Annual Report 2011 - Roscommon County Council

Libraries, Arts, Culture and Heritage
Promotions and Publicity
2011 saw the continued delivery a very comprehensive calendar of events within the Library
Services. These events include a range of both internal organized activities and promotions;
inter-departmental local authority collaborations and external agency promotions. Some
of the highlights included World Book Day, Roscommon Drama Festival, Siarscéal Festival,
Roscommon Life launch, King House Genealogy Seminar, French Delegation/Nueil Sur Layon
visit, Percy French Summer School, Children’s Summer Activities and Nationwide filming
event during Heritage Week.
Arts Office
The Arts Office continues to play a pivotal role in the
county by implementing its varied programme and through
ongoing assistance to a variety of art organisations and
other community-led initiatives.
A number of significant programmes continued to be successful during
2011. These included TRADE, an international visual arts development
partnership with Leitrim County Council; the Art@work Artist’s Residency
Programme and the further development of the Roscommon County
Youth Theatre and Roscommon County Youth Orchestra.
Roscommon’s participation in Culture Night saw
traditional music and dancing taking place in the
Douglas Hyde Centre in Portahard, Frenchpark.
Revelry at Rockingham was the title of a lecture
which took place in King House, Boyle. There
was music and storytelling in the Roscommon
Arts Centre, a Knit n Wine night in JJ Harlow’s
which was followed by Brazilian drumming.
There were trad sessions in Keadue and many
more events.
The 2011 Douglas Hyde Conference took place
in the BMW, Regional Assembly Conference
Room, Ballaghaderreen for a one-day event.
This completed the third year of the Culture and
the Economy cycle associated with this annual
conference.
The Castlerea Public Art Project was completed in 2011. The publication entitled Meanwhile
is both a response to and a reflection of a moment in social history of Ireland – one that is
particular to the town of Castlerea and indicative of broader economic, social and cultural
dynamics. The Artists Bursary and Tyrone Guthrie Bursary programme continued in 2011 with
a number of artists receiving bursary awards under both programmes.
Bad Faith, featuring
Roscommon-native
and actor Ben
Mulhern. Written by
O.J. Ryan. Performed
at Roscommon Arts
Centre, Feb 2011
56 Roscommon County Council