The Leitrim Design House where proud hosts of the global diversity Village in Dungannon Co Tyrone this year. Over 80 of our friends from the Kurdish Nigerian Indian Hungarian and Zimbabwe communities joined us in this fantastic multicultural experience which included foods from all over the world cookery demontrations craft demonstrations traditional dancing and singing from all the countries involved.On behalf of the Leitrim Design House we would like to thank everyone who was involved in making this day such a resounding success and especially to our cross border colleauges whom where fantasic hosts on the day. Well done to everyone an amazing day all round.

_____________________________________________________________________________

CHANGING ARTS & MINDS

Exhibition by Supports for Women, Leitrim Design House 19^th to August 16^th September at the Leitrim Design House and Music Room The Dock Carrick-on-Shannon

Arts and minds have been transformed for ten local Leitrim women following their participation in The Leitrim Design House Supports for Women Project where they examined the effects of the Northern Ireland conflict and learned to express their personal experiences of internal conflict using their creative talents. Changing Art & Minds the exhibition, opens at the Leitrim Design House on Thursday the 19^th of August at 5.30 pm. Rita Duffy one of Northern Ireland Groundbreaking artists will open the exhibition.

This exhibition is an exploration of the creative journey of the Supports for Women project. Supports for Women developed over one year as creative learning project for women living in Leitrim and the project was set up to encourage women to share their personal stories by using the arts, crafts, creative journaling and conflict resolution tools.

Through the medium of art the project which is funded by the Peace III Programme through the European Unions European Regional Development Fund took the participants on a journey of self­ discovery and personal growth while also challenging the old negative beliefs that have been inherited in the border county as a result of the conflict.

After all this time, there is still a fear of crossing the border. So many women who have lived in Leitrim all their lives have never travelled to the North. We are so close yet there is a sort of invisible divide so through the programme the women examined that and also their own experiences of conflict on a more general level and this was all done creatively through their art, said Anna Marie ORourke.Over the past ten months the group have travelled to Northern Ireland together four times to engage with exhibitions and attend talks and workshops with other women living in Northern Ireland and this has open up new doors to all involved.

For a period of 10 months, weekly classes and workshops were held in Leitrim which allowed the women to explore art while focusing on the importance of peace and reconciliation.

A series of hands on workshops were offered as part of the course questioning  Who am I?throughout these workshops the participants reflected on their own personal situations and experiences of conflict. As a result of their skills based training their exhibition work includes textiles, glass, painting and drawing and mixed media made by the women during workshops with five internationally acclaimed artist based in Leitrim.

Jewellery designer Erika Marks visual artist Laura Gallagher, textile artist Ester Kiely glass artist Louise Rice and textile artist Brigitta Varadi worked with the group throughout the year.

I watched in awe as these women flourished and changed before my eyes. Their confidence and self-esteem grew and they learned because of the entire programme. They have embraced their individual creativity and realise they can master other conflicts in their lives in a creative way explained Therese Hackett, a therapist who taught personal development classes for the first five weeks of the course.

Most of the project activities revolved around identity and relationships and dealing with the negative impact of Northern Ireland. Therefore the cross border visits were designed to focus on creative output and engagement with issues of culture and society in Northern Ireland from the visit, Programme Manager Anna-Marie commented.

The Supports for women project also connected with Northern Irelands August Craft Month a month long craft extravaganza that takes the principles of Slow as the overall theme.  In the words of Mae West Anything worth doing is worth doing slowly.

On the 29^th of July Supports for Women and a selection of women’s groups from Draw down the walls Belfast participated in a Sampler Culture Clash workshop to experiment with new media in a slow environment.

This workshop took place with women from Leitrim and Belfast exploring the connections between craft and the written and spoken word. Over the day the group worked together to create a collective sound stitched piece based on the spoken and written words they created with in the session with performance poet Yusra Warsama and textile designer David Littler .

Draw Down the Walls is a unique project that uses art and language to examine Belfasts controversial interface walls organised by Golden Thread Gallery in partnership with North Belfast Interface Network, Lower Shankill Community Association, Deanby Youth Club and Ardoyne Youth Club.  Draw Down the Walls is funded through Belfast City Councils Development and Outreach and Good Relations Departments.

As well as cross-border visits, the women completed an accredited course in conflict and resolution skills which aimed to empower them to take an active role in post-conflict resolution in their local community

We are very excited to have such an acclaimed artist as Rita Duffy to open the exhibition at the Leitrim Design House on the 19^th of August said Anna Marie ORourke Project Development Officer. Rita Duffys art is often autobiographical, including themes and images of Irish identity, history and politics. She is an associate at the Goldsmiths College London and is currently working on an artistic exchange with Argentina and N. Ireland looking at the role art has in post conflict societies. Duffys work is being increasingly collected at home and abroad with work in numerous public and private collections.

Path to promise a book has also been created as part of the programme by Cloone based publisher Mari-Aymone D’Jeribi which gives a unique insight into each of the women’s personal accounts of the programme.

Over the month of July Changing Arts and Minds was exhibited in The Golden Thread Gallery in Belfast Northern Ireland most prestigious contemporary art galleries.

I cannot believe the work the participants have created in such a short space of time. Most of the women had never engaged with art of craft before the project begun. As well as their new skills the group have developed strong friendships in ten months. Everyone has conflict in their life at some point as well as our history with Northern Ireland and these women have learned to deal with this theme over the course of the project said Anna-Marie.

Working crossborder crosscommunity and with different cultures and traditions, Leitrim Design House has promoted understanding and respect using an artistic approach through the Supports for women Project. concludes Anna-Marie.

Supports for Women is a creative learning programme for women living in Leitrim organised by Leitrim Design House and funded by the Peace III Programme through the European Unions European Regional Development Fund which is managed by the Special EU Programmes Body. www.intoleitrim.com

For further information please contact the Leitrim Design House tel 071 96 50533 email annamarie@leitrimdesignhouse.ie

_________________________________________________________________________________________

A TASTE OF WORLD CULTURE DAY 

Leitrim Design House welcomes you to an afternoon of fun and activity- A Taste of world Culture

An explosion of colour, sound and music. Celebrating culture and creativity, A Taste of World Culture, will display the sights, smells and sounds of ethnic origins, showcasing music, dance, arts and food from over ten nations across the globe. Crowds expected are in for a variety of treats as the event is jam packed with a show stopping schedule, all taking place in the Dock Arts Centre.

On our doorstep we have a rich and diverse cultural mix and to highlight this Leitrim Design House have designed a taste of world culture day which will include Indian and Chinese cookery demonstrations, dance performances from India, Latin America and China as part of the Carrick Water Music Festival. Enjoy song, dance, music and food from Armenia, China, India, Ireland, Kurdistan Latvia, Lithuania, Nigeria, Poland, Zimbabwe and more. This is very much a family event and all activities are free. Come along to the Leitrim Design House @ the Dock on Sunday the 11th July and sample a selection of food prepared by these countries. Food will be available from 12 noon and the performances start at 1pm.Many of the performances, workshops and demonstrations are being provided in partnership with the Belfast-based group, ArtsEkta - Northern Ireland’s leading ethnic arts organisation. There will also be samples of Indian, Libyan, Japanese and Chinese food available for visitors to sample and the day will “bring a whole new experience to people with attractions for all ages,”according to Artsekta Project Director, Nisha Tandon. She said “we are delighted to be collaborating with Leitrim Design House on their fabulous cultural diversity programme and this is a great opportunity for us to build on our cross-border links.We look forward to meeting lots of new people and to contributing to the vibrancy and diversity of this excellent event”.

ArtsEkta is Northern Ireland’s leading ethnic arts organisation and organises the Belfast Mela- Northern Ireland’s largest multi-cultural festival which takes place this year in Botanic Gardens on 28th & 29th August. The organisation works to address to address racism faced by people from ethnic minority backgrounds by developing festivals and innovative outreach programmes using the arts and cultures of ethnic minority communities.

The programme of events will include entertainment from a rich variety of traditions. Celtic Rythms who will join us for the afternoon are specialists in the very best of modern and traditional Irish Dancing. In fact they have proved to be one of the most successful dance troupes in their field, with performances from weddings to Broadway shows. Celtic Rhythm are renowned for extremely fast shows. A typical performance last approximately 35 minutes and consists of a medley of Irish Dances performed by 5 dancers. Based primarily on the hard shoe of Irish Dancing the show focuses on Speed, Rhythms, Formations and the raw sound from the floor. The show will include an a capella ( a dance performed without music), an audience participation and a tribute to Riverdance and Lord of the Dance.Celtic Rhythm employ 88 of Irelands finest dancers with troupes based in Dublin, Leitrim, Galway and Belfast. Many of their dancers perform with Riverdance.

There is something for all ages; cultural workshops for adults where for example you can try your hand at calligraphy; craft demonstrations and henna handpainting. Leitrim Design House artists, Brigitta Varadi, Niall Millar and Niamh Dempsy will run creative workshops for children of all ages which allow them to express their creativity through a wide range of stimulating, hands-on activities. A Taste of World Culture is delivered under the Leitrim Design House Raising Awareness of Different Cultures Programme and forms part of an exciting series of events planned by the organisation. The programme aims to raise awareness of our cultural mix through sharing traditions and trading skills and throughout the programme, the Leitrim Design House celebrates cultural diversity with an exciting calendar of events: intercultural events & cultural exchange; creative mornings for mother and toddlers; a creative club-sharing & trading skills; a book club-offering translations and exchanges; pot luck lunches-sharing food and stories; craft tasters; English conversation classes; discovery tours visiting our local attractions; children’s festival plus much more.

The Raising Awareness of Different Cultures Programme has been developed with the support of European Peace 111 funding.To find out more about the programme visit the 2 o Clock club hosted by the Leitrim Design House any Wednesday in the Dock Coffee Shop.To date Ireland, America, Poland, Latvia, India and our very own Kurdish community have been represented at the 2 o Clock club. Everyone is welcome –it’s an opportunity to chat and share experiences. Come along any Wednesday to the coffee shop at the Dock and find out more!

Also don’t miss our Craft Tasters-a great way to explore your creativity. You don’t need to have any experience. Come along and try your hand at a variety of crafts over the summer; Peg Loom Weaving with Niamh Dempsy; Toys from Tins with Nara Stephanyan; fun with felt with Brigitta Varadi; restyle your handbag from Alena Gurn and Millinary with Wendy Knight are just some of the craft tasters on offer. All activities are free but it is advisable to book.

Craft, design & art disciplines by their very nature allow people to explore each other’s culture, language and traditions. As a non-profit, organisation Leitrim Design House has been nurturing craft, culture and community in Leitrim for more than 14 years working in partnership with local, regional and national organisations to support the creation of traditional and contemporary crafts in the region.The Raising Awareness of Different Cultures project has been funded by the PEACE 111 Programme through the European Union’s European Regional Development Fund which is managed by the special EU Programmes Body.

For further information please contact Leitrim Design House on 071 96 50550/50533 or email info@leitrimdesignhouse.ie or visit www.leitrimdesignhouse.ie or join us on facebook.

The Nigeria in Leitrim day took place on Saturday 26th June and it was a massive success. From the beautiful aroma of authentic Nigerian food, the fabulous array of colourful costume and music that made the spirit dance!!

As part of our Multicultural Programme, The Leitrim Design House is happy to annouce the 2oclock will be running every wednesday in the coffee shop at the Dock. This is a fantastic opportunity to come along and meet a colourful array of different people from a multitude of different backgrounds. From Polish, Irish, Kurdish, Lithuanian, Indian, Hungarian, Russian and many more. This is a great opportunity to exchange stories, share life experiences and get to know your neighbour that bit better…see you there!

————————————————————————————

NIGERIA IN LEITRIM - 26th June 2010.

The Leitrim Design House are proud to be involved NIGERIA IN LEITRIM taking place on Saturday 26th June at the Market Yard in Carrick-on-Shannon. This will be a fantasical, colourful event with everything from making percussion instruments, mask making, carnival head dress making and then the grand finale - where you will get to wear all your wonderful creations!

Making percussion instruments: Time 1.00pm-2.40pm

Carnival dress making: 2.00pm-2.40pm

Carnival mask making: Time 3.00pm-3.40pm

Workshop Ages: 6-12years

Carnival Parade 5pm

——————————————————————————–

BURZA KOLOROW BY EDYTA SZYMANSKA & KRZYSTOF PIEKARZ

Date: 25th June 2010 @ 5.00pm

Storm of Colours/ Burza kolorow: is an exhibition by Polish couples Artist Edyta Szymanska and Krzystof Piekarz.This exhibition presents sculptured ceramics mainly women, which are characterized by a style called ceramic ktorenajbardziej.Burza Kolorow / Storm of Colours to wystawa pary Artystow polskich - Edyty Szymanskiej I Krzysztofa Piekarza majacych studio ceramiczne w Irlandii przez ostatnie 3 lata. Wystawa ta przedstawia rzezby ceramiczne glownie kobiece, ktorenajbardziej charakteryzuja styl ceramikow

Venue: The Leitrim Design House. Date: Friday 25th June 2010

Refreshments and Entertainment on the evening. Starting at 5pm. everyone welcome

—————————————————————————————————

HEADS TOGETHER MILLINERY WORKSHOP WITH WENDY KNIGHT

Special thanks goes to Wendy Knight and her colleague Eileen who facilitated, the heads together Millinery Workshop held on the 12th June. The workshop was a fantastic success and was enjoyed by all who attended. Everyone went home with a stunning head piece to wear!

Dont miss out on our next course with Wendy Knight, being held on Saturday 18th September.Early booking is advised to avoid disappointment.

————————————————————————-

Learn how to make a beautiful Japanese box. Create a treasure to take home using simple materials- milk cartons, pen, ruler,scissors, glue and sellotape.

Japanese paper will be supplied (or you may use your own gift wrapping paper if you prefer) Our Paper Craft Workshop will be taught by Naomi Fleury who is greatly experienced in Origami, Card Making and Decoration. Naomi is originally from Japan and has now settled in Donegal.

Everyone welcome.

raising awareness and greater understanding of other traditions - raising awareness of Irish culture and traditions - encouraging cultural diversity - developing cultural partnerships around craft, art, design- creating new links through music, craft and food

This programme has been developed with the support of European Peace 111 funding. The project relates to Aim 2 of the County Leitrim Peace III Action Plan 2008-2010 which is to address racism by a greater understanding and integration of diverse cultures. The strategic priority is raising awareness of different cultures. The project has been funded by the PEACE 111 Programme through the European Union’s European Regional Development Fund which is managed by the special EU Programmes Body.