Thursday, May 20, 2010

With and Around


This post is a slight repetition, but we've noticed that there has been a lot of discussion since CATDIG about artist-led or public-led events and DIY culture.

We'd like to add this to the agenda for a public feedback session.
Rather than work against a situation/regulations/restrictions, our philosophy is to work 'with' were possible (which has required a degree of empathy) and 'around' when necessary (lateral thinking!). We like to add this to the agenda, but not make it the main point.
To repeat, here are some of the issues we'd like you to consider -
We think it's important that projects like the CATDIG are independently sustainable, but also need to encourage that to happen, do you agree? A lot of the traders are talking about the possibility of doing this themselves next year....we want to hand ownership back to the street, how do you practically do that, can that work, how would it work, what experiences did the weekend give us to help that to happen...etc?

more images from CATDIG
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Thursday, May 13, 2010

Thanks to Everyone for a Great CATDIG Experience



We're very happy with how everything turned out, we hope you are too! We're considering having an open feedback session some evening next week or the next , if you're interested, we'll keep you informed....this entails inviting the traders and yourselves for a cup of tea and doing a round up.
We think it's important that projects like the CATDIG are independently sustainable, but also need to encourage that to happen, do you agree? A lot of the traders are talking about the possibility of doing this themselves next year....we want to hand ownership back to the street, how do you practically do that, can that work, how would it work, what experiences did the weekend give us to help that to happen...etc?




















Thursday, May 6, 2010

Getting Your Words Down on Paper with Dave Rock and Ben Coombs at CATDIG

Dave Rock is a published poet and fiction writer, who has read all over Ireland and the United Kingdom. He is currently a PhD Fellow in NGUI studying Social Imaginaries. Dave is known to many in Limerick as a veteran 'Slam Poet', but this is his first visit to our city to lend us his experience as a creative writing workshop leader.
Ben Coombs is an award winning writer, with a Masters in Writing, who regularly writes for HOTPRESS and the IRISH INDEPENDENT. He currently lives in Galway city where he leads creative writing workshops that have earned him an excellent reputation.

What are they doing?
Ben and Dave will help you to release your inner writer, this creative writing workshop will be light hearted, fun and inclusive. Places are limited and are given on a first come first serve basis, so come on time and have fun!

Where, When and How?
Saturday 7pm - Writing Workshop - (surrounded by books at) The Little Catherine Street Bookshop - 90mins - Bring pen and paper!!!!!
Here's a quick sample of some of the activites and events that are happening over the CATDIG weekend, that's starting this FRIDAY 7th MAY!!!

Amanda Dunsmore is a visual artist based in Ireland. The subject matter of her diverse range of artworks originate from contemporary social contexts, presented through the media of video, sound, photography and installation. Recent works include the performance series Head in a Hole Woman and the multi-presentational public sound work Shhh Shhh Shhh - Bags, Streets, Windows Linz, Austria. Her historical context projects reflect on diverse acts of preservation and include the Keeper project.



What's she up to?
‘Others Have Their Heads – A subterreanian Intervention for CAT DIG’
In the summer of 2008 I found a hole in a rural road and put my head in it. I am intrigued by the simple visual metaphor of this action. The moment of production is an integral element of this artistic process, exploring location and exploiting site, with the aim of creating different and unusual contexts.

Where?
On the street!
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Emmalena Fredriksson is a dance artist from Sweden. She graduated from SEAD, Salzburg Experimental Academy of Dance in Austria in 2008, majoring in both performance and choreography. Since then she has worked as a freelance dance artist in Sweden, Germany, Austria and England, presenting her own work as well as collaborating with other artists, teaching and organizing events. Since September 2009 she is taking part in the Daghdha Mentoring Program in Limerick. http://www.daghdha.ie/006/002.htm

What's she up to?
“It’s a wrap, put your arms around me, you are an animal but I’m just lying here” a durational exploration of a simple movement, and a fascination for the double meanings of small words.

Where?
On the street!
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Softday is a collaboration between Sean Taylor and Mikael Fernström that started in 1999, exploring ideas in multimedia art.
http://www.softday.ie/

What are they up to?
Want to be part of a unique public sound art event?
Want to turn your mobile phone into a musical instrument?
‘Sonic City’ is an improvised sound art work designed to be played on mobile phones.
Softday (Sean Taylor and Mikael Fernstrom) in association with The Spirit Store , will work members of the public who are interested in getting involved in this unique project.

Where?
Interested participants are asked to meet the artists for a day long workshop at the French's Café in Catherine Street, Limerick at 11.am on Saturday 8th May 2010. Participants will take part in a sonic walk/tour of Limerick, they will also be introduced to audio recording techniques, and computer based editing software. The sound composition will be constructed from audio field recordings of the city of Limerick, which will be altered using computer based audio editing software. Each individual composition will be converted to MP3 or MP4 ringtones for the user’s mobile phone. The finished work will be performed live in public by the participants and their mobile phones as part of the ‘Softday Mobile Philharmonic’ at 4.30pm on Saturday 8th May in French's Café
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Ailbhe Keogan is the author of the novel, Molly & the Cyclops, published by Hag's Head Press in 2006. (http://www.hagsheadpress.com/molly.html) She has just completed her first screenplay, Run and Jump, to be directed and produced by Oscar-nominated team, Steph Green and Tamara Anghie in association with Samson Films. The script was developed with the support of the Irish Film Board. It was selected as one of twelve to take part in the 2010 Berlinale Talent Campus Script Station and as one of only five projects for the Sundance Institute's June 2010 lab. Ailbhe Keogan studied Interaction Design in the University of Limerick and has a soft spot for Limerick. She currently lives in Kerry at the foot of a mountain.

What's she up to?
A talk – The Lifecycle of a screen play, from Script to Screen.

Where?
Little Catherine Street Bookshop
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knee-jerk are a multi-disciplinary Artist Collective based in Galway. Concentrating on collective collaborations and site specific work, we are concerned with making the practice of art a more socially engaging experience. .

What are they up to?

"Hey, Catherine..Pass the Parcel!" - (Pass the 'Giant' parcel on Catherine Street)
http://www.myspace.com/kneejerkaudios

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Tracy Fahey is a Gothic devotee whose research interests lie chiefly in Gothic space and its interactions with literature, art, design and folk-tales. She has given papers in University of Aarhus, University of Cardiff, Stirling University, Trinity and All Saints, Leeds and University of Northampton on a variety of topics including Irish castles, domestic Gothic, fairytale architecture, Irish Gothic and werewolves.

What's she up to?
'Ghost Walk, Ghost Talk', is a look at the gory tales of Limerick hauntings, spectres, ghosts and monsters. All set to send shivers for the CAT DIG.Start on Catherine street and go on the ghost trail, return to a basement for a scary spine tingling story telling session featuring Limerick's own tales.
See the website for further info and to add your own experiences….

Where?
Saturday at 6pm > Ghost Walk > Meet at Bourke's Bar
Saturday at 8pm > Ghost Talk > Bourke's Bar Basement
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Robin Parmar works with silence, sounds, words, photography, performance and theory. Recent credits include the sound installation "The Lights In Room 7" for the international e v+ a Exhibition (Limerick, Ireland), a paper on television programme Doctor Who (Cardiff, Wales), a sonic performance at "Die Gegenwart Von Jean Baudrillard" (Mainz, Germany), the diffusion of the soundscape composition "The Garden Of Adumbrations" (Limerick and Stockholm) and a chapter in the book "Framemakers: Choreography As An Aesthetics Of Change".

What's going on?
I wish to create an anecdotal soundscape of Catherine Street, a process which would start with collecting sounds in situ and end with a finished composition for playback.


Ongoing Event > Sound Art Installation > Goldmine Jewellers

More information at,
www.spiritstorelimerick.weebly.com