Living Space Project short-listed for prestigious Chambers Ireland award
OVER the course of four days during July and August last year Mallow town was transformed into a cultural melting pot under the auspices of Cork County Council’s colourful ‘Living Space Project’.
The initiative, aimed at enlivening Mallow’s public spaces saw a number of site specific events taking place across the town, including street circus and theatre, aerial shows and music culminating in a ‘Picnic in the Castle’ in the refurbished grounds of Mallow Castle.
Its success has now been formally recognised by Chambers Ireland with the event being short-listed along with five others in the ‘Sustaining the Arts’ category of their prestigious 2017 Excellence in Local Government Awards’ scheme.
The project, which was overseen by the council’s Kanturk/Mallow Municipal District committee impressed competition judges with its eclectic mix of events that encouraged audience participation across all ages.
Congratulating Cork County Council for staging the initiative, Chambers Ireland CEO Ian Talbot said the judging process for this years competition was “extremely competitive” saying judges were “very impressed” with the high standard of entry across all categories.
Welcoming the nomination Mallow/Kanturk district officer Liz Donovan said the authority was delighted that the Project had been recognised for its innovative approach in bringing the arts onto the streets and public spaces of the town.
“The project showcased Mallow to local and wider audiences and conformed that different groups working together could bring about positive in terms of the cultural, social, economic and tourism benefits it brought to the town,” said Ms Donovan.
“It was also opportune timing as significant works to the gardens at Mallow Castle had just been completed, providing a wonderful backdrop for some of the organised arts events,” she added.
The category winners will be announced at a black-tie awards ceremony taking place at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Dublin on Thursday, November 23.
Meanwhile, the ‘Picnic in the Park’ will return to the grounds of Mallow Castle this coming Sunday from 2pm-5pm with a whole load of fun family events and entertainment lined up for the afternoon.