Tag Archives: Nathalie El Baba

A STORY exchange and art-making workshop for adults takes place at Scariff Library on Saturday, July 23, as a way of reuniting East Clare communities after the pandemic. ‘Sharing Ground’ is a participatory art project that responds to the divisions that arose during the lockdowns. It will examine ways to meet each other with understanding, even when we hold divergent views. Story Exchange is a process of sharing short stories from participants’ lives, and includes participation through active listening. Its purpose is to create a space where people can see and acknowledge each others’ differences and, on a human level by sharing stories, build understanding through empathy. The project is being organised by artist Nathalie El Baba, who has trained under Narrative 4 as a Story Exchange facilitator. It is funded by the Arts Council and will be visually documented by West Clare-based photographic artist, Myriam Riand. A publication about the exchange will be produced. An information session takes place …

A POP up shop will return to Main Street, Mountshannon this weekend, as a vacant building is transformed into a colourful hub showcasing the artistic richness of East Clare. Thanks to the generosity of the cottage owner, John Tuohy, the Mountshannon Arts Shop will open its doors on October 9 and 10, bringing a buzz of life and vibrancy to the harbour town. The popular venue did very well over the Mountshannon Arts Festival weekend and the artists and crafters involved were delighted with the response, as were locals and visitors alike.  The artists involved in this unique collaboration include Ailish McElroy of Ailish McElroy Millinery in Bodyke; Scariff-based visual artist Nathalie El Baba; Rachel Maloney, a Fine Art graduate from Limerick School of Art and Design (LSAD); Mel White aka Maximillist Art, a self taught Pop Art influenced artist; and Deirdre Carr, an artist and poet.  “Mel White played an integral part in securing the premises and setting up …

CLARE’S vibrant arts sector is the envy of many counties. Renowned globally for its traditional music, the Banner county not only produces some of the finest creative talents, it also attracts musicians, dancers and artists who come here for inspiration and in the hope that a thriving artistic scene will support them in making a living on the path less travelled. Now, in the context of ongoing pandemic restrictions, access to audiences at venues like galleries, concert venues and pubs, and to collaborators, is shut down, for now. So too are vital income streams. While some government support is available in the form of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment, as well as a COVID-19 Crisis Response Award from the Arts Council, many are facing serious set-backs financially and creatively. Renowned Newmarket-based visual artist Philip Brennan faced the extraordinary experience recently of having a freshly-installed exhibition hanging in empty halls behind the doors of a locked building. After more than two decades …