Creative Places West Cork Islands is an islands initiative funded by the Arts Council and Cork County Council.

The project aims to build sustained arts investment and create opportunities for local arts programmes across the 7 islands of Cape Clear / Oileán Chléire, Sherkin Island / Inis Arcáin, Heir Island / Inis Uí Drisceoil, Long Island / An tOileán Fada, Whiddy island / Oileán Faoide, Bere island / An tOileán Mór, Dursey island / Oileán Bao. The project duration is over a 3-year period, with an implementation period from 2023 to 2025 and is an exciting opportunity to think long-term and to build slowly. 

Vision: A long-term engagement in the arts in the West Cork Islands where the integrity of community and place is developed and sustained by, with and for inhabitants. 

Mission: to develop and sustain community-led cultural resilience across the seven inhabited West Cork Islands in a long-term, meaningful way that supports the environmental, social and economic well-being of place.

Projects of interest could include: 

• Those that strengthen the interconnectedness of the islands.
• Promote the use of the Irish language in a cultural context.
• Projects that are socially engaged and positively impact islanders’ ongoing cultural participation and the preservation and promotion of unique island cultures.
• Projects that strengthen existing local contemporary and traditional art practice, which could include craft, the making of artefacts and objects, the development of practical skills, visual sensitivity, and a working knowledge of tools, materials and systems.
• Projects that create long-term community-led engagement.
• Projects that engage climate, digital archipelago, ocean and environment, tides, weather, climate change and local histories.
• Projects that support older people, activate children & young people, harness concepts around diversity and help bring communities together through cultural activation.
• Working collaboratively with communities on the West Cork Islands, in areas and themes that are meaningful to participants.
• Developing partnerships that are dynamic and of benefit to groups on the islands.
• Spotlighting and showcasing the creativity and cultures of artists and groups from minority, migrant, or ethnic backgrounds, amplifying a diverse range of voices and facilitating support networks for artists to connect with their peers.
• Building creative relationships with other artists, cultural workers, potential participants, and project stakeholders.

What the project is not for:

• Capital expenditure.
• Expenditure that does not align with the project’s framework and priorities.

Partnership

The Partnership Group is made up of representatives from local arts and development agencies

• Comharchumann Chléire
• Sherkin Island Development Society (Sherkin, Long & Heir Islands),
• Bere Island Projects Group (Dursey, Whiddy & Bere Islands),
• Uillinn – West Cork Arts Centre
• Cork County Council Arts Office