A new film club in Sonna, an African drumming workshop in Empor, an active age celebration of Bealtaine in Kilbeggan, a Mullingar camera club exhibition, as well as the Festival of Fire at Uishneach and the All-Ireland Drama Festival in Athlone were just some of the “incredible” attractions on offer from the arts in Westmeath for just the month of May, according to Westmeath’s arts officer, Catherine Kelly, at the launch of the county’s second arts plan in the county buildings in Mullingar this week.
“Westmeath has a rich cultural life, steeped in the world of arts that infuses the most private of lives as well as the most sociable of communities,” said Ms Kelly.
“ The breadth and depth of what is going on in the arts in Westmeath at any one time is nothing short of incredible. Just look at the month of May alone,” she said, before listing off the varied number of attractions available across the county as mentioned above.
Westmeath County Council established its first arts office in 2002 and put its first arts plan in place for the years 2003-09. A staggering 92 objectives from this plan were achieved over its lifetime and helped broaden the appeal of architecture, dance, film literature, music, art, and drama throughout the county.
Key strategies for the arts between 2010 and 2016 include using the roundabouts of the county to develop a new network of public art sculptures, and to encourage collaboration between artists, architects, planners, and engineers to deliver this through the arts office.
According to the plan as presented by Ms Kelly, her office also intends to “maximise the resources available from art schemes and other investment opportunities” to achieve this.
The “Stream Spire” at the front gate and the “Silver Brosna” within the town park in Mullingar are just two examples of such achievements in this field of endeavour to date.
Beyond just pure physical installations, the office will offer support for individual artists, as well as for centres and venues, and has targetted inclusion, capacity building, youth, and education as key area of development to pursue.
“This plan will strengthen commitment to the present structures and all elements of the the community can benefit from inclusion in the arts,” said cathaoirleach Fintan Cooney at the launch.
“The overall aim of this [plan] is to consolidate and strengthen art in Westmeath,” he added.
