In 2013, Karl Wallace, the then Director of Limerick City of Culture 2014 asked Year Four students to develop campaigns that would engage the wider Limerick community in culture.
The brief asked that they generate ideas that make a positive statement about culture in Limerick and suggested that they work across a range of media and ‘situations’, from online to environmental experience. It could be a combination of information and inspirational elements, a one-off or a series of events that run throughout the year. It should create a talking point, an opportunity to comment, discuss or participate, a means to engage with culture and introduce creative citizenship.
At the presentation, Karl was very positive about the ideas presented and identified a number of projects, with a view to setting up funding and developing the projects with the appropriate arts groups and organisations. Karl’s well-publicised resignation as City of Culture Director meant that the project could go no further.
Despite the obvious, we feel it was a positive experience that went beyond the boundaries of the studio and allowed the students to explore the potential of engaging with the wider cultural community. Luckily for us, so did Institute Designers Ireland, who awarded it a commendation in the Educational category at an awards ceremony in November 2014.