This Must be the Place | The Great Island

26 Jan – 26 Feb 2016

“If white-walled rooms are the site for exhibitions one week, a recording studio or political workshop the next, then it is no longer the container that defines the content.”
Alex Farquharson, Bureaux de Change (2006)

What is the role of an arts centre in a small town? Is it a place where art can be seen? Or experienced? Or made? Or discussed? Or bought and sold? Is it a community centre? Is it a place for participation? Education? Social interaction? Social development? Is it a civic building? Is it part of the academy? Is it autonomous? Is it inclusive? Exclusive? To whom? Is it part of a community? What community?

Part social space, part site for production/discussion, This Must be the Place | The Great Island is a project that invites the community of Cobh, the Great Island and beyond to attend and participate in a series of activities that try to answer some of these questions through a five-week programme of events.

Proposed events and activities include: film screenings, music and other performances, workshops, discussions, artists’ talks, maritime talks, kids’ classes, music for kids and more. Mostly lunchtime and afternoon events with some weekend and evening activities, on any given day you can learn how to make a musical instrument or use an SLR camera, listen to records, drink a coffee, hear about the history of the Old Yacht Club or about how to build a boat. Take a seat and read a book, meet your neighbours, listen to a tall tale or two, have an argument, have your say. This must be the place.

January 26th to February 28th 2016, full schedule of events tbc.