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Towns Welcoming Creativity

Name: Towns Welcoming Creativity
Start: 2025-12-04T13:00:00+00:00
End: 2025-12-04T14:00:00+00:00
Location: Zoom

UCD’s Centre for Irish Towns Talking Towns Series, presented in partnership with Cultural Policy Observatory Ireland.

1 – 2pm
4th December 2025
Event takes place online. Register to receive Zoom link.

This one-hour conversation explores ways that towns support everyday creativity as part of inclusive, diverse places to live.

As explained by the UCD Centre for Irish Towns, in Ireland, Irish towns are home to a third of the population. They face significant challenges—including vacancy, underinvestment, and fragmented data and governance—which undermine social cohesion and long-term resilience. However, they also present a major opportunity: towns are well-positioned to support population growth, enable sustainable and low-carbon communities, and drive post-pandemic transition. Growing policy initiatives and consensus highlight the need for coordinated research, collaboration, and evidence-based action to revitalise town centres.

Presentations and discussion will draw from case studies and experiences within Creative Lives. Established in 1991, Creative Lives champions community and volunteer-led creative activity, and works to improve opportunities for everyone to be creative. They work across Ireland, England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

Chair: Dr Victoria Durrer (UCD)

Speakers:

Jemma Neville is a Policy Director of Creative Lives, based in Scotland, who writes creatively about the intersections of people in place

Jess Plant on Creative Lives’ Place work and partnerships with BBC local radio. She has previously worked in a range of arts development roles connected to criminal justice and lessening social exclusion.

Dan Brown is Head of Creative Development for OnFife, a Cultural Trust in Fife, Scotland. His background spans arts, digital media, and community engagement.

Angi Ward runs the Monday Music group in Edenderry as part of Creative Places Edenderry, Ireland (funded by Arts Council Ireland). Monday Music and Acoustic Hearts, were the national Runners Up for Ireland at the Creative Lives Awards last year. Angi was also a recipient of Seed Funding from Creative Places, Edenderry for writing her ‘Mother Bog’ original script musical play.

Towns Welcoming Creativity

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