 the Arts Office also facilitated an intergenerational arts project between students in Strandhill National School and members of the Strandhill Older People's Group. This project involved the creation of large mosaic work, which is on display in the school.

"The local authority and health board have nurtured an oasis of possibility in local arts development - an example from which other communities could usefully learn." -Mike White of The Centre for Arts and Humanities in Health and Medicine, University of Durham, speaking about The Maugherow Project.

Arts and Health

In partnership with the North Western Health Board and St. Anne's Community and Youth Centre, the Arts Office has developed a new arts and health project for older people. This project is informed by learning from The Maugherow Project and other models of best practice, and includes older people from Sligo's east ward area.

Bealtaine Festival

Bealtaine is a national festival, which encourages and celebrates creativity in older age and takes place throughout the month of May each year. In 2002 the Arts Office collaborated with Age & Opportunity and Poetry Ireland to bring the distinguished American Poet Peter Kane Dufault to Sligo for a series of events, which were designed to celebrate and inspire greater creativity in older age. Workshops and readings were developed with the support of the Model Arts and Niland Gallery; the Hawk's Well Theatre, and the Yeats Society.

Artists in Context Programme

The Artists in Context Programme aims to facilitate and support the professional development of artists who work or would like to work in social contexts in the Sligo region. The Programme started in October 2002 and involves an introductory series of six lectures and workshops for visual artists. 2002/03 is envisaged as the first phase of a threeyear programme. Year one is designed to introduce and explore models of practice in the following contexts; Community Development, Disability, Health, Multiculturalism, Education, and the Gallery as a Resource. The Programme is a collaboration between the Arts Office and County Sligo LEADER Partnership Company’s Arts in Community Development Programme.

Vogler Quartet in Sligo

Residency Programme In delivering this programme, the Quartet, the Partners and the Facilitators continue to work closely with local music groups, schools/educational institutions, community centres and venues in the key areas of performance, music education and instrumental tuition. Originally planned as a three year residency programme 1999-2002, Vogler Quartet in Sligo received a two year extension to 2004.

2002 was a very successful year in all aspects of the residency including:

• Music Education Programme at Primary (17 schools) including Secondary (6 schools) and Third Level.
• Composer-in-Residence Project.
• Vogler Spring Festival, Drumcliffe.
• Sligo Music Series promoted by Con Brio.
• Sligo Early Music Ensemble.
• Vogler Quartet Performances in conjunction with Model Arts & Niland Gallery, Blue Raincoat Theatre Co., Benwiskin Centre.
• Sligo Academy of Music.

‘The little church of St Columba in Drumcliffe, Co Sligo - One might be in a composer’s brainpan with the music coming from every corner of the cranial walls.’ - Douglas Sealy re Vogler Spring Festival, Irish Times, May 2002

LINKAGES & INFRASTRUCTURE 2002
County Sligo Youth Theatre:

County Sligo Youth Theatre is now in its fifth year and has endeavoured, since its inception, to provide high quality experience of theatre and the performing arts as well as give young people opportunities for development of interpersonal and leadership skills, confidence and self-esteem. In 2002 the Youth Theatre presented two successful productions The Woman in White, January 23-27, Factory Performance Space and East of the Sun and West of the Moon, August 25-30, Hawk’s Well Theatre.

The Youth Theatre was also nominated for several awards for their entry in the Mid and North West Radio One Act Plays Festival. A member (Helen Cooney) won the award for best dramatic performance in her role of Joan of Arc. Other highlights included film work, vignettes at The Model Arts Sunday lunch-time Specials and stilt performances during various street festivals including Sligo Festival, St Patrick’s Day (award for best youth act) and The Model Arts Christmas Pageant.

Public Art: A new Public Art Steering Group was established to oversee the development of a Public Art Plan and the next programme of commissions funded by the Department of Environment Per Cent for Art Scheme.