mundyewalsh Our creative group was meeting in Cleere’s in Kilkenny, a warm and welcoming pub (complete with fire ablaze) that has a great tradition of supporting the arts. There’s a small theatre at the back of the pub but on the night of our first meeting it suddenly seemed very big. Not to worry though as cookie maker and a yoga teacher showed up shortly after we arrived, what could be better to sooth the nerves?
Our aim for this group is to create a community, a place that people working in creative fields can meet every month and chat with like-minded people. Often times creative folk are squirrelled away in some studio somewhere (often in the middle of the country) and they need an outlet to chat, moan, get another perspective from people who understand the unique challenges of creative work.
Soon after, more people flowed in and we had a good crowd. I knew what I was looking for from the group but I was hoping to get an idea of what other people would like, and indeed, there did seem to be a central theme: space. Not the Nasa kind, something closer to earth.
It seems to be an enduring problem that creatives can’t find a spot for a studio or for workshops, which is such as shame as having artisans in the centre of a city, be that their studio or simply a venue that can be used, adds vibrancy and value to it. For instance, what about using all those vacant shops as studios or pop-ups?
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Photo by the Tea House Studio in Kilkenny with artwork by artist Edwina Bracken.
