Ground Up: Clare County Council
Ground Up is an experimental programme of contemporary art in rural contexts, established by Clare Arts Office in 2003. In the main the Arts Office was concerned with the following questions: How can contemporary art be brought to a rural audience in a way that is accessible, but without compromising the art? How can a rural community view visual and contemporary art, within their own setting? How can contemporary artists overcome their professional isolation and address the need to acquire new skills in their own areas?
The programme, curated by Fiona Woods, who was Regional Arts Coordinator for North Clare at the time, involved 22 artists over three strands between 2003- 2007. The programme, staged as a series of public events, generated two publications and 11 temporary public artworks. It had a strong artist-led ethos and laid emphasis on research.
It provided the genesis for Shifting Ground, in association with Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology, which was developed in 2006.
For futher information: http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/cominfo/arts/arts_projects.htm