Kilkenny County Council unveils ambitious Public Arts Programme

Kilkenny County Council has announced an exciting and expansive Public Arts Programme for 2024-2027, committing €500,000 to the commissioning of new, high-quality public art projects that engage with communities across the county.

The programme, guided by the Public Arts Management Group (PAMG), aims to ensure that those living in and visiting Kilkenny can experience captivating, culturally diverse, and thought-provoking public art.

This vision aligns Kilkenny with both national and international best practices in the field.

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The key goals of the programme include:

- Commissioning professional artists to create works that inspire and provoke thought.
- Encouraging participation that strengthens communities.
- Leading by example in developing diverse and distinctive public art initiatives.
- Ensuring projects engage directly with the people of Kilkenny, placing their experiences, voices, and traditions at the heart of the creative process.
- Selection Process and Successful Commissions

Following a rigorous two-stage selection process, five standout projects have been awarded commissions:

- Brown Mountain Diamond – A residency programme and exhibition featuring five artists renowned for community engagement and social investigation, based in North Kilkenny.
- Pauline O’Connell – From Hide to Heel – A socially engaged project exploring the intertwined histories of Kilkenny’s industrial and agricultural heritage.
- Fearghus Ó Conchúir – Extra Time – A dance film project engaging with hurling and camogie communities across Kilkenny.
- Asylum Productions - The Alice Project – A multi-part theatrical work exploring the role of art in the community, centred around the legend of Alice Kytler and Petronella.
- Michael Gallen  – A county-wide, multi-disciplinary work combining choral music, documentary, poetry, design, and animation to create an immersive film experience.

These projects were selected from an overwhelming 84 applications received from across the globe, including submissions from the USA, Bulgaria, Poland, and the UK.

Kilkenny County Council emphasises that public art is more than just aesthetics but a means of fostering community cohesion, encouraging inclusivity, and supporting social change.

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