Equality for Women Measure 1

Project summary

In 2002 Mayfield Community Arts Centre received funding from the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform to run a Community Arts Training programme under the Equality for Women Measure.

Mayfield Community Arts Centre is committed to providing the local community with access to and participation in a variety of creative processes. The Arts Centre endeavours to engage the community on issues of social equality and inclusion both in a local and global context.

The Arts Centre developed a programme that ran for 3 years and involved training in arts and facilitation skills for women who were interested in working in their local community. The programme was interwoven with other projects running simultaneously at the Arts Centre with a variety of groups within the community.

Many women found work in the field of community arts and others progressed to further educaiton

Over 200 women were engaged at different levels over the 3 years of the programme. The inirect outcomes for participants are as valid and the direct, the personal development, self-esteem, the joy of creative expression. The creative energy generated by this project will continue to make Mayfield a brighter place for years to come.

Dates: Oct 2002 - Dec 2005

Themes: community arts training programme

Target group: Women interested developing art skills to use working in their local community

Project aims

•  to give to the women the opportunity to create their own employment by becoming arts workers I the community

•  To provide accredited and recognized training in community arts

•  To create a route of progression to further education

Project activities

The programme offered FETAC accredited courses in Community Arts Practise and Community Arts Theory complemented by modules in ceramics, sculpture, combined materials and work experience. Outreach workshops were provided to various community groups.

Pre-accreditation courses and tasters courses were run in a wide variety of media.

The group also worked on projects with local organisations.

Participants took part in a skills exchange and visited arts organisations in Nicaragua and Romania. Regular open days and exhibitions were held as the programme progressed to encourage community engagement with the project.