West is best for creativity?
North and East Cork may benefit most from the recently adopted Draft County Cork Creative Ireland Strategy.
The draft strategy was adopted at County Hall on Monday during a full meeting of Cork County Council.
At the meeting, Assistant Arts Officer at Cork County Council Arts Office, Maeve Mulrennan, delivered a presentation in which she said a number of elements of the strategy will be focused on East and North Cork.
Regarding one of the strategy’s 5 main priorities – wellness and creativity – Ms Mulrennan said there would be a focus on East and North Cork as West Cork was already thriving in this area.
She said: “We want to sustain what we already have but also to develop things further. We really want to focus on North and East Cork. There would be a lot of arts and health stuff going on in West Cork for example, so we want to nurture that existing programme and the partnerships that exist, and also to nurture new ones.”
Welcoming the Ms Mulrennan’s comments was Fianna Fáil Cllr Michael Looney who said he was delighted to see North and East Cork be prioritised.
“I think it’s very gratifying that you are concentrating on North Cork and East Cork. It’s brilliant to see that being spread out. You’re a wonderful group and I think there’s room for it in North Cork and it will enhance the area,” he said.
The County Cork Creative Ireland Strategy is part of a nationwide, all-of-government initiative committed to enhancing access to, engagement with, and enjoyment of Ireland’s culture and creativity.
The Creative Ireland Strategy 2023-2027 will prioritise its work around 5 aspects: Creative Youth; Creative Communities; Creative Industries; Creative Health and Wellbeing; and Creative Climate Action and Sustainability.
The programme follows on from the 2018-2022 Creative Ireland initiative which saw over 200,000 people take part around the country.
Commenting on the previous initiative, Cork County Filmmaker in Residence Elena Horgan said: “I've been a participant and facilitator of youth filmmaking projects funded through the county council and Creative Ireland.
“It has been great to see these projects grow from strength to strength over the years, providing young people in rural areas with opportunities to express themselves creatively as well as developing technical and social skills.”
County Mayor Cllr Danny Collins said: “We have seen the value and returns generated by strategic investment in arts, culture, heritage, and community development. Our goal as a local authority is to make Cork an attractive place to live, work, visit and invest in. A thriving, active, cultural and creative ecosystem is a very important component in this work.”