Community invited to contribute to county’s creative activity
The conservation of documents relating to Clayton’s Woollen Mills, which operated in Navan from 1867 until its closure in the 1960, is among the projects outlined in the new Meath County Culture and Creativity Strategy, which was launched last week.
The strategy is vision for creative activity in Meath that was devised in consultation with the people of the county and will be delivered by Meath County Culture and Creativity team.
Among the other projects supported by the strategy include the restoration of the Kells Printing Works, a photographic project by Dunboyne Flower and Garden Club and Tea, Chats and Tunes - a project which connected vulnerable nursing home residents with their families at home and abroad.
The Meath County Culture and Creativity team is led by Ciaran Mangan, County Librarian and Creative Ireland Coordinator. It also includes Jackie Maguire, Chief Executive, Meath County Council, Barry Lynch, Director of Services, Gerardette Bailey, County Arts Officer, Loreto Guinan, Heritage Officer, Frances Tallon, Senior Executive Librarian, Tom French, Local Studies Librarian, Robert Miles, Conservation Officer, Belinda Quirke, Director, Solstice Arts Centre, Barry Lynch, Director of Services, Patricia Fallon, County Archivist and Nóirín Murphy, Irish Language Officer.
Last year the Meath County Culture and Creativity team reviewed the original strategies that were devised in 2017 and made changes that reflected the evolving priorities of the community. The team incorporated contributions from community stakeholders that will encourage people to engage, participate and enable their creative potential.
Ciaran Mangan says that highlights in 2023 includes ongoing support to established festivals like Guth Gafa and Hinterland.
"New initiatives include our Writer in Residence, Manchán Magan and the Diversity Programme at Solstice.
"Artists and creatives benefit through the allocation of additional funding to support creative projects, which are submitted through the long-established Meath County Council community arts and heritage grants schemes."
Mr Mangan said a particularly exciting project is the commitment to continue conservation work on the archives of Clayton’s Woollen Mills in Navan.
Clayton’s Woollen Mills was a major employer in the town and its records have the potential to contribute to an understanding of industrial, social, business and local history.
The extensive collection is in the care of the county archive and library service and work on the collection is ongoing with support from the wider culture team in Meath County Council.
Conservation work on 18 bound volumes and the further listing of sets of individual documents and cataloguing of the correspondence has been ongoing.
Going forward into 2023/24 once the collection is stable and accessible it will be possible to build on this with digitization and outreach projects, including an exhibition. The Navan and District Historical Society will be key stakeholders in the development of outreach projects.
Mr Mangan said under the new strategy, emphasis will be placed on protecting and enhancing our literary legacy; mainstreaming culture within the local authority; nurturing and supporting creatives, artists, and creators; enhancing Meath’s local cultural and creative infrastructure, creatively engaging with communities to record and communicate our natural, built, and cultural heritage; and increasing access to, awareness of and participation in culture and creativity.
Funding of €161,161 will be allocated for core Creative Ireland initiatives in Meath in 2023.
Since 2017, €915,953.59 allocated to Creative Ireland projects in Meath. Among the projects to benefit were Joly Screen Flower Photographs by Alan Phelan and Dunboyne Flower and Garden Club. Artist, Alan Phelan and Dunboyne Flower and Garden Club worked on a photography project exploring a collaboration between art and flowers while investigating lost painting techniques.
Tea, Chats and Tunes, which connected some of the most vulnerable members of our communities who were isolating in Nursing Homes with their families at home or abroad also benefitted.
The Kells Printing Works was also a beneficiary. This project involves the conservation of historic printing presses and the establishment of Kells Printing Works as a centre for typography and training, celebrating lettering as an art form.