Lack of accessible spaces for the arts raised in Enfield

Local arts groups in Enfield have come together to campaign for an accessible space to run classes in the town until the local St Patrick's Hall reopens.

They are appealing to the Department of Education to consider allowing some of the prefab classrooms recently vacated by Enfield Community College at the rear of the Community Hub to be used on a short term basis.

Andrea Cleary, a visual arts educator, highlighted that there is no accessible space for the arts in Enfield and no accessible sustainable spaces to run classes for children.

"Parents in Enfield have to travel to Johnstownbridge, Trim, Navan, Kilcock, Mullingar, Maynooth and Celbridge for most extra curricular activities for their children, who make up 37 per cent of the population of Enfield," she said.

Andrea explained that an arts group has recently emerged in Enfield, a group that is interested in getting people with an interest in the arts together, to help develop a sense of community.

This initiative is supported by volunteers, and classes are led by professionals in the arts, who are living in the area. As part of this initiative an adult beginners Ukulele and Choir Class is facilitated by Blast Music Academy with the support of the venue from the Midland Bar.

"A Visual Art class for adult beginners is facilitated by the Arts group with the support of the Black Dog Coffee as a venue, in the evenings. These classes have emerged to address the need to offer some community connection through the arts and are titled the ‘Social Series’.

"The latest activity has been to get a choir up and running for the Enfield community by Blast Music Academy. There has been a terrific response in interest, which shows there is an appetite which is hugely encouraging."

However, Andrea said that currently there is no venue available big enough to accommodate the whole choir group so it is being run in two separate times in The Midland Bar on Wednesday evenings. She added that art materials, tables, lights and instruments have to be brought in and removed and stored in car boots or people's houses.

She has suggested that the empty prefabs behind the community hub/library could become an accessible resource for use by the community.

"Could these become an accessible resource for use by the community for these and many other classes?" she asked. "If the Council, LMETB and Department of Education valued community development, they could provide space for the town's children, young people and adults in music, art, sculpture, dance, and other classes of real benefit to the Community. Three fully serviced portacabins exist directly behind the Library.

A recent event highlighting the lack of space for the arts was well attended and Andrea said parents at the event were all of the same opinion that it would be such a relief not to have to travel to Kilcock, Maynooth, Mullingar, Longwood, Baconstown, and to be able to walk to classes.

"These prefabs at the former Enfield Community School location lie dormant and locked in the centre of the town. What is needed to unlock them?" she said.

However, when contacted by the Meath Chronicle, the Department of Education poured water on this idea with a spokesperson saying: "The Department of Education has a need for the modular accommodation that was recently vacated by Enfield Community College. It is therefore not available for use by a third party."

A spokesperson for Meath County Council said while the council owns the land, they have a licence agreement with the Department of Education who have the portacabins on the site and any use of the portacabins by the community would be a matter for the Department of Education.

A spokesperson for LMETB pointed out that the site is in the ownership of Meath County Council and the temporary accommodation had been procured by the Department of Education.

Meanwhile, efforts by Enfield Community Group working with Meath County Council to get the former parish hall re-opened as a community hall are continuing.

The ambitious project will see St Patrick's Hall refurbished into a multi-functional space to support music, arts, sports and culture for the benefit of the local community.

The first phase of the three phase project, which was completed in 2021, involved cavity wall insulation, new windows and fascia and sofit, boundary wall repairs the painting of the exterior of the building.

The second phase went to tender in March but construction inflation meant the tenders were far in excess of grant funding available.

Enfield Development Group is continuing to work with Meath County Council to bring the project forward and an application is being made for town and village renewal funding to complete the project.

"Meath Co Council will be submitting an application to the Dept of Rural Development and Community this week, under the Town and Village scheme to undertake refurbishment works at the old parish centre," a spokesperson for Meath Co Council said.

Meanwhile, Joe Morris of Enfield Development Group said they have a firm plan to get Enfield Community Hall open within the next 18-24 months. He said that for the first time the maths add up between the funds needed to renovate it fully and the possible funds identified, but there are still quite a few steps to go on this. Based on the previous tender responses, he said it is expected that it would be about an 8-12 month construction job once the project commences.