More than 20 local artists and craftspeople are coming together in Miltown Malbay to undertake an initiative which could help breathe new life into the town.
The Design Bank will open this Saturday on the bottom floor of the former Bank of Ireland premises in the town on a three week trial period. Hopes are high that if successful, the initiative will become a year round venture for Miltown.
The unique craft space will allow customers to interact with the craftspeople themselves, either watching them as they work, or speaking to them as they manage the shop.
The Design Bank is the brainchild of local woman Aoife O’Malley, the owner of the former bank.
“When people go in they will see crafts people sitting at benches doing their work. There will be three benches set up for the craftspeople and there will be three other crafts people on the floor, selling and chatting to customers,” said Aoife.
“The space will be full of the work of all of these craftspeople. We have 25 different creatives involved across all disciplines of art. We have textile artists, visual artists, water colour painters, a ceramicist, we have photography, we have a few different jewellers, we have a wood turner, an instrument maker and a weaver. We have such a variety of artists.
“The idea is that we will have six of the creatives there every day, on a rota. So when a customer walks in, they will see at least six of the artists there in front of them and be able to see at least three of them working at their desk.
“People get to come in, see all of that happening, and they get to talk to the people who created the work that they buy.
“There are a lot of giftshops and crafts places that sell beautiful stuff and there are workshops where you can go and meet a particular maker, but I thought that it could be nice to combine the two. It is certainly something that I love to see.
“It gives customers the opportunity to come in and engage, there is nothing more captivating than watching a talented person do what they do best. People are happy to pay for a quality craft when they see the work that has gone into it and the story that is behind it.”
The Design Bank is one of a number of new developments in Miltown Malbay, and hopes are high that this could be the beginning of a new prosperous era for the town.
“There are lots of things happening in Miltown. There are lots of new businesses, lots of older premises being done up, now is the time for Miltown. It all needed to come together and I think there is a good movement in the town at the moment,” said Aoife.
“The Design Bank is going to be something new and vibrant for the town. It is a great town and it has a great history and tradition, especially when it comes to music. This project is embracing traditional craft as well.
“These three weeks are about market research, we want to see is this commercially viable. There is funding out there that we could look at, Clare County Council are doing great work and there are a lot of initiatives out there at the moment. But accessing funding could take years.
“The idea is to see how this goes. If it is successful, we will put together a business plan going forward and see is there funding available to make this into a permanent venture. There is no reason why this can’t be a year round thing.
“We have a great tourism sector here from May to September each year, and if the property can wash its face over winter we will be okay. The hope is that this will be a community venture and it can be run as a social enterprise, if that is possible. That is the plan.
“It would be lovely for the town if this takes off. There has been huge support locally, there are great people in Miltown.”
The project is hoping to capitalise on the unique setting of the bank, with the banks former money vault being transformed into a listening booth and an outside courtyard already earmarked as a possible food court for the future.
“We are using the old [bank] vault and that is being made into a listening booth. We are working with the Irish Traditional Music Archive to set that up with digital recordings of Willie Clancy and Junior Crehan,” said Aoife.
“Tony Kerins has also given us access to his collection of pictures which includes images of many traditional musicians who have played at Willie Clancy Festivals over the years.
“Also Caroline and John Hilery, President Hillery’s son and daughter in-law have given us access to some of President Hillery’s collection of photographs as well. That is also something that people can view as they are there supporting the crafts people.”
The artists and craftspeople involved include Jean Moran, Frances Bermingham, Ailish Malone, Kevin Keane, Aisling Walsh, Rowena Sheen, Lieke Munsters, Ceri Garfield, Caroline Lernihan, Sally Ann, Laura Vaughan, Claire O’Flaherty, Ben March, Joan of Woven Motion, Emma Doyle, Elaine Farrell, Julie O’Gorman, Lorna Langenkamp and Giulia Eco Flower Farm, Shane Cummins and Damon Murphy.
The Design Bank is open from 11am to 7pm each day for the next three weeks. For more information follow the designbank_miltown.
Andrew Hamilton is a journalist, investigative reporter and blogger who has been working in the media in Ireland for the past 20 years. His areas of special interest include the environment, mental health and politics.