Building Equity in a Divided World

Day one of this event will focus on the challenges of working collaboratively with communities during a time of heightened division.

Following registration and networking over tea and coffee, delegates are invited to a panel featuring artists’ perspectives on the current position of socially-engaged practice. This panel will include dancer and curator Tobi Balogun and collaborative film-maker Jijo Sebastian, and Heart of Glass, a UK-based collaborative and socially-engaged arts agency.

A catered lunch will be provided following this panel, before a presentation by Mark Malone of Hope and Courage Collective with an opportunity for Q&A.

A series of workshops will be offered in the afternoon, including Mapping the processual features of a collaborative arts practice: A methodology workshop with artist and educator Dr. Fiona Whelan, Jijo Sebastian on Building Transcultural Collaborative Communities and Place-Based Practice with Heart of Glass.

The day is designed around opportunities to meet with peers and learn together while being inspired, and as such delegates will have free time following the workshops before an evening performance by Emilie Conway jazz trio.

In recent years, the Arts Offices of Leitrim County Council and Cork City Council have partnered to provide supports and training to artists working in socially-engaged contexts and have developed an online resource to support artists in managing social practice projects, which will be launched as part of the conference. Both arts offices have also adopted new strategic priorities in relation to Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion and as part of this event will look at national policies that underpin these priorities and examine practical approaches developed by artists to promote inclusivity in their work.

Artist Tatiana Dos Santos will be the first to present on the second day of the event, exploring the theme of Understanding Bias. This will be followed by the launch of the online Social Practice Toolkit, an important resource containing practical information and social practice project templates and case studies that can support artists who work in this field.

A panel looking at the current national policy framework that underpins our approach to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion will bring us to lunchtime. This panel includes artist Tatiana Dos Santos; Padraig Naughton, Director, Arts & Disability Ireland; Iarlaith Ní Fheorais, curator and author of the free online resource Access Toolkit for Artworkers, and will be chaired by Joanna Frivet, International Human Rights Lawyer and Board Member of The Dock.

Following a catered lunch, artists Anthony Haughey, Fiona Whelan, Aaron Sunderland Carey and Tara Carroll will form a panel discussing Equality, Diversity and Inclusion as part of the Artists’ Practice panel, chaired by Brian Leyden. The afternoon continues with a Social Practice Toolkit workshop by Siobhan Clancy, Assistant Arts Officer in Cork City Council and a closing plenary session featuring contributors from both days.

The Dock is Leitrim’s flagship arts centre, housed in a landmark, riverside venue in Carrick-on-Shannon, Ireland. You can find information on the Dock’s location and how to reach the venue here.

The Dock recognises people’s differences and aims to support individual needs. There is wheelchair access to all public floors in the building. All registered assistance dogs are welcome. An induction loop system and infra-red hearing system is available throughout the auditorium. If you require assistance for your visit, please do not hesitate to contact The Dock team at dockartscentre@gmail.com or call 071 965 0828.

It is important to us that as many people as possible have an opportunity to experience our event. Those with financial, access or other requirements are invited to contact Leitrim Arts Office on arts@leitrimcoco.ie or 087 203 6844 to discuss how we can best support you to attend. Irish Sign Language (ISL) interpretation will be available upon advance request (info@create-ireland.ie).

We hope that all delegates can join us for both days of the event. To facilitate those travelling long distances to join us, the first day of the event, Wednesday 6 November, will begin at 11.30am to coincide with public transport schedules and allow time for delegates to travel that morning. A shuttle service from Carrick-on-Shannon train station to The Dock will be provided and request that those who wish to use this service let us know when booking, via the online booking form.

Trains to Carrick-on-Shannon depart Connolly Station in Dublin at 06:55, arriving at 09:18, or 09:05 arriving at 11:14. On the booking form, you can request a seat on a shuttle bus which will depart from the station after this 11:14 train arrival and drop passengets to The Dock. In the evening, trains depart Carrick On Shannon towards Dublin at 17:45 and 19:55.

Bus number 23 departs Busárus in Dublin at 08:10, arriving in Carrick On Shannon at 10:59. Bus departure times from Carrick-on-Shannon towards Dublin include 16:27 and 19:25.

Carrick-on-Shannon has many options for accommodation and varying price points. Accommodation options include:

The Landmark Hotel
Cryan’s Hotel
Bush Hotel
Courtyard Apartments
Ashleigh Guest House
Carrick Plaza Suites
Carrick Self-Catering
Courtyard Apartments
Carrick Holiday Homes

Lunch will be provided by local caterer Tamara Samson and will be vegetarian, with options provided for other dietary requirements/restrictions. Please let us know when booking if you have any additional dietary requirements/ restrictions. Coffee, tea and water will be available at breaks – we encourage attendees to bring a reusable cup/container with them.