Creative Places Baltinglass will launch on Friday with an exciting Culture Night program

The County WICKLOW Arts Office is pleased to launch Creative Places Baltinglass with a special cultural evening program taking place this Friday.

Following a successful bid led by Wicklow County Council in partnership with local community development organizations in Baltinglass and West Wicklow, the people of Baltinglass will benefit from a £375,000 investment package awarded by the Council arts to develop and support new creative opportunities. for all age groups over the next three years.

Creative Places is an opportunity for places that have not had sustained arts investment in the past to create local arts programs that will benefit local people. Each program will have a coordinator and the approach is inclusive and diverse and rooted in socially engaged practice and community development principles. It builds on existing cultural strengths and is driven by community input and ideas and supported by artists.

Culture Night is an annual celebration of culture, creativity and the arts across the island. It seeks to actively promote the rich and varied culture cherished and nurtured in the lives of people, today and every day, across Ireland.

To mark the launch of Creative Places Baltinglass, the inaugural Baltinglass Culture Night program includes a Bodhrán Buzz family workshop where children and adults will learn how to hold the bodhran and staff and master the basics to get the first beats.

Harpist Aisling Ennis, soprano Catherine Redding and local author Robert Barrett present a classic recital of beautiful, evocative and charming selections from Fauré, Debussy, Bellini and Strauss entitled “Songs to the Moon”.

West Wicklow-based traditional sensations Kila will perform as part of their tour celebrating 35 years of songwriting and wowing audiences with their unique brand of Trad Fusion.

Supporting Kíla are The Voyagers, a four-piece band of guitar, violin, flute and bodhran with powerful vocal arrangements. Their 30-minute opening set will feature an eclectic mix of contemporary trad while bringing a fresh sound to traditional songs.

In partnership with Wicklow Library Services, Baltinglass Library will also host two activities, including a felt-making workshop with Tamzen Lundy where children aged 5-12 will learn the basics of wet felting, the oldest form of textile making in world.

Painting workshops with local artist Maura O’Halloran will also take place, where children and adults will be inspired by local landmarks and learn tips and tricks. Perfect for beginners.

All activities and events that are part of the Baltinglass Culture Night program are free and booking is advised by visiting www.CultureNight.ie/Wicklow.

Cathaoirleach of Wicklow County Council, Cllr Tommy Annesley, said: “The Baltinglass community is extremely delighted to have received this investment through the Arts Council‘s Creative Places initiative. The amount of investment is unprecedented and will be truly welcomed.

Wicklow County Council chief executive Mr Brian Gleeson said the bid was well supported by the area’s community and voluntary sector and they would now continue to work together to ensure the initiative will have maximum impact.

Arts Council Director Maureen Kennelly said: “We are delighted to award Creative Places Baltinglass; it’s not a place we haven’t been able to invest in before and it’s very important to us that public investment in the arts reaches and benefits more people in a sustainable and meaningful way. We are very excited to see how the people of Baltinglass will respond to what matters most to them, and look forward to working more with the community and Wicklow County Council.

During the fall, the Creative Places Baltinglass program will be set up, a coordinator will be appointed and conversations with the community will begin.