Exhibition connects local Dublin communities

AN EXHIBITION of work created by women’s groups in the Dublin 8 area was officially opened last week by Ms Sabina Higgins at an event in the Chester Beatty Library, Dublin Castle.

Created by artists and storytellers from the F2 Women’s Group in Rialto and the Islamic Foundation of Ireland’s Amal Women’s Group from the South Circular Road, the exhibition entitled ‘Punctuation’ aims to break down cultural barriers.

The groups worked individually and collaboratively over a number of months with artist Helen Barry, storyteller Xanthe Gresham and documentary maker, Hanan Dirya.

Their efforts have resulted in an exhibition comprising cultural tea cups with text that highlights what both community and culture mean to the women, an eight-foot embroidery containing the 99 names of Allah, and a film about connections between two groups of women working to make their neighbourhood a more open and welcoming place.

It is all part of Dublin’s Culture Connects, the Dublin City Council initiative that aims to connect communities through culture.

The Chief Executive of Dublin City Council, Owen Keegan, said: “Dublin’s Culture Connects and its projects began the implementation of Dublin City Council’s Cultural Strategy. 

“Its spirit of partnership and connections across the city highlights Dublin’s enormous cultural strength, ambition and energy, and helps us to see the aspects of our work where culture can make a significant contribution.”

Speaking about ‘Punctuation’, the Deputy Lord Mayor of Dublin, Cllr Rebecca Moynihan, added: “The purpose of the Dublin’s Culture Connects initiative is to bring diverse communities together using culture as a unifying element. Dublin City Council is very proud of leading this initiative in the city.

“The ‘Punctuation’ exhibition is some of the work from one of the many projects which perfectly represent that concept of connection and the need for it,” Cllr Moynihan added.

“We have great plans into the future to keep working in partnership with community through culture and our own institutions and welcome all communities in the city to be involved.”

Artist Helen Barry said the theme of ‘Punctuation’ is ‘pause for breath, pause for thought, pause for tea’.

She said: “It was a fantastic experience working with these two groups of women to explore what community and culture means to both, and to help them to share their similarities and discover what defines them through the mediums of art, film and storytelling.”

Dublin’s Culture Connects brings together for the first time, the Dublin City Council arts, cultural and community resources in partnership with all eight national cultural institutions in the capital.

For the project, each of the council’s five administrative areas, through the Area Offices, partnered with specific national cultural institutions, and supported by Dublin Public Libraries, Dublin City Arts Office, and Dublin City Gallery The Hugh Lane. 

The South Central Area is partnered with the Chester Beatty Library and the National Concert Hall.

‘Punctuation’ will run until Monday, April 17. Admission is free.