Northside project up for arts award
A Leeside community photography project has been shortlisted for a major national arts award to be decided in April.
Gurranabraher Credit Union, in partnership with Sample-Studios and Cork City Council Commemoration Fund, are in the running for the prestigious Business to Arts Award for Best Small Sponsorship for their project PhotoGo.
PhotoGo launched on Culture Night 2020 and invited Corkonians to take photographs celebrating Cork city’s northside communities under the theme of ‘legacy’.
The aim of the project was to commemorate the centenary year of the Burning of Cork in 1920.
Over 100 photo entries were received for the project, including entries from a number of local transition year classes.
During the lockdown last November, visitors to Fitzgerald’s Park were able to enjoy the PhotoGo entries on display in the windows of the Lord Mayor’s Pavilion, as well as in an online exhibition where they could vote for their favourite. More than 4,000 public votes were received in total.
Speaking about the project, Artistic Director at Sample-Studios, Aoibhie McCarthy said that by presenting PhotoGo in this way allowed for a creative and safe manner in which the public could enjoy over 100 different vantage points of Cork city’s northside.
Michael O’Connell, Chair of Gurranabraher Credit Union Community Development & Education Committee added the project offered a perfect chance for people to get out and really look at “our great city”.
“This is the second year of our PhotoGo initiative and we are delighted that this has been recognised and shortlisted for this national award. As a community organisation, we feel it is one of our most important roles to promote our communities,” said Mr O’Connell.
Sample-Studios and Gurranabraher Credit Union are shortlisted for the Business to Arts Award alongside Druid Theatre Galway, Cork International Film Festival and Baboró International Arts Festival for Children.
The winners will be announced at the Business to Arts Awards, which will take place online live from the GPO in Dublin on 21 April.