Interland

The INTERLAND exhibition is body of work created by twelve women who have past and present connections with the Direct Provision Accommodation Centre in Ballyhaunis.

Master potter Henri Hedou facilitated the project and the group met weekly over a four-month period at the O’Dwyer Arts Centre in Bohola to explore and work with clay. The project aimed to provide possibilities for positive artistic engagement and the opportunity to explore the stories and experiences of the participants who came to Ireland to seek asylum.

The INTERLAND exhibition took place at the National Museum of Ireland – Country Life during February to March 2014 and was officially launched by poet Geraldine Mitchell.

The experiential workshops and exhibition were part of a larger collaborative project which received support funding from the Arts Council under their Local Partnership Scheme in 2012. This scheme supported partnerships and new collaborations between local authorities, arts organisations and other relevant groups or at local, regional, national and international level.

In this instance the inter-county application from Mayo County Council Arts Office and Leitrim County Council Arts Service provided training, making and exhibition opportunities for artists, cultural venues and intercultural groups in both counties.

Project partners included Mayo Arts Service, Mayo Artsquad, Mayo Intercultural Action, Leitrim County Council Arts Service and the Arts Council Ireland.