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Reports and Publications

Creative Places, Edenderry: Connect, Cultivate, Celebrate A Three Year Report, 2021-24

Creative Places, Edenderry, was established in September 2021, supported by The Arts Council of Ireland / An Comhairle Ealaíon (as part of the national Creative Places programme) and led by Creative Lives, in partnership with Offaly County Council’s Arts Office and the Municipal District of Edenderry.

Creative Places, Edenderry works with people of all ages and backgrounds to create a richer, more inclusive, and more cohesive creative community in the town and surrounding areas. The project was developed collaboratively by the people of Edenderry with community ownership and sustainability at the heart of what we do together. 

The Connect, Cultivate, Celebrate report reflects on the first three years of the Creative Places, Edenderry project, from 2021 to 2024. 

You can view or download the report below.  For more information, please contact info@creativeplacesedenderry.ie

Connect, Cultivate, Celebrate A Three Year Report, 2021-24




Arts Infrastructure Strategy 2023-2028

Arts Infrastructure Strategy English Download

Straitéis Bonneagair Ealaíon Uíbh Fhailí 2023-2028

Significant changes are taking place within the landscape of arts infrastructure in Offaly, and in Ireland more generally. These changes present considerable opportunities for the arts, but they also call for a cohesive strategy so that such opportunities can be harnessed for the benefit of County Offaly, and for the contribution the contemporary arts in the midlands can make to national cultural wellbeing. In this respect Offaly County Council Arts Office has funded a comprehensive infrastructure strategy for 2023-2028


Mapping Arts and Health Across the Midlands

Mapping Arts and Health Across the Midlands Report 

The key question underlying this research was “How can we collaborate better?” The question touches on a range of issues from funding sources and business models, through modes of engagement and choice of art forms, and onto the vital follow up question, “in order to achieve what?”

This research was concerned with mapping a landscape of practice and provision – a picture of what is done and how it is delivered. This involved teasing out a complex ecosystem of people, agencies, resources, policies and understandings. Our purpose in mapping this ecosystem was to answer the key question: “how can we collaborate better?” Effectively, our purpose in this research was to understand how the different parts of the ecosystem work together, and how we can change the way they work together to create an effective and sustainable arts/health sector across the midlands


A Place of Pointed Stones

Pamphlet – A Place of Pointed Stones – Download here.

A 2020/2021 Public Art Project commissioned by Offaly County Council Arts Office by Jessica Traynor in collaboration with the Banagher Community


Arts in the Landscape Report

Download Art in the Landscape Report here

Research undertaken by Terre Duffy of the development of the land art and the environmental art movement presented as the contextual inspiration for both Tir Saile Sculpture Trail and Lough Boora Sculpture Park. The research also maps Irish Sculpture Parks and trails in Ireland. The research was initiated by the partner organizations of Offaly County Council, Mayo County Council and Visual Artists Ireland and funded under the Arts Council’s An Invitation to Collaboration Scheme.


Midlands Magazines until 2019

Midlands Arts & Culture Magazines 2019

Back issues of the Midlands Arts & Culture Magazine


Deep Mapping Lough Boora Sculpture Park

Deep Mapping Book – Click here to download

Reclaim | Rehabilitate | Restore | Regenerate by artists Tim Collins and Reiko Goto Collins. A deep mapping project that reveals a detailed depiction of place, people, buildings, objects, flora and fauna, exisiting within and surrounding the Parklands; as part of a process to consider a sustainable artistic vision that can inform the future development of Lough Boora Sculpture Park.


Youth Arts Report 2021

Youth Arts Report Pages 1 – 49 Download (PDF 9 MB)

Youth Arts Report Conclusion Pages 50-98 Download (PDF 8MB)

The Makings – Fostering Youth Arts Creativity A report commissioned by Offaly County Council Arts Office Supported by the Arts Council/An Chomhairle Ealaíon Author: Angela Ryan Whyte B.A. M.A. H.Dip


Offaly Arts Strategy 2018 -2022

Offaly Arts Strategy Download

Inspire – Imagine – Involve – A five year strategy for the Arts in Offaly