The Arts In Castlebar and Mayo
Mayo Co. Council
has had a Council Arts Service in place since 1989
It employs a full-time Arts Officer (Mr. John Coll), and the County is considered to have the best Arts Programme in the Country. The Arts Officer has developed a programme in conjunction with the Mayo Co. Council (CC) Arts Advisory committee in the following areas ;
Mayo has A Writer in residence, A Dancer in Residence and will have a Visual Artist in Residence from September this year.
- Arts information, promotion and advisory service.
- Arts programming.
- Assistance through the Arts Grants System
- Arts Policy and Planning.
- Networking and partnership facilities at local, National and International levels.
Mayo's Writer in Residence, this year is Vincent Woods, poet, playwright and ex-journalist. Vincent works in multimedia, using music and visual arts to enhance the written word (At The Black Pig's Dyke)
Ms. Margaret Byrne is a leading Community Dance Specialist she is conducting workshops in the schools and at Festivals.
1. Arts Information, Promotion and Advisory Service
A monthly Mayo Arts Bulletin is funded by the Co.Council.
2. The Arts Programme for the County
Writer in Residence (see above), Writers Anthology, Recital Scheme, The Heinrich Boll Project, the Linenhall Project
3. Networking and Partnerships. Member of the European network of arts Officers, The Institute for International cultural Exchange, The Europeade International committee etc.
4. The County has very active writers groups which meet regularly and produce anthologies
5. In the Visual Arts the Co. promotes art education in the schools, creative arts workshops for children in libraries, public and street art, an artists panel etc.
Ealaion tre Ghaeilge
Ta tus maigh deanta sceimeanna ealaine tre ghaeilge a chur ar fail sa chontae, tre chomhphairtiocht idir C.Co. Mhaigh Eo, Udaras na Gaeilge agus An Chomhairle Ealaion.
The Linenhall Arts Centre
provides an exhibition and performance area where a wide range of artists, sculptures, craftspeople, poets, actors and singers exhibit and perform their work. Local, national and international artists have appeared and exhibited in the Linenhall.
Arts and the Disabled
Mise Freisin Co. under the auspices of Mayo CC, Fas, Western Care, Rehab and The Arts Council produced a participatory multimedia experience for educationally handicapped young people. After visiting the presentation Uinsionn Mac Dubhghaill, The Irish Times Western Correspondent advises Min. Michael D. Higgins to bus a meeting of 26 EU culture ministers to Castlebar to see this project, and forget their meetings :
"Forget about the Town Hall gig. Bus them (EU Ministers) to Castlebar instead. They will learn more there in half an hour than in a month of EU seminars !"
Irish Times Sept. 16th 1996 page 2.
The company are now in the process of developing projects in the Arts which are designed to engage the handicapped and expand their worlds through active participation..