Creative and Cultural Strategy 2023 – 2027
The Creative Ireland Programme is an all-of government initiative committed to enhancing access to, engagement with, and enjoyment of Ireland’s culture and creativity.
The vision of the Creative Ireland Programme 2023–2027 is to mainstream creativity in the life of the nation so that individually and collectively, in our personal lives and in our institutions, we can realise our full creative potential thereby promoting individual, community and national wellbeing. The Creative Ireland Programme will deliver
through collaboration and partnership promoting understanding and appreciation of the value of creativity in all its forms — whether through the arts, culture, heritage, or technology.
The Creative Ireland Programme will prioritise its work around five aspects
for the period 2023–2027:
1. Creative Youth
2. Creative Communities
3. Creative Industries
4. Creative Health and Wellbeing
5. Creative Climate Action and Sustainability
Download the Creative and Cultural Strategy 2023 – 2027
Further information
To view up and coming events visit https://www.creativeireland.gov.ie/en/laois/
For further information contact the Creative Communities Engagement Officer David Broderick on dabroderick@laoiscoco.ie or 086-1694496.
Example projects 2023/24
Electric Youth at Electric Picnic
Now in its fifth year, Electric Youth is a collaboration between Youth Work Ireland Laois, Electric Picnic, LOETB and Creative Ireland. The event showcases the transformative power of music, arts, and youth work, highlighting its positive impact on the lives of its young participants.
Electric Youth provides a platform for young artists, musicians, singers, and poets to showcase their skills and passions. Many of these young people are self-taught and are performing to an audience for the first time.
The Peatlands Exhibition
Peatlands was an installation that explored the ecological treasures that are the peatlands and wetlands of Ireland and amplifies the extraordinary species found within. The ten-minute looped film combined animated paintings, photography, field recordings, sound sculpture and video into a transmedia essay, narrated through the voice of the natural and built worlds. The location was Dunamaise Arts Centre who are one of our important strategic partners.
The Timeline Tapestry
The Timeline Tapestry is a collaboration between several local authorities and is part of a two-year project which has involved eight Irish tapestry weavers known as the Timeline Tapestry Group. Weaving has been part of cultural heritage all over the world going back to early times, this project continues that tradition, and this piece stands proudly within contemporary art leaving a legacy for the future.
The process involved two weavers working at a time and their creation was then developed further by the next two weavers and so on. The project is has now been completed and is due to be exhibited in Co. Laois in Spring 2025.
Tionól Harp and Pipes
Tionól Harp and Pipes is an annual festival for young harpers and pipers from County Laois and visiting young musicians. Through support from Creative Ireland Laois, Music Generation Laois commissioned new music which was performed at this year’s Tionól. Scottish musicians Catriona McKay (harp) and Chris Stout (fiddle) were commissioned to create music for Tionól 2024. This music was premiered in-person and online in Portlaoise Library in 2024.
Children's voices and ideas are central to this project, both in the project development, and in the music creation.
Picture Our Future Exhibition
In 2024 Laois Climate Action Team hosted a Systems Innovation course in collaboration with Trinity College Dublin as part of Portlaoise’s role as a national demonstration project for implementing sustainable and community driven urban renewal.
The course content was distilled, using the Systems Innovation techniques, to form an information component of an imaginative exhibition, communicated creatively in the exhibition space.
This creative installation, based around exploration of the course content with fun and interactive elements, was geared for audiences of all ages and included a public exhibition in Portlaoise Library.
Creative Digital Residencies
Our culture and creativity team awarded two creative digital residencies in 2023. These two creatives (Emily Miller and Margaret Kane-Rowe) explored the themes of our creative communities strategy including arts, library and heritage initiatives through digital creation.
The culture and creativity team with the aid of these highly skilled creatives developed several digital storytelling projects which will help promote the history of the county both at heritage sites and online.
J Mac Creative Makeup Masterclass
This masterclass was an in-person live demo from James Mac with his take on beauty and the world of makeup. Showing the unconventional magic of makeup artistry, James created work live on stage with top industry hosts, showcasing what is not necessarily obvious to the untrained eye. This masterclass left the audience thinking about the beauty of makeup and art together like they never seen it before.
Sightless Cinema
Sightless Cinema Network is a collaboration between South Dublin, Meath and Laois County Council Arts Offices, and theatre artist Ciarán Taylor, in partnership with Solstice Arts Centre, Dunamaise Arts Centre and The Civic Theatre, with the National Council of the Blind of Ireland. The Sightless Cinema brings to life dramatic turning points in the lives of five people who are blind or visually impaired, this is an immersive surround sound experience where the audience can wear blindfolds, and all the sound effects and music are performed live. They are stories of adversity, adventure and determination.