Craft Fusion: A Multi-cultural Craft & Music Family Fun Event is a special afternoon of interactive craft demos, meet the maker events, mini pop up shops, music and fun. Become connected through craft and share the experience of other cultures.

Eighteen artists from County Leitrim and Northern Ireland representing Africa, Armenia, China, England, Germany, India, Ireland, Lithuania and Poland will provide a gala afternoon of culture and fun.

EXPLORE the Craft Trail from the Festival Marquee to the Dock Plaza via Carrick-on-Shannon Town Park.

EXPERIENCE Pottery, Weaving, Basket-making, Felt-making, Rope-making, Wood-turning, Milliner, Badge-making for kids, Henna Hand Painting, Chinese Arts activities and Rangoli Art.

ENJOY Bollywood & Chinese Dance, African, Irish & Indian drumming.

All activities are FREE. The project is funded by the County Leitrim Peace 111 Partnership through the European Union European Regional Development Fund which is managed by the Special EU Programmes Bod

Sheila graduated from NCAD with a degree in Fine Art in 2001. She has since exhibited in the RHA Ashford Gallery.  Sheila is showcasing a colourful collection of hand painted teapots which will be on view in the Leitrim Design House untill June 14th.

Tea is an amazing natural product. Tea can be elegant, restorative, healthy and most importantly can be enjoyed daily. We are pleased that Cafe Lounge who are based here in Carrick-on-Shannon will join us for a tea tasting evening. Their range consits of traditional and established teas, to ingenious and complex blends. They use only loose leaf teas in their shop and  have a selection of over 30 different teas that you can choose from.

Not content with being a partner in the Harnessing Creativity initiative the Leitrim Design House is also delivering the Leitrim LiveCRAFT Project in partnership with the Leitrim Sculpture Centre . This is a  Leitrim Development Company Programme offering an exciting selection of tailored technical and practical courses in a range of disciplines; wood, glass, print, metal, ceramics, stone, metal casting and mouldmaking. All these hands-on practical courses are held in the Leitrim Sculpture Centre in Manorhamilton.

To date participants have completed part A of the following modules; Stone Carving and Conservation with Jackie McKenna; Hot Glass with Louise Rice; Traditional Print with Pete Williams; Product Design with Leo Scarff. We are also delighted to have Seamus Dunbar as our Master Class tutor in stone and Alison Lowry from Northern Ireland travelled down to Leitrim to take a Master Class in Glass.

Ideas Flying at the Leitrim LiveCRAFT Creative Thinking Day

Complimenting these practical courses Leitrim LiveCRAFT also offers a range of business and professional development modules providing a practical insight into business for new entrants and craft practitioners. Over 50 participants are enjoying the expert tuition and guidence of Eddie Shanahan in the areas of new product development, marketing and branding; the financials are in the capable hands of tutors Padraig Considine and Brian Dolan. Brian is steering the group through the challenges of completing business plans and Padraig is looking after the figures.

Launch of Leitrim LiveCRAFT

Applications topped the 100 mark; 80 participants will undergo professional and practical training and 50 will specialise in the new product development and business planning modules. The response to the programme has been excellent with a high satisfaction rating accross the board from all involved. Yes indeed exciting times in the creative sector in Leitrim.

This session is relevant for creative sector businesses interested in taking their work into new markets, it will help you develop skills to plan and develop a marketing strategy relevant to your business, covering both online and traditional marketing techniques.

There will also be an opportunity to network and develop creative collaborations for the future.This is a one off opportunity for you to engage with Ruth and Colin, both expert industry professionals in Marketing and Branding for Creative businesses (please see their short profiles below). Spaces are limited so sign up today.

Workshop 1: 30 May 9.30am – 12.30pm, The Landmark Hotel, Carrick on Shannon (Registration from 9am)

Workshop 2: 30 May 2pm – 5pm, The Clinton Centre, Enniskillen (Registration from 1.30pm)

The session will cover:

•          both online and traditional marketing techniques

•          focus on how to make the most of your marketing and promotion activities

•          developing your strategy

•          learning from other case studies

•          buying design & marketing services

First things first! Sign up by contacting annamarie@leitrimenterprise.ie Places are limited so get in touch now

About Ruth Flood: Ruth is a Partner at Madano Partnership, a research and strategic communications consultancy with offices in London and Belfast.  Ruth has worked in the area of design and innovation for 10 years and is developing Madano’s consultancy in this area.  She is by background a researcher and holds expert knowledge of creative industries and the issues businesses therein face when seeking to develop and grow.   She has advised on marketing and communications strategy based on detailed research and consultancy projects and has an on-going interest in how innovation approaches and activities can be embedded in organisations large and small.

About Colin McKeown:With over 25 years experience in the advertising, design and creative industries, Colin has extensive knowledge working in brand development and strategy for organisations in both the public and private sectors. Strong creative thinking, together with an understanding of business has enabled Colin to not only design branding solutions but also implement them across all media. For the last seven years as well as undertaking brand consultancy projects, Colin has been involved in the development of creative networks and collaborations, driven by the need to up-skill and improve business performance of small to medium sized creative operations. He acted as a mentor for the CC Skills Leadership Programme in 2011.  In 2012, Colin spoke at the Northern Ireland Economic Conference on the importance of design and the creative industries as a major element in driving business innovation and economic regeneration.

Dont forget to like Harnessing Creativity on facebook

https://www.facebook.com/harnessingcreativity

Using the framework of the Carrick 400 Celebrations as a platform to promote greater understanding and awareness, the Carrick Creates project will create opportunities for more social interaction and participation between minority and marginalised groups and the majority community.

So call in to the Leitrim Design House in the Dock any Thursday between 10am and 1pm over the next couple of months and check out our craft tasters, explore your creativity and connect with other cultures. Try out painting, print, pottery, jewellery making and much more……………..This project is funded by the PEACE III Programme through the European Union European Regional Development Fund managed by the Special EU Programmes Body. This is a Peace 111 project which aims to ‘Build a Diverse, Integrated and Cohesive Society in County Leitrim.

The Crafts Council of Ireland and Fáilte Ireland have joined forces to help holidaymakers find the best studio experiences in Ireland. The selected sites are either craft studios open to visitors on a full-time basis or craft galleries and retail spaces offering visitors the opportunity to meet or interact with the maker.

Check out this short clip which features Leitrim Design House. To view films of the studios check out Craft in Ireland or visit Discover Ireland and check out things to do

The Labs will be facilitated by mentors able to challenge, guide, inspire and advance discussions from idea generation to models for new products, practices or services. Each Lab session will help participants strengthen skills and knowledge, drawing in new ways on personal creativity, collaborating with others, discussing and connecting with emerging market trends, presenting work to potential investors in a compelling way, and finding new applications for their skills and experiences.

A budget of €15,000 will be available to each of the three labs, which will enable the hire of specialist equipment/materials or workspace, supporting the development of new concepts. The concepts and work in progress of participants will be exhibited as part of a high profile Regional Showcase and Tour.  A number of concepts will be supported further and become new products or services in the marketplace that generate an income. The work of the labs will be profiled through the Harnessing Creativity website

Creative Labs are open to artists, designers & makers, film &digital media practitioners, writers, furniture makers, animators, engineers, architects, fashion designers, geographers, photographers and anyone else in the creative sectors based in the region, making the space for them to come together and explore new ways to develop ideas. Anything can happen … a model maker and a sound artist create a short film; an illustrator and a textile designer collaborate to develop a brand; an architect and a product designer create contemporary sustainable furniture.

In summary Creative Labs will bring together and offer the following resources:

• Facilitated workshops & mentoring to support exploration & collaboration between participants
• Budget to support concept development
• Regional Showcase & touring exhibition of Creative Labs concepts
• Links to Network support and Master classes
• Profiling of all Creative Labs concepts, participants and their work through the Harnessing Creativity website
• Product development support

Dates, times and location: Creative Lab meetings will take place approximately twice per month April-August 2013, in locations convenient for each of the core participating counties, Leitrim, Fermanagh and Tyrone.  The exhibition of concepts at Regional Showcase will take place in September 2013. Locations and venues will be decided upon based on where participants will need to travel from.  Meetings may take place in or around Carrick-on-Shannon, Manorhamilton, Enniskillen or Omagh.

How to get involved: Three Creative Labs will run simultaneously, with 10 creative participant places in each. Participants will ideally have at least 2 years of experience as a creative business – micro business or sole trader.

To apply, please provide:

A short CV or one-page professional profile containing three examples of your work (web links or video or image files with brief explanatory texts) and the answers to these questions:

1)    Why are you interested in taking part in the Creative Labs 2013?

2)    Do you consider your own creative practice (or aspects of it) to be collaborative? If so, how?

3)    Have you previously collaborated or co-created in an economic venture? If so, how?

Please send your application by e-mail to arlene@leitrimenterprise.ie with the subject heading:

HC Creative Labs 2013. Closing date for applications is 22 April 2013

HC Creative Labs Open Call .

]]> http://leitrimdesignhouse.ie/harnessing-creativity-call-for-creative-labs/feed/ 0 http://leitrimdesignhouse.ie/ladies-night-in-the-leitrim-design-house/ http://leitrimdesignhouse.ie/ladies-night-in-the-leitrim-design-house/#comments Mon, 01 Apr 2013 17:38:14 +0000 Leitrim Design House http://leitrimdesignhouse.ie/?p=2592 Continue Reading]]> Calling all Leitrim Ladies, enjoy a night of pampering at the Leitrim Design House

Pop in to our  ladies night this Friday, April 5th. Local milliner Wendy Louise and Majella McAuley
from Soapbox will be showcasing their new collections.

HARNESSING CREATIVITY – INNOVATIVE PROJECT SUPPORTING BUSINESS AND CREATIVE PROFESSIONALS THROUGHOUT THE REGION OF LEITRIM, FERMANAGH & TYRONE

*EU funding of €800,000 for business and Creative Professionals  in Leitrim, Fermanagh and Tyrone and the surrounding counties

* 200 creative and 100 mainstream businesses to benefit

Leitrim County Enterprise Board and the Irish Central Border Area Network (ICBAN) unveiled details of two major projects, Harnessing Creativity and a new €1.2m state of the art Technology Enterprise Centre due to open to in Carrick on Shannon next summer. Both initiatives  aim to exploit the wealth of creative talent in the region. They are being funded through the European Union’s INTERREG IVA programme managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB).

Harnessing Creativity will offer a range of supports and encourage collaboration between creative and mainstream businesses in County Leitrim and the wider Central Border Region.

The €799, 880 cross-border Harnessing Creativity project was launched by Cathal Gaffney the two time Oscar-nominee and CEO of animation company Brown Bag Films.

“The Creative Economy is an important part of our economy, it plays to our strengths and has international appeal with real economic value” he said. “I believe that the Harnessing Creativity project is a brilliant example of networking creativity with business, where left brain meets right brain and where the creative and economic potential of the border counties is harnessed. These partnerships will put a focus on the abundant talent in this region and will ultimately be a catalyst to create jobs”.

The project will benefit 200 creative sector businesses including sole traders and SME’s and at least 100 businesses from the broader economy.  It will deliver 70 master classes, 140 training and mentoring workshops, two regional showcase events and  a travelling exhibition which will run until May 2015 and be a showcase for participants.

Joe Lowe CEO of Leitrim County Enterprise Board revealed that this project combined with a new Technology Enterprise Centre would bring the total funding for the sector in the region to €2m. The 7,500 sq. ft. Enterprise Centre will be geared towards those working in the technology and creative sectors.

“We are at the threshold of a significant change in the way we can do business” said Mr Lowe. “Harnessing Creativity comes at an ideal time to contribute to making that change happen together with the skills and talents of the people of the region”.

Project coordinator Anna-Marie O’Rourke explained that the project would facilitate collaboration between for example, artists, writers , animators, sculptors, furniture designers and photographers with those in more mainstream sectors including architects, engineers and carpenters . “Mentoring will be provided by creative professionals who will guide, inspire and help advance projects from idea exchange to product development,” she explained.

As well as availing of marketing, mentoring and advice from experts in their areas,  participants of the Creative labs part of the project will also receive a budget of €1500 each to fund such expenses as specialist equipment, materials or workspace.

Lorraine Mc Court of SEUPB welcomed the development. “This EU-funded initiative will help to establish a network of businesses which can support each other by offering much needed services; thereby consolidating a solid base for the creative sector throughout the region. This will make it more attractive for investors, clients and suppliers alike.”

Speaking at the launch, Shane Campbell, Chief Executive of ICBAN said: “The Harnessing Creativity Project enables us to work together in strengthening the creative sector within the Central Border Region.   ICBAN are delighted to be the Lead Partner on this project as we strive to make this region smart and internationally competitive and a good place to do business in.”

For further information contact Anna-Marie O’Rourke or Arlene Crowe on 0035371 96 20450 or by email at annamarie@leitrimenterprise.ie