Celtic Neighbours

Lead Partner: Voluntary Arts Wales

Description

The Celtic Neighbours Partnership was a Rural Action Research Programme partner of the Carnegie UK Trust between 2006 and 2009, and is now developing as an independent agency. The partnership is made up of Voluntary Arts Wales and Theatr Felin-fach in Wales, Ealaín na Gaeltachta in ireland and, less formally, several groups in the West of Scotland. Its aims, since its inception, have been threefold: to explore the potential for collaboration, skill-sharing and mutual support amongst cultural organisations working in the three native languages, to identify obstacles to effective cultural production in the three areas and devise strategies to overcome these, and to create a critical mass of artists, cultural groups and community organisations and thus sustain the contacts made in the long term.

During its three years of activity so far, the partnership has convened and run two international conferences, organised and facilitated twelve look-and-see visits, emabling cultural animateurs to explore and create networks in other native-language communities, organised several cross-border tours and co-productions, and set up a three-way exchange of artists in residence involving venues and communities in Pen Llyn, North Uist and the Aran Isles. This programme, ‘Tir’ will alead on to an international travelling exhibition and a published catalogue, and has also generated many free-standing interactions between schools and other community organisations. The partnership’s programme of interaction and collaborations continues to develop, across a wide range of artforms.

The findings of the partnership are now published. ‘Ferment’, a quadri-lingual book-length study was launched at the National Eisteddfod of Wales in August 2009. This is made up of case studies of best practice and profiles of individual community-based animateurs, This will also be available as a web-based resource- please contact Voluntary Arts Wales to find out more.

Contact Details

Jacquy Box

Director
PO Box 200
Welshpool
Powys
SY 21 7WN

Tel:01938 556455

Email: jacquy@vaw.org.uk

Website: http://www.voluntaryarts.org