We are a specialist support agency funded by the Family Support Agency to nurture local arts and cultural work in Family Resource Centres. Established a decade ago, Blue Drum is a not-for-profit company with a voluntary board and part time Core Group with specific project briefs:
| 2012 Troupe |
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Eleanor Phillips is the Project Leader for the first edition of the Happy Parent Initiative, which will be piloted in 2012. She also developed a ground breaking artist/community worker exchange with Peter and Paul Community Services in St. Louis, USA. She is an artist who has worked within the community sector for more than two decades. She studied sculpture in NCAD and has an MA in Art in Public from the University of Ulster. She is particularly interested in how the processes of art can affect change in structures of power. |
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Gillian Keogan has worked with Blue Drum since 2005 and is our Projects Support Leader. Previously she worked with Music Network for a number of years as an arts administrator. She holds an NUI Maynooth Certificate in Community Develpment and Leadership Skiills from CAFTA, Ballymun. Her moto is that any person has creative power to transform their own lives and that of their community. |
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Mark McCollum is a Director and Chair of the Board. He co-ordinates The Voice of Older People, Donegal, a network organization advocating creatively on behalf of older people. He is an experienced actor, as well as community drama and Forum Theatre practitioner. His is happiest working with productions addressing issues from bullying, domestic violence, sectarianism, to the stigma associated with mental health. He can be met at any time of the day or night swiming out to Tory Island. |
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Mick Daly is a founding Director and former Chair of the Board. He works as a Family Support Worker for the Health Services Executive and with young people for the Probation Service. He is also a facilitator of community theatre and the methods of Theatre of the Oppressed. |
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Mary Doheny is a founding Director and Company Secretary of Blue Drum. She was part of the Steering Group established by the Combat Poverty Agency to research the need for an arts support agency for the Community Development Programme. She is a community worker who is employed by the Northside Partnership to coordinate the Outreach Centre, Priorswood. She is a Company Director of local organisations, Travact and Sphere 17. |
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Neil O’Flanagan who is an archeologist by training, works on the Northsiders' Museum. The pop up museum is developing and is based in the Northside Shopping Centre. He is a Blue Drum associate and has experience in both planning and cultural heritage, including regeneration projects, town extensions, and environmental impact assessments in Ireland and the UK. Neil holds a doctorate in Urban Research, and an MSc in Spatial Planning, and has published regularly. |
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Lorena Zanoni Brun comes from Uruguay and is currently studying English in Ireland. She is Blue Drum's graphic designer and web designer who has refreshed websight and created a new house style for all print and web communication channels. |
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Roisín Markham is our Associate based in Wexford. She is a visual artist, maker and facilitator with a strong technology background. Her socially engaged creative practise is based on collaborative partnerships and creativity in context. Roisin works cross sector; arts, education, community, diversity, health and enterprise. In 2011 Roisin developed projects with St. Brigids FRC Waterford, Gorey Youth Needs Group, Camphill Ballymoney, Cottage Autism Network, Wexford Sports Active, Wexford County Council Arts Department and The Performance Corporation. She has been awarded an EU Grundtvig 2012 study grant to Barcelona exploring art, public and intercultural dialogue. |
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Con Christeson is our St. Louis, USA Board Member who developed the new exchange residency with Blue Drum in 2011. In July, artists Robert Longyear, Alicia Le Chance and Con spend three weeks in Ireland working with Oughterard and TACU Family Resource Centres and the Northside community, Dublin. Then, in October Eleanor Phillips and Jean Bates from the Ballyboden Family Resource Centre went to the USA. The members of the Project Bud Consortium are Roseann Weiss (Regional Arts Commission, St. Louis), Boo McLaughlin (Craft Alliance), and Eamonn Wall (Irish American Studies Chair-UM St. Louis), Shelly Goebel-Parker (Professor-SIU Edwardsville), Ben Dressel (Dressel's Public House). |
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Ed Carroll is a Company Director and works with others in an imaginary space where culture, politics and community collide. He was part of the Civil Arts Inquiry team established by City Arts, Dublin (2003-2007) and Chair of Kaunas Biennial (2009). He has responsibility for the roll out of an EU Culture Research study exploring cultural rights. In2010 he received a Lithuanian National Research Award to study the culture and politics of the Baltic Region at the Department of Social and Political Theory. He lives between Kaunas and Dublin. |
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| 2011 Troupe | People who made valuable contributions in 2011: |
Board Meeting (December 2011)
Photos: Owen Higgins
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Margot Kenny pioneered the first We Are Family creative showcase of Family Resource Centres in Clare and Limerick. In July 2011, Margot moved on to new work and we are very thankful for her contribution as a Project Leader in Blue Drum. Good wishes! |
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Rina Whyte supported us in the area of communications. She has over 13 years experience in Project Management in the creative industry working both in private enterprise and Local Authorities. Most recently she held the position of Public Art Co ordinator in Kildare County Council with responsibility for all aspects of the Public Art Programme and in policy preparation. |
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Sally-Anne Reilly is our associate from Dublin who is a community artist experienced in engagement, training, group facilitation and production of projects in sensitive environments. Her background in broadcast and community film making shows her passion both for stories and helping people to tell theirs in the most creative way. |
