Launch of Art@work Artists Residency Programme Publication

09/02/2010 - 09/02/2010

Roscommon County Council and Create - King House, Boyle, Co. Roscommon

A new publication by Roscommon County Council and Create containing interviews, essays, images and video from the 2009 art@work programme will be launched in King House, Boyle, Co. Roscommon

What:   Launch of Art@work Artists Residency Programme Publication
Where:  King House, Boyle, Co. Roscommon.
When:   3.00pm, Tuesday 9th February
Media Info: Philip Delamere, artsoffice@rocommoncoco.ie or 090 66 37285

A new publication by Roscommon County Council and Create containing interviews, essays, images and video from the 2009 Art@work programme will be launched in King House, Boyle, Co. Roscommon at 3.00pm on Tuesday 9th February next.

Art@work is a residential programme where artists spend three weeks in a company in County Roscommon making artworks influenced by the environment, staff and working practices of the company. Since its inception in 2001, the Art@work programme has continued as a unique outlet for contemporary art to be integrated into society – introducing not only art, but also artists, and the processes of making art, to new audiences.

Over the last nine years, the programme has hosted over fifty residencies in companies throughout County Roscommon and this programme included – painter Chris Banahan in Nurture’s Best Crèche in Tarmonbarry; photographer Martina Cleary in the Cruachan Ai Heritage Centre in Tulsk; visual artist Sinead Conlon in Roscommon County Library; composer Cathal Roche in Carrick Cineplex, Carrick on Shannon; visual artist Ruth Lyons in Lough Key Forest Park in Boyle; and sound artist Amy King with visual artist Elaine Reynolds in Molloy’s Bakery in Roscommon Town.

This Year Create – the national development agency for collaborative arts worked with Roscommon County Council Arts Office to produce a publication which further investigated the experiences of those involved, providing a rich insight to the motivations, processes and outcomes of each of the residencies. Sarah Tuck, Director of Create said that “the Art@work programme provocatively re-inscribes arts practice as work, whilst simultaneously acknowledging the creativity of work itself. In situating the artist in work contexts, both the artists and the staff have an occasion to reappraise what it is that they do as part of the daily routine and ritual of working life.”

Tony Ward, Mayor of Roscommon County Council noted that while the artists and staff at the companies benefit greatly from the programme, the profile of Art@work also conveys a positive image of the participating companies as having an exciting, progressive outlooks.

Frank Dawson, Roscommon County Manager, praised the synergy that the programme created, whereby the work of the company and the work of the artist were mutually enhanced as a consequence of interacting with eachother.

art@work is funded by Roscommon County Council and the Arts Council of Ireland and is open to Irish and international artists from all artforms and to all Roscommon companies or services with ten or more employees. Roscommon County Council Arts Office is currently seeking interest from both artists and companies who would like to participate in this year’s programme and further information can be found on http://roscommonarts.com/artsoffice/programmes/art@work.htm

The publication, which also contains a DVD of video works by Cathal Roche, Veronica Forsgren, Amy King and Elaine Reynolds, will be launched at 3.00pm on Tuesday 9th February in the Main Salon of King House, Boyle, Co. Roscommon, all are welcome.

For further information, contact Philip Delamere on 09066 37285 or artsoffice@roscommoncoco.ie.