‘Voices from Shandon’ is a city wide community arts project which involved up to 1,500 participants and culminated in a temporary public art installation of flags on St Anne’s Church in June 2013. The project was based on an extensive community outreach programme which took place throughout 2012 and 2013 in textile flag making and choral composition working with over 45 groups and organisations across Cork City. Together, these elements created a collective celebration of community, diversity and active cultural citizenship in a flag raising and choral performance on the 15th of June 2013. This flag installation is currently in place on Shandon Tower and will remain in situ until mid September 2013. Voices from Shandon coincided with Ireland’s hosting of the European Presidency in 2013 and was celebratory of our diverse communities city wide, national and European.
Celebrating this aspect of our experiences of community CCAL worked collaboratively with a number of European artists and organisations. French artist Didier Gallot Lavallee Co-Directed the project undertaking a number of residencies in Cork between 2011-2013. Art Machina in Plovdiv Bulgaria carried out a flag making outreach programme working with local groups in Bulgaria, these 200 flags became part of the installation in Shandon, Cork. Andre Verrier, the French artist and technician who has worked extensively with Royale de Lux oversaw the installation of the flags on St. Anne’s Steeple. The project also hosted voluntary work placements for individuals from numerous European countries through the European Voluntary Service Programme.
Voices from Shandon is one of the largest community and participative art projects to be undertaken in the City of Cork.
This project is supported by Cork City Council and the Arts Council of Ireland.