Community Engagement

Sirius Arts Centre recognises the importance that arts practice can have in building self confidence, creativity and citizenship within our community. As part of our programming throughout the year we organize Community Engagement events which include workshops, lectures and exhibitions. Many of the projects are linked with our artist in residency programme and local arts professionals. Sirius Arts Centre matches different community groups with practising Visual Artists, Authors and Musicians, developing projects and activities that are of interest to all ages.

Past partners have included: St. Patrick's Correctional Institution, Dublin, Cobh Youth Services, The Park Road Centre, Cobh YMCA, Feabhas, Midleton Youth services, Cobh Family Resource Centre, Cork County Council, The Arts Council, Southern Health Board, South and East Cork Area Development, Irish Youth Foundation, Local Schools, Day Centres, Młodzieżowy Dom Kultury, Bytom, Poland and other arts organisations.

In 2011 - Sirius Arts Centre will partner with Deirdre Nelson on a project titled Contemporary Souvenir.  Expanded from an initial project that the Artist organized in Scotland and has now spread to many costal areas.  The project invites people from the community to knit and sew fish which will be part of a bigger exhibition in October/November of this year.

The project links the history of lace making in the Cork region and the abundance of Mackerel in the waters around Cork City and County.  This project will celebrate the skills of local textile workers past and present.  If you would like to make a mackerel for this project you can do so following these fishing rules:

1) Your mackerel should not be more that 30 cm in length (small and fat fish allowed!)

2) White on white (lace, crochet, knit, embroidery, quilt, felt all can be used) Silver, cream, pale gray, sequins, beads and bling are permitted!

3) Materials - use what you have and recycle where you can.

4) Turn in your fish on 30th of September 2011 to SIRIUS ARTS CENTRE, COBH COUNTY CORK.

Past Community Engagement Projects At Sirius:

• "The Palm of Her Hand" Workshops with Marie Brett, The Traditional Lacemakers of Ireland, Ballyphehane & Togher Art & Craft Initiative Group, St. Mary's National School and the Park Road Daycare Centre created with the support of Cork County Council and the Southern Health Board.

• Photographic workshops for young people with America photographer, Doug Dubois and participants from Cobh YMCA STEP Programme and Feabhas.
   
• Music Zone Workshops with Cobh Youth Services, Cobh YMCA STEP programme and Feabhas.
   
• Crossing the Waves - a cross cultural music project with Cobh Youth Services and Młodzieżowy Dom Kultury, Bytom, Poland and Cork Shantyman Pat Sheridan
   
• Cork Harbour Project - a series of development "laboratories" with local and international artist environmental and planning specialists with a focus on Cork Harbour.
   
• Future Image - Asia Europe Conference for Emerging Photographers (in Association with Cork Institute of Technology and Artsfest).
   
• Sounding the Town - Sound Workshops with Danny McCarthy (Ireland) & Viv Corringham (UK) with Park Road Centre, The Plateau Youth Project & Bellevue School.
   
• The Cobh/Cork Sticker swapping activity sessions created by Hendrike Kuehne (Germany) and Beat Klein (Switzerland).
   
• "Double Vision" a photographic workshop and exhibition in partnership with the Arts Council's Artist in Prison Scheme and St. Patrick's Correctional facility in Dublin with French photographer, Klavdij Sluban.
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• "Some Cork Non Natives" a series of workshops and exhibition in Cobh Post office and Library with English Artist David Jacques and Cobh YMCA - Parents and Kids Together.
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• Ongoing series of lectures by visiting photographic artists in partnership with Cork Institute of Technology, Bishopstown, Cork.
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• Regeneration Project with Marie Brett (UK/Irerland), Cobh Women's Group & Park Road Centre.
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• Cobh Maritime Song Festival Workshops with Jimmy Crowley & St. Joseph's School.
• So Sirius Youth Theatre (Artistic Director Kate Kaylin).
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• Cobh Women's Arts Group (facilitated by Marie Brett, Donna Coogan & Gill Alderman).
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• Cobh Maritime Song Festival workshops with Pat Sheridan, Jimmy Crowley and St. Joseph's School in Cobh.
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• Lectures by artists, authors and journalists open to the public.
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• Literacy Through Photography Workshop with photographers, Beth Barbush, John McKernan & St. Mary's Convent School Cobh.
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• Workshops with photographer, Peggy Amison and young people in Cobh.
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• Lantern Parade with Community Artist Marie Brett & young people in Cobh (as part of Cobh People's Regatta)