Skin Deep
It has taken me a week to write this. Not because it is a difficult subject, it’s because it’s an important subject. And I don’t want to fail here in any way.
When we think of the arts we think of those who have time to appreciate the arts. Those with dickie-bows and beautiful dresses that don the arts. But we forget where the arts come from. Us, not necessarily me, as I’m an idiot, but those around us, our children, our neighbor’s children. We forget that inside each and every one of us we have a universe of creativity. We grew up. Santa is no longer on our dream list. But tell that to our children, tell that to our creators. Imagination is an endangered species. Give a man a camera, give a woman an easel, not necessarily in that order, but give a child an option. The world changes.
I met somebody last week that provides man, woman and child with options. Options to be creative. Options, to change the world through creativity, dance, art, photography. Bottom line. Expression.
I want to introduce you to this woman now. I don’t know very much about Her. But I know all I need to know. She is dedicating her life to our experiencing a better world through enthusing and educating those of us with any kind of creative streak. And she is a rare commodity.
Meet Roisin Lonergan – Artistic Director for The Five Lamps Arts Festival, in truth Artistic Architect. Catalyst, instigator. She’s guilty of coercing our creatives into creativity, in fact, I am inspired.
So herein lies my problem. How do I complement such altruism? My first thought is to “Shut the f up” and let it roll. Because surely something so good will find it’s way. Yeah, we wish. If life was that simple. So happily I revert to here, the internet. Happily, I get to give out my tuppence worth. But even more happily I get to share inspiration with you. I warned you, I’m inspired. Spend 2 minutes with this woman and you will be too.
The quote to the right, I have copied and pasted
The Five Lamps Arts Festival is a creative encounter at the heart of an inner-city community. The mission of this annual festival is to promote community development and social inclusion through the arts and to showcase the uniqueness of this geographic area to residents and to visitors.
The geographic location of the Festival centres around the ‘Five Lamps’ – a decorated lamp post with five lanterns dating from around 1880. The Five Lamps stand on an island at the junction of Portland Row, North Strand Road, Seville Place, Amiens Street and Killarney Street in Dublin’s north inner-city. Through the traditions and ambiance of this historic location and community the Five Lamps Arts Festival celebrate all that is good about art, artists, performers and community. We are proud to include in our programme anyone with a story to tell and a venue willing to host them.
This year there will be 43 events across 15 venues.
The Festival was established in 2007 as an initiative of Marino College of Further Education. Today, the college is still heavily involved with the support of a large group of volunteers. State, city and philanthropic funding also support the festival. The Five Lamps Arts Festival is unique in bringing together the education and the voluntary sector to celebrate art.
Today, the Five Lamps Arts Festival has five core objectives:
* To promote local artists, producers and venues.
* To develop local ownership of the festival by encouraging the involvement of individuals, groups, communities and businesses in aspects of its planning, presentation and evaluation.
* To work in partnership with key organizations at local, regional, national and international level to develop specific areas of the programme and explore the potential for collaboration and co-commissioning.
* To assist audiences who come to the Five Lamps by helping them to navigate what’s on offer with comprehensive, accurate and up-to-date information and ticketing.
* To promote this wonderful and unique festival within the community, and to the rest of Dublin and Ireland.
This I say to you from my heart.
Creativity gave us the light bulb. creativity gave us the telephone, for God’s sake it gave us the wheel. It’s time for us to give back. See you on and from the 7th of March.
For more on the 5 Lamps Festival follow this link
I’ll be back with more on this.
Oh yeah, the reference to the title “Skin deep” is there is more to this, its beauty isn’t just aesthetic. It starts from within.
About the Author
Gorjus Greg Gregory Donaghy: Homeless, unemployable, misanthropic alien life form with a penchant for stating the obvious. Follow @GregoryDonaghy
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