Page 8 - Re-imagining our Region

6 RE-IMAGINING OUR REGION
figure 1
Demonstration project: Mapping Cultural current connections in the region to create a road map for new services and collaborations.
european business connections
european education connections
european cultural connections
q2: Does your city plan to involve its surrounding area? Explain this choice.
The Three Sisters is a region being (re)made and (re)imag- ined in South East Ireland. Our bid is led by the city of Wa- terford as candidate city on behalf of the cities and counties of Waterford, Kilkenny and Wexford. Our regional approach is a new, ambitious model of public policy and partnership which recognises the limitations in capacity of smaller cities and of that administrative boundaries are technical rather than cultural constructs. In short, by working across this new region through culture, our working principle is that
we are better together. Our bid connects rural and urban, puts cross-boundary sharing and cross-sectoral development to the heart of planning, and positions culture as a driver of social and economic change.
q3: Explain the cultural pro le of your city.
The Three Sisters culture is in motion, drawing from many voic- es across a diverse social and political landscape and shaped by a collective memory of the land and sea, arrivals and departures, urban and rural. Thesegenerate a rich and evocative sense of place and allow for a diversity of types of practice, of ways of seeing and doing; while owing together as a cumar1 (con u- ence) to create cities and a region of culture. Our culture is also shaped by traditional and contemporary song and dance; of mass participation – from high quality large-scale international programmes to multiple smaller scale and community-run activities in the towns and villages of the region; and by creating and making – in cra , visual arts and literature. Heritage trails, cycle-ways and river banks generate their own lattice of cultural pathways throughout the region, bringing us together. But
like any siblings the Three Sisters also have their di erences and each city has its own distinct cultural backdrop - Kilkenny boasts its Medieval Mile, Waterford its celebrated Viking Trian- gle and Wexford its strong Norman heritage.
Evocative, artistic voices which are recognisably of Ireland’s South East include internationally renowned writers John Banville, Colm Tóibín, Claire Keegan and Eoin Colfer; artists Michael Warren and Paddy Lennon, ceramicist Nicholas Mosse, digital pioneers Cartoon Saloon, glass sculptor Fred Curtis, designers Rudolf Heltzel and Bláithín Ennis examples of the wealth of creative talent in the region.
1 Cumar is the Irish word for con uence – coming together.
2 Waterford Institute of Technology, Institute of Technology Carlow –
Wexford Campus and the National University of Ireland (Maynooth) Kilkenny Campus.
Creative Industries 49 Librarys 23 Museums 12 Sports 13 Music 2 Arts 4 Community 63 Europe Cultural 66 Europe Business 3 Europe Education 1