Arts project remembers The Silence
Dundalk native Pat Carroll, who has been living in Cork for the past 45 years, is curating an arts project which will remember this time when the COVID-19 pandemic changed the world.
Pat, who runs the Art in Many Forms Facebook page, has gathered together a group of artists, photographers, writers and musicians, including some from his native county, for the project entitled The Silence.
With a background in design, Pat has a life long interest in the arts and knows many working in the arts around the country.
‘I spent a number of years in Cobh, and was involved in the Sirrus Arts Centre,’ he says. ‘I have worked with a lot of great people down the years.’
He got the idea for the project from the work of Cork photographer Robert O Connor, who when the lockdown was announced on March 21, went out and photographed the empty streets of a deserted Cork City.
Pat says that Rob’s collection of images ‘frightened the life out of me..I remember looking at the first of them and asking ‘Where is everyone? Where have they gone?’
‘2020 was to be a very big year in Cobh and suddenly all the hard work was dismantled in a number of days,’ he says. ‘Covid-19 had taken us hostage and it was not nice -The Silence project was born, writers, artists, photographers, poets and people were asked would they consider submitting some writing to accompany the photographs.’
Pat put a shout out to his many contacts in the arts world, including some in his native Co Louth.
As a member of the Dundalk Northend and Friends Facebook page, Pat was familiar with the work of local photographer Jean Gibson, who is particularly well known for her beautiful photographs of the Navvy Bank.
‘My sister loves Jean’s work and put me in touch with her and Jean said she would love to be part of the project.’
Dundalk artist Mary Wallace (nee McConnon), who moved to Wexford almost 37 years ago, was one of the first contributors to the project. ‘It was her work that was the inspiration for The Silence design with the ancient ogham alphabet ‘Etain Dances with the Sun’ says Pat.
He also reached out to Blackrock born writer Jean Reinhart, who now lives in Cavan and has written a number of books. Drogheda artist and activist Jennie Hinds has also come on board.
Among the writers who are contributing to the project is Catherine Drea, who spent the first seven years of her life in Dundalk, when her father was posted here with the ESB. Catherine, an artist, photographer, and award winning blogger, has written about the death of her step-mother from COVID-19.
‘A lot of the writing is very emotional, but there are also funny pieces,’ says Pat. ‘ They will make you laugh and cry.’
Other contributers to the project include Claire Stack, Aine Farrell ,Anne Martin Walsh, Suzanne D’Arcy Gaughran, Stanley Notte, Mailo Power, Rachel Dubber, Amy Guilfoyle, Cobh Animation Team, Therese Ryder, Deidre O’Shaughnessy, Bernie Carney, Orlaith Hamersley. Theresa McCormack, Linda Ibbotson, Caroline Cunnigham, Ruairi de Barra, Michelle Dunne, Catherine Brennan, Martha Cashman, Bernadette Dolan, Karen Power, Stephen Hayes, Martina Furlong, Amy O’Connor, Maria O’Sullivan, Brigid Mullooly, Nilla Palmer, Trish Carlos, and of course, photographer Rob O’Connor.
The project will be going live on the internet on the weekend of June 27, although Pat hopes to bring The Silence to real life venues next year.
‘We could have actors reading the contributions with a backdrop of the images, as well as especially composed music.’
For more information check out Pat’s blog www.artinmanyforms.wordpress.com or his Art in Many Forms Facebook and Instagram accounts.