SERVICES
Monaghan is a county historically steeped in cultural heritage and industry. It is renowned for its cultural and creative activity, with a wealth of vibrant heritage, arts and culture opportunities for everyone to learn and engage with.
Creative Ireland Programme
The Creative Ireland Programme is an invitation to the entire country to get involved in something truly inspirational. At its heart is collaboration – between central and local government, between culture and industry, between artists and policy makers – to facilitate an ecosystem of creativity. The transformational potential of culture was understood by the revolutionary generation. During this year, 2016, as we commemorated the events that led to the foundation of our state, we rediscovered the power of cultural creativity to bring communities together, and to strengthen our sense of identity.
That is why it became obvious that we should build a legacy of 2016 around our cultural heritage. Multiple discussions led to the idea of personal and collective creativity as a policy objective. The best way to nurture the creative imagination is through active engagement with arts and culture. Promoting creativity provides us with a strategy for individual wellbeing, social cohesion and economic success. This all-of-government initiative is an ambitious plan, possibly one of the most important initiatives of our time. it calls on all of us to play a part in placing our rich cultural heritage, and its potential, at the centre of our lives.
It is an initiative that can define us for generations to come. It can redefine our role as a small sovereign republic in a globalised world. It is an important statement to ourselves and to the world. Culture and creativity are the greatest assets of any society. It is our duty to do everything we can to unleash the full creative potential of our people. That is what this initiative is all about.
Creative Ireland subscribes to the values and high-level principles set out in Culture 2025/ Éire Ildánach which aim to:
- Enrich the lives of everyone through engagement in the cultural life of the nation
- Create opportunities for increased citizen participation, especially for those currently excluded
- Encourage ambition, risk, innovation and excellence in the creative and cultural sectors
- Ensure that culture is seen as a core component of work across Government
- Recognise and support the cultural contribution of the voluntary sector
- Ensure the robustness of systems which safeguard and promote Ireland’s cultural heritage
- Support a thriving Irish language, with vibrant Gaeltacht communities and other language networks
- Promote Ireland’s culture on the international stage
- Finance this vision with well-designed funding mechanisms.Creative Ireland is the main implementation vehicle for the priorities identified in that framework policy which seek to:
- Put culture at the heart of our lives
- Foster creativity
- Celebrate our cultural heritage and traditions
- Recognise the importance of culture to a vibrant society
- See collaboration as the new norm
- Emphasise the international dimension
Respond to the digital age.
Creative Ireland defines creativity as a set of innate abilities and learned skills: the capacity of individuals and organisations to transcend accepted ideas and norms and by drawing on imagination to create new ideas that bring additional value to human activity. Culture and creativity are inextricably linked: artists and designers are central to the evolution of a culture of creativity. The artist is the primary interrogator and narrator of our culture: the designer uses the artist’s insights to infuse products, spaces and processes with cultural meaning, distinctiveness and human value.
Creative people are key to the new economy in which the ability to conceptualise is more important than knowledge. Culture and creativity are essential features of an innovative, post-industrial economy.
The Five Pillars of Creative Ireland Cúig Cholún a bhaineann le Éire Ildánach
Pillar 1: Enabling the Creative Potential of Every Child Scód a ligean le Cumas na Cruthaitheachta i ngach Leanbh
Pillar 2: Enabling Creativity in Every Community Bonn a chur faoin gCruthaitheacht i ngach Pobal
Pillar 3: Investing in our Creative and Cultural Infrastructure Infheistíocht in Infreastruchtúr na Cruthaitheachta agus an Chultúir
Pillar 4: Ireland as a Centre of Excellence in Media Production Éire mar Lárionad Barr Feabhais maidir le Léiriúchán na Meán Cruthaitheachta
Pillar 5: Unifying our Global Reputation Clú na hÉireann ar fud an Domhain a thabhairt le chéile
Local authorities have a crucial role in the overall local delivery of the entire Creative Ireland programme and are exclusively mandated, through their culture teams, to deliver Pillar 2: Enabling Creativity in Every Community Bonn a chur faoin gCruthaitheacht i ngach Pobal
The Centenary Programme demonstrated two critically important aspects of local governance: first, local authorities are the primary instruments of community engagement and second, local authorities have a particular capacity for local programme delivery, especially in the context of citizen engagement. The empowerment of local authorities to lead the engagement of citizens with our arts and culture is essential. To make this effective, each local authority will be asked to develop a Culture and Creativity Plan, reflecting the overall structure and aims of the national strategy for culture and creativity.
Each local authority will also establish a Culture Team bringing together arts officers, librarians, heritage officers, archivists and other relevant personnel – thus maximising synergies and focusing attention on the capacity of local authorities to foster and encourage creative activity. The team will report to and be led by a Director of Services. A dedicated budget will be allocated to each Local Authority with the primary objective of citizen engagement with their Culture and Creativity Plans.
Creative Ireland will develop and implement Cruinniú na Cásca, an annual programme of arts activities and cultural reflection over Easter Weekend – nationally, locally, and in the Diaspora. RTÉ will be the core partner for the main national event which will be modelled on the highly successful RTÉ Reflecting the Rising. This initiative will be replicated across the country using the Culture Night model. Local authorities will be the primary delivery mechanism for Cruinniú na Cásca in each county.
Beginning in 2018, Creative Ireland will establish and support an annual County of Culture award, allowing individual counties to showcase their cultural creativity over a 12-month period. Creative Ireland will also establish and support an awards scheme that recognises and rewards Irish-based artists work and seeks to promote them at home and overseas. The Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs and the Department of Social Protection are working together to introduce a new pilot scheme to provide income supports to low-earning artists through the social welfare system.
The Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government, and all of our Local Authorities will be key partners in this pillar.
There are three essential operating principles for Creative Ireland: Collaboration and Communication, Community Empowerment, and Internationalisation.
Opinions. Ideas. Thoughts.
What are yours?
Looking forward to seeing you there.
Monaghan Cultural and Creative Plan 2018-2022
During the month of September we are carrying out public consultation into developing a 5 year Cultural and Creative plan for County Monaghan 2018-2022. We would really like to hear your ideas and opinions, so why not drop into one of our workshops as follows:
| Date | Venue | Time |
| Monday 18th September | Carrickmacross Workhouse | 7-8.30pm |
| Tuesday 19th September | Clones Library | 7-8.30pm |
| Thursday 20th September | Market House, Monaghan | 4-5.30pm |
If you can’t join us to chat, why not complete our online survey? (Survey open until the 29th September 2017)
www.surveymonkey.com/r/MonaghanCreativeIreland
Or Email us at creative@monaghancoco.ie
For more information on Creative Monaghan contact creative@monaghancoco.ie
Culture Night:
What is Culture Night?
Culture Night is an annual all-island public event that celebrates culture, creativity and the arts. On Culture Night, arts and cultural organisations and venues of all shapes and sizes, including the National Cultural institutions, extend their opening hours to allow for increased access to the public. Special and unique events and workshops are specifically programmed at participating locations and everything is available free of charge.
Culture Night has grown from a relatively small scale cultural event staged only in Dublin in 2006 to the significant national cultural event that it now is, with some 350,000 people visiting museums, galleries, historic houses, artists’ studios and cultural centres across the country. The initiative has captured both the public imagination and the enthusiasm of artists and cultural organisations.
Culture Night
Encourages more people to visit cultural venues and experience culture in their locality
Reminds us all about the fantastic cultural facilities and resources that we have locally and nationally
Raises the profile of cultural organisations, activities and facilities
Encourages people to try new things and to get into the habit of going more often to cultural venues and activities in their locality
Makes it easier for people to play a role in their local cultural scene
Helps create a sense of community and belonging
Who makes Culture Night happen?
Culture Night happens because many people share a vision and enthusiasm for enjoying, celebrating and promoting creativity and culture. The following list gives a taste of the wide range of institutions that make it happen across Ireland:
The public, artists, performing groups, galleries, museums, sport clubs, libraries, arts centres, craft workers, studios and workshops, theatres, public spaces, broadcasters, schools, community groups, local authorities, government departments, state agencies and public bodies, transport companies, universities, shops and many more!
Culture Night 2017 will take place on Friday 22nd September 2017 between 5pm and 11pm. Check out our programme of events and follow us on facebook ‘Culture Night Monaghan’. For more information, contact culturenight@monaghancoco.ie