Smashing Times International Centre for the Arts and Equality are delighted to announce our plans for 2021
which include a range of arts-based projects taking place in Ireland, Northern Ireland and across Europe and the implementation of two unique festivals – the Dublin Arts and Human Rights Festival 2021 and the 12th annual City of Dublin Winter Solstice Celebration festival. Embracing the shift to the online, this year Smashing Times developed a virtual art exhibition hub, making our work accessible right across the world – read more below. Finally Smashing Times are delighted to implement two unique networking opportunities – the Artist Professional Development programme which is open to artists using their artform to promote equality, human rights and diversity and the Smashing Times International Arts and Human Rights Network which is a European wide network bringing together artists with citizens and communities and is open to all those interested in using the arts to promote equality, human rights and diversity for all.
Smashing Times International Centre for the Arts and Equality incorporating Smashing Times Theatre and Film company and Smashing Times Youth Arts Ensemble is an award-winning arts organisation dedicated to the promotion, study and practice of the arts, human rights, climate justice and gender equality. Led by Artistic Director Mary Moynihan and producer Freda Manweiler, the centre operates as a world class arts space and digital hub for artists, citizens, communities and the general public across Ireland, Northern Ireland and internationally, providing a resource service and networking agency, and an annual inter-disciplinary arts programme. Visit www.smashingtimes.ie
Smashing Times is highly experienced in using the arts to promote issues at local, national and European levels linking with organisations in Ireland, Northern Ireland, European and internationally and in countries including the UK, Spain, Germany, Poland, Turkey, Serbia, Croatia, Bulgaria, the Netherlands, Sri Lanka, Greece and Latvia. The work is presented in a range of settings, in-person and online, on stage and on screen, from the professional theatre and arts space, to on tour in schools and communities where we are invited to work collaboratively with people from all ages and cultures, particularly in disadvantaged, marginalised communities.
Projects in Ireland and Northern Ireland
State of the Art is a project that aims to work with 12 diverse artists together to work on a collaborative and interdisciplinary basis, developing their artistic practice for using the arts to promote equality, human rights and diversity. The artists come together to share expertise, experiences, and artistic practice in relation to using their artforms to promote equality, diversity and human rights, to study international best practice examples of arts and human rights from across Europe, to develop ideas and artistic processes for engaging the arts to promote human rights and to identify the type of art to be created as part of this project – using an interdisciplinary approach to raise awareness of and celebrate human rights. In 2021 the project will culminate in a State of the Art Virtual Art showcase exhibition – hosted on the Smashing Times virtual art exhibition hub and via social media – and presented for the Dublin Arts and human Rights Festival 15-24 October 2021 to showcase artworks – visual art, film installation, creative writing – and responses by artists to key themes. An Arts and Human Rights Networking Day 2021 will be resented for the Dublin Arts and Human Rights Festival 2021 with presentations by key artists involved in State of the Art sharing learnings and insights gained by all artists working on the project – open to artists, cultural practitioners, social change movements and communities with an interest in socially engaged arts and human rights practice. Supported by the Arts Council of Ireland.
Creative Connections is an arts-based project using creative processes of theatre, film and new digital technologies to promote reconciliation and positive community relations between people and traditions in Northern Ireland and on the island of Ireland today. Supported by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Reconciliation Fund. For more information on the project, click here.
Acting for the Future and the Creative Arts for Health and Well-Being Hub is an innovative arts-based programme using the arts and creativity to promote active healthy lifestyles, positive mental health and well-being and suicide prevention. As a professional arts organisation, Smashing Times have worked for many years now in the area of participatory arts practice in health and health care settings. As part of the company’s ongoing Acting for the Future programme Smashing Times have implemented a range of successful projects across Ireland and Northern Ireland using the arts to promote active health lifestyles, positive mental health and well-being and suicide prevention. We have conducted this work since 2005 in partnership with the Samaritans and currently work with a range of organisations including the Samaritans, Arklow Mental Health Week and Sea Change. We engage with people from all ages and cultures with a view to promoting access to high quality arts practice and to promoting each person’s health and wellbeing within an inclusive, respectful environment. In 2021 we continue to roll out Acting for the Future workshops, performances and panel discussions with schools and communities and we are establishing a unique Creative Arts for Health and Well-Being Hub to offer arts-based services, resources and information to promote health and well-being online.
Smashing Times are dedicated to promoting the role of the arts within intercultural health care practice, promoting positive mental health and well-being with Traveller and Roma groups and with Refugees and Asylum seekers in Ireland. The project promotes an intercultural approach to delivery of health care support services in an equal, accessible and effective way, acknowledging and valuing the diversity of all service users. In relation to working with Traveller groups, Smashing Times have created a short film documentary Acting for the Future directed by Mary Moynihan and produced by Freda Manweiler, Smashing Times. The documentary features interviews with Patrick Nevin, Tallaght Travellers Community Development Project; Linda Green, Primary Health Care Coordinator, Kildare Traveller Action; Bridget Dooley, Bridget O’Brien and Bridget Cawley, Primary Health Care Workers with Kildare Traveller Action and Kathleen Cawley and Bridget O’Brien, from Kildare Traveller Action. The documentary combines a focus on positive mental health and well-being for Travellers linked to the theme of human rights for all. Supported by the HSE National Social Inclusion Office and the Community Foundation for Ireland.
International Art Festivals
Dublin Arts and Human Rights Festival 2021 will be implemented by Smashing Times and Front Line Defenders in partnership with a range of arts and human rights organisations to showcase and highlight the extraordinary work of human rights defenders in Ireland and around the world, past and present, and the role of the arts and artists in promoting human rights today. The festival will run for ten days from the 15 to the 24 October 2021, combining in-person and online events to invite communities across the world to join in the celebration of arts for human rights. See last year’s line-up here.
12th Annual City of Dublin Winter Solstice Celebration Festival, 21 December 2021 will be presented by Smashing Times International Centre for the Arts and Equality on Monday 21 December 2021 from 4 to 8pm with events happening online and outdoors with a range of artists, arts organisations, partners and communities. Come and gather with us on the darkest day, step into the warmth of our creative events as we welcome the return of the light on this festive and magical night for family and friends to enjoy. Take part in a magical event to honour the Winter Solstice on December 21, marking the shortest day of the year which is celebrated worldwide across a range of cultures.
Creative Networking for Artists, Citizens and Communities
The Artist Professional Development Programme provides a unique opportunity for artists using their artform to promote equality and human rights to come together to present and share work, to talk and build deeper connections, to explore artistic collaborations and supports needed going forward and to raise the profile and visibility for arts and human rights.
The Programme began as part of Dublin Arts and Human Rights Festival 2020 and has continued with four open monthly meetings from December 2020 to March 2021, to offer support and connection for artists through the forecasted period of Covid-19 isolation. The next meeting is scheduled to take place on Thursday 14 January 2021, at 2pm, and is themed ‘A Creative Celebration of Positive Mental Health and Well-Being’. For more information or to join the programme, contact Ciara at communications@smashingtimes.ie
The Smashing Times International Arts and Human Rights Network is a European wide network bringing together artists with citizens and communities and all those interested in using the arts to promote equality, human rights and diversity for all. Members of the Network have access to two free meetings a year, with artists, activists and all those interested in the promotion of human rights through the arts. A key event will be the An Arts and Human Rights Networking Day to be presented for the Dublin Arts and Human Rights Festival 2021 with presentations by key artists involved in the Smashing Times project State of the Art. The day is open to artists, cultural practitioners, social change movements and communities with an interest in socially engaged arts and human rights practice. In addition to this, members can access information on upcoming events and training, monthly newsletters and more. Our next meeting will be a networking opportunity with members of the Artist Development Programme, Thursday 11 February, 2pm. More information and how to join here.
European Creative Art Projects for 2021
Information on all on-going projects can be found here.
Art Connects: A Time to Breathe is a European wide three-year transnational partnership project that brings together 6 organisations who will create a sustainable partnership and share their expertise of using the arts to promote positive mental health and well-being. The expertise will be shared in order to create a model of practice for a new Europe wide Creative Arts for Health and Well-Being hub (an online interactive platform and learning resource centre). The overall aim is to provide education, training and awareness-raising at national and European levels using creative processes to promote positive mental health and emotional wellbeing.
Forgotten Voices: Stories of Hope, Courage and Resilience from the Holocaust and WWII, a new project using creative processes of theatre, film, online digital technologies and social media campaigns to remember forgotten stories of humanity, courage and resilience from the Holocaust and World War II, linking those stories to solidarity today and the key role the EU plays in promoting democracy, equality and peace for all. Funded by Europe for Citizens.
Our Civic Heritage, which seeks to promote European common values and civic education and engagement in Europe. It addresses three types of target groups: members of the public that are interested in civic participation activities, educators that teach civic participation and cultural heritage, and policy makers and those working in the cultural heritage and civic sector whether in a public or private capacity. Funded by Erasmus+.
PAUSE, ‘Practices and Approaches for Upskilling Educators’ is aimed at exchanging experience and good practices for improving the skills and competences of educators working with vulnerable adults. Funded by Erasmus+.
We also continue the development of our current European Projects:
Arts for Human Rights, a European wide three-year, transnational partnership project using creative processes of theatre and film and new digital technologies to promote learning and raising awareness in relation to human rights and gender equality across Europe. Funded by Erasmus+
Equality Ambassadors, using creativity and new digital technologies to promote democracy, equality and human rights with youth workers and young people in an Equal Europe. Funded by Erasmus+
Smashing Times Virtual Art Exhibition Hub
In 2020 Smashing Times were delighted to set up an online virtual art exhibition hub to showcase the work of artists across a range of disciplines from visual art to poetry and literature to film. The exhibition hub currently is home to two unique exhibitions and see below for further information.
EU 1979: A People’s Parliament – Democracy, Human Rights and Women’s Political Participation is a European art-based project using creative processes of film, a feminist framework and online digital resources to remember the first 1979 European parliamentary elections through a celebration of the stories and names of the 67 powerful women MEP’s elected at that time. As part of this project Smashing Times have created a new digital art exhibition titled EU 1979: A People’s Parliament featuring a curated collection of visual images, poetry and posters, articles and research inspired by the names and stories of 67 powerful women MEP’s elected to the 1979 first European parliamentary elections. View here.
Emotional Landscapes
The title for this unique virtual visual art and multi-disciplinary exhibition ‘Emotional landscapes’ was created by artist Noelle McAlinden from a series of creative conversations with writer, theatre and film-maker Mary Moynihan. The conversations continued, to encompass the work of visual artist Hina Khan, violinist and composer Lisa McLoughlin-Gnemmi, writer and choreographer Fiona Bawn Thompson and poet and writer Féilim James, bringing together different artists who, each in their own way, were responding to the changing emotional landscapes of our evolving world. View here.
For further information please visit the Smashing Times website or contact the Smashing Times office on info@smashingtimes.ie or call us on +353 (0) 1 865 6613
