Seven new Seed Funding recipients announced as part of Creative Places: Edenderry
Creative Places: Edenderry aims to put people, place, and participation at the centre of cultural life in Edenderry.
As part of this programme, we’re excited to announce the recipients of our new Seed Funding grants, who we’ll be supporting to carry out inspiring projects with and for the people of Edenderry.
Creative Places: Edenderry is funded and supported by The Arts Council / An Chomhairle Ealaíon, Offaly County Council, and the Municipal District of Edenderry.
Helen Keenan
Helen is a multidisciplinary artist based in Rhode, Co. Offaly. She has a strong socially engaged arts practice, working across care and community settings, delivering youth projects, arts in education residencies and curating and leading community multidisciplinary projects for people aged 50 and above, across arts centres nationally.
Helen will be delivering a four week project this Spring, working with local group ‘Circle of Friends’. Each session will introduce participants to different pathways into creative writing, recognising that people engage creatively in different ways. These pathways will include guided visualisation, reminiscence and memory work, collage-making, simple embodied exercises, and group discussion.
Angi Ward
“The Monday Group is a group of people primarily of 65 years old and over that meet each week from 2.00 till 3.30 in the Parish Centre. What started out with less than 10 participants can now boast up to 30 at any one session as recently the local Day Care Centre joined us. The group was set up to connect with the older generation, particularly men over 65. I am a musician and I sought to use music, singing and laughter as well as participation as a way of bringing strangers together to form new acquaintances and subsequent friendships.
“Many of our well-established members look forward to the Monday Group and spend time during each week finding and learning a new song and it is wonderful to see them with such purpose. Individuals that joined initially to simply sit and listen now take part actively, whether that be singing or writing and reciting their own works. Each member grows in confidence and can avail of the wonderful network of friendships that have been created. Books of song words help new members break the ice and very often a polite refusal to sing changes to a request within a week or two! New members are always welcome!
“We are delighted to be awarded Seed Funding. This will enable us to be able to continue to run the group until the Summer.”
Serhii Ishchenko
“My name is Serhii (Sergio) Ishchenko, and I am a creative practitioner based in the Edenderry area with a background in technology and digital innovation. My work explores how emerging technologies can support inclusive and accessible art practices, with a particular focus on tactile and sensory-based creative processes that invite people of all abilities to engage with art.
“Light in the Darkness: Tactile UV Printing & Inclusive Art is a community art project in Edenderry that introduces tactile UV printing – a technique that creates raised, touchable images. Through a series of hands-on workshops, participants will create multi-sensory artworks on materials such as wood, acrylic, ceramics and other. The project focuses on accessibility and inclusive creative practice and will conclude with a small public exhibition.”
Derek Usher
Derek Usher is an Edenderry-based poet, photographer, and community facilitator whose writing is rooted in place, memory, and the everyday details of small-town life. His poetry explores belonging, reflection, and the quiet moments that shape how people live and connect — often drawing on local landscapes, familiar streets, and shared experience. Alongside his creative practice, Derek has over 20 years’ experience in inclusive group facilitation and is committed to creating gentle, welcoming spaces where people can participate at their own pace, with no pressure and no expectation of “being good at writing”.
‘Words from Here: A Community Poetry Workshop in Edenderry’ is a small-scale workshop series designed to reduce loneliness and social disconnection by creating a gentle, welcoming space for self-reflection and participation. The sessions will support local people to come together, share time, and connect through simple writing prompts rooted in Edenderry’s everyday life, memories, and place.
The focus is not on being good at writing, but on conversation, memory, listening, and belonging – with no pressure to perform or share, and everyone encouraged to take part at their own pace.
Jacques Norval
“I’m Jacques Norval, an aspiring musician and guitarist from Edenderry. I’ve been playing guitar for 4 years, mostly rock and punk. Over my time as a guitarist, I’ve hosted a few projects, Played open mics, and recorded some music.
“The Jam Session aims be an open space for anyone looking to learn, meet up, or play with others who enjoy music. Any skill level or instrument is more than welcome. We have a few instruments ready but feel free to bring your own.”
Jenny Bergin
“My name is Jenny Bergin and I’m an artist based in Edenderry. To celebrate St Brigids Day on February 1st, I will be facilitating six free workshops in Edenderry on the craft of weaving the traditional St Brigids Cross.
“Throughout the years, this cross, woven from reeds or rushes was hung in Irish homes and animal sheds as a symbol to evade illness, evil and fire. Two of the workshops are open to the public and everybody is welcome to come along to learn this beautiful craft.”
Caroline Kelly
Eden School of Music, established in 2014, offers music & language tuition to students of all ages, abilities and backgrounds. Caroline Kelly took over the directorship in 2019, following her own successful performance career and has since dedicated her time to promoting the tuition and appreciation of music.
Eden School of Music will be facilitating 2 fully-funded group composition workshops in the school, hosted by George Murphy & David Brown from the Rising Sons.
Caroline said: “With support from Creative Places Edenderry, we are delighted to provide the opportunity to attend these events – up to a maximum of 20 participants per 2 hr session – to all people within the local area.
“Our project will give musicians access to published artists who are used to working in a collaborative setting, taking creative ideas and turning them into finished pieces of music to promote original music creation within the Edenderry area.”