RURAL Mourne community centre Moneydarragh Hub celebrated the conclusion of its Come Together arts programme by hosting an exhibition which displayed work made throughout the various arts workshops held in the space. Workshop participants and the public were invited to come together and see the community made artwork on display and also got the chance to take part in different activities, including a climbing wall with Cloughmor Extreme.
The exhibition had artwork on display from a wide range of ages, from sculpture, ceramic, metalsmithing, and street art by young people aged from 10 through to 18, as well as photography, metalwork, and more street art made by adults. The artwork showed many different themes, from love of animals to harbour life, to video games and exploring form. As well as the artwork on display, a new mural was painted to commemorate the Moneydarragh Makers project, which organises arts programming for the Moneydarragh Hub area.
The Come Together arts programme was funded by Arts Council NI through its Rural Engagement Arts Programme and designed to provide opportunities for rural individuals to engage in arts and crafts activities that otherwise wouldn’t be available in the Moneydarragh area. Speaking about the programme, Come Together’s project lead Ruairí Jordan said it was “amazing having this opportunity” to organise arts activities for people of all ages to have a go at. “I helped run many of the workshops and saw first-hand how arts programming can help individuals build on their confidence and feel comfortable in a group over time, and also open their horizons to new interests they had little to no knowledge of before,” he explained. “I’m delighted with how the programme came together in the end to provide a lovely exhibition for participants and the public alike, and attendance and feedback we received shows how important providing these creative opportunities is.”
The project brought in a range of facilitators to lead the workshops, including silversmith and metal worker Claire Mooney, who has recently starred in Bill Bailey’s Master Crafters on Sky Arts, and Dermot McConaghy, whose fantastic street art murals can be seen all across Northern Ireland.
Project co-ordinator and facilitator Claire Mooney had this to say about the project: “It has been brilliant to open the doors to new and familiar faces to explore different themes and materials. I’m proud of all the work made by participants and it’s been such a pleasure to watch the course participants build skills and make their own unique pieces throughout the project.” As well as the project exhibition, craft activities for young children and homemade smoothies were available to the public, as well as a climbing wall which was brought to the school yard of the Moneydarragh Hub area which showcased the stunning surroundings of the Mournes when scaled. The community centre routinely organises workshops and events for the public to attend. Their next project will be launching a series of workshops surrounding the environment and sustainability – including events that tie in to the nationwide Linen Biennale.