Press Release for Immediate Release – 21st January 2022
International opportunities for Creatives as Council calls applications for Craft Hub Residencies.
Creative community in County Carlow and beyond have a unique opportunity to expand their horizons with the opening of he call for applications for Maker Exchange Residencies as part of the Craft Hub Project which is a European project co-funded by Creative Europe that is focused on craft in the context of cultural heritage.
Speaking about the opportunity, Cllr. Fintan Phelan , Cathaoirleach of Carlow County Council said “I fundamentally believe that County Carlow has a world class eco-system when it comes to creatives and with Visual and the vast array of Creative talent. I am delighted to see this project which is co-funded by the EU being spearheaded by Carlow County Council and I would encourage members of the creative community to engage with us to avail of this unique opportunity in 2022”.
Craft Hub project activities involve investigating and documenting craft skills and processes; their differing application in creative practice across Europe; and questions of cultural specificity and individual motivations of practitioners. This will be addressed through a comprehensive and exciting program to allow the creation of new craft work and experimental investigations into process and material supported by 42 transnational maker residencies, 305 days of outreach work, 1 festival, 7 exhibitions and 2 conferences.
Maker Exchange Residencies are a central part of the newly funded EU Craft Hub project which will showcase the wealth of European Craft practice and address sector challenges through artist residencies, training workshops, exhibitions, conferences, and a European Festival of Craft.
Speaking about the why people should attend these creative residencies, Melissa Doyle , Business Advisor / EU projects (Acting) , said “To date over 400 different individuals across Europe has engaged in Craft Hub activities and the project creates a community where talent , creativity , enterprise and innovation meet and the creative residencies provide a unique platform to further enhance you as a creative which also feeding into the wider Creative narrative”.
Melissa explained that the residences will be hosted “Between March and July 2022 for five days each and will be hosted by the project partners Ireland, Wales, Denmark , Portugal , Germany and Italy”
Melissa concluded by saying “Each residency will have a different theme that has been inspired by the local cultural context, craft practices, expertise and techniques and how such practices might be applied across Europe and I encourage people to apply”.
The creative community being embraced and engaged as part of the project and Aileen Nolan from Carlow Arts Office in Carlow County Council said “These residencies are a capacity building opportunity for existing and future craft practitioners to support new professional opportunities, stimulate the creation of new works, increase and interconnect knowledge on craft making skills”. She concluded by saying “They will to push the boundaries of Craft making processes through new experimental ways of making”.
For further information log onto Maker Exchange Residencies - Craft Hub or contact Melissa Doyle on 059/9129783 or e-mail enterprise@carlowcoco.ie
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Media Queries: Kieran Comerford on 086/8252037 e-mail: kcomerford@carlowcoco.ie
