BuildingCreativeCommunities -South Dublin County Council welcomes major creativity initiative

27/02/2017

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BuildingCreativeCommunities –South Dublin County Council welcomes major creativity initiative

Enabling creativity in every community is a core pillar of the Creative Ireland Programme, an ambitious five-year initiative, from 2017 to 2022, which will place our strongest assets – our culture and creative communities - at the centre of public policy. In 2016, South Dublin County Council demonstratedtheiruniquecapacitytoactivate and supportcommunityengagement and participation in marking the Centenary year through a wide range of arts, culture and heritage initiatives.

Creative Ireland aims to build on this success by leading on the development of a dedicated Culture and Creativity plan for South Dublin based on the premise that participation in cultural activity drives personal and collective creativity, with significant implications for individual and societal wellbeing. 2017 will see a special focus on children and young people with the specific objective of fast-tracking the Charter for Arts in Education, which will significantly increase access and participation for children in high quality arts and culture experiences.

A network of highly experienced arts officers, heritage officers and librarians has been set up across all 31 local authorities to lead on each county’s Creative Ireland Programme and a series of public meetings will be held over the next four weeks to share ideas, develop collaborations and explore opportunities for increased investment in local arts, culture and creative industries. Additional funding to support the initiative will be made available through the Creative Ireland Programme in 2017 with the potential for further investment over the next four years. Orla Scannell has been appointed Creative Ireland co-ordinator for South Dublin County Council.

In addition, all theagenciesofGovernment, includingnationalculturalinstitutions, state agencies, Government Departments, organisations, individualsandcommunitieswillbeactivatedtoembedcreativityacrossallaspectsoftheirwork – andusethatcreativepotentialtofostercollectivewellbeingandsocialcohesion.

South Dublin County Council and the Creative Ireland national team will host an open meeting on 8th March at 5.30pm to share details about the Programme and to explore opportunities to increase access, engagement and collaboration in the local arts and creative industries in RUA RED South Dublin Arts Centre, Tallaght.

Speaking in advance of the public meeting, Mr. Daniel McLoughlin, Chief Executive, South Dublin said: “The creative Ireland programme offers a very real opportunity to reinforce the proud tradition we have in fostering and promoting creativity within the arts. We are very hopeful that this collaborative process will surface new ideas that will further enhance and inform investment in the Arts and creative industries in the years ahead. “

Full details of the Creative Ireland Programme are available at creative.ireland.ie

Ends

Media Contacts:

South Dublin County Council

Communications Unit

T: 01-4149000

E: Communications@sdublincoco.ie

Madeline Boughton

Head of Communications, Creative Ireland Programme

T: 087 7977 827

E: madeline@ireland.ie

Notes to Editors:

Creative Ireland is the Government’s legacy programme for Ireland 2016. It is a five-year initiative, from 2017 to 2022, which places creativity at the centre of public policy. It isbuiltaroundfivestrategicpillars:

EnablingtheCreativePotentialofEveryChild;EnablingCreativityin
EveryCommunity; InvestinginourCreativeandCulturalInfrastructure; InthelargercontextoftheCreativeIndustries, makingIrelandaCentreofExcellenceinMediaProduction; UnifyingourGlobalReputation. Full details of the Creative Ireland Programme are available at creative.ireland.ie or on Facebook (CreativeIreland) and Twitter (@creativirl).