Craft Month 2016
Date Posted: July 15, 2016
For Craft Month 2016 R-Space Gallery has teamed up with Craft NI and Northern Ireland Screen’s Digital Film Archive in celebration of Northern Ireland’s rich craft landscape past and present through the Film Makers exhibition. Five contemporary local makers have been invited to respond to heritage footage from Northern Ireland Screen’s Digital Film Archive to produce new work for this engaging exhibition. The exhibition runs from 30th July – 30th August in the R-Space Gallery in Lisburn.
Featuring stone carving, basket weaving, furniture making, tools and hand woven textiles, Film Makers highlights the relationship between historical skills and contemporary making. Supported by the BFI Film Audience Network, the project also records the making processes of the participating artists in new film footage, offering visitors a glimpse into the inspirations and techniques behind the work.
Craft Month visitors to R-Space will find the newly commissioned works displayed alongside the heritage footage that inspired them, and film by Simon Mills of the makers at work. This new footage will also be shown in selected locations beyond the gallery and become part of Northern Ireland Screen’s Digital Film Archive.
Film Makers shows how contemporary craft skills reference the past, both in their use of traditional skills and in how techniques change and evolve over time. The collaboration emphasises the value of craft makers in the province and records a sample of their activities for future generations to enjoy.
Featuring the work of Alison Fitzgerald, Sharon Adams, Ronan Lowry, Nicola Gates, and Sheena Devitt who says:
“Watching the craft clips on the Digital Film Archive has shown me how large scale industries in Northern Ireland, such as the linen industry, agriculture and shipbuilding have sustained and developed traditional craft skills such as weaving, lacemaking, carpentry, stonemasonry and metalwork.
“Over the last 15 years Northern Ireland has been reinventing itself, largely driven by the creative industries, with moving image at the heart of this new development. Films and television series made in Northern Ireland have created new opportunities for specific craft skills such as silversmithing, taxidermy and the craft skills associated with the film making industry itself. The local tourist industry has also had a huge boost with the digital experience of NI encouraging people to experience the landscape first hand.”
This exhibition is suitable for all ages. Entry is free and booking is not required. There is also wheelchair access
For further information visit the CraftNI website.
