Four artist commissions announced as part of Creative Places: Edenderry

Creative Places: Edenderry is our ambitious ongoing project which aims to put people, place, and participation at the centre of cultural life in Edenderry.

As part of this programme, we're excited to announce the recipients of our 2024 artist commissions, who we'll be supporting to carry out inspiring projects with and for the people of Edenderry. We particularly looked for proposals which reflected the ethos of arts participation, and for artists who demonstrated a vision to deliver ambitious and durational projects. 

Congratulations to all of our commissioned artists!

Creative Places: Edenderry is funded and supported by The Arts Council / An Chomhairle Ealaíon, Offaly County Council, and the Municipal District of Edenderry.

Sara Walmsley and Elizabeth Drwal | Reflections and Resonance

Sara Walmsley and Elizabeth Drwal are experienced music, vocal, and theatre practitioners having worked with diverse groups around a variety of themes in Ireland, UK, and Germany. As creative practitioners, they bring a shared understanding of the importance of socially-engaged arts for providing a route to community development. 

Reflections and Resonance is an intergenerational performance-making project. It seeks to celebrate living in Edenderry, with the canal used to symbolise the enriching and fluid experience of change. 

Participants will include an adult community music group, a group of local children, and an ensemble of young musicians and singers from Music Generation, bringing them all together to musically explore and respond to themes identified by the local children as important to living in Edenderry.

John Maguire | A Halloween Event at St Mary's Primary School

John Maguire is the founder of the Gemini Players and Artistic Director of the Edenderry festival committee (2018-2020). Recent credits include: 'The Loves of Cass Maguire' (director, 2023, Gemini Players); 'The Field' (director, 2023, Carbury Players Drama Group); and 'The Covid Bar' (writer and director, 2022, Gemini Players).

At Halloween, Edenderry will be treated to a spectacular event, when John will present a theme park and pantomime in St. Mary's Primary School. As many people as possible will be included, with the pantomime featuring a cast of over twenty performers, as well as four local dance troupes delivering ballet, Irish dancing, line dancing and hip hop.

Dozens of people from the local community will also be involved in building props and sets for the theme park, including the Men's Shed. The lobby and auditorium will be dressed by the members of the Women's Shed, and a team of volunteers will help install the exhibits.

Laura Phillips | Community Doodle Mural

Laura Phillips is the founder of The Barley Moon, and a qualified primary school teacher with a BSC (Hons) in Applied Psychology. She is deeply passionate about mindfulness and creativity and  specialises in leading mindful doodle workshops for children and adults. These workshops emphasise the positive effects of doodling, such as reducing anxiety, improving focus, and providing a relaxing practice.

Laura will create a huge 'Doodle Mural' with the children and teenagers of Edenderry and the surrounding area. The collaborative mural will take shape over a series of engaging workshops held throughout the summer, where children will be invited to contribute their unique doodle designs, bringing together their shared creativity while honouring each child's individual style. The mural will then be displayed at the Youth Café in Edenderry for years to come.

Eden FM Community Radio | Echoes of Edenderry: Embracing Diversity Through Shared Stories

Celebrating 10 years of radio in Edenderry in 2024, Eden FM Community Radio is in the heart of Edenderry, opposite the town hall in O'Connell Square. It began as a small project which has developed into a thriving community radio station where all groups and organisations are welcome. It is a not-for-profit organisation, run by a dedicated team of volunteers who are from Edenderry and beyond. Programming consists of community news, talk shows, special interest programmes, and a variety of music formats from Irish, country, easy listening, up to date and oldies. The station's motto is ‘Radio for the community, by the community'. 

Members of the team at Eden FM Community Radio will develop Echoes of Edenderry: Embracing Diversity Through Shared Stories. The station was inspired to run the project after Michelle O'Donnell was commissioned by Creative Lives to create the Edenderry Community Sculpture. It sparked the idea of mirroring her project through voice, captivating the stories of people in Edenderry and saving them for future generations. By connecting it with Michelle O'Donnell’s Edenderry Community Sculpture project, 'Echoes of Edenderry' will bring both projects full circle, not only in stunning picture but in vocal art as well.