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Trav Art Programme
Trav-Art Programme 18 Month Programme (finished in 2009).- Partners: Members of the Travelling community, Galway Co Co Housing Unit, Arts Office and Community and Enterprise Unit, Galway Film Resource Centre, South East Galway Traveller Family Support Programme, Portumna Community School, Portumna Arts Group, Area Social Worker HSE, Dept. of Education – Visiting Teachers for Travellers. All the project partners sat on a steering group for this project.
- Background: Our guiding policy in this area was that Galway County Council would work with key agencies and partners to develop and deliver a comprehensive approach to arts delivery in schools, through the implementation of models of best practice. An Arts programme to target young members of the Travelling community was developed in partnership with the housing department.
Two pilot projects were completed with young Travellers and members of the settled community in Loughrea and Portumna in 2006-2007. One of the key outcomes of this initiative is that the young Travellers who participated in the Portumna project have indicated that they are now still in school. This outcome is a measure of the success of the project and we wish to continue the work that has commenced with these young people and build upon this.
2008-09 had four strands:
- Gombeens Theatre Company went on tour for the week of National Traveller Week to halting sites in Co. Galway
- Series of Dance workshops (eight weeks) leading to performances of Dance Group in Mall Theatre Tuam during National Traveller Week. This was in partnership with NATC Tuam
- Series of Youth Theatre workshops (12 weeks) leading to performance by Youth Theatre Group in Athenry Arts & Heritage Centre as part of National Traveller Week, in partnership with Cullairbaun Community in Athenry
- Recording of Community Music project ( 10 weeks) in Portumna leading to launch of CD as part of National Traveller Week, this project was in partnership with the Community Development project in Portumna.
Each of the projects were implemented locally by the project partners and managed by the steering group comprising of each of the local project partners and members of interagency Traveller network.
For more information, or to obtain a copy of the catalogue, please contact the Arts Office on 091 476504 or email artsoffice@galwaycoco.ie .
Work with the Traveller Inter-Agency Group
‘Faces’ , the result of a Visual Arts Youth Residency in Portumna, and ‘Our Town’, a film made by young people from Loughrea, were both made with the support of the Arts & Housing Sections of Galway County Council.
These sections of Galway County Council came together to establish art & traveller integration projects in Portumna and Loughrea. This is part of their joint thinking and practical approaches to working under the ‘Traveller Interagency Group’.
The Galway Film Centre was commissioned to develop a film project with young people in Loughrea. Artist Tommy Casby was appointed to facilitate a visual arts youth project in Portumna as a result of an open competition.
The Film project, entitled ‘Our Town’ aimed to give participants basic film training and hands-on experience in writing, directing, camera, sound and editing. The youth group has written and shot a short film during the project. This learning-through-doing gave practical access to film and video-making skills. The resulting film tells their story of life in Loughrea.
Faces’ ; A Visual Arts Youth Residency in Portumna aimed to bring young people together to exchange and celebrate each other’s culture. Artist Tommy Casby worked with the young people to produce a powerful body of visual work. The work was exhibited in Portumna in the newly established Youth Cafe,as part of Terryglass arts festival.
Galway County Council, gratefully acknowledges the support and work of Na Calai, Portumna, and Youth Work Ireland, Loughrea in the implementation of these projects. These initiatives were supported by The Arts Council, Galway County Council and The Department of Justice, Equality & Law Reform
For more information, or to obtain a copy of the film or catalogue, please contact the Arts Office on 091 476504 or email artsoffice@galwaycoco.ie .
