Creative Places National Programme

Creative Places Tuam was the pilot pogramme for the national Creative Places programme, begun in 2020 by the Arts Council.

Since the successful inception of the pilot programme in Tuam, the Arts Council has expanded the programme (June 2021 – June 2024). Creative Places across the country now include Athy (Kildare), Edenderry (Offaly), Bagenalstown (Carlow), West Cork Islands (Cork), Darndale (Dublin City Centre), Baltinglass (Wicklow), Tipperary Town (Tipperary), Enniscorthy (Wexford), Balbriggan (Fingal), MacUíllíam (Tallaght), Uíbh Ráthaigh (Kerry). Shannon (Clare), Loughlinstown /Ballybrack (Dublin, Dun Laoghaire/Rathdown), Edgeworthstown (Longford), Ballyconnell (Cavan) and Ballaghaderreen (Roscommon) have been granted research awards to develop their Creative Places.

This brings to a total of 17 the number of Creative Places funded since 2020. This latest funding means that almost 100,000 people in rural Ireland have access to the arts in their own communities for the first time.

Tuam is connected to each of these Creative Places now through the programme, and we have been able to support and learn from, our peers in the programme.

Creative Places Networking event

We know how important it is to make work together, and so, we collaborated with Create to offer a Networking Event in 2022 in Tuam. This Networking Event looked at care and solidarity in building these relationships. We welcomed representatives from each of the national Creative Places to Tuam, as well as artists, academics, community and arts organisations, local arts officers, and those interested in solidarity, inclusion, care, and socially engaged and collaborative arts practice. The event included keynote talks, panels, a walking tour, film screening, exhibition and artistic interventions.