Community engagement being sought for creative programme

FINGAL County Council and Creative Ireland hosted an open meeting to explore opportunities to increase access, engagement and collaboration in the local arts, creative industries and community activities in the county. 

Following the successful Cruinniú na Cásca event in Swords Castle on Easter Monday, the Creative Ireland Fingal group are developing a dedicated five-year Culture and Creativity plan, from 2017 to 2022, based on the premise that participation in cultural activity drives personal and collective creativity, with significant implications for individual and societal wellbeing. 

For 2017, there will be a special focus on children and young people with the specific objective of fast-tracking the Charter for Arts in Education, which will significantly increase access and participation for children in high quality arts and culture experiences. 

Chief executive of Fingal County Council Paul Reid, speaking at the public meeting in the Carlton Hotel, Old Airport Road, said: “The recently published 2016 Census figures tell us that Fingal is the fastest growing county with the youngest population in the country. 

“With a diverse population, and many different languages, we want to engage with our new communities and bring the wealth of their creativity and culture to Fingal.  This initiative gives us the opportunity to actively engage with the people of Fingal and develop a cultural programme that will take us from 2017 to 2022.”

Mayor of Fingal Cllr Darragh Butler said: “I know the people of Fingal have an appetite for creative culture, as my first duty for the Creative Fingal Programme was the launch of our annual Cruinniú na Cásca Easter Gathering event in Swords Castle which was attended by more than 4,500 people. “This programme intends to enable the creative potential of every child in Fingal and in turn will pay huge creative dividends both for them and for the county in the future.”

If you are involved in local arts, creative industries and community activities and are interested in finding out more about the Creative Ireland Programme in Fingal email creativefingal@fingal.ie or call 01-8905097.

Further information on the Fingal Creative Ireland Programme is also available at www.fingal.ie.