The City Arts Centre is presenting a major symposium on the role of Arts Centres in Civil Society as part of its ongoing Civil Arts Inquiry.

Organised in the context of the Spring Meeting of the Trans Europe Halles organisation in Dublin, hosted by the City Arts Centre, the Symposium will examine the concept of Civil Society and issues around the development of Civil Culture, culture belonging to citizens. The Symposium provides an opportunity to explore the idea of Civil Society and ways in which a variety of projects and organisations in Ireland and across Europe are responding to the challenge of developing and sustaining strong relationships between the arts and society.

Trans Europe Halles is a Europe-wide membership organisation of multi-disciplinary arts centres, often using former industrial buildings in inner cities. The City Arts Centre has been a leading member for some years. This is the first formal meeting of Trans Europe Halles in Ireland.

The symposium takes place in the Axis Arts Centre in Ballymun in the midst of its massive regeneration programme. The event is free.

Speakers include the Philosopher Anthony C. Grayling, who has written and broadcast extensively on the application of Philosophy to civil life, Ciaran Benson, Professor of Psychology as U.C.D. and former Chairman of the Arts Council, who has also written extensively about issues of access and the arts in society.

Declan McGonagle, Director of the Civil Arts Inquiry will introduce the City Arts Centre¹s review and renewal initiative for 2003, and a series of panel discussions with audience participation will explore specific examples of arts centres/projects and organisations working through ideas of art, access and participation.

Speakers include Veran Matic of B92 Radio Station and Rex Cinema Arts Centre in Belgrade, Sigrid Niemer from International Culture Centre ufaFabrik in Berlin, Phillipe Grombeer from La Friche in Marseilles and Sandy Fitzgerald, former Director of City Arts Centre. Kensika Monshengwo (actor and Training Officer with the National Consultative Committee on Racism and Interculturalism), Mary McCarthy (former Director National Sculpture Cork now working on Capital of Culture 2003, Cork) Liz Culloty (Director Belltable Arts Centre, Limerick), Shelley Sachs (artist) and Dermot McLaughlin, Director, Temple Bar Properties.

The Symposium takes place in Ballymun, one of the biggest social, economic and cultural regeneration projects in Ireland and the per cent for art Programme, ŒBreaking the Ground¹, will be examined in a detailed presentation. The role of the arts in the transformation and regeneration of Fatima Mansions in Dublin will also be explored in a presentation ­ providing an opportunity to explore two significant, influential and contrasting approaches to urban regeneration in this country.

Speaking on Ballymun will be Sheena McCambley, who is Senior Planner with Ballymun Regeneration Ltd and is also a member of the Council of the Dublin Docklands Development Authority, and Aisling Prior, who is the Artistic Director of Breaking Ground per cent for art programme in Ballymun, which aims to contribute to the changing definition of art in the public domain. Formerly the Director of the Sculptors’ Society of Ireland and founder of the Galway Film Centre. Speaking on the regeneration of Fatima Mansions will be Niall O¹Baoill, Community Arts worker, with members of the Arts Programme team.

A performance event by Shelley Sachs, co-ordinator of the Social Sculpture Research Unit at Brookes University in Oxford will take place on the evening of Friday 28 February in City Arts Centre.

Pavel Buchler, an artist who made political works under the former Communist regime in Czechoslovakia, in the seventies, was Head of Fine Art at Glasgow School of Art in the nineties and is now head of Research at Manchester Metropolitan University, will present the final keynote address from the perspective of an artist and Willie White, Director of the Project Arts Centre, Dublin, will summarise the debates raised by the Symposium.

While the Symposium is free and all are welcome, it is advisable to book a place in advance, contact:

City Arts Centre
23/25 Moss St
Dublin 2
T (01) 6770643
F (01) 6770131
E. info@cityartscentre.ie
W. www.cityartscentre.ie

PROGRAMME

City Arts Centre, Dublin, Ireland
Civil Arts Inquiry
"The Role of Arts Centres in Civil Society"
Friday 28 February and Saturday 1 March

 Friday 28 February, Axis Arts Centre, Ballymun

9.30am Registration + coffee
10.15 Intro to Civil Arts Inquiry by Declan McGonagle.
10.40 Addresses by Ciaran Benson (Prof. Of Psychology, UCD, former Chairman of the Arts Council), Anthony C. Grayling (Reader in Philosophy, Birbeck College, University of London, journalist and broadcaster.)
11.45 Coffee break
12.15pm Discussion (Declan McGonagle, Ciaran Benson (Chair), Anthony C. Grayling)

1.45 Ballymun Regeneration Art and per cent for Art presented by Sheena McCambley, (Senior Planner with Ballymun Regeneration Ltd) and Aisling Prior, (Artistic Director of Breaking Ground per cent for art programme) and site visit.
3.00 Panel Discussion with Veran Matic (B92 Belgrade), Sigrid Niemer (International Culture Centre ufaFabrik Berlin), Phillipe Grombeer (La Friche Marseilles). Chaired by Sandy Fitzgerald
(former Director, City Arts Centre).
4.00 Discussion
4.30 Finish
8.00 Shelley Sachs "Landing Strip for Souls" performance/City Arts Centre.

Saturday 1 March

10.30am Fatima Regeneration and Role of the Arts/Presentation and Discussion
11.15 Discussion - "Changing Cultures" - Kensika Monshengwo (actor), Mary McCarthy, (former Director National Sculpture Cork now working on Capital of Culture 2003, Cork) Liz Culloty (Director Belltable Arts Centre, Limerick), Shelley Sachs (artist).
Chair Dermot McLaughlin, Director, Temple Bar Properties.
11.45 Discussion

2.00 Keynote - Pavel Buchler (Artist and Head of Research, Faculty of Art and Design, Manchester Metropolitan University).
2.45 Discussion
3.00 Summary - Willie White (Director, Project Dublin).
3.30 Finish